ABC winners and finalists honoured at NSW Kennedy Awards
ABC journalists and teams were honoured with major awards at the 2022 NSW Kennedy Awards, for regional broadcast journalism, radio journalism, portrait photography, nightly and long-form TV current affairs, court and legal affairs reporting and investigative reporting.
A joint team entry from ABC journalists on the north coast won for the ABC’s coverage of the extreme weather and floods that devastated northern NSW this year.
ABC Chief Photographer Brendan Esposito won the Outstanding Portrait Photography prize for his moving images of refugees fleeing Ukraine.
Two Four Corners reports were awarded: “Ghosts of Timor”, reported by Mark Willacy, which revealed allegations of misconduct during Australia’s 1999 East Timor intervention; and “Cosmetic Cowboys”, reported by Adele Ferguson, which exposed alarming practices in the cosmetic industry.
Other winning stories included 7.30‘s coverage of the the housing crisis by Ella Archibald-Binge and of the controversies surrounding former NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian, led by Paul Farrell and Alex McDonald.
Sally Sara and Victoria Pengilley received another award for their radio coverage of the fall of Kabul to the Taliban for RN Breakfast and The World Today.
Chris Reason, Bruce McAvaney and 7NEWS Spotlight honoured for journalism excellence
The Seven Network’s 7NEWS has been recognised for excellence in journalism, blitzing the top TV gongs at the 2022 Kennedy Awards in Sydney on Friday night.
7NEWS Chief Reporter Chris Reason was recognised for his extraordinary reportage from the war zone, for his entry entitled “Frontline Ukraine”, dedicating his Harry Potter Award: Outstanding Television News Reporting to the people of the besieged country.
‘Reaso’, who was also one of only three finalists in the prestigious Journalist Of The Year award, said: “the TV journalist is the front face of a truly team effort, including the extraordinary work of my cameramen, producers and especially the local team on the ground in Ukraine. The hardest part of this assignment was having to farewell them. I pay tribute to them and the incredible resilience of the people of Ukraine.”
Seven’s Director of News and Public Affairs, Craig McPherson said: “Chris took the audience into the heart of the Ukraine crisis, masterly capturing the human tension and toll while saturating his nightly reports with up-to-the minute war status.
“Chris put himself in the middle of the war zone with the people of the Ukraine, giving our viewers a complete understanding while capturing the ‘feeling’ of what was occurring. All this complemented with extensive live reporting across all hours of the day and night. It is a fitting award for journalistic excellence.”
Hard on the heels of his masterful commentary of track and field for Seven’s broadcast of the Birmingham Commonwealth Games, 7SPORT icon Bruce McAvaney was inducted into the Lifetime Achievement Hall of Fame, accepting the honour via video message after it was presented by leading horse trainer, Gai Waterhouse.
A humbled Mr McAvaney said: “Looking back at who’s stood where I am tonight, I know I am in very good company. I am struck, not just by the big names, but the diversity of talent.”
7NEWS Spotlight also took out the Rebecca Wilson Scoop of the Year prize for its insightful and compelling storytelling in “Melissa Caddick: The Vanishing”.
Executive Producer Mark Llewellyn, Presenter Michael Usher, Producer Taylor Auerbach and Camera Operator John Varga toasted the program’s first-ever win.
Mr Llewellyn said: “We may be the new kid on the block. We may not have the vast resources of the established players. But, as they say, it’s not the size of the dog in the fight that counts, it’s the size of the fight in the dog – and my small team fought tirelessly to get this huge scoop. I’m so proud.”
Continuing the network’s success, 7NEWS camera operator James Cannon won the Gary Ticehurst Award for Outstanding News Camera Coverage for his frontline footage during 2022 invasion of Ukraine and Russian retreat from Irpin.
Mr McPherson said: “Jimmy has worked through war zones from Syria, Iraq and now, his longest stint on the front line, in Ukraine, His pictures and technical ability to get the product out of the most grim locations is to world standard.
“Multi-talented, Jimmy has an eye for recording standout scenes and then editing them for broadcast on location wherever is required. In the Ukraine, all his skills came together, and his work rightfully acknowledged with this award’.”
Fellow 7NEWS camo Simon Hydzik was also nominated in the same category for his entry, “War in Ukraine”, which was recently nominated for a TV Week Logie Award.
