Winners of the Mindframe for Journalism Education 2023 Ossie Awards announced
Congratulations to the winners of this year’s Mindframe for Journalism Education Ossie Awards, Suhayla Sharif and Freddie Moffat, presented last night at the Journalism Education and Research Association of Australia (JERAA) Conference.
The awards program recognises the best work of student journalists in Australia. Each year, two prizes are presented under the Mindframe program categories (sponsored by Everymind) for safe and responsible mental health and suicide prevention reporting.
Freddie Moffat (RMIT University) and Suhayla Sharif (UTS) are the winners of the 2023 Mindframe undergraduate and postgraduate student prizes respectively.
In praising Freddie Moffat’s 11 minute video Student Burnout, Everymind’s judges said the work was “a highly personable and engaging video targeting youth” which “adeptly intertwines how factors like indexation, work-study balance, university debt, and economic stressors impact student burnout”.
“[Moffat] highlights signs to look out for and his experts suggest simple solutions, emphasising support networks and self-care”, judges wrote. “The conclusion is encouraging, and he’s also included links to university supports.”
Suhayla Sharif’s extended interview-based article Vanshika Virmani: battling the invisible beast within, was meanwhile found by judges to have sensitively captured author Vanshika Virmani’s lived experience of anorexia nervosa
by “taking the reader on a journey through diagnosis, resilience building and recovery”.
“While help-seeking information would improve the piece, it proposes hope and improved understanding of anorexia to other South Asian Australians,” judges concluded. “It beautifully reflects the author’s living experience.”
In addition to the two winners, Eliza Marlow (Griffith University) was awarded highly commended honours for her work on the topic of disordered eating which judges found to be a “well-researched report” that navigates eating disorders “with responsibility and sensitivity, promoting community awareness and help-seeking”.
“Through various perspectives, Marlow explores challenges, societal influences, and parental roles before proposing changes in health policies and education systems,” judges concluded.
Everymind Program Manager, Mel Benson, congratulated the winners for demonstrating the power of safe and sensitive stories that show people can get through a difficult time or access support when they need it.
“We know that media can contribute to reducing suicide rates as well as both the prevalence and impact of mental health concerns in Australia when these issues are reported on safely,” she said.
“It was great to see so many entries from journalism students who have made prevention a focus for their work. On behalf of Everymind, I congratulate Freddie and Suhayla for their brilliant work and wish them all the best in their future careers.”
To learn more information about the Ossie Awards, and for the full details of the 2023 winners, visit the JERAA website.