Best Design and Layout – Winner
Studfield Wantirna News
This is a wonderful community newsletter: a pleasure to scan for articles and read. What is excellent about this newsletter is the choice of size, paper, colour and tone of heading typeface. It is a good mix of newspaper style and magazine. The paper choice is friendly. The headings and typeface choice are modern yet approachable. The delightful use of illustrations in the corners adds life and warmth to the pages. Overall it has the feel of a contemporary newsletter but remains friendly, accessible and down to earth.
Best Design and Layout – Finalist
Buninyong and District Community News
This is a no nonsense easy to read newsletter. The layout is clear and ordered. The big headings and choice of typeface are straight forward making the news easy to follow for the reader. It appears to be made on a budget with one colour and the results are excellent with this in mind. It resembles a council A4 newsletter which it gives some weight and importance and will compel some readers to have a look, not a bad thing.
Best Design and Layout – Finalist
Warrandyte Diary
The name ‘diary’ and the masthead are a lovely feel for a community newsletter, obviously including as many local people as possible. This newsletter is packed full of great articles which are easy to find and read. It resembles a newspaper which would encourage readers to have a look. The front cover is engaging with its big type drawing the reader in. I think the community would keep this newsletter and come back and back to read more.
Best editorial comment
General comments:
– Always best to put your name
– It’s fine to be critical, but good to suggest a way forward, give direction, hope, lead.
– Positivity and caring always inspires more
Best editorial comment – Winner
SpringDale Messenger – Anne Brackley
Beautifully written. A wonderful energy of selflessness. No ego here. Inspiring read of how the SM is co-creating with the community. Creation, positivity, light.
Best editorial comment – Finalist
Warrandyte Diary – Scott Podmore
Care and concern for a serious local issue, well researched, well written, balanced. A detailed, comprehensive, serious look at an important issue. Well done!
Best editorial comment – Finalist
Winchelsea Star – John Brodrick
Understands the power of the front page and is using it! Good on you!
Special mention to Signpost Community Magazine (Dianna McMahon). It wasn’t a local community issue, but I loved its insight, freshness and gentle lead. It made me think. Big picture.
Best Sports Reporting
It was once again a very difficult task to select this year’s winner.
I was again impressed by the broad range of sports covered and the wide array of formats and layout designs utilised to deliver local sport coverage and feature stories.
All publications are clearly dedicated to celebrating the success and achievements of their local sportspeople of all ages.
Best Sports Reporting – Finalist
Buninyong & District Community News
Buninyong & District Community News also presented a fantastic Triple Treat bowls and cricket finals spread. This publication used clean layouts, great pics and very succinct editorial coverage which was short sharp and to the point which is sure to keep the reader engaged.
I think it was terrific the way they included the picture of the elated bowls crowd celebrating the win on the front. It really shows a commitment to involving all facets of the community in the coverage. Not just the sportspeople themselves.
It was great the way the editorial was broken up into three clear sections where readers could learn more about each final showdown, rather than presenting the story in one big slab of text.
Best Sports Reporting – Finalist
Signpost Community Magazine
For its feature – Jockeying for a future in race horsing by Jackie Pinkster.
The story was presented in a neat and interesting way with the headline in the centre and photographs top and tailing.
It was a fantastic story which took readers on a journey from the budding jockey’s beginnings, through her trials and successes, and to the present and her hopes for the future.
Whilst it’s important to offer a broad sports coverage and results. It’s also important to present interesting stories about local people to engage our audience and this story ticks all the boxes.
Best Sports Reporting – Winner
Warrandyte Diary
The winning entry stood out for a number of reasons.
The front page photograph is a cracker and I loved the headline and the use of colour in the headline. The short sharp introduction draws readers into the extensive finals coverage inside.
The Warrandyte Diary’s spread on the grand final Triple Treat inside is a great read and the pictures and layouts are clean and first rate.
I also loved the double page spread of celebratory pics combined with the top 10 highlights of the match. This was a really innovative idea. The coverage indicates the writers and photographers spent considerable time and effort covering the matches and its fantastic they got reactions and responses from the people involved. It’s all about our local people and community after all.
The Warrandyte Diary has also devoted loads of space to a wide array of other sports and local achievers.