Seven took home its four awards from seven nominations, which also recognised Glenn Connley from Prime7 Local News (now 7NEWS), nominated for the Cliff Neville Award for Outstanding Team Player Or Mentor.
In a brand-new category recognising outstanding long form current affairs – and named in memory of former Seven Chief Executive David Leckie – Denham Hitchcock, Mr Auerbach and Mr Llewellyn from 7NEWS Spotlight were again nominated for their exclusive with NT police officer Zac Rolfe over two episodes, “The Shooting” and “The Trial”.
The Kennedy Awards are named in honour of veteran police reporter Les Kennedy, who died in 2011 at the age of 53.
Andrew Laming defamation proceedings and independent review
The Walkley Foundation notes that in Federal Court of Australia defamation proceedings commenced by Dr Andrew Laming against the Nine Network, Nine issued the following apology to Dr Laming:
On 27 March 2021, Nine News Queensland broadcast a report about Dr Laming who was at the time a member of federal parliament. Serious allegations were made about Dr Laming in that report and he sued Nine because of it. Nine News has now seen material which indicates that the photograph Dr Laming took was not lewd in nature. Nine News unreservedly withdraws those allegations about Dr Laming and apologises to him and his family for the hurt and harm caused by the report.
The proceedings have otherwise settled on confidential terms.
The Walkley Foundation Directors have resolved to commission an independent review of the awarding of the 2022 Walkley Award for Television/Video News Reporting to Peter Fegan and Rebeka Powell.
The Walkley Foundation has given awards to recognise Australian journalism since 1956, and regularly reviews its processes. The review of this particular award will be conducted by individuals with no connection to the work under examination.
Women in Media is delighted to announce that the winner of the Caroline Jones Women in Media Young Journalist’s Award for 2022 is Samantha Jonscher.
Samantha is the lead reporter for the ABC in Alice Springs and has also spent time reporting for ABC in Darwin.
She is the sixth recipient of the award since its inception in 2017.
Runner-up is Briana Fiore from ABC’s Great Southern region in Western Australia.
Samantha impressed the judges this year with a multi-platform selection of stories covering domestic violence, Indigenous femicide, and water rights. Her stories were of national significance and showed a deep commitment to elevating the voices of First Nations people while telling their stories with compassion.
Samantha is also a keen visual journalist, overlaying her reportage with powerful images that enhance its value and impact.
Her stories have come about only after years of dedicated work to establish trust with Indigenous communities, made more challenging when communities have a legacy of colonisation and suspicion of media.
This year, Samantha was awarded The Walkley Foundation’s Our Watch Fellowship.
She was last year’s runner up in the Caroline Jones Award for another series of excellent articles on Indigenous affairs, which Caroline described at the time as being “powerful and impeccably objective” and prepared with the utmost “cultural sensitivity”.
Caroline tragically passed away in May, having taken enormous joy in her involvement with the award and its recipients each year.
Judges, including Women in Media Patron Victoria Laurie, former Women in Media national co-chair Cath Webber and Women in Media Canberra Convenor Emma Macdonald, praised Samantha for her dedication to the Indigenous communities she writes about and for producing highly principled journalism.
Ms Laurie said Samantha displayed “a deep understanding and empathy in reporting Indigenous stories in a way that gives the subjects power over their own story”.
The award is supported by the National Press Club and seeks to shine a light on outstanding reportage by female journalists working across our regions.
It is named in honour of Caroline Jones AO, a ground-breaking journalist who joined the ABC in 1963 and became the first female reporter for This Day Tonight. She reported for Four Corners between 1972-1981 before presenting Radio National’s Search for Meaning program. In 1996, she became the presenter of Australian Story.
Samantha has won a $2500 personal development grant and the opportunity to spend a week in Canberra being mentored by Women in Media members working in the Press Gallery and national capital media outlets.
The winners of the 2022 Queensland Clarion Awards were announced at a gala event in Brisbane on Saturday, October 8.
The ABC Four Corners team of Anne Connolly, Ali Russell and Stephanie Zillman were jointly awarded the Journalist of the Year award for their report, ‘State Control’.
