A Charles Sturt University (CSU) journalism student has been announced as the 2013 recipient of the JB Fairfax Award for Rural Journalism, an initiative of the Royal Agricultural Society of NSW Foundation (RASF).

 

Ms Simone Norrie, the fifth winner of the award, is in her final year of a double degree Bachelor of Sport Studies/Bachelor of Communications (Journalism) at the CSU School of Communication and Creative Industries in Bathurst.

 

Ms Norrie received the 2013 JB Fairfax Award for her feature article, The Gamble: the domestic lamb market is putting more pressure than ever on producers.

 

She attributes her interest in rural affairs reporting to growing up on her family’s sheep and cropping property south of Eugowra in the NSW central west.

 

“Coming from a farming background, I have always had a passion for rural issues and the rural print media,” Ms Norrie said. “My parents are farmers, and rural issues have always interested me as they directly affect my family and my community. I believe that there are many untold stories in rural and regional NSW. I also think that issues that stem from rural Australia often affect us on a national level, so it is important that the media exposes and discusses these issues so that people in urban areas can also gain insight into the agriculture industry, as this affects everyone.”

 

CSU senior lecturer in journalism, Mr Chris McGillion, said, “Simone is an excellent choice for the JB Fairfax Award. Throughout the time I taught her she displayed exceptional investigative and interviewing skill, an avid interest in rural affairs, and the kind of get-go drive to succeed in journalism that set her apart”.

 

“I have been entirely educated in the country, so being able to undertake my tertiary studies at a regional university was very important to me,” Ms Norrie said. “I was attracted to study at Charles Sturt University in Bathurst because of its reputation, especially in the communications field, and, being from a rural area, it is nice to only be two hours from home. I lived on campus for two years, and enjoyed that immensely, as it was a great way to make friends, and find a balance that allowed me to study and socialise.

“I also wanted to study in Bathurst so that I could complete the double degree, as I am hoping that this will make me more employable in the future, and show employers that I am willing to be versatile and write on different topics and issues. The Sport Studies component of my degree is to make me more versatile as a writer, and to gain further knowledge in my journalism studies. In regional areas, especially in the print media, it is important to be able to write on a broad range of issues, and in different sections of the newsroom.

“In terms of career aims, I hope to gain employment as a print journalist. Winning this award was one of my long-term goals, but in the near future I am just focused on finishing my degree, and graduating in December.”

 

The JB Fairfax Award for Rural Journalism was established to encourage quality reporting of rural and regional affairs by Australian journalists. It was created through a private donation by Mr John B Fairfax, AO, and is managed by the RASF, a philanthropic foundation which seeks to encourage educational excellence and foster vibrant and sustainable rural and regional communities by supporting quality youth and community programs.