New kids on the block take out Journalism Award

Media release

For immediate release

21 October 2013

New kids on the block take out Rural Women NZ Journalism Award

The joint winners of this year’s Rural Women NZ Journalism award are Sarah Perriam and Tony Glynn of Rural Media.

The Rural Women award was one of twelve awards for rural journalism and photography presented at the Guild of Agricultural Journalists’ annual dinner in Wellington on Friday evening.

“Our award sets out to encourage journalism that recognises the important contribution women make either to the farming sector or to rural communities,” says Rural Women NZ national president, Liz Evans. “We congratulate Sarah and Tony, who are offering a fresh approach to producing and sharing stories about rural life, through video as well as broadcast TV.”

Sarah Perriam works on the production side, while Tony Glynn directs, acts and presents programmes for Rural Media, under its Rural TV banner. Their aim is to make rural folk 'way more famous'.

Sarah Perriam says, “Being newbies and to take out an award first time entering was a real honour, and being acknowledged by your peers in the rural media field.”

“We are big supporters of Rural Women, and for it to be that award specifically was very special, especially as the shows we entered told the stories of two very deserving women in their own right.”

The winning stories were from the Rural TV PGG Wrightson stud breeders’ series. The first covered a merino breeding programme at Nine Mile Station in Otago, focusing on sheep classer Jayne Rive. The second was about Pip Wilson, a sheep breeder at Montana Perendales in Southland.

The Guild of Agricultural Journalists’ supreme journalism award, the TBFree New Zealand Rongo Award, went to Susan Murray of Radio New Zealand’s Country Life programme.

The key objectives of the Guild awards are the encouragement and recognition of excellence in agricultural journalism.

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