Lord Rooker presents CLA North West Rural Journalist of the Year award
Photo: (L to R) : Douglas Chalmers Director CLA North, Gordon Swindlehurst BBC Radio Cumbria, Lord Rooker, Defra Minister for Sustainable Farming and Food
The Inaugural CLA North West Rural Journalist of the Year Award was presented to Gordon Swindlehurst of BBC Radio Cumbria by Lord Rooker, Minister for Sustainable Farming and Food.
The new award, which recognises excellence in reporting rural issues, was announced by the CLA as a way of encouraging accurate and sensitive reporting of news stories that demonstrate an empathy with and understanding of the rural north west.
Douglas Chalmers, Director CLA North announced the award at the Westmorland County Show (14 September), saying :
"The CLA and its Members are often frustrated by media coverage of rural issues. Much is is ill-informed, "picture-postcard" tokenism, aimed at an urban audience and does not deal with the real issues. Reporters are often urban based, and find themselves covering stories about which they have little or no knowledge, and make errors of fact and of interpretation. This is against a background of agricultural correspondents being replaced by environmental, or countryside correspondents.
"Even Farming Today is, as the BBC proudly admits, "no longer for farmers". Farming is the hub around which the whole rural economy revolves, and if you are in any doubt about that, look around you today. Yes, we often complain about this, but we are aware that there are some terrific reporters in the media who deserve recognition.
"Which is why the CLA is announcing its CLA North West Rural Journalist of the Year Award.
"We hope that this award will encourage others to take rural issues seriously. To make sure of their facts, to look into the background and to understand what impact the subject of their reports will have on rural communities.
"Gordon deserves the award, not just for his years of accurately and knowledgeably reporting farming issues, but because in his recent promotion as breakfast presenter, he now brings these issues to a wider audience, whilst maintaining the high standards of reporting.
"Neither dumbing down, nor sexing up, Gordon gets his facts right. He takes the trouble to check, and quite simply he understands the way the countryside works, and country people think. We believe that he provides an example that others should be encouraged to follow."
Professional as ever, Gordon even managed to file an interview with Lord Rooker immediately after the presentation.
Details of next year's award will be announced in spring, with nominations being invited from CLA Members across the north west. The awards, which do not include specialist trade press, cover journalists based in Cheshire, Lancashire and Cumbria covering rural issues for broadcast, print or online media.
