Shepparton News finalists recognised

The awards recognise the best journalism and photography produced across rural and regional Victoria during 2025 and 2026.

Former News editor Christine Anderson said it was a fantastic achievement for Bree and Rechelle and a wonderful recognition of the quality of work they produced for the News and the community.

“Bree’s ability to find and tell compelling stories, from breaking news to deeply personal human-interest pieces, has made her an important part of our newsroom,” she said.

“Rechelle’s talent for capturing the people, moments and events that tell the story of our community is equally deserving of recognition.

“As our photographer, she covers everything from breaking news and sport to community events and portraits, often at a moment’s notice.

“To have two members of the team shortlisted among the best journalists and photographers in regional Victoria is something we should all be incredibly proud of.”

Bree, whose love of writing started in primary school, now enjoys writing human-interest stories and gets excited when all the background and interview work is done and she can sit down and get stuck into crafting a story.

But she said there was also nothing quite like the excitement of being the first to break news or getting an exclusive story, and being recognised by the awards really meant a lot.

“Those things always come out of the blue and smack you right in the face,” Bree said.

“You could have 100 readers praise a story, but that one reader who criticises it can occasionally make you doubt your skill.

“Being recognised by industry leaders and peers is next level.

“It restores your confidence in your ability and does wonders for imposter syndrome, particularly when you’re not a conventionally trained journalist.”

Rechelle has been interested in photography since she was just three years old.

She said working within a regional community gave her a strong sense of belonging, and it was something she took enormous pride in.

“I am regularly invited into the lives, homes and important moments of people who are often strangers to me,” Rechelle said.

“They trust me to capture the visual side of their stories, whether they are celebrating an achievement, facing hardship or trying to create change within the community.

“Being named among the top five finalists for Photographer of the Year is incredibly meaningful because it recognises an entire body of work rather than one isolated photograph.

“It reflects the different stories, people and situations I have photographed throughout the year, as well as the work that happens behind the scenes.”

The winners will be announced at the Rural Press Club of Victoria’s awards night at Melbourne Town Hall on Friday, September 4.

The pair said if they won, they would celebrate with the people who had supported and encouraged them throughout their careers, including family, friends, colleagues and readers.

“No single award can ever really be achieved by a person without a team around them,” Bree said.

“A story exists not only because I wrote it, but because a publication employed me to write it, people agreed to be interviewed by me, readers took the time to read it and my team supported me throughout it all.

“I’ll also be updating my biographies and resume, of course.”

Rechelle added that she would probably be shocked, and there could be quite a few tears.

“Winning would be an incredible honour, but it would also motivate me to keep learning, improving and producing work that represents regional people and their stories as strongly as possible,” Rechelle said.