Congratulations to the ABC’s finalists and winners at the 29th Melbourne Press Club Quill Awards for Excellence in Journalism.
ABC teams and journalists won six awards, for best breaking news or live coverage, innovation in journalism, radio news, regional and rural journalism, sports feature and TV camera work (creative).
The ABC’s work was also highly commended in 10 categories: innovation in journalism, radio news, regional and rural journalism, TV camera work (creative), coverage of women in sport, excellence in Indigenous affairs reporting, multicultural affairs and media, radio current affairs, scoop of the year and tv/video feature.
Stephanie March was a finalist for the Graham Perkin Award for Australian Journalist of the Year for her coverage of global affairs, including reporting four Foreign Correspondent episodes from the Philippines, Somalia, Iraq and Israel.
The awarded stories included breaking news on Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews’ resignation, an innovative mixed media piece on the evolution of sneakers from functional kicks to high-value commodities, an expose on a radiation leak at a major Melbourne hospital, an investigation into water theft and its local and national implications, a look into the role local football plays in a complicated social and economic landscape, and a 7.30 story about award-winning poet Andy Jackson.
The full list of ABC finalists:
GRAHAM PERKIN JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR
Stephanie March, Foreign Correspondent
‘Philippines: Saving the Children’
‘Somalia: A Story of Survival’
BEST BREAKING NEWS OR LIVE COVERAGE – WINNER
ABC News Victoria, ‘Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews Resigns’
Judges’ citation:
When Dan Andrews surprised Victoria by quitting as Premier after nine years, Richard Willingham broke the news and the ABC quickly harnessed its considerable resources to cover this big story. The ABC News team delivered a comprehensive rolling package of reports. Their content had detail, authority and context and reached a large audience across the ABC’s multi platforms.
COVERAGE OF WOMEN IN SPORT
Elias Clure, ABC News, ‘First woman athlete to be diagnosed with CTE’ – HIGHLY COMMENDED
Richelle Hunt, ABC Radio Melbourne, ‘Taking the taboo out of periods and sport’
EXCELLENCE IN INDIGENOUS AFFAIRS REPORTING
Joseph Dunstan, ABC News, ‘A life without Veronica’ and ‘Victoria’s treaty journey’ – HIGHLY COMMENDED
INNOVATION IN JOURNALISM
Kai Feng, Jarrod Fankhauser, Olivia Ralph and Steven Viney, ABC News, ‘Instant credibility’ – WINNER
Judges’ citation:
In a year of strong entries, this is a story that stands out in showing courage to innovate through an investment of time and resources to tell a story that is off the beaten track in its subject matter and delivery. By disregarding the usual style and palette guides of their newsroom, the journalists and producers involved showed their understanding of the need to meet their audiences halfway when telling a story about a subculture. The use of the scrollytelling format and mixed media is polished and effective, and the publication of the story in three languages is a good addition since this is a story with local and global relevance.
Pat McGrath, Mark Doman, Alex Palmer, Katia Shatoba, Thomas Brettell and Inga Ting, ABC News, ‘Selling the green dream’ – HIGHLY COMMENDED
MULTICULTURAL AFFAIRS AND MEDIA
Casey Briggs and Ahmed Yussuf, ABC News, ‘African and Middle Eastern communities over-represented in COVID-19 fines in Victoria’ – HIGHLY COMMENDED
RADIO CURRENT AFFAIRS
Raf Epstein, Erin Mathews, Julian Virgona and Nial Hosken, ABC Radio Melbourne Mornings, ‘Civilians share stories from inside Gaza and Israel’
Oliver Gordon, AM – ABC Radio, ‘Desperate son Gurkan searches for mother in rubble of Turkish earthquake’
Richard Willingham, ABC News, ‘Melbourne’s second safe injecting room set for the Salvation Army’ – HIGHLY COMMENDED
RADIO NEWS
Danny Tran, ABC News, ‘The Melbourne hospital where radiation leaked through the floor’ – WINNER
Judges’ citation:
Danny’s story exposing a radiation leak at a major Melbourne hospital just edged in front of a strong field of entries this year. While it wasn’t under the pressure of breaking news, it took tenacity and persistence over several months for Danny to turn a tip into an exclusive that forced hospital management to act. Not only fronting their own staff for the first time, but publicly answering to the serious risk.
Richard Willingham, ABC News, ‘Paul Denyer to die in jail: Labor backflips on special laws’ – HIGHLY COMMENDED
REGIONAL AND RURAL JOURNALISM
Rachel Clayton, Charlotte King and Andy Burns, ABC News, ‘Suspected unlicensed dams multiplying across stressed Moorabool River’ – WINNER
Judges’ citation:
These ABC regional investigators clearly spent months developing a story that revealed the extent of water theft and its local and national implications. They were tenacious and meticulous. Their extensive research uncovered hundreds of new private dams operating in the Moorabool River catchment that were pulling water from the river and damaging its natural flow. Great use of footage, contacts and FOI requests added fresh aspects to the story. The journalists probed into all parties involved in the issue and ultimately prompted action from the relevant authority. The story was read by more than 100,000 people and also ran nationally across television and radio. An outstanding example of compelling local investigative journalism.
Emma D’Agostino, Danielle Bonica and Josie Taylor, ABC Central Vic, ‘A Fine Balance’ – HIGHLY COMMENDED
Tim Lee, Landline, ‘Satellite Stock Squad’ – HIGHLY COMMENDED
REPORTING ON DISABILITY ISSUES
Grace Jennings-Edquist, ABC Everyday, ‘Navigating pregnancy and motherhood with an invisible disability’
SCOOP OF THE YEAR
Dan Oaks, ABC News, ‘The Mushroom Deaths’ – HIGHLY COMMENDED
SPORTS FEATURE
Jeremy Story Carter, ABC News, ‘Kick in hope’ – WINNER
Judges’ citation:
The quality of entries for the “sports feature” category was of the highest standard. “Kick in Hope” