A successful conferenceThe 18th CNAV conference took place in North Melbourne at the Mercure Hotel on Saturday 21 October 2023. Committee member Anne Burgi from North & West Melbourne News had suggested her local area might be suitable, and it was the first time CNAV has held a conference close to the CBD. The amount of engagement was excellent and demonstrated by the enthusiastic levels of conversation that went on during the day and evening. It was good to see a good range of paper delegates – newbies and regulars. Over 60 delegates from around 30 papers attended.Anne as host welcomed the attendees with a brief history of the North Melbourne area which dated from the gold rush days when hotels were located on every street corner. It is a very multicultural area with a young demographic. The nearby 500-acre Royal Park is a green oasis, which residents appreciated during the covid pandemic. The North Melbourne towers were locked down which was very traumatic for all. But people also bonded during that time. Anne says North Melbourne is like a large village where people know each other, and it has a different vibe to other suburbs. Later in the day Anne took a group for a walk around the local streets.
KEYNOTE SPEAKER The state of community media – James Poyner president CNAV
Community papers in Australia started during colonial times. In the early days there was no such thing as a ‘free press’. All newspapers were edited and censored by the government. In 1824, ex-convict Andrew Bent printed and distributed the Hobart Town Gazette without the approval of the censor. This was the first time a newspaper had been published in Australia without government authorisation. But he spent some time in prison because of his activities.In recent years we have seen many changes in the media scene. Many smaller local commercial newspapers have closed, especially the Leader newspapers owned by News Corp. Social media platforms have disrupted the traditional news media. Print advertising has fallen, especially after Covid-19, and the costs of printing have increased. But social media has problems too. The High Court found media outlets could be held responsible for people making defamatory comments on Facebook. In 2021, Facebook enforced a nationwide blackout on Australia’s news pages, in protest over proposed legislation forcing the tech giant to pay for content.But people no longer trust the big media companies because of increasing misinformation and disinformation. Community owned newspapers are proving to be more resilient, and communities trust them. They are more flexible and have stepped up in places where Leader newspapers have closed. Community newspapers are low on resources, but big on community. For those who missed the keynote speech, a copy of the transcript is available on request. Email [email protected]
Award categories
Best NewspaperBest Layout and DesignBest Community ContentBest PhotographBest History StoryBest Feature StoryBest writing by a person aged 18 or youngerBest Editorial CommentBest Sports Reporting
Best layout and design
Judge: Dr Shivani Tyagi, Academic
Shivani is an academic at the School of Design, Swinburne University of Technology. She is a lecturer in communication design and design research, and the director of the Bureau Professional Design Studio, a student-led design agency. Shivani has had extensive experience mentoring students across a wide variety of design outcomes including publication design, information design, illustration, and typography. Prior to her academic career, Shivani was a practising designer. She holds a PhD in Experimental Aesthetics, and her research focuses on people’s responses to designed artefacts.
Winner: The Westsider
A well-designed contemporary community newspaper. The layout was neat and consistent, and used typography effectively. Good use of colour, photography and illustration throughout. The content was relatable and approachable, particularly liked the ‘What’s On’ calendar, restaurant reviews, recipes, and mind games features; all were well designed and informative.
Finalist 1: North and West Melbourne News
Neat, simple newspaper layout that was well structured and used type and images effectively throughout. Particularly liked the ‘Abstract art on every street feature’ on p. 18.
NWMN_2023-2_-_FOR_WEB.pdf (centre.org.au)
Finalist 2: Warrandyte Diary
Once again, a well-designed, professionally presented newspaper. Includes a lot of content and manages layout, type and images effectively. ‘Fireball’ photo spread looked fun and engaging.
2023 – Google Drive August 2023 edition
Best Feature Story
Judge: Michael Smith, Journalist and media advisor
Judge: Michael Smith, Journalist and media advisor Mike completed his journalism cadetship on a suburban newspaper in Melbourne and by age 21 was Chief Reporter of the 84-page weekly Moorabbin Standard. He was a senior reporter for Central News at the Old Bailey Criminal Court, London, and was in court for the release of the Guildford Four, their wrongful imprisonment for 16 years made into the Oscar-winning movie In The Name of the Father. Back in Australia, he was a Media Adviser in the Victorian Kennett Government and Australian Howard Government. Head of his own public affairs consultancy, his Australian and overseas clients included the Australian Research Council, the Gunditjmara Budj Bim National Heritage Park, Geneva-based International Red Cross and London and Washington-based international law firm Amsterdam & Partners. He did the media for some of the biggest stories and cases in the world including the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear power station disaster in Japan, the Ebola crisis in West Africa and a UN Tribunal in Africa regarding the Mugabe regime, which led to reforms of the UN in New York and Africa. He was a politics opinion writer for the ABC during the Rudd/Gillard/Abbott years and has written for The Australian business magazine The Deal and the Herald Sun. A resident of Chewton, central Victoria, for 14 years, he has contributed to CNAV member the Chewton Chat since 2003. He lives in Canberra.
Equal Winner: Rowville-Lysterfield Community News.
‘I’m still here and I’m smiling’, story Naomi Nelson,A remarkable story about a woman with dissociative identity disorder (DID). Carolyn Moyle experiences multiple, separate personality states, referred to as alters, a coping mechanism after a traumatic childhood. Journalist Naomi Nelson and Rowville-Lysterfield Community News have approached, written and presented this story with sensitivity, care and intelligence. The writing is beautifully simple and clear. It is captivating. Ms Moyle can lose minutes, days or evens weeks when an alter comes out. She maintains a communication book so the alters can communicate with each other and her and she with them. During the interview, one of her alters comes out to answer a question. The journalist includes the encounter in the story, handling it sensitively and respectfully. The feature includes an excellent break-out story on the condition itself and examples of Ms Moyle’s art. The layout, a little busy, gets many things right, including the heading and hero pics of Ms Moyle and her book at the top. The newspaper, rightly, has splashed this story on the front page, at the same time handling it with care, sensitivity, intelligence and maturity. Well done.
Equal Winner: Chewton Chat.
Visiting Jirrahlinga – Dingo Conservation and Wildlife Education Centre, story Jackie McMaster, photos Julie Millowick, Janet Russell, John Ellis
Excellent hero pic splashed on the front page says it all, connection between humans and animals. Simple, clean layout over four pages makes it easy to read the story and enjoy the 21 high-quality pics, a mix of close-up and longer-range shots. Superbly written. Writer Jackie McMaster takes us into Jirrahlinga and the lives of its owners Tehree and Hamish Gordon and the work they do healing animals and people. Made me want to go there. Congratulations. https://drive.google.com/file/d/15ReXRh9bvi77LQq3goy0tOgaW8j7Gz2l/view?usp=share_link
Finalist: Tallangatta Herald
Fijians and Samoans Tackle Life in Tallangatta, story Petrina Mansfield Superb front page pic, rightly splashed. Excellent layout. Top class news-feature writing. Outstanding from top to bottom.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/18VZ0AW5Up3LHFX8SE-Tc1RoMEQQ2ipAp/view?usp=share_link
Special mentions to (in no particular order):
North & West Melbourne News
Walk-off at Wave Hill gave birth to land rights, story Georgie Preston,
Excellent heading, layout and use of pics, including historical shots. Excellent writing. Concise and expansive. Well researched, educative. Oozes personality and intelligence.
NWMN_2023-2_-_FOR_WEB.pdf (centre.org.au) Page 23
The Blackwood Times
Anzac Day, story Kylie Richardson, Does the job very well with five pics and story on just one page. Writer Kylie Richardson has done a very good job of explaining the significance of this local event and the human effort that went into making it happen.
Well done Kylie and The Blackwood Times.
BWT-JuneJuly23sm.pdf (theblackwoodtimes.com.au) Page 3
Waranga News
The Big Wet continues
The Waranga News doing what it does well, bold, attractive and effective telling – with pictures and words – of a major local event, on this occasion floods. The piece on page 2 about the history of floods in the region over the past 150 years, by Kay Ball, adds dimension and perspective to the current event. Skillful use of a sub-head on page 1. A front page pointer to a story on “ways to help” deepens the connection and interactivity with the community. Well done.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1HAoSBkesiL9O-OPbYuF98wW4hAnolXV7/view?usp=share_link
The Westsider
Shock diagnosis no walk in the park, but bike riding is a saviour, story Vicki Milliken,
An excellent piece on a man confronting the challenges of Parkinson’s disease and a look at the condition itself. Effective balance of narration and use of quotes. Well researched and excellent use of medical and scientific information and Australian and global data. Inspiring and optimistic. Thank you.
SHOCK DIAGNOSIS NO WALK IN THE PARK, BUT BIKE RIDING IS A SAVIOUR – The Westsider
Gisborne Gazette
Ninety years of Vision Australia in Gisborne, story Elaine Millar,
The sheer force of what these women achieved over the past 90 years makes this story compelling. An important story that needed to be told. Well done Elaine Millar and Gisborne Gazette.
2022-11.pdf (gisbornegazette.org.au) Pages 10-11
Best Sports Reporting
Best Sports Reporting – Lisa Dennis
Judge: Lisa Dennis, Journalist
Lisa was appointed editor of the Castlemaine Mail in 2016 after an involvement with the Mail which spanned over 25 years. Whilst a student at Castlemaine High School, she began contributing local junior football reports via a media studies partnership with the Mail. Lisa was later offered a cadetship at the Midland Express in Kyneton. Two years later she transferred to the Castlemaine office to work on a broad range of local news. She became a sports journalist and later stepped up to the senior journalist role covering all facets of news for the Castlemaine Mail and Midland Express. The small team at the Mail gathers its stories, takes most of their own photographs and designs their own page layouts. Lisa has worked on the company’s tourist news and wedding publications, features, and undertaken relief work in editor roles for the Midland Express and Castlemaine Mail. After the birth of her first two children, Lisa returned to the paper to cover sport on a casual basis and continued to cover local sport for the paper for over 20 years. Lisa said she is always surprised by the diversity, passion, determination, and success of local sports people of all ages and loves telling their stories.
I was honoured to once again judge the award for Best Sports Reporting in 2023. I have been covering local sport as a contributor since I was 15 and later as a journalist and more recently editor so it is a subject very close to my heart. I believe that while it is important for any community publication to have a broad and diverse coverage of local sport, it is also important to tell local stories and connect with the community. This year’s award was once again very difficult to judge with some fantastic entries offering terrific attention to detail, layout and imagery and some wonderful stories.
Winner: The Westsider
Breaking through the sound barrier
This article really struck a chord with me. As an editor I am always striving to ensure our paper is inclusive and features stories about community members from a range of backgrounds and walks of life. But as the parent of a hearing impaired child it was also fantastic to learn about the inspirational achievements of all-round athlete and mum Michelle Rowlands on the netball court, football ground and cricket field and see her determination recognised through this thoughtful and informative piece. Great editorial, fantastic images and layout. An all-round winner.
Finalist 1: Manningham & Nillumbik Bulletin
A Scottish and Celtic celebration
This piece combined both early history of the Scottish Highlands and clans, and local history about how those traditions have continued to be honoured here in Australia. The writer did a wonderful job highlighting the plight of the local event and its success since being brought back from the brink of collapse. Petrik-Bruce really captured the essence and atmosphere of the event and made the reader feel like they were actually there. A great read combined with some terrific images and a clean, crisp layout design.
037 MNBULLETIN APRIL 2023.pdf – Google Drive Page 27
Finalist 2: The Otway Light
Zen and the art of float fishing
This was a really well written piece which captured the subject matter beautifully and taught the reader a lot about the art of float fishing. I am sure this article would be a hit with any keen fisherperson, but it also offered some wonderful insights and imagery for those unfamiliar with the sport. I think it could easily be picked up and placed in a dedicated fishing or outdoor magazine. Once again it was incredibly tough to select a winner from this year’s entries. There were some great reads featuring a wide array of topics, characters and sports. Tru-Go! Who knew! I’ve been writing community news for 25 years and I’d never heard of that one! I loved the innovative way many publications approached their sports articles and sections. There were some really thoughtful pieces and some terrific layout designs.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1gjl6I8fiD-RV6heR4pjOH9nP4XONljuC/view
Best writing by person ages 18 or younger
Judge: Nieta Manser, Educator and author
Nieta Manser is a passionate children’s book author who believes that children learn best through literature.
