29 April 2008

Cameron Thompson, a Harry Brittain Fellow in 2004 and editor of The Border Mail, Australia, died at St Vincent's Hospital in Melbourne yesterday.

The Border Mail wrote: Mr Thompson, 38, had been bravely fighting cancer since late last year. He had continued to have an input into editorial decisions from his hospital bed until this month. Despite intense treatment at St Vincent's, his condition continued to deteriorate.

He leaves his wife, Kristy Grant, a reporter at The Border Mail; daughter Ava, 17 months, his parents, Greg and Elaine Thompson and a sister, Trish, also his beloved extended family, Alison, Bruce and Paul Grant, Nicole and Dran.

Mr Thompson was born in Albury, attended Holy Spirit Primary School at Lavington and was an altar boy at the Holy Spirit church. He went on to Xavier High School, where he excelled in sport, especially golf and cricket. In 1987 he joined The Border Mail as a cadet journalist, learning every aspect of the craft from sports reporting to courts and council work and sub-editing.

Meanwhile, his golfing career flourished at the Hume Country Club and still in his teens he became Riverina champion. Mr Thompson succeeded Bernie Bell as Murray District Association secretary and partnered him in further championships. Mr Thompson won several titles around the region and competed against the country's best amateur players at the Australian Amateur Championships. After a break from the game, he returned to help Wodonga Country to the North East District Golf Association pennant final last year.

A talented cricketer, Mr Thompson played in junior representative sides alongside Michael Slater, who went on to open the batting for Australia. The wicket-keeper batsman played in an Albury and Border Cricket Association A Grade premiership with Lavington and was also a part of three Belvoir premiership-winning teams in Wodonga and District cricket.

Mr Thompson's flair for editing, layout and a knowledge of the local clubs led to his promotion to sports editor in 1995. Within a few months, The Australian Financial Review head-hunted him and he spent three years with that newspaper's sub-editing team. His next appointment was chief sports sub-editor of The Sun-Herald in Sydney.

In April 2001, Mr Thompson was lured back to The Border Mail by new editor Simon Dulhunty and appointed features editor. In 2004 he was judged The Border Mail's journalist of the year and won a scholarship that saw him spend six weeks studying newspapers in Britain.

Mr Thompson wrote the Full Stop Saturday column for several months and eventually was promoted to deputy editor and later acting editor when Mr Dulhunty left in 2005.

The Mott family's decision to appoint Mr Thompson as editor was a popular one among his colleagues, with whom he enjoyed a great rapport. That year The Border Mail was the outstanding newspaper in regional NSW, winning the EC Sommerland award for excellence in journalism for the third year in a row.

Mr Thompson not only received that award but he and Kristy Grant shared the Sir Harry Budd award for their work on the coverage of the fight to allow the Halimi family from Kosovo to stay in Wodonga.

The couple married on the beach at Terrigal in January 2006 and were blessed with a daughter, Ava.

28 November 2007

Former Harry Brittain Fellow, Stuart Howie, has been appointed editor of a major regional Australian newspaper. Stuart, 41, leaves The Canberra Times, where he was Deputy Editor, to become Editor of the Illawarra Mercury at Wollongong, a major city 85km south of Sydney. Both papers belong to the Fairfax newspaper group.

The Mercury was established in 1855 and is published Monday to Saturday. It serves communities along a stunning stretch of New South Wales coastline.

At the time of his fellowship in 1999, he was Deputy Editor of The Courier, the daily newspaper of the regional Victorian city of Ballarat. He went on to become Editor of that paper. He has 22 years' experience in journalism across community, regional and metropolitan newspapers. Married with three children, he takes up the role at the Mercury on 10 December 2007.

March 2007

After 25 years in the newspaper business when Hollinger took control of Southam in Canada, Bill Peterson left his post as publisher of the StarPhoenix in Saskatoon and he started weekly community newspapers in Saskatoon and Regina. In early 2007, he become a partner in Creative Fire, a communcaitons company specializing in investor and media relations.

February 2007

Australian, Steve Tallon, former chief of staff at Brisbane's Sunday Mail joined Adelaide's Sunday Mail in February 2007 as deputy editor.

April 2007

Priestley Habru, a Solomon Islander, left the Solomon Star at the end of 2006 with two fellow journalists to set up a new paper called the Island Sun. They were joined by a fourth journalist from the Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation. The first issue was published in late November 2006. The 20-page compact newspaper is published weekly.

Nigerian Funso Aina left Punch newspapers early in 2007 to see if "the grass is greener on the other side" and has joined the British Council as Communications Manager.

November 2006

Kirsty Pickett - or Kirsty MacNicol, as she is known professionally - was promoted to the role of editor of the Wanganui Chronicle in November 2006. At the time of her appointment, Kirsty was one of the few female editors in New Zealand and felt pretty sure that she was the youngest.

Laura Franklin was offered the post of editor of the Northern Advocate in the Spring of 2005 and since then has been named APN's Editor of the Year for Australia and New Zealand.

September 2006

Stefanie has left her job as Brisbane Bureau Chief for The Australian and become Joint Chief of Staff at the Courier Mail in Brisbane.

September 2006

Rachna won her award with a story about a little girl called Pooja who does street entertainment to scrape together a living.

'Words & Images' is a new Award offered by the CPU's magazine, CPQ, to the best illustrated story. CPQ is now offering it again with a closing date of 30 April 2007. To find out more, click here.

September 2006

Julie won the Best Human Relations Feature for 'The colourful life and sad death of a fabulist' and Best Business, Finance, Consumer Affairs Feature for 'Thinking outside the square with Mr Sudoku. Colin won the Best Political Story award.

June 2005

Australian Fellow, Cameron Thompson, has been appointed editor of The Border Mail one year after his HBF.

Cameron says "I was so thrilled to make it through the various processes to get the job. This is the paper where I started my cadetship all those years ago and it's my home town, so it's a very special honour to be in this role."

Click here to find out more about the HBF Alumni

30 July 2004

In recent years, I've dined out on one anecdote from that time when I was a Harry Brittain Fellow in 1978.

We were at the House of Commons for a luncheon. I had a young Labour MP on my left and the space for a youngish Tory on my right. During lunch I chatted amiably with the Labour MP and found we had rather a lot in common. Just after the main course was served, the Tory MP arrived. I happened to remark to him that I'd enjoyed chatting to the Labour MP, who had to excuse himself briefly. "Oh," said the Tory MP, "he's harmless enough but likely to be on the backbench for ever."

The Tory MP was Jonathan Aitken, the Labour MP was George Robertson now, of course Lord Robertson.

During the efforts in 1999 to put together a UN force for East Timor, George was Secretary of State for Defence. His Australian counterpart John Moore (a Liberal therefore conservative in UK terms) was an old friend - our sons had been at school together - and a former stockbroker who wanted me to go and work for him when I came back from the UK in 1978. John told me that George was hugely helpful in getting NATO countries to contribute to the UN force. At the time, Aitken was doing porridge, I think.

Click here to find out more about the HBF Alumni

30 July 2004

Joanna Rix (2000 Fellow from South Africa) has been promoted to Day Editor of The Star in Johannesburg. She has taken on this new post whilst at the same time completing research for her masters degree. At the time of her Fellowship, she was Chief Sub-Editor at The Star Tonight.

Click here to find out more about the HBF Alumni

2 July 2004

Back in 1990, Pothen Jacob was a Harry Brittain Fellow.

On 1 July 2004, he got back in touch with the CPU and said "I was actually a frequent visitor to your Hen & Chicken Court offices off Fleet Street during the three months I spent in the UK as part of that Fellowship, which, thanks to the richness and variety of the programme content, actually changed the way I looked at life.

I do hope that the organisation will be able to carry on the fine traditions built up over the decades in the cause of the print media in the countries of the Commonwealth."

