Journalism: John Van Klaveren.
Photography: Tommy Ritchie.
The Independent has won three state awards for journalism and photography.
The paper was also commended as a runner-up for Overall Newspaper Excellence during the Victorian Country Press Association annual awards last Friday.
The Independent won Best Local Reporting for journalist John Van Klaveren’s Shattered Lives series, dealing with the aftermath of road accidents.
Award judges commended Mr Van Klaveren for “particularly sensitive, well-written pieces of journalism”.
Photographer Tommy Ritchie’s picture of two girls bouncing in an inflatable structure won Best Photographic Study and a Canon Award for Recognition of Quality and Contribution to the Country Press Industry.
Judges called the shot a “great fun photograph” taken from an interesting perspective to “stop people in their tracks”.
The judges of the Overall Newspaper
Excellence award commended the Independent for its “strong editorial stories up front on vital community issues”.
They noted the paper’s “great scope for readers’ views” through its letters section and “innovative” Buckets & Bouquets column.
The judges also complemented the Independent’s advertisements, which they said would be “a credit to the best design houses anywhere”.
Each of the awards was in a category for papers with circulations over 10,000.
The awards were presented during Victorian Country Press Association’s annual conference in Geelong.
More than 100 newspaper proprietors, executives and their partners attended the conference’s annual dinner and awards night at The Pier.
Managing editor Tony Galpin said the three awards and commendation were testament to the Independent’s commitment to quality journalism.
“The Independent is dedicated to producing the stories or interest and importance to our community,” he said.
“As a community paper we have a duty to strive for the highest standards. The awards are another welcome recognition of our effort and commitment to our community.
“I thank all the Independent’s staff for their great work and all our readers and advertisers for their support.”