As a mother and primary school teacher Nieta has learned that to give children the best start to their early years you have to immerse them in picture books. They learn, laugh, and experience the world through the pages of books.
Nieta’s first book, Echidna’ Can’t Cuddle, was first published in 2016 and has become a huge success. Now published in China and South Korea, it has been shortlisted for the Wilderness Society’s Environment Award, 2017.
Nieta lives in Melbourne with her four children.
Winner: Tallangatta Herald
The hidden story: finally told by Chloe Gentleman and Saiya Smith
A very great human story that connected readers to the generational struggles all children face and how one person’s story is able to inspire another. It was engaging from the beginning and an inspiring ending. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FB8r_yb1K5XUcQYJCt-tfWowZoLLZpRR/view?usp=share_link
Finalist 1: Lorne Independent
The paintbrush by Frazey Horsburgh
It is evident that the writer of this short story has carefully considered every word used to entertain and engage their readers. They have selected purposeful language to spark the reader’s interest. The complexity of the main character was confidently created and this is not an easy thing to do in a short story. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Lz5EhGBqZrC3lpqVKvTJPjk-9HLafBWk/view?usp=share_link
Finalist 2: The Westsider
Living with my acquired brain injury by Miles Thompson-Kendall
This piece had an important message for its readers and the writer is to be commended for writing about their own experiences to educate their community about the complexity and consequences of living with an acquired brain injury.
Best Editorial Comment
Judge: Jeanette Severs, Journalist
Thank you very much for entering this category. There were 13 entries. I read about community, volunteers, COVID journeys, The Voice to parliament, National Tree Day, LandCare, Arab proverbs, neighbours, meeting new people, kindness, music, concerts, playing in trees, tragedy, triumph, accidental encounters, International Women’s Day, sport, and identity. Really, it was all the one theme, across so many mastheads. Community connections.
Winner: Tallangatta Herald https://drive.google.com/file/d/10IPGQp0EWifa2ldNWrcHgXFbaQ0TrKsl/view?usp=share_link
Finalist 1: The Welcome Record
TWR Volume 38 Issue 6 Wednesday 11th March 2023 by The Welcome Record – Issuu Page 2
Equal Finalist 2: Ferntree Gully News
Archive | Ferntree Gully News December 2022 edition, Page 2
Equal Finalist 2: The Westsider
EDITOR’S NOTE – DECEMBER/JANUARY – The Westsider
Equal Finalist 2: Warrandyte Diary 575 WARRANDYTE DIARY JULY 2023.pdf – Google Drive Page 3
Best History Story
Judge: Heather Arnold, Local historian
Judge: Heather Arnold, Local historian Heather recently retired after 16 years as the local history librarian for the Casey-Cardinia Library Corporation. She is the president of the Koo Wee Rup Swamp Historical Society and is a regular contributor of history articles to several community newspapers. Heather has a passion for veteran and vintage trucks.
The entries were all interesting and as an historian I am always happy to see local history promoted, preserved and shared. I really like the parochial and the obscure so this year my top three choices are articles which look at more unusual aspects of our history
Winner – Tallangatta Herald
The Tallangatta Dojo: kicking it in since the 70s.