Click here to find out more about the HBF Alumni

25 June 2004

Yvonne Martin, senior reporter at The Press in Christchurch, New Zealand, has won another Award (see below for annnouncement of previous one).

She has been awarded the 2004 Qantas Media Award as the Reporter of the Year. Yvonne says "I won the senior newspaper journalist of the year award, for a portfolio of news stories, (it brings a trophy and a $1000 cheque) and a second award for a feature in the human relations category."

Click here to find out more about the HBF Alumni

25 June 2004

Stuart Howie, a very popular Harry Brittain Fellow in 1999 has moved from his position as editor of the regional daily The Courier in Ballarat, to the position of deputy editor of the capital's daily The Canberra Times.

His role will include acting as editor as required, editing the Monday paper, training and other administration, and specialist writing. The CT has an editorial staff of 95 and is the flagship of Rural Press.

Stuart adds: "I am 38, married to Toni and have two children. My interests include ruining golf courses and walking my daughter's invisible dog. I also enjoy reading and I am a member of Toastmasters."

Click here to find out more about the HBF Alumni

18 June 2004

Peter Charlton from Australia was an HBF in 1978. He recently contacted the CPU and this is what he said:

When I came back from the UK, I started writing leaders for the old Telegraph, now sadly defunct. In 1983, I moved across to the morning broadsheet in Brisbane, The Courier-Mail, and have been with them ever since. In 1992, I went to Canberra as political editor, then five years to Sydney as national affairs editor, a senior position that includes writing about politics, economics, defence and foreign policy.

I've also written nine books, with another on the way. I think kindly of my time as a CPU fellow.

Click here to find out more about the HBF Alumni

25 February 2004

Award winning South African journalist, Mzilikazi Wa Afrika, is due to release a debut Afro-pop album, reports City Press in South Africa.

Mr Mzilikazi Wa Afrika (or Leonard Ndzhukula), who wrote is first song when he was eleven, works as a reporter for The Sunday Times. He is well known for his coverage of ANC's former chief whip, Tony Yengeni, who was identified in connection with a Mercedes-Benz scandal.

He told City Press that he has plans to continue his career in journalism but has always been passionate about music and is backed on his album by his own band, The African Rebels.

"When I joined the Sunday Times I discussed this [music] interest with my superiors and they didn't have any problem with me doubling as a musician," he told City Press.

"I am a journalist by profession and will do music for leisure."

He says the album, Afrika, reflects his passion for the country and each song reflects social issues he has faced during his travels and as a working reporter.

One of the songs is dedicated to former president Nelson Mandela and others highlight the plight of unwanted children, HIV/AIDS and indigenous history.

The album is due for release on 5 March.

Click here to find out more about the HBF Alumni

23 January 2004

It is a little more than 10 years since I was selected as one of the two 1993 Harry Brittain Fellows from Australia. I was just 28, among the youngest in the group of 10 Fellows and very excited about the opportunity to spend eight weeks in the UK in the company of journalists from throughout the Commonwealth.

The reality of that tour more than matched my expectations. As well as having the opportunity to fully explore the political and economic infrastructure within Great Britain, we also had the opportunity to visit various media outlets including the BBC, the Evening Standard and the Independent newspapers.

We had the opportunity to speak with editors of many of the leading London newspapers, providing us with information and an insight which retains some relevance even 10 years on.

While we were in the UK, my home town of Sydney was named as the host of the 2000 Olympic games, a source of much pride for the two Australian Fellows and a decision taken with much grace by the Hong Kong fellow CK Chan.

Our tour also included a visit to Northern Ireland, a tour which I think was among the first undertaken by Harry Brittain Fellows and which came at a fascinating and in some instances, devastating, time in the peace process which I have continued to watch with much interest since then.

The benefits of the Harry Brittain Fellowship cannot be underestimated and I continue to feel very proud of my involvement. It is the case that it is only now, 10 years on from my fellowship, that I am probably able to fully appreciate the depth of the experience.

