Graduates scoop media awards
UniSA journalism graduates were well represented in the inaugural South Australian Media Awards – and from 2005 UniSA journalism students will have their own category in the awards.
Director of UniSA's Postgraduate Journalism Program, Dr Ian Richards, said there were 11 journalism graduates among the 40 finalists for the awards, with three of these – Verity Edwards, Mike Sexton and Danielle Gordon – winning their categories.
Verity, who graduated in 1997 and now works for Messenger Newspapers, won Best coverage of suburban affairs. Michael (1985) of ABC-TV won the Best coverage of rural/regional affairs category and was joint winner of Best TV current affairs report, while Danielle (2000) was co-winner in the Best public relations campaign.
The awards were established by the SA branch of the Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance as a way of recognising excellence in South Australian journalism and related areas, including news photography, television camera work and newspaper editorial art.
Six UniSA academic staff were among the large panel of judges from academe, government and industry who assessed entries in the 23 award categories.
The awards were keenly contested by representatives of all sections of the
media from around the state.
Dr Richards said he was delighted that, following discussions with the
organisers, from 2005 there would be two additional award categories – one
for undergraduate and one for postgraduate journalism students.
The awards were presented at a dinner at the Hyatt Regency Adelaide on March 27.