“We are under increasing waves of suppression orders, and we find it incredibly difficult to write stories that people deserve to know,” says the 2019 Gold Walkley winner.
Winner of 2019 Gold Walkley
Anthony Dowsley and Patrick Carlyon, Herald Sun, “Lawyer X Informer Scandal”
“Lawyer X Informer Scandal”, the 2019 Gold Walkley winning story by Anthony Dowsley and Patrick Carlyon, is a powerhouse piece of investigative journalism with far-reaching impact on the police, the judiciary and politics. A deep and sustained investigation, years in the making, it was courageous and risky. The Herald Sun produced the definitive explanation of a scandal that recast Melbourne’s gangland wars: how lawyer Nicola Gobbo was recruited by Victoria Police to inform on clients.
Their exclusive reports exposed an unprecedented legal scandal that triggered an inquiry and continues…
An interview with the 2019 Nikon-Walkley Portrait Prize-winner. “I liked the scope that the camera offered in terms of acting as a tool to document people.”
Winner of the 2019 Nikon-Walkley Portrait Prize
Justin McManus, The Sunday Age, “Landon and Joey”
The judges praised the softness and fragility of Justin McManus’ portrait of Yindjibarndi man Landon Punch with a joey. The portrait is part of a series, in which McManus has photographed Aboriginal families and community members who have lost loved ones while in police custody.
McManus made this portrait of Landon in the remote Western Australian town of Roebourne, on assignment with reporter Miki Perkins. Thirty-six years later, the community is still feeling the fallout from the death of teenager John Pat, which was instrumental in the Australian Government setting up the…
Get to know the Edith Cowan University students who will be bringing you all the news from our journalism festival in Perth.
With our journalism festival “Shining A Light On The Truth” kicking off in Perth on November 2, we’re giving a handful of student reporters the run of the event. We encourage them to pester attendees, let their festival curiosity run wild and pitch story ideas.
The work they do is a central part of how we communicate what’s happening at the festival to the outside world, so our standards are high! And, consistently, we’ve found they rise to the challenge.
We’re delighted to have Edith Cowan University backing the Shining A Light Newsroom, with three bright young reporters. …
The 2019 Student Journalist of the Year on finding reporting so fun she “accidentally on purpose forgot to apply for Law”.
Winner of the Student Journalist of the Year category at the 2019 Walkley Young Australian Journalist Awards.
Matilda Boseley, Monash University, The Age and Mojo News, “‘I had no way of getting home’: Calls for changes to liquor laws,” “Grey Area: Let’s Talk About Rape” and “ZOE — Vegans Invade a Melbourne Slaughterhouse”
A strong body of work of three stories in different platforms saw Monash University student Matilda Boseley take out the 2019 Student Journalist of the Year Award.
The judges said: “Matilda Boseley demonstrates strong research, interviewing and writing skills in a body of work that exemplifies what makes student journalism powerful — young people investigating the issues they know affect their peers.”
We caught…
“We take the side of the people we’re interviewing. We want to stand in their shoes,” says the You Can’t Ask That series producer and 2019 Media Diversity Australia Award winner.
Media Diversity Australia Award
Aaron Smith, Kirk Docker, Loni Cooper, Pauline Ernesto and Josh Schmidt, ABC and ABC iview, “You Can’t Ask That — Deaf, African Australians and Intersex”
In the very first year of the Media Diversity Australia Award, the judges had lots of great entries to choose from. They decided to award the inaugural award to the team from ABC’s You Can’t Ask That, describing it as a show that “puts diverse Australians in the hot seat, fielding hard questions that speak to broadly held attitudes of prejudice and discrimination.
“What results is a program that confronts both prejudice and discrimination in…
“I’m proud of the incredible people, mostly women, who had their voices heard because of these stories,” says the 2019 Young Journo winner for Shortform Journalism.
Winner of the Shortform Journalism category at the 2019 Walkley Young Australian Journalist of the Year Awards.
Isabella Higgins, ABC News 7pm bulletin, ABC TV and ABC Online, “Life in the grips of a suicide crisis” “Strength in the suicide community” and “The fight of our lives”
ABC News’ national Indigenous affairs correspondent, Isabella Higgins, took out the Shortform Journalism category at the Walkley Young Australian Journalist of the Year Awards with a body of work that showed the strength and stresses of the communities she covers.
The judges said: “Isabella is the unanimous choice for Young Journalist of the Year, Shortform. The gripping series of work features powerful interviews, clearly secured with determination and conducted with…
“Journalism isn’t just about journalists. It’s about the communities we work in,” says the 2019 Young Journo winner for Community/Regional journalism.
Winner of the Coverage of Community and Regional Affairs category at the 2019 Walkley Young Australian Journalist of the Year Awards.
Henry Zwartz, ABC News Regional, “‘This is Tasmania’s Ballarat’: Abuse survivors speak out”
Henry Zwartz won this year’s Young Australian Journalist of the Year Award for best Coverage of Community and Regional Affairs. His investigation uncovered the true extent of abuse at Marist Regional College from the 1960s to the 1980s.
The judges said: “The groundwork involved in bringing these stories to the community of Burnie spanned across the country; it was an extensive and emotional task. In the face of legal challenges and tight lipped officials, Henry was dedicated to building trust and finding the truth. …
“Within about four months of the story Rockpool paid back their workers $1.6million for one year’s underpayment,” says the 2019 Industrial Relations Reporting Award-winner.
Industrial Relations Reporting Award
Ben Schneiders and Royce Millar, The Age, “SourDough: Australia’s High-End Restaurant Scandal”
Presented in commemoration of journalists Helen O’Flynn and Alan Knight, the Industrial Relations Reporting Award is an all media award for outstanding journalism that captures the complexities and the importance of a robust industrial relations ecosystem for Australian workers and businesses.
The judges said that Ben and Royce’s series of stories “demonstrated deep investigation and showcased months of work exposing new and specific revelations based on whistleblowers, hard work and persistent inquiries and compelling documentary evidence.
“It exposed a widespread scandal of systematically exploiting workers in Australia’s high-end…
“I’m always looking for the silver lining, for someone who’s fighting against a problem in an interesting, innovative way,” says the 2019 Freelance Journalist of the Year.
2019 Freelance Journalist of the Year
Yaara Bou Melhem, Witness, Al Jazeera English and Foreign Correspondent, ABC, “Maria Ressa: War on Truth” and “The Oasis”
This year Yaara Bou Melhem became the first person to win our Freelance Journalist of the Year award twice, having previously taken out the title in 2016. The judges applauded Yaara’s courage, bravery and sensitivity:
“Both of the films Yaara Bou Melhem submitted offer optimistic perspectives on issues that usually leave audiences in despair. The journalist intimately and sensitively captures the struggle of women in oppressive situations. …
“Being able to reflect on the good, important and often hard work people did was really rewarding,” says the 2019 Arts Journalism Prize winner.
All media: Arts Journalism Prize
Jane Howard, ABC, “How Australian theatre rebalanced its gender disparity”
Jane Howard’s longform essay traces the last ten years at Australia’s eight best-funded theatre companies, members of the Major Performing Arts Group, from an industry where 24% of lead artists were women, to an industry which has reached gender parity.
The judges said: “There has been no more pressing issue in Australian theatre in the past decade than the participation of women in key roles, particularly those of playwright and director. Jane Howard’s meticulous research on gender imbalance powerfully illustrates the depth of the problem and the genuine advances made.”
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Clare Fletcher
Editor, The Walkley Magazine
