The 2010 PRODI's winners announced;

2010 PRODIs winners announced:

Dedication, versatility and local knowledge are the hallmarks of regional journalism, and these qualities were in abundance in a strong field of finalists and winners recognised at the 43rd Northern NSW Regional Journalism Awards (the PRODIs) on Saturday July 24.

Alison Branely from the Newcastle Herald was named as 2010 Journalist of the Year. Her entire portfolio showcased the value of a dedicated round. Through her extensive contacts, she broke a wide range of important stories from cuts to TAFE places, the experiences of foreign students, to poor Hunter Valley school retention rates and located excellent local examples of schools concerned by government ineptitude in the stimulus package. She found the issues, and developed the stories through good research and contacts. She also took out the Best Print Journalist Award, and Specialty Journalism Award.

Alex Easton; from The Northern Star received the Tom Barrass Award for Regional Journalism for his work on his "Growing Pains" series. The seven part series looked at the likely impact of population growth on housing, water and sewerage, health services, roads, telecommunications and education.

Greg Wendt took out one of the night's most prestigious honours, Most Outstanding Contribution to Journalism, for his long career promoting excellent local reporting at the Newcastle Herald.

Ben Smee for the second year in a row, received the PF Adams Young Journalist Award.; Ben's stories for the Newcastle Herald, covered a wide range of investigative and specialty journalism including pieces on noise issues at the RAAF Base at Williamtown, the state of finances of Port Stephens Council and a murder investigation in Hamilton.

This year the awards celebrated the inaugural Outstanding Student Journalist of the Year, recognising the best use of resources accuracy, newsworthiness, research and storytelling from a final year journalism student. This was won by Allyson Horn from Newcastle University for her work, 'Coal and Community' broadcast during an internship at ABC Newcastle. The judges commented her work was well researched, newsworthy and covered real stories on a subject which impacts on the Hunter region.

The awards known as the PRODI's, recognise excellence in regional media journalism across print, photography, television, radio and on line media within the Northern New South Wales region.

A full list of winners in all categories follows; for media enquiries contact Anna Magnus 0423 363725

SPECIAL AWARDS

PF Adams Young Journalist of the Year
Ben Smee, Newcastle Herald
"Joint strike noise concerns"

sponsored by 

Tom Barrass Award for Regional Journalism
Alex Easton, The Northern Star
"Growing pains" series

sponsored by the Barrass Family 

Outstanding Student Award
Allyson Horn, University of Newcastle
"Coal and Community"

sponsored by 

Journalist of the Year Award
Alison Branley, Newcastle Herald
"Education in 2010","Stimulus Spending Scandal"

sponored by 

Most Outstanding Contribution to Journalism Award
Greg Wendt, Newcastle Herald

sponsored by 

CATEGORY WINNERS 2010

Best Print Journalist
Alison Branley, Newcastle Herald
"Education in 2010","Stimulus Spending Scandal"

sponsored by 

Best Radio Journalist
Joanne Dodgson,ABC North Coast Radio
"Clarence River prawn crisis"

sponsored by 

Best Television Journalist
Madeleine Bond, NBN
"Scooby, where are you?"

sponosered by 

Best Photographer
Kitty Hill, Newcastle Newspapers
"Different "

sponsored by 

AWARD WINNERS 2010

Print News Report

Richard Noone, The Daily Telegraph
"Zoe's Law, the fight to recognise the rights of unborn children"

sponsored by 

Print Feature Writing

David Leser, Good Weekend
"Peter and the Wolves"

sponsored by 

Photographic Essay

Kitty Hill, Newcastle Newspapers
"Different"

sponsored by 

News Photography

Simone De Peak,Newcastle Herald
"When the Big Red came to Town!"

sponsored by 

Sports Photography

Darren Pateman, Newcastle Herald
"Not this Year"

sponsored by 

TV News Report

Madeleine Bond, NBN
"Scooby, where are you?"

sponsored by 

TV Current Affairs/Feature/Special

Maxene Cooper and Erin Byrnes, Prime News Tamworth
"Looking forward, looking back"

sponiosred by 

TV News and Current Affairs Camera

Jon Bailey, NBN
"Port Macquarie McDonald's Siege"

sponsored by 

Radio News Report

Catherine Clifford, ABC Radio New England North West
"Koalagate"

sponsored by 

Radio Current Affairs/Feature/Special

Joanne Dodgson, ABC North Coast Radio
"Clarence River prawn crisis"

sponsored by 

All Media Best Sports Journalism

Robert Dillon, Newcastle Herald
"Winner takes all"

sponsored by 

All Media Specialty Journalism

Alison Branley, Newcastle Herald
"Education in 2010"

sponsored by 

All Media Investigative Journalism

Damon Cronshaw, Newcastle Herald
"Doing their block"

sponsored by 

All Media Best Use of the Medium

Anthony Scully, abc.net.au
"A night at the wireless'

sponsored by 

For further details please contact Anna Magnus at the Walkley Foundation: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call 0423 363 725