John Campbell plus a lot of beer come to Wintec Press Club

 John Campbell is guest speaker at the next Wintec Press Club free lunch extravaganza – which also features a book launch, cash prizes, and giveaways of genuine Waikato beer.

Campbell will address an invite-only audience of 100 at the Press Club event, held on Friday, November 15, in Hamilton.

Wintec editor in residence Steve Braunias  said, “I’m thrilled that John has agreed  to speak at the press club.

“Campbell Live has enjoyed a remarkable year with its commitment to a kind of advocacy journalism – stories which actually do something for people, represent their interests, and stick up for them.

“John has been at the forefront of these campaigns. As well, his brilliant interviewing has stood as a rare, welcome sign of intelligent life in a media landscape populated by the dunderheads of 7 Sharp and creatures such as Whaleoil.

“He’s also a very nice fellow. We’re honoured to host a quality journalist and a gentleman.”

Campbell will speak for about 30 minutes at the luncheon, followed by a Q + A session.

Wintec Press Club meets for three lunches each year. They are held on behalf of Wintec’s School of Media Arts journalism students, who rub shoulders alongside invited guests such as TV presenters, political leaders, entertainers, sports stars, criminal lawyers, entrepreneurs and other achievers from the Waikato, Auckland, Wellington and elsewhere.

Past speakers include Michael Laws, actress Robyn Malcolm, the late Sir Paul Holmes, the late defence lawyer Greg King, Winston Peters, and foreign correspondent Jon Stephenson.

A lavish history of the press club, which is about to celebrate its tenth year, will be launched at the November 15 event.  The book features 20 profiles of past speakers and guests, who have been interviewed by Wintec journalism students.

As well, Braunias will present a cash prize of $500 to the winner of the inaugural Wintec Press Club Best Sentence of the Year Award. The prize goes to the journalism student who has written the most outstanding sentence during 2013.

And Hamilton beer establishment Good George will supply “growlers” of its award-winning craft beer to the winners of several other prizes. The Wintec Press Club Best Friend of the Year is awarded to the person outside of Wintec who has provided the most outstanding support for journalism students, and the Wintec Press Club Journalist of the Year Award is open to all reporters in New Zealand.

Braunias works as a staff writer at Metro magazine, and commutes to Hamilton one day a week during term in his role as editor in residence at Wintec.

“We’re seeing out the year in style,” says Braunias. “We plan to drink and be merry, and perhaps eat. It’s about time drinking was re-established as a crucial part of journalism.”

The 12-2pm lunch will be held at the Ferrybank restaurant and convention centre in Grantham St, on the banks of the Waikato River in downtown Hamilton.