This story amazed me, as I would never have expected a small town like Tallangatta could claim to have played a significant role in promoting Karate in Australia. However, in 1977 the town was chosen as the site for the Tino Ceberano Hanshi and the Goju Kai Victorian Division Karate Summer Camp. Tino, the father of Australian karate, is also the father of singer, Kate Ceberano. The Tallangatta camp had 150 visitors including experts from Japan. The article links to a Youtube video, which was filmed by Channel 9 https://www.tinoceberano-igk.com.au/goju-kai-tallangatta-summer-camp-1977/ Not that I am dismissing football, but generally the history of sport in a country town concentrates on the footy club, so it was refreshing to read about this niche sport in Tallangatta. https://drive.google.com/file/d/18G2MF0q_R1QBByb93ABMU4CxqlPAGzNH/view?usp=share_link
Finalist 1 – The Westsider
Meet Footscray’s Elon Musk
In the late 1920s, Tom Buckingham and Alfred Ward began making cars in a shed in Buckley Street in Seddon, which is next to Footscray. It was originally called the Hamard, a combination of their surnames, but later renamed the Buckingham. In 1933 a prototype of the chassis was displayed at the Melbourne Motor Show and a working coupe model at the Royal Melbourne Show. As Footscray was the home of many small manufacturing businesses all the parts were made locally for the vehicle – chassis, gears, tyres, springs, glass etc. In the end, only a few Buckinghams were ever registered and the partnership broke up. However, Buckingham continued alone but with no real success; so he never actually became the Elon Musk of the Footscray. However, he did obtain the licence to import Toyota trucks in 1949, which given the residual anti-Japanese feeling at the time was a brave move. This is a great article about a little known aspect of our automotive manufacturing history.
https://thewestsider.com.au/meet-footscrays-elon-musk-and-his-intrepid-present-day-chronicler/
Finalist 2 – Harcourt News
Cometh the hour..cometh the man Ken Eagle
This article is about Harcourt orchardist, Ken Eagle and his role as the manager of the Harcourt committee of the Apple and Pear Marketing Board. It was set up during World War Two to help orchardists market their fruit as the export market, which had taken 80% of all Harcourt fruit had collapsed. It sounds a bit dry, but as the daughter of a potato grower, I understand the role primary production has played in the Australian economy, so it was interesting to read about this industry. The article also had the following stats – in 1941 the Harcourt region had 146 orchards – covering 971 hectares, with an estimated 260,000 trees. They now have about ten orchards with 210 hectares under production, and as trees are now planted much closer there are now 428,000 trees. I feel we don’t often see articles on primary production, so I was glad to read this historic look at the orcharding industry.
2302_TheCore.pdf (harcourt.vic.au), Pages 10-11
Best Photograph
Judge, Brendan McCarthy, Photojournalist and photographer
Brendan McCarthy is a multi-award-winning photojournalist and photographer with over 20 years’ experience in the print and online news and magazine publishing industry. In addition to covering local and regional news during an 18-year career with Fairfax Media, his work has also appeared in Lonely Planet publications, Slow Magazine, Asian Geographic, National Geographic Online and National Geographic textbooks.
In addition to his hands-on work, Brendan has also taught and mentored photography in both formal and informal settings.
Now working as a freelance photographer based in Central Victoria, his passion for “telling the story” through pictures remains undiminished.
Winner: Lorne Independent
“What Is a Lunar Eclipse?” – Photographer: Craig Crosthwaite
In the few years I’ve had the privilege of judging the CNAV photo entries, no entry has ever SO set me thinking about and questioning what constitutes a good news photograph. Coming from a photojournalistic background, I’ve always been wary (at best!) about images created in post-production rather than completed in the camera. For me the “journalistic image” is about what happens in front of the camera. It’s about reality. To be honest, (and reflecting my own prejudices) I initially dismissed Craig’s shot simply because it wasn’t a straight, “right out of the camera” photo. But I kept being drawn back to it and, after a lot of thinking and a few sleepless nights, realised it’s NOT a “digitally manipulated photo”, but a modern rendering of a time lapse photo. A technique as old as photography itself! And this is VERY well executed time-lapse. But beyond that, it’s also a brilliant explanation, a spectacular visual rendering, of a Lunar Eclipse. You look at this image and come away understanding things a bit more and that’s a high achievement for ANY photograph. For that reason, it’s a worthy winner of this year’s Best Photograph category.
Finalist 1: Chewton Chat
“Studio Visits with Jackie & Julie” – Photographer: Not Listed
Community and local newspaper photographers are experts at conjuring “something out of nothing”. Let’s face it, we are often in situations where there’s not much to work with. So, making a good image often comes down to our inventiveness, our ability to draw a few often-unrelated elements together. For Chewton Chat’s portrait of artist Jenny Rodgerson, those elements were a painting, a mirror and Jenny. Using just those, the photographer has come up with a very clever and eye-catching portrait made even more interesting by the fact that the main subject is not looking directly at the camera. It’s a great example of the photographer’s ability to think on their feet and completely “nail it”.
