Rural Media & Communicators SA/NT

05/06/2025

RMC SA/NT is tremendously proud to see FOUR of our members succeed at the Australian Council of Agricultural Journalists journalism and photography awards!

📽️ Kristy O'Brien, ABC Landline, won the Australian Star Prize for Rural Broadcasting for her story, "Big organics": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_EdZcioV7E&t=562s
💻 Bill Ormonde, ABC Broken Hill, was the national winner of the digital/online category for his story, "Out of the darkness": https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-03-24/graziers-break-mental-health-stigma-bush-poetry-landline/103546040

In the photography categories ...
📷 Scott Murphy, The Mt Barker Courier, won the People category
📷 Toni Hill, ABC, won the Landscapes category

All national winners will have their entries submitted to the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists international competition, with winners to be announced at the IFAJ 2025 Congress at Nairobi, Kenya, on October 15-18.

26/05/2025

Better late than never!

RMC SA/NT held an intimate gathering at The Goody in March 2025 where we hosted our 2024 Rural Journalist of the Year, Kristy O'Brien from ABC Landline. In a Q&A session led by RMC SA/NT Vice President Prue Adams, attendees heard about Kristy’s upbringing in rural Queensland and how the seeds of her journalism career were sown early in her life. The audience was also treated to some classic tales of life as a rural reporter in the Top End.

Thanks for coming, Kristy!

09/04/2025

📍A couple of info-packed days for RMC head honcho Leigh Radford and Vice honcho Prue Adams at the Northern Australia Food Futures Conference.
✅We heard from and met some of the biggest names in Australian ag including Fiona Simson (Vice Pres World Farmers’ Organisation) and National Farmers Federation boss David Jochinke.
🎤Prue and Leigh volunteered their time to moderate a bunch of break-out discussions.
📢 Shout out to Paula Joanne Thompson and Matt Brann for being the only ag journos reporting from this major conference… both recipients of our very own RMC rural media awards 🏆
🗒️Watch out for Paula’s stories in the Stock Journal
🎧Listen to Matt’s stories on Northern Territory Country Hour

08/04/2025

⭐️Brilliant turn-out for our FIRST EVER RMC event in the Northern Territory.

✨Five years ago we included NT ag journos and communicators in our group.

🏆While NT journos have been winning our rural media awards ever since, we’d never managed to meet Territory peeps on their home turf … until now.

✈️President Leigh Radford and Vice President Prue Adams flew to Darwin this week to attend the Northern Australian Food Futures Conference AND organise an RMC catch up before the conference started.

🚜People who are as passionate as we are about telling the stories of food and farming were there; reps from the National Farmers Federation, NT Farmers, CRC Northern Australia, Cattlemens Assoc, ABC and ACM reporters among them.

🙏Many thanks to our major supporter Rural Business Support for sponsoring this event.

↪️NT. We’ll be back.

04/04/2025

FUNDRAISING SCREENING OF JUST A FARMER🎬

This powerful film offers a raw and moving insight into the resilience, sacrifices and struggles of farmers – the backbone of our nation’s food security. It shines a light on the realities of farming life, tackling themes of mental health, community support and the deep connection between people and the land.

Following the screening there will be a panel discussion, writer and executive producer Leila McDougall will be joined by special guests for a thought-provoking discussion on mental health in farming communities.

Wednesday, 9 April 2025
Capri Theatre, 141 Goodwood Rd, Goodwood
https://bit.ly/4bhTMF8

All proceeds from this event will support the Rural Business Support Relief Fund, helping fund mental health and wellbeing programs for rural families facing tough times.

RBS is also a valued supporter and sponsor of Rural Media & Communicators SA/NT.

02/03/2025

📣 Have you got your ticket yet?! 📣 RSVPs are closing soon! An event not to be missed- a fantastic networking opportunity and a chance to hear from RMC SA/NT Rural Journalist of the Year Kristy O’Brien.

Meet the RMC SA/NT Rural Journalist of the Year Kristy O'Brien.

She's in Adelaide for one night to give you insight into the life of an ABC Landline journalist.

It will be a great chance to hear some of Kristy's stories from her career reporting on farming and regional issues in the Northern Territory.

You can meet her at the Goodwood Hotel on Friday, March 14, from 5.30 to 8.30pm. RSVP by Monday, March 3.

BOOK NOW - https://rmc-sant.com.au/news/meet-our-rmc-sa-nt-rural-journalist-of-the-year-kristy-obrien

28/02/2025

📣 Tickets still available, RSVPs closing soon. Don’t miss your chance to hear from RMC Rural Journalist of the Year Kristy O’Brien. 📣

Meet the RMC SA/NT Rural Journalist of the Year Kristy O'Brien.

She's in Adelaide for one night to give you insight into the life of an ABC Landline journalist.

It will be a great chance to hear some of Kristy's stories from her career reporting on farming and regional issues in the Northern Territory.

You can meet her at the Goodwood Hotel on Friday, March 14, from 5.30 to 8.30pm. RSVP by Monday, March 3.