Best article by a person 18 years or younger – Winner
The Foothills
‘Is enough being done to prevent youth suicide’ by Sierra Laird
A well balanced, extremely well-researched article on a very important topic for the community.
While some of the writing could have been ‘tighter’, the balance of tone, personal experience, data and questions for the reader was excellent.
Best article by a person 18 years or younger – Finalist
Brown Hill Community Newsletter
‘Quick Witted Walter’ by Gemma and Connor
A very fun character piece that captured the spirit of the interviewee and the interviewers.
I’m sure the readers loved this piece! I did!
Best article by a person 18 years or younger – Finalist
Harcourt News – The Core
‘Does social media wreck young lives’ by Scarlett Berger
A very thorough, explorative piece that manages to speak in a tone that works for both older and younger readers.
Best community content – Winner
GREAT Gisborne Gazette
The GREAT Gisborne Gazette is a wonderful newsletter that not only captures the character of the community it represents but also reflects the value of the publication to the community. It seems to include a contribution from every community organisation, school, sporting club and interest group in Gisborne, providing an equitable and accessible way to share local news, events and information. A delightful experience to read.
Best community content – Finalist
Waranga News
Waranga News is a well complied newsletter that features contributions from a broad range of community groups and organisations. It reflects the diverse interest of the community with a balanced approach and equitable print area. A pleasure to read.
Best community content – Finalist
The Blackwood Times
The Blackwood Times is a great newsletter that reflects the wonderful character and spirit of the town it represents. A fascinating and fun publication to read.
Best history story – Winner
The Otway Light
‘Teaching at Lavers Hill in the 1960s’ by Colin McKenzie
This is a great story about Colin’s first year of teaching. It is a great read – describing his teaching, the town and local activities, many of which revolved around sport. I especially liked his story about his first visitors – two members of the local football team to ‘assess his prospects’ as a player! Everyone has a story and I like to encourage people to write their own stories about their life or the town they grew up in or worked in and that’s what is great about Colin’s story – it’s a snapshot of his teaching life and the Lavers Hill township in 1964.
Best history story – Finalist
Warrandyte Diary
‘Warrandyte in the 1950s’ by Bill Hudson-McAuley
This is a snapshot of a town at a particular time – Warrandyte in the 1950s. Bill describes the town and the shops and the home delivery men – the baker, the milkman, the iceman and the dunny man (who collected not delivered!) and just the simple pleasures of growing up in a country town where children were encouraged to make their own entertainment. Lovely story.
Best history story – Finalist
The Blackwood Times
‘Cyclone Pat runs out of puff’
I was tossing up between a few articles for this position but I kept coming back to a story and obituary on Pat Liffman of Barry’s Reef. She was a community activist who involved herself in ‘just about every aspect of Blackwood Society’ Firstly, Pat is an interesting subject who led an interesting life and this article made me want to know more about her. Secondly, Pat is an example of a ‘new comer’ moving into an area and deciding to get involved and make a positive contribution to the town and I like people like that.
Best feature story
Thanks for giving me the opportunity to judge this year’s ‘Best feature story’ in the CNAV Awards 2016.
It truly was a pleasure. There were some great stories covering a wide range of subject matter.
Best feature story – Winner
Warrandyte Diary
‘Living with Lyme disease’ by Sammi Taylor
The winner was clear cut.
This was an extremely well written piece of investigative journalism. It was sensitively handled, beautifully structured and whole article was a gripping read from the first word to the last. This very important story is about Lyme disease not being acknowledged as a medical condition in Australia and details the pain and anguish being experienced by several Warrandyte residents with Lyme-like symptoms. Excellent work Sammi.
Best feature story – Finalist
Harcourt News/The Core
‘Harcourtian – Troy West – Catman’ by Jenny McKenry
I loved this story. It was a terrific read about Geelong’s most passionate fan – Catman Troy West, whose father, Roy, was a Best and Fairest winner and a Geelong Premiership player in the ’60s. It was a thoroughly entertaining, very well written story and I simply couldn’t put it down. I think what stood out most in this article was that I could hear the writer’s voice in the story. Well done Jenny.
