ABC journalists win Star Prizes for rural reporting

Photo of ABC journalist Sean Murphy

Landline’s Sean Murphy reports on heritage varieties of barley in demand by craft brewers

Three ABC journalists, Sean Murphy, Marian Faa and Jodie Hamilton, have been recognised at Australia’s top awards for agricultural journalism.

Landline’s Sean Murphy won the top honour, the Australian Star Prize for Rural Broadcasting, as well as the video category for his story Barley Boost: Heritage varieties in demand by craft brewers and distillers.

The piece reported on the growing demand for heritage barley by craft brewers and distillers in the context of a trade dispute with China.

“The judges were impressed with the paddock-to-pint approach of the story, which cleverly appealed to both the farmer and the consumer while also covering the impact of COVID and trade disputes,” said Australian Council of Agricultural Journalists President Kallee Buchanan.

Winner of the radio category was Cairns-based Asia Pacific Newsroom journalist Marian Faa for her piece on the quest for climate-resilient taro, Scientists scour rivers for Taro, food of the Gods, which aired on Pacific Beat and the Queensland Country Hour.

Jodie Hamilton, based in Port Lincoln, SA, won the digital category for Bushfire brings an unexpected gift as creek bed is rejuvenated 16 years on.

The Star Prize is the most prestigious in Australian agricultural journalism and secures automatic entry into the international Star Prize, which is currently being considered at the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists meeting in Denmark.

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