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CNAV conferences

2009

The fourth CNAV Annual Conference at Toolangi has been hailed as a great success by both member and guest participants alike. Many members once again enjoyed meeting up with old friends from past conferences, while first-timers were introduced to the ideas and experiences of our vibrant community newspaper ‘community’.

Due to our theme ‘Community newspapers in time of crisis’ and a growing awareness of the role of our member publications in bushfire prone areas, a number of guests from government departments and agencies attended this year. These included the Minister for Regional Development, Jacinta Allen (who officially opened the Conference) and the State Emergency Services Commissioner, Bruce Esplin. All were impressed with the range and diversity of our publications and acknowledged the one thing members have in common – they are the main source of information in their local communities.

The Annual Awards dinner was once again a highlight for members. Toolangi Tavern proved a great venue for a relaxing evening of good food, entertainment and lots of conversation. This is an evening of celebration and congratulations, not only for winners and finalists, but for all who dedicate so much of their time producing amazing publications for their communities. More.. Full Report

2008

The 2008 CNAV Conference in Castlemaine was summed up at Sunday’s Wrap Up in the Chewton Town Hall as a very positive and rewarding experience. "The conference fosters a sense of belonging to a wider, broader community" and "Well worthwhile, will definitely be back next year," were just two of the many enthusiastic responses received. More.. [Photos]

Awards 2008 - Judges’ comments

Best historical writing

This was a very interesting category, and all entries were impressive. The Burwood Bulletin article was timely and a very interesting story. Special mention to Churchill News for their charming Looking Back section about local residents. It was a big effort by Churchill News to tell the story of Syd Hedley. The Warrandyte Diary recalls with interest the social life of an emerging tourist town in the depression years. The Great Gisborne Gazette’s reflection of the local history shone through that little publication, and the lively writing style successfully intrigues the reader. It seemed to fit well into the local context. The Village Bell’s recollections of 30 years told simply and unpretentiously the story of a most stable and successful community newspaper, and it is timely that this publication be recognized in this category. The Waranga News took the eye also, for its consciousness about and contribution to its own local historical record.

Best editorial writing

Some entries were more like feature stories than editorial comment, though nevertheless interesting to read. The Lorne Independent really lives up to its name in this category. It makes a strong point, probably much to the annoyance of some readers who might disagree. So does the Beeac News make a very strong point in its editorial section. Thomson Times taps into the local issues in a most forceful way, reflecting the feelings of the community and portraying a reasonable view.

Best publication 12 pages and under

The Carisbrook Mercury is an impressive publication with one of the best layouts in this category as well as containing plenty of news. Very professional. The Kyneton Connect for what it lacks in layout is quite imaginative and contains plenty of news. The Bass Valley News is a great community publication maximizing the space on every page. It offers residents a wide variety of news and updates relevant and informative to the locals. Also worth a mention was the Glenlyon, impressive particularly for its arrangement of content.

Best article by someone under 18

Unanimous: the New Woodend Star article by Sam Cooper is excellent and serious, about life in Cambodia. Samantha articulated her own experiences of people in the Andsng community most forcefully. Shae Iddles in the Upper Gully News has written an impressive and honest account of just one of the difficulties facing teenage girls. Nicole Lancy in the Loch Express has given a fine portrayal of her visit to the rain forest.

Best layout

Many entries. Much discussion before the final decision. The Burwood Bulletin has an eye catching and professional look. The design is open and follows an easy style throughout. The Bass Valley News makes the most of blending page space and content, including advertising content. The Noojee News was clear and easy to read, with simple page design so the reader does not get lost on the page. The Great Gisborne Gazette contains a terrific page-1 photo. It draws attention to the paper. Inside is not too crowded, and the photos are well arranged in a small format. Also worth a mention in this category was the Churchill & District News, for its professional, uncluttered appearance.

Best sports writing

Unanimous: Waranga News, a clear winner for good coverage and strong photographic back-up. It covered many grades with its summaries of matches. Very comprehensive with good pics. The Welcome Record had a degree of excitement in its coverage of a weekend archery contest – a hard subject to make exciting. Sport is a major feature of the Village Bell, which must represent a very active, outdoors community.

Best community reporting

The Waranga News takes this one for its strong community coverage and good photography. It captures the community feeling on the front page while still providing a strong article in hard news style. Clearly the Churchill & District News reflects events of general interest and needs a special mention. The Loch Express is a really busy little paper with lots of news and well placed excellent photos. In this category, what takes the eye is also the Studfield Wantirna Community News, a metropolitan paper with a different emphasis and different concerns from most country papers and with a keen mission to link with the ordinary people in the suburbs.

Best blooper

We had trouble finding the blooper in the Blackwood News. It wins though over CNAV, who also has been known to make some bloopers. Don’t bet on this category being in every year, because people might try to make bloopers just to win the award.

Best inhouse advertisement

Unanimous: The Loch Express contained an eye catching and professional advertisement about Anzac Day. Though clear and simple it looked impressive. All details were there, and there was no confusion. The Welcome Record also put up a pretty good show for its attractive advert.

Best hard news reporting

Unanimous: The Warrandyte Diary has excellent coverage of St Stephen’s Anglican Church predicament. It highlighted the parishioners’ passion for their church. The Chewton Chat has entered a very comprehensive analysis of the hard news issue affecting that town. In this way, it carries out the role of a community newspaper. Had the Waranga News entered this section it might have made a place. Thomson Times had great hard news coverage and was not dependent on trying to follow a hard news style. In this way it reflected the style of writing many community papers adopt in covering important issues in their communities.

2007

Conference 07 was held at Lorne 19-21 October. A preliminary report is available here...

2006

In 2006 the inaugural CNAV conference was held at Ballarat. Full details including award results and a photo gallery are available here...