Best feature story – Finalist
The Village Bell
‘Life and times of a modern soldier’ by Cameron Rocke
This story follows a young man’s journey from his undisciplined school years to the culture shock of enlisting in the army and subsequently being deployed to East Timor and later Iraq. This in depth article had a lot of human interest. It told of the soldier’s apprehension and excitement at being deployed, the effect it had on his young family and what it was like to be in the army camps overseas. It featured some very colourful writing and held me to the end. Well done Cameron.
Best Photograph – Winner
Warrandyte Diary
‘One Beautiful Day’ – Photographer: Bill Hudson-McAuley
This is a very moving photo taken under challenging circumstances. In covering a funeral the photographer has to strike a balance between being respectful and being present, perhaps even intrusive, enough to tell the story. Shot from a discrete position that demonstrates respect for the grieving family, tightly framed to remove unnecessary detail, and carefully timed to capture Kianie’s hand in a final farewell to her grandad, this is a quiet and very touching image.
Best Photograph – Finalist
Village Bell
‘Successful Gymkhana – “It’s been a tiring day!” – Photographers: Upper Beaconsfield Pony Club
This is a photograph that makes you smile, and one that demonstrates how the best shots often come from the unforeseen moments. In keeping an eye open behind the scenes at the local gymkhana the photographer has seen, and been quick enough to capture, a funny and heart warming moment that tells something of the event’s back story. This is a well executed photo of a cleverly observed moment.
Best Photograph – Finalist
Ferntree Gully News
‘Don’t Laugh! This is Serious!’ – Photographer: Barbara Oehring
Carefully timed to capture the kookaburra’s amused expression, well lit, and with a narrow depth of field to remove distracting detail, this is an eye catching and well executed nature photograph. In immediately grabbing your attention and directing you to the story – in this case about how council is dealing with a threat to habitat – it does exactly what a good newspaper photograph should do.
Best Newspaper – Winner
Warrandyte Diary
This entry wins because of its all-round appeal, combining excellent hard news with great photographs, an engaging front page, features and coverage of grass-roots events. Particularly notable was its strong hard news coverage on issues where accurate, current information for residents was paramount: including stories on a VicRoads bridge proposal, a plan to extend the M80 Ring Road and a VCAT hearing on a proposed new petrol station. These stories were well-crafted, relevant and strong, admirably answering the five golden questions of journalism: who, what, where, when and why. Clearly the stories were also being chased and followed up, demonstrating a drive to actively hunt for the news and report it, not just re-print a press release. This entry also stood out for an excellent feature on socal media and a comment piece adding context to a controversial planning amendment. The ‘Our Living Treasure’ column is a wonderful idea, in this edition profiling a local potter, a piece that illuminated the region’s rural past with lyrical humour. A top-notch sports section completed the picture. With minor quibbles, page designs were good: photos were used well, and headlines and sub-headings were appropriate and well-written. All stories were well-crafted and edited with care. A great example of a community newspaper with both heart and teeth.
Best Newspaper – Finalist
Ferntree Gully News
This entry stood out for its powerful, front-page close-up photo of a kookaburra – an arresting image by Barbara Oehring which beautifully distils the edition’s focus on appropriate development in Ferntree Gully. Quality photos were a feature generally of this newspaper, combined with readable, informative articles, news and events that residents would seek out, e.g. Scouts, Victoria Day celebrations, CFA fire advice, schools and church news. Articles were highly readable and well edited. Page designs, too, were attractive with judicious use of white space, appealing page straplines and good use of the excellent photographs. This is a community newspaper that clearly cares about its readership. And its readership also cares about the newspaper, being well-supported by local business advertisements and contributors.
Best Newspaper – Finalist
Churchill & District News
In many ways this is a “good old-fashioned country newspaper”, exhibiting plenty of local colour and flavour. This edition features a newsy front page about the re-opening of the Boolarra police station, obviously of importance to residents. The rest of the paper is filled with the interests and news of interest to its readership, such as a quilters exhibition, community garden news, Lions Club and art news, much of it written by contributors. Page design is decent and photos generally used well. The number of local contributors shows strong engagement from the community with its newspaper, as does the business support evident in the amount of advertising. More active headlines would have improved the paper’s readability.