Young gun selected for global leadership program

The Australian Council of Agricultural Journalists congratulates ABC Wimmera Rural Reporter Angus Verley on representing our country in a unique program at the next annual Congress of the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists (IFAJ).

Angus has been selected as one of only ten young journalists from around the world to participate in IFAJ’s prestigious Young Leaders program, in Minnesota in July.

The ACAJ selected Angus from a strong field of entries as its finalist for the IFAJ/Alltech Young Leaders in Agricultural Journalism Award.

Angus has now been named one of the global recipients and will join his peers from around the world at a professional development ‘boot camp’ as part of the annual IFAJ International Congress.

ACAJ President Pete Lewis congratulated Angus on being selected for the prestigious award.

“Angus follows in the footsteps of other young Australian rural journalists who have gone on to make their mark and take on leadership positions in our industry,” Pete said.

“The annual congress brings together the best and brightest in our business along with the industry and corporate stakeholders, like Alltech, who support the important work we do.”

Angus was raised on a sheep and cropping farm near Boort in Victoria, and saw agricultural journalism as the ideal way to combine his interests in farming and media.

He studied a Bachelor of Communication (Journalism) at RMIT University in Melbourne followed by a post-graduate cadetship through Deakin University.

After a stint with three rural Victorian newspapers (Gannawarra Times, Loddon Times and The Guardian), Angus joined ABC Wimmera in May 2018 as the Western Victoria rural reporter, based at Horsham.

Angus has taken on numerous leadership positions at ABC Wimmera, including mentoring new staff members to ensure the entire team is agriculturally literate. He is active in his local community and has held leadership roles in a variety of sporting organisations.

Angus said he was looking forward to the opportunity to represent Australia at the IFAJ congress.

“I’m honoured to be selected for the young leader’s award. Rural reporting is my passion, so it will be such a privilege to meet like-minded people from around the world.”

Chair of the ACAJ selection panel, Liz Harfull, said Angus’s application stood out for his genuine and passionate commitment to rural journalism, and reporting on agriculture.

“His career has progressed relatively quickly, demonstrating excellent reporting skills given his level of experience,” she said.

“Outside mentoring others in the workplace, we were also impressed by the leadership potential shown by his earlier volunteer work. He tutored at the River Nile Learning Centre in Melbourne, where he helped students who faced significant language, cultural, family and financial barriers to education after relocated to Australia from Africa.

“Angus also took part in a ‘schoolies alternative’ trip to Cambodia, joining year 12 students from the local high school to take part in a series of aid and cultural awareness projects. The program is aimed at preparing students to be responsible global citizens in life after school.”

Liz said the judging panel believed Angus would benefit enormously from attending the boot camp and the IFAJ conference at this stage of his career.

“It will not only give him the opportunity to build on those skills, but to experience the wider professional world and network with his peers, and also see and report on industries and issues being covered by the conference program which has some strong synergies with his own region and reporting in Australia.”

Contacts:

Pete Lewis
ACAJ President

0408 722 113

Angus Verley
IFAJ/Alltech Young Leader in Agricultural Journalism Award recipient

0418 280 501