Judges acknowledged the work was rewarded not only for shining a light on the exploitation of vulnerable Queenslanders who placed their trust in a public institution, but also for the complexity and degree of difficulty in bringing the story to air.
People under the control of the Public Trustee are gagged from speaking out. Journalists who identify them can be criminally charged. The ABC had to go to the Supreme Courts in Queensland and Western Australia to win the right to show the public for the first time how tens of thousands of Australians live under state control.
The report was the culmination of a year-long investigation which resulted in a public apology from the Queensland state government and instigated two inquiries.
The award for Most Outstanding Contribution to Journalism was given to sports journalist and presenter, Pat Welsh from the Seven Network. Recognised for more than 47 years in the industry, Pat has covered numerous Olympics and Commonwealth Games, rugby to racing, the Golf Majors and every other type of sport in between. Pat’s trackside interviews are legendary with the likes of Cathy Freeman and Sally Pearson, just after they won Olympic gold. Pat also got the first interview with Allan Border after he announced his retirement.
Throughout Pat’s media career he has donated his time to helping many charities and mentored many young reporters. After a long and dedicated career, Pat is retiring at the end of the year.
The Queensland Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance Committee congratulates all of the 2022 finalists and winners. Read on to see the complete list of award winners.
The Clarion Awards recognise creative and courageous acts of journalism that seek out the truth and give new insight to an issue. The awards seek to recognise excellence, independence, innovation, and originality in storytelling and distinctive reporting.
Rural Journalismsupported by the Judith Neilson Institute
Nathan Morris, Baz Ruddick and Jeremy Story Carter, ABC, “Boom, Bust and Mistrust”
Health & Science Reportingsupported by MEAA
Emily Sakzewski, Georgina Piper, Colin Gourlay and Matt Liddy, ABC News, “This is what long COVID feels like”
Business Journalismsupported by O’Brien Accountants
Andrew Potts, Gold Coast Bulletin, “Fall of the House of Condev”
Commentary, Analysis, Opinion & Critiquesupported by the Judith Neilson Institute
Cameron Atfield, Brisbane Times, “Body of Work”
Sports Journalismsupported by QSport
Zach Hope, Brisbane Times, “The Top End’s bold bid for an AFL club”
Multicultural Reportingsupported by MEAA
Stefan Armbruster, SBS, “Citizenship, an asylum boat tragedy and children in detention”
Social Issues Reportingsupported by Independent Education Union
Ben Smee, Guardian Australia, “Crisis at Citipointe”
Indigenous Issues Reportingsupported by Queensland Council of Unions
Michael Atkin, ABC, “A First Nations Family’s Desperate Plea for Answers – What Happened to Ms Bernard?”
Broadcast Interviewsupported by Queensland Police Union
Seven News Team,Seven Network, “Beach Rescue”
Innovationsupported by Telstra
Colin Gourlay, Georgina Piper, Tim Leslie, Cristen Tilley and Matt Liddy, ABC News, “The Australian Election map has been lying to you”
Three Headingssupported by Ten News First
Baz McAlister, The Courier-Mail & Sunday Mail
New Journalist of the Yearsupported byMEAA
Ellie Grounds, ABC, “Body of Work – ABC Western Queensland and triple j Hack”
Print/Text categories
Print/Text News Reportsupported by Nine News
Jessica Marszalek, The Courier-Mail/Sunday Mail, “Integrity in the Palaszczuk Government”
Print/Text Feature Articlesupported byLocal Government Association of Queensland
Leisa Scott, QWeekend, The Courier-Mail, “Alyssa’s Story”
Radio/Audio categories
Radio News Current Affairssupported by MEAA
Rachel Riga and Kate McKenna, ABC News, “K’gari (Fraser Island) bushfire RTI”
Radio Documentary and podcastsupported by Media Super
Hedley Thomas, Isaac Irons, David Murray, Slade Gibson and Lydia Lynch, The Australian, “Shandee’s Story”
Photography categories
Best Metropolitan News Photographsupported byMEAA
Lachie Millard, The Courier Mail, “Memphis Comes Home”
Photographic Essaysupported by MEAA
Brian Cassey, freelance photojournalist, (for The Australian), “Covid Vax & Ice Cream”
Television/Audio Visual categories
TV News Reportsupported by MEAA
Seven News Team, “Flood Disaster”
TV Current Affairs, Feature, Documentary or Special Broadcastsupported by Queensland Police Union
Anne Connolly, Ali Russell and Stephanie Zillman, Four Corners, ABC, “State Control”