BOOK NOW - https://rmc-sant.com.au/news/meet-our-rmc-sa-nt-rural-journalist-of-the-year-kristy-obrien

14/02/2025

Rural Media & Communicators SA/NT is heading North.
Do you want to join us at the to the Northern Australian Future Foods Conference?
It's in Darwin in April there's a special deal for all RMC SA/NT Members.
$715 Early Bird (Register before February 28)
$935 (from March 1)
And with sponsorship from Rural Business Support, we’ll be hosting a FREE drinks and nibbles catch-up for SA and NT agricultural journalists and communicators on Monday April 7.
View the speakers and the program here: aapevents.eventsair.com/2025naff/program
Please let us know ASAP if you’re interested in attending the conference and drinks.

28/01/2025

Meet the RMC SA/NT Rural Journalist of the Year Kristy O'Brien.

She's in Adelaide for one night to give you insight into the life of an ABC Landline journalist.

It will be a great chance to hear some of Kristy's stories from her career reporting on farming and regional issues in the Northern Territory.

You can meet her at the Goodwood Hotel on Friday, March 14, from 5.30 to 8.30pm. RSVP by Monday, March 3.

BOOK NOW - https://rmc-sant.com.au/news/meet-our-rmc-sa-nt-rural-journalist-of-the-year-kristy-obrien

24/01/2025

To make it easier for young journalists and ag professionals to access the great networking opportunities the Rural Media and Communicators SA/NT offers we've cut the membership for people under 25 years by half. For more information go to our website - https://rmc-sant.com.au/membership/join-renew

06/12/2024

Last night we celebrated our night of nights at the Adelaide Showgrounds - the 2024 Rural Media & Communicators Awards! Kristy O’Brien from ABC NT and Matt Turner of Matt Turner Photographer (SA) were crowned RMC SA/NT’s 2024 Rural Journalist of the Year and Rural Photographer of the Year, respectively. Read on for all category winners. Thank you to all our sponsors and volunteers who made the night happen! Read the full release on the RMC website: https://rmc-sant.com.au/news/2024-rural-media-communicators-sa-nt-award-winners-announced

2024 Rural Media & Communicators SA/NT Awards Results

JOURNALISM

2024 Rural Journalist of the Year, sponsored by Rural Business Support
Winner: Kristy O’Brien, ABC NT

2024 Best Rural Journalist – Print, sponsored by Fuller Brand Communication
Winner: Quinton McCallum, Stock Journal
Highly commended: Katie Spain, Lumen

2024 Best Rural Journalist – Regional Print, sponsored by AgCommunicators
Winner: Joanna Tucker, YP Country Times
Highly commended: Joseph Moore, The Courier

2024 Best Rural Broadcast Journalist – Audio / Radio, sponsored by SA Horticultural Services
Winner: Kristy O’Brien, ABC NT

2024 Best Rural Broadcast Journalist – Video / Television, sponsored by AgCommunicators
Winner: Kristy O’Brien, ABC NT

2024 Best Rural Broadcast Journalist – Digital / Online, sponsored by AgCommunicators
Winner: Eliza Berlage, ABC Riverland
Highly commended: Bill Ormonde, ABC Broken Hill

2024 Best Royal Show Story, sponsored by Show Society Foundation
Winner: Elizabeth Anderson, Stock Journal

PHOTOGRAPHY

2024 SA & NT Rural Photographer of the Year, sponsored by Rural Business Support
Winner: Matt Turner, Matt Turner Photographer

2024 Best Rural Photographer Award – Nature/Landscape/Rural Scenes, sponsored by the Department of Primary Industries and Regions
Winner: Tony Hill, ABC TV

2024 Best Rural Photographer Award – Production, sponsored by Calperum Station
Winner: Matt Turner, Matt Turner Photographer

2024 Best Rural Photographer Award – People, sponsored by Stock Journal
Winner: Matt Turner, Matt Turner Photographer
Commendation: Ben Macmahon, Macmahon Images; Scott Murphy, The Courier

2024 Best Rural/Regional Photojournalist Award, sponsored by Doyle Media Services
Winner: Bill Ormonde, ABC Broken Hill
Commendation: Scott Murphy, The Courier

2024 Best Royal Adelaide Show Photo, sponsored by Show Society Foundation
Winner: Scott Murphy, The Courier
Highly commended: Paula Thompson, ACM Agri

COMMUNICATORS
2024 Social Media Influencer Award, sponsored by AgCommunicators
Winner: John Gladigau, ifarmwell

2024 Rural Communicator Award, sponsored by PodTalk
Winner: Emily Adams, Alice Tilley, Jane Evans, Brett Nietschke, Deb Scammell, Georgie Keynes, Alexi Kentish, Peter Mitchell, Julian Maul and Sarah Weaver - Barossa Improved Grazing Group
Highly Commended: Emily Adams, Ag Institute Australia

29/11/2024

Congratulations to RMC SA/NT Rural Media Icon Jon Lamb, retiring after an incredible 44 years on radio. He's a long time communicator of all things agriculture and gardening.
A fourth generation apple grower, Jon attended Burnley Horticultural College in Melbourne and joined the ABC as a 22-year old in 1966.
He has been a Press Secretary to two Ministers of Agriculture and has written for the Stock Journal and the Advertiser.
The GRDC honoured Jon with a prestigious "Seed of Light Award" for outstanding communication in research. And more than a decade ago he was bestowed Rural Media Icon status within RMC.
But he is best known for his role on ABC Adelaide's Talk Back Gardening.
All the best for your future Jon, and RMC hopes you now get to spend more time in your own garden!





Photo courtesy Troy Sincock, ABC Adelaide.