By Kath Gannaway
MORE than 50 delegates from country newspapers around Victoria attended the Country Press Association 2009 Conference in Healesville.
Hosted by the Mail Newspaper Group/Star News Group the conference, held on Friday, 13 November, was the first to be held in the new RACV Healesville Country Club.
Delegates including owners, editors, managers and journalists, heard from speakers on issues which included advertising ethics and legalities, to the place of newspapers in the future, and how best to embrace new technologies.
Mail and Star editors Garry Howe and Stephen Linnell gave an insight into local reporting on the February bushfires and Christine Nixon, chairperson of the Victorian Bushfire Reconstruction and Recovery Authority spoke on ‘Leading the Reconstruction”.
The conference is traditionally is an opportunity for the host region to showcase its assets and the Yarra Valley came up trumps with both the delegates and their partners.
A cocktail party at Mt Rael on the Thursday evening set the scene with unrivalled views across the valley and the awards night at Rochford Winery continued to impress.
The partners program showcased the best of the valley’s food, wine, architecture and personality with the Yarra Valley Dairy, Giant Steps Innocent Bystander, Domaine Chandon and TarraWarra Museum of Art.
The good news came from author, publisher and futurist, Richard Watson, who spoke on the future of newspapers.
Country newspapers, he said – or should that be predicted – are here to stay.
They have a particular role to play, and a particular readership which likes the feel of paper.