The John Bean Memorial Award for Television Cameraworksupported by ABC
Michael Lloyd, ABC, “Fighting for Equality”
Regional and Community categories
Regional And Community Feature Article or Opinion Piecesupported by Serafino Wines
Harry Clarke, Country Caller, “Territory tale of trauma, tragedy, hope and adventure”
Regional And Community News Report – Print/Textsupported by the Judith Neilson Institute
Shayla Bulloch, Townsville Bulletin, “Uncovering the North Queensland child safety system”
Regional and Community – Broadcast Reportsupported by MEAA
Nathan Morris, Baz Ruddick and Jeremy Story Carter, ABC, “Boom, Bust and Mistrust”
Regional and Community – News Photographsupported by Seven News
Caitlan Charles, Townsville Bulletin, “Blackened and Bruised”
Major Awards
Investigative Journalismsupported by Brisbane Airport Corporation
Anne Connolly, Ali Russell and Stephanie Zillman, Four Corners, ABC, “State Control”
2022 Journalist of the Yearsupported by MEAA
Anne Connolly, Ali Russell and Stephanie Zillman, Four Corners, ABC, “State Control”
The ABC has been recognised for its coverage of issues in Queensland, receiving awards in 11 of 27 categories at the 2022 Clarion Awards ceremony.
Anne Connolly, Ali Russell and Stephanie Zillman from Four Corners won three categories, including the two major awards — Journalist of the Year and Investigative Journalism — for their work State Control.
The story exposed the hidden ordeal of people living under Public Trustee orders, prompting an apology from the Queensland government and two inquiries.
The Walkley Foundation is delighted to announce the finalists for the 67th annual Walkley Awards for Excellence in Journalism.
The Walkley Awards, Australia’s pre-eminent national journalism awards, recognise and reward the best in the craft and set the industry standard for excellence.
Shona Martyn, CEO of the Walkley Foundation, said: “Our hearty congratulations to this impressive array of finalists who have risen to the top in hotly-contested categories in a big year for news and current affairs. This is work that makes a difference, that creates change, holds the powerful to account and holds a mirror up to our nation and its culture and our world. The 2022 finalists exemplify the best of Australian journalism from writers, photographers, cartoonists, production teams and documentary makers. We look forward to celebrating the winners in Sydney on November 17.”
Finalists are selected by panels of peers on the basis of overall merit and journalistic excellence. The Walkley Foundation encourages a diversity of entries from journalists around Australia. This year we received 1304 entries.
The Walkley Foundation has a mechanism for dealing with any conflict of interest, actual or perceived, that may arise during the judging process. The guidelines are based on the principle that all actual conflicts of interest are to be avoided and that even a perceived conflict may be damaging to all parties. You can read more about the conflict guidelines here.
All Walkley Award winners will be announced at a gala dinner at the ICC in Sydney on Thursday November 17 .
The winners of the Nikon Photography Prizes are announced below, along with the list of finalists for all the Walkley Awards.
The ABC has all of the finalists in two categories, for Coverage of Community and Regional Affairs and Radio/Audio News and Current Affairs.
In seven others it has two of the three finalists : Public Service Journalism, Innovation, Coverage of Indigenous Affairs, Sports Journalism, TV/Video Camerawork and Short and Long TV/Video Current Affairs.
Our other finalists are in the categories of Investigative Journalism, Press Photographer of the Year, Production, Radio/Audio Feature and TV/Video News Reporting and in the Walkley Documentary Award.
Anne Connolly, Stephanie Zillman and Ali Russell are in the running for two awards for the Four Corners story “State Control”. Last week they were jointly named Queensland Journalist of the Year for the reporting. The year-long investigation into Public Guardian and Trustee agencies, which currently control the lives of around 50,000 Australians, led to a public apology from the Queensland State Government and has triggered two inquiries.
The winners of the 2022 WA Media Awards were announced on Saturday, November 12, in Perth.
The West Australian journalist, Daryna Zadvirna won the prestigious 2022 West Australian Journalist of the Year—The Daily News Centenary Prize for her coverage of the war in Ukraine.
The 26-year-old had been a print journalist for less than three years before she took personal leave, bought a camera and independently travelled to Ukraine to tell and show the stories of the Russian invasion of her homeland. Daryna had no itinerary, no guide and no cameraman and relied on a network of family and friends as she traversed the country filming the devastation and speaking to the people on the ground impacted by the war.
With no prior camera experience she returned after five weeks, with 17 hours of footage and interviews, which resulted in the documentary, “My Ukraine: Inside the warzone”, which won the Video Feature category, produced by Natalie Bonjolo, Daryna and The West Australian team.
Daryna also won the Feature Photograph/Photographic Essay category for her “My Ukraine: Inside the Warzone”, Sunday Times Magazine, The West Australian piece, and was part of the team who took out the Multimedia Feature prize for The West Australian video series, “Foul Play – The Tiny Pinder Story”.
In awarding Daryna the top prize, the judges said: “Displaying tremendous personal courage and commitment to her craft, Daryna Zadvirna created the absolute stand-out piece of journalism of the year.
“Her stunning footage and wealth of interviews with everyday Ukrainians combined to build an intensely personal account of the suffering the war has brought to the country of her birth – and the determination of its people to prevail in the face of overwhelming odds.
“The judges were impressed with the sensitivity with which she handled her subject matter and her superb story-telling that wove a compelling narrative.
“The result was an emotionally powerful portrait of the horrors of the invasion.”
Mark Duffield was awarded The Clarion Award for Outstanding Contribution. Mark began his career in 1982 when he joined The South Western Times before moving to The West Australian in 1984. For close to four decades, he has been the much loved Chief Football Writer for The West Australian. However, this year, Mark announced a new chapter, leaving to join the Sports Entertainment Network (SEN) to take up a new role, hosting his own morning program.
MEAA WA President for Media, Kate Ferguson said: “Congratulations to the winners and finalists this evening. Despite the ongoing challenges facing the media industry, the engagement with the awards continues to grow year on year. We should be proud of the quality and range of work produced from Western Australia. It continues to be among the best in the country”.
The WA Media Awards are the pre-eminent state-based awards promoting excellence in the media. The annual awards celebrate quality journalism, and reward a media professional whose commitment to excellence in media coverage best informs and entertains West Australians.
According to The Australian, a review into the legitimacy of a Walkley Award given to Nine’s Peter Fegan and Rebeca Powell for a news report that was subsequently discredited has been completed, but the findings are unlikely to be released before the awards foundation holds its annual gala event in Sydney this Thursday night. Fegan and Powell won the television/video news reporting category in the 2021 Walkleys for their entry titled, “The Investigation of Andrew Laming” in relation to the then Federal MP’s alleged misconduct.
Simon Firth , The Australian , “Hits & Mrs: It’s an Oscars like no other”; “Packer’s Act 3: Easy lies the head that no longer wears Crown”; “Pharma wants a knife: cashed up Mayne keen to cut some deals”
The quality, integrity and diversity of Nine’s journalism across The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, and 60 Minutes was recognised at the 67th Walkley Awards for Excellence in Journalism on Thursday night.
Nick McKenzie and Joel Tozer took home two awards; the first in the Print/Text News Report category with Aisha Dow for their report in The Age, ‘Triple-zero crisis’, and again in the Business Journalism category for their explosive and wide-reaching Nine and 60 Minutes investigation, ‘Star and the gambling industry’s reckoning’.
Adele Ferguson, Klaus Toft and Lauren Day won in the Television/Video Current Affairs Long (more than 20 minutes) category for their outstanding investigation into the unregulated world of cosmetic surgery, which ran across The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and Four Corners*,* while Mark Stehle, Mags King and The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald team took home the gong for their incredible coverage of the journey through Ukraine.
Finally, fellow Herald photographer Kate Geraghty was awarded the prize for Feature/Photographic Essay for her gripping coverage of the ‘Invasion of Ukraine – Civilian Impact’.
National Editor of The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, David King, said: “Congratulations to all our Walkley Award winners and also to all those who were finalists. Our success at these awards demonstrates the deep commitment in our newsrooms to deliver high-quality public-interest journalism. It’s the kind of journalism that really makes a difference, and matters to our readers.”