Finalist 2: Great Gisborne Gazette
“Aaargh…” – Photographer: Chris Fleming
I have huge respect for people who play cricket. The combination of sporting skill combined with an ability to stay focussed for long periods of time is unique. On the other hand – and I say this after many years’ experience in local news – photographing cricket can be a bit like photographing paint drying….only less interesting. There are long periods where, to the observer, not much seems to be going on interspersed with moments of high action. Chris Fleming’s shot of Adam Mooney getting bowled out captures one of those moments; it reflects skill, patience, and an ability to read the game. Capturing a moment of drama in a game where they happen rarely and unpredictably, this is a great sports photo.
Best Community Content
Judge: Karl Hessian
Karl has lived in West Melbourne for 20 years. He is an active volunteer in the North and West Melbourne community and the organiser of local events such as the annual Easter bike ride and egg hunt, the end of lockdown Street Party, and brewers and tasters events in the park. He has been a board member and office bearer of several local not-for-profit organisations including The Centre in North Melbourne, publisher of the North and West Melbourne News. He has a particular interest in local history, especially the development of infrastructure and council processes in the City of Melbourne in the nineteenth century.
Winner: The Blackwood Times
The cover was attention-grabbing and set up the themes for the content within. Prominent space was devoted to campaign stories of strong community interest. The content was informative, highly local, and generally of proportional length to the value of the story. Text was judiciously supported by photography and both were sourced from across the community. A consistent, engaging and enjoyable tone was maintained throughout without the idiosyncrasies of individual contributors being suppressed or allowed to run free.
BWT-AugSept23web.pdf (theblackwoodtimes.com.au)
Finalist 1: Warrandyte Diary
An excellent variety of considered stories of local interest. A good balance of news and opinion/review pieces that capture and reflect Warrandyte to its readership. A strong sense of place, history and change is conveyed. The piece on the “Warrandyte Byelection” is informative and stands as an article of record but one or two other articles could have been shorter. 2023 – Google Drive July 2023 edition
Finalist 2: Neerim Star
The writing of the cover story moved me and made me feel like I knew this community. This feeling was maintained across the edition from the tribulations of losing a cafe to the quest to get a mural painted. The “Time Lapse” selections were quirky and captivating slices of life from times gone by that no doubt would have appealed to the readership. The scam watch and VEC content were chosen for their interest to the community but I would have liked to have seen these articles presented with a local angle.
2023 – Google Drive May 2023 edition
Best Newspaper
Judge: Jeanette Severs, Journalist
Judge: Jeanette Severs, Journalist Jeanette Severs has been a journalist for nearly 40 years and has won a number of industry awards. She was editor of regional community newspaper, The Gippsland Anglican, for nearly seven years. Apart from that stint, most of her work as a journalist has been in mainstream rural and regional media and industry magazines. For the past ten years, she has honed her expertise in agricultural and rural journalism. She regularly participates in professional development. Jeanette is also an author of community history books and gained a sociology degree from Monash University as a mature student. In her spare time, Jeanette is a livestock farmer, member of a book group and strives to exercise regularly. Thank you once again for giving me the honour to judge this award. But, seriously, what are you doing to me? There were 20 entries. They were all excellent. Excellent. Every entry was excellent. There is a long short list of 12 mastheads. That’s how close the results are. And just because a masthead wasn’t shortlisted doesn’t mean it wasn’t worthy. There is not much between those on the short list and those on the long list. You should all commend yourselves.
Short listed papers:
3781 News
Boronia & The Basin Community News
Chewton Chat
Churchill & District News
Ferntree Gully News
Gisborne Gazette
North & West Melbourne News
SpringDale Messenger
Studfield Wantirna Community News
Waranga News
Warrandyte Diary
The Welcome Record
The Westsider
Winner: The Welcome Record
With this newspaper, every issue gave me a sense of joy throughout it.
Dunolly News | The Welcome Record » 2023 Issues
Finalist 1: The Westsider
Equal Finalist 2: Waranga News
Equal Finalist 2: Ferntree Gully News
