General News
24 November, 2024
Editorial award win for Wimmera Mallee News
The Horsham Times has claimed an accolade at the Victorian Country Press Association annual awards, held last Friday at the RACV Club at Torquay.
The Times is the sister newspaper of The Argus, The Banner and The Herald, under Wimmera Mallee News.
The newspaper's coverage of domestic violence issues, including the insight and stories of numerous survivors and victims based in the Wimmera/Mallee, was the winner of the award for Best Editorial Campaign.
Pioneered by Wimmera Mallee News journalist Zoey Andrews, the coverage, 'Domestic Violence: Too Close to Home' ran during May, coinciding with Family Violence Awareness month, and continued into June.
It included the stories of April* and her child Toby* and their experience as survivor/victims of family violence, as well as the story of Simone O'Brien, a dedicated mum, bashed with a baseball bat to within inches of her life.
The coverage also included an insight into the action police are taking to combat the epidemic, as well as how family and friends can assist a loved one experiencing domestic violence.
"The idea was to give these survivor/victims a voice," Ms Andrews said, thanking them for being brave enough to share their story.
"And to show our readers that it's okay to talk about family violence, because unless we address the elephant in the room, I can't see a way of combatting this issue."
"The award, while won by The Horsham Times, is for everyone who has experienced domestic violence and it's a reminder they are not alone."
The feature pages also appeared in other papers in the Wimmer Mallee Newspapers group in the Dimboola Banner, Warracknabeal Herald and Rainbow Argus.
Comments from the judges branded the series as, "an excellent, emotive and clearly branded editorial campaign to raise awareness of domestic violence and its impact in a local setting".
"A mix of hard news and strong human interest stories."
Andrew Ward, director/publisher of the Wimmera Mallee News group of newspapers, including The Horsham Times, accepted the award on Friday night.
"This award is a testament to Zoey’s talent, passion, and commitment to high-quality journalism," Mr Ward said.
"It highlights the incredible work being done by our team, to bring meaningful stories to our readers.
"We couldn’t be prouder of Zoey and this well-deserved recognition.”
The Horsham Times also was a highly commended finalist in the category of Overall Newspaper Excellence.
"The Horsham Times is an excellent local newspaper offering its readers jam-packed editions from a small, but dedicated staff," comments from the judges read.
"Its entry dedicated to 'Domestic Violence: Too Close to Home' is excellent and reflects how local papers can bring a focus to state and national issues.
"The Times is well supported with local news and advertising and has a great sports section."
* Not their actual names.