Women in Media congratulates Eliza Goetze, from the Bundaberg News Mail, as the inaugural winner of the Caroline Jones, Women in Media, Young Journalist’s Award.
Eliza, 25, beat a tough field of 29 entrants to take the honour, with an impressive entry the judging panel said demonstrated her grasp of major economic and social issues affecting her local community, and her capacity to build trust with sources and interview subjects.
The panel – made up of respected journalists Tracey Spicer, Emma Macdonald, Katherine Murphy and Women in Media patron Caroline Jones – said Eliza’s journalism made a difference to local sweet potato growers exploited by wholesalers – a national story playing out in local communities around the country.
Eliza Goetze.
Photo: Max Fleet / NewsMail
She also helped, with input from her community, to expose poor care in a Bundaberg nursing home – again, a national story, playing out in facilities around the country. They called it “an impressive entry, showing sharp news judgment, skill and versatility.”
This award is named after veteran journalist Caroline Jones, who is the patron of Women in Media, a national mentoring, networking and professional initiative backed by the union for journalists, the Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance (MEAA).
Ms Jones said it was extremely difficult to choose an inaugural winner from a “quality field” who cover such vast areas of rural and regional Australia in their reporting.
“My congratulations to Eliza Goetze – it was not a bit easy to select an inaugural winner,” she said.
“I was impressed with the high standard of the twenty-nine applicants – some of these women cover the most remote areas of our country, reporting on matters of local concern which are often matters of national public interest as well.
“To do that, they live with the challenges of distance and professional isolation. One applicant is stationed 500km from her nearest colleague and editor. And a number of them travel widely to cover the vast regions for which they are responsible.
“They need reserves of persistence and courage, and to be competent across all platforms of media, reporting in images as well as words. We are proud of them all.”
Judges also highly commended Jemma Ryan from the Geelong Advertiser for her “tremendous leadership potential”.
Jemma demonstrated the ability to gain the trust of her interviewees, and tell stories with depth and compassion, giving voice to the voiceless. Her diverse range of experience in the media, at such a young age, provides the perfect platform to build a rich career in the industry.
The new award is the first of its kind and will allow non-metropolitan women in the media to see the complexities of the political landscape in the nation’s capital.
The Caroline Jones Award winner receives a week-long intensive experience of journalism, politics and government in Canberra, including a $2500 personal learning fund, travel and accommodation for five nights, attendance at a National Press Club event, and mentorship from Canberra’s accomplished Women in Media committee – who will take the winner into their newsrooms and Press Gallery offices, exposing them to the ‘belly of the beast’!
For more information on the award please contact Mark Phillips, MEAA Communications Director, on 0422 009 011.
