Judge’s comments – Shauna Black

The judging for the Best Editorial writing was quicker this year as several entries did not qualify for judging. Last year all entries qualified, so I am unsure why there is a greater misunderstanding of the criteria this year?

The Editorial is also called a Leader. It is the opinion of the masthead. It often appears on the Letters page, traditionally page 4. It is a thought piece informed by all the information the writer has at their disposal. This might include knowledge of history of the topic, news stories throughout the year, confidential conversations, or briefings by individuals. It leads the community, it calls to account, it places pressure on decision makers.

The writer – the editor or senior journalist - should be in a unique position of having an umbrella view of a topic, understanding the issue deeply, having accessed varying opinions, and having conducted research.

From this position comes the courage to take a stand, make a call on an issue, or at least to reflect on all sides of an argument.

It’s a big ask, week after week, from a small team, but it is a very important piece of the publication puzzle. Readers should want to turn to the Editorial as a priority each week.

The Editorial of Leader in your newspaper is not a personal opinion piece; it is not a front-page news story; it is not a series of articles about a pet project. Some of the entries belonged in another category, perhaps Excellence in Journalism, or Best Community Profile.

On a happier note, the remaining correct entries were, without exception, a delight to read,

The winner and placegetters were all written with skill, a knowledge of history, by people well embedded in their communities; and advocated for their readers with calls to action.

It would have been good to see more evidence of any outcomes of the editorial pressure applied by the best entrants: Did the Parliamentary Committee visit the region? Was the traffic study completed?

THIRD PLACE: The Courier.

SECOND PLACE: Michelle Daw, Yorke Peninsula Country Times

FIRST PLACE: Ben Lennon, The Bunyip