GAJ Award eAlert - Stuart Seaton Regional Newspaper & Journalist 2011

Stuart Seaton Award

Regional Farming Newspaper & Journalist 2011

The Guild’s Stuart Seaton Award for 2011, which celebrates consistent, high quality coverage of farming and rural affairs to a regional audience, is launched today.

This is the Guild’s award established in memory of Stuart Seaton, the highly respected founding editor of Farmer’s Guardian (once a regional newspaper but now a national publication). The award is supported by his family, and among the judges is Stuart’s daughter Val, herself an associate editor of a group of national magazine titles.

Although coverage of farming issues in regional newspapers has declined since its heyday, the publications that still do have regular column, section or supplement dedicated to agriculture and rural issues play an important role in keeping both the wider public and those who work in land-based industries informed.

Past winners reflect the writing quality and breadth of coverage provided. They include the Western Morning News and its farming correspondent, Peter Hall (right); the Press & Journal, Aberdeen, whose farming and rural affairs coverage is written by Joe Watson; and the Yorkshire Post – Bob Benson, now retired, was agricultural editor when it won the award.

See the Stuart Seaton Award page on the Guild website for more details.

The award is open to all regional newspapers and their farming/rural affairs correspondents – whether members of the Guild or not. The winning journalist receives a framed certificate at the annual meeting in March, while the publication receives a framed certificate and the right to use the strapline:

Guild of Agricultural Journalists – Regional Farming Newspaper of the Year.

The deadline for entries, which can be made either by the correspondent or the newspaper editor, is Friday, February 24.

To submit pdf documents of published pages, download the Word entry form here, complete it and save as a pdf to enter by email.

To send originals or photocopies of published pages, download and complete the pdf entry form here.

Both versions provide full entry details and rules.