Worldwide Photos Ltd

The Religious Media Agency

Media Release


June 8, 1997

ARPA AWARDS PRESENTED AT ANNUAL CONFERENCE

The Annual Conference of the Australasian Religious Press Association (ARPA)
was held in Hobart, Tasmania, from Friday, June 6 until Sunday, June 8 with
representatives from Australia and New Zealand gathering in the Hobart
Pacific Motel for the occasion.

The Annual Awards were presented at the Awards Dinner on Saturday evening,
with 54 guests in attendance.

This year, the prestigious Gutenberg Award was presented to the Sydney
Anglican Media’s “Southern Cross”. This award was chosen by the President
of ARPA, the Rev. Robert Wiebusch of Mt Barker, South Australia.

With the theme, “The Church Engages Society through the Media”, the
conference discussed the “issues that affect us in the everyday activities
of our publications”. On Saturday, a major presentation highlighted the
strengths and “the many pitfalls” of dealing with the media – secular and
Church – as a disaster unfolds.

On Sunday, a special trip will be made to Port Arthur where the delegates
will be able to reflect and pay homage to victims and survivors of the Port
Arthur tragedy of April 29, 1996 when 35 people were killed in a shooting
massacre.

In the 22 Categories for Awards, the judges were Rosina Beaumont, R.T. Banks
and Greg Hudson.

 · The Best News Item went to Focus (Anglican, Brisbane, Qld) for “Aborigines
in Welfare Fund Inquiry Push”.

 · The Best Piece of Reporting in a Magazine went to Eureka Street (Jesuit
Publications, Melbourne, Vic.) for “Bouganville Assassination”.

 · The Best Feature in a Newspaper or Magazine went to Insights (Uniting
Church, Sydney, NSW) for “The Art of Ageing”.

 · The Best Editorial went to Record (Adventist, Warburton Vic.) for “Gun
Control: Vain Hope”.

 · The Best Layout in a Newspaper went to NZ Catholic (Catholic, Auckland, NZ) .

 · The Best Layout for a Magazine, went to World Vision News (Melbourne, Vic).

 · The Best Front Page of a Newspaper went to the NZ Catholic (Catholic,
Auckland, NZ).

 · The Best Cover for a Magazine went to Eureka Street (Jesuit Publications,
Melbourne, Vic.)

 · The Most Improved Newspaper went to the NZ Catholic (Catholic, Auckland, NZ).

 · The Most Improved Magazine went to The Australian Christian (Churches of
Christ, Melbourne, Vic.).

 · The Best Regional Publication went to Catholic Voice (Catholic, Canberra,
ACT).

 · The Best Devotional Article went to National Outlook (Ecumenical, Sydney,
NSW) for “Facing One’s Mortality”.

 · The Best Story on Social Justice went to Southern Cross Quarterly
(Anglican, Sydney, NSW) for “The Aboriginal Church: Australia’s Cinderella”.

 · The Best Story or Feature by a New or Non-Professional Writer went to
National Outlook (Ecumenical, Sydney, NSW) for “Who Should Change – Them or Us”.

 · Best News Item on a Religious Topic in a Secular Newspaper or Magazine,
went to Alison Cotes of the Brisbane Courier Mail (Brisbane, Qld) for
“Franklin Firm About His Holy Role”.

 · Best Feature Article on a Religious Theme in a Secular Newspaper or
Magazine went to Morag Fraser of The Sydney Morning Herald (Sydney, NSW) for
“Suffering That Offers a Message of Hope”.

 · The Best News Release went to World Vision Newsline (Melbourne, Vic.) for
“Let the Justice Begin”.

 · The Best Headline – no award.

 · The Best Original Photograph went to Sandy Scheltema of World Vision News
(Melbourne, Vic.).

 · The Best Original Artwork went to The Majellan (Redemptorist Congregation,
Brighton, Vic) for “Teens and Sex”.

 · The Best Humorous Item went to Beryl Rule of The Melbourne Anglican
(Anglican, Melbourne, Vic.) for Growing Old at a Vestry Meeting”.

 · The Item or Feature That Shows Most Originality – no award.

The 1998 ARPA Conference will be held in Victoria and the 1999 in South
Australia.

Shalom! Rowland Croucher