In 1998, after 10 years as a sub-editor I resigned from Rural Press, publishers of The Land and moved from Sydney to Albury-Wodonga, one of the country's largest regional inland cities, located on the main highway between Sydney and Melbourne. I began working as a journalist for The Border Mail, thus fulfilling a desire to return to writing full-time at a daily newspaper. The Border Mail is one of the few remaining privately owned regional daily newspapers in Australia. It publishes six days a week and has won the Pacific Area Newspaper Publishers Association (PANPA) award for best daily newspaper for the past four years in a row.

Almost two years ago, I was appointed chief of staff of The Border Mail.

I love living in regional Australia, in an area which is blessed with a wonderful lifestyle, natural beauty and some great news stories.

I have lost contact with the rest of the 1993 Fellows but would love to hear from them.

Click here to find out more about the HBF Alumni

11 September 2003

Philip Lim Chin Guan was a sub-editor at the New Straits Times back when he was awarded a Harry Brittain Fellowship.

"I was in the UK back in 1985 with nine other Commonwealth journalists. We had a great time, or at least I had a magnificent time. I chatted with the late Princess Diana, had a light conversation with Prince Charles and saw Margaret Thatcher in action in the House of Commons.

I am still in journalism. Cannot seem to get it out of my system. I am the chief sub-editor now.

A toast to all my HBF friends: Karl du Fresne, Glenda Thompson, Raj Chengappa, Garmen Chan, Mohamed Maidin, Alfred Pandaram, Michael Awoyinfa, Josiah Mufungo, and Arnold Kapalembi.

May you all have more happy and prosperous years ahead of you."

Click here to find out more about the HBF Alumni

28 August 2003

Lorna Simms was awarded a Harry Brittain Fellowship 1969 whilst at The Gleaner in Jamaica.

She moved to live in Canada in 1984. In 1985 she was appointed editor of CONTRAST, Canada's newspaper for Blacks and Caribbean people at time. The paper changed owners twice and was closed in February 1991.

In July 1991, Lorna started my own newspaper, DAWN, a news magazine serving the Caribbean people in Canada. She has three children and is a grandmother of four.

Lorna said: "It was wonderful hearing from the Fellowship and wonderful knowing there is the alumni. I credit a lot of what I have been bold enough to do, to the time spent in the UK on this fellowship.

It was my first trip out of my native Jamaica and what a lot I discovered I was able to exchange thoughts and ideas with other journalists from all over the world, and my internship with British newspapers served me well. I took all those ideas back to my old newspaper and used a lot in new editions of the paper back then... but I wanted more of other worlds so I came to Canada.

I freelanced with some papers then became editor of one. When that newspaper closed, former readers challenged me to start my own and many Caribbean business people assisted me to do so.

Today, DAWN - the multicultural newspaper was 12 years in July and doing well. In 1995, I was one of many awarded the "Canada 125 medal of honour". Mine was for highlighting the good of Canada's diversity through journalism. The Harry Brittain Fellowship has been responsible for opening my eyes and my mind to all I could accomplish."

Lorna can be reached through Jane Rangeley at jane@cpu.org.uk

Click here to find out more about the HBF Alumni

(Jane Rangeley - CPU)

25 July 2003

Congratulations to Yvonne Martin of The Press, New Zealand who has won the Qantas Media Award for 'Newspaper Feature Writer'

(Jane Rangeley - CPU)

18 July 2003

Jo Chandler, one of this year's two Australian Harry Brittain Fellows, has been promoted.

On return to office next week, she will become editor of the Saturday edition of The Age in Melbourne. Jo was previously editor of the Insight section of that edition.

(Jane Rangeley - CPU)

5 June 2003

2000 Fellow, Robert Musaazi from Kampala, is spending three months on the Thomson Foundation summer course in Cardiff.

He was funded by The Guardian Foundation and the Thomson Foundation itself.

(Jane Rangeley - CPU)