Older People Speak Out (OPSO) National Media Awards - 2005

The Department of Health and Ageing, through the Office For an Ageing Australia, and the Older People Speak Out (OPSO) organisation developed the OPSO People’s Choice Media Awards to empower Australians to critically evaluate the media and so help change negative media and public attitudes towards ageing and older people.

National Media Awards Winners

Metropolitan daily and Sunday newspapers: Paola Totaro, ‘A friend to those in need’,
The Sydney Morning Herald

Regional and suburban newspapers – weekly, bi-weekly and daily: John Andersen, ‘As tough as they come’, Townsville Bulletin

Magazines – articles: Beverley Hadgraft, ‘They’re all running for their lives’, Take 5

Television – news, current affairs and interviews under 5 mins: Samille Muirhead, ‘Maleny protester’, Seven Local News, Maroochydore

Television – current affairs, documentaries and interviews over 5 mins: Enough Rope with Andrew Denton, ‘Enough Rope with Andrew Denton featuring Peter Cundall’, ABC-TV

Photography: Neale Duckworth, ‘The new teenagers – the fiftysomethings who forgot to have a midlife crisis’, Sunday Life in The Sun Herald and The Sunday Age

Radio – city and regional news, current affairs and interviews: Conversations – Kelly Riordan, Steve Austin, Amy Cass – ‘Conversations’, ABC Local Radio, Queensland

Advertising: The Australian Women’s Weekly – Deborah Thomas, Jane de Teliga, Natasha Chadwick; ACP Key Accounts – Sev Celik, Cameron Curtis; OMD – Tara Salo, Dan MacKinder, Simon Davies; Client – Beiersdorf – Clynton Bartholomeusz, Julia Braun, Pia Bracher; Photographer – Graham Shearer;

Senior-specific print media – articles: David Cole, ‘John Coombs: A wharfie’s seachange’, seniorlifestlye ACT & Midstate (Winner 1) and Debbie White, ‘Sailing on the wind for 82 years’, seniorlifestyle Bayside (Winner 2)

Senior-specific print media – newspapers: The Australian Senior, editor Cheryl Field (Winner 1) and seniorlifestyle – Bayside, editor Brian Hurst (Winner 2)

Inter-generational journalism – print: Mellissa Case, Gladstone Regional Art Gallery & Museum; Mat Ovenden, The Observer, Ergon Energy and the students of Tannum Sands State High School, ‘Our priceless past’, The Observer

Inter-generational journalism – electronic: Tim Lee, Michael Barnett (camera), Jonathon Lee (sound), Kenny Greenhill (editor) , ‘Dream weavers’, Landline ABC-TV

Inter-generational journalism – photography: Glenn Campbell, ‘Give our children a chance, Wadeye Elder Theodora Narndu’, The Age (Winner 1) and Jodie Richter, ‘Foster family’, The Canberra Times (Winner 2)

The OPSO Choice Media Awards are run by Older People Speak Out, a voluntary non-profit organisation which provides lobbying services on behalf of older people, and are supported by the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing, through the Office for an Ageing Australia.

Visit the Older People Speak Out (OPSO) website for more information about the 2005 National Media Awards.