MILLICENT’S own Brooke Littlewood, of The South Eastern Times, was crowned Country Press SA’s young journalist of the year at a gala awards ceremony in the Barossa Valley on Friday night.
Ms Littlewood is a valued member of the newspaper where she started her cadetship as a 17 year old in 2010.
After completing her cadetship, Ms Littlewood lived and worked overseas for four years, gaining valuable life experiences before taking up a job offer and returning to The South Eastern Times.
Award judge John Pick said Ms Littlewood produced a fine body of work last year to reduce the stigma of mental health.
“Suicides in any community often go unreported, usually as a mark of respect for the families left grieving,” the judge noted.
“Ms Littlewood helped break the silence and stigma of suicide and mental health.”
Mr Pick also highlighted how Ms Littlewood vividly told the story of how a young woman’s traumatic memories of fighting Hodgkin Lymphoma left her battling mental illness on a daily basis.
“Such sensitive issues were handled professionally and with empathy and because of the trust she built among locals, other people with their own battles are reaching out to her for help.”
The South Eastern Times editor Brett Kennedy praised her role with the newspaper.
Mr Kennedy said she was a hard-working journalist who has left her mark on the community.
“Brooke has shown maturity and skill beyond her years in reporting sensitive issues,” Mr Kennedy said.
“She continues to produce a diverse range of stories with professionalism and has importantly gained the trust of many individuals and groups within the community.”
Member for Barker Tony Pasin has also warmly congratulated Ms Littlewood on her success.
For several years, Mr Pasin has sponsored the prize with a trip to Canberra to experience a parliamentary sitting week.
“Not only does the winner get to experience what a week is like in my office in Parliament, but the trip also includes spending time in the press gallery with senior political journalists and in previous years it has included shadowing ministerial press secretaries,” Mr Pasin said.
“It’s a fantastic opportunity for young journalists to gain experience and an understanding of life in Canberra.
“I like to think it helps bridge the gap between the Canberra bubble and what’s happening at a rural and regional level.
Ms Littlewood said she was honoured to receive the award.
“I always aspired to work as a journalist and am really lucky to have been given the opportunity to do so at The South Eastern Times,” she said.
“I remember when I was younger my nanna Margaret Gordon – who sadly is not with us anymore – would save copies of The South Eastern Times for me to read with her each week.
“Unfortunately, she passed away before I was employed by the company so she never had the opportunity to read my stories, but I know how proud she would be.”
She added that mental health was a topic, which for her hits close to home.
“It is important we continue to talk openly about it to raise awareness, reduce the stigma and break the silence, especially in rural communities,” she said.
“I am grateful of the community members who shared their stories with me and feel extremely honoured they trusted in me to do so.
“They say if you love your job you never have to work a day in your life and I definitely love what I do.
“Thanks so much to my family, friends, work colleagues and the Limestone Coast community for their ongoing support – it means everything to me.
“It is the third consecutive year a reporter from The Border Watch newsgroup has secured this honour.
Todd Lewis was the 2017 winner and Jocelyn Nickels won the prize a year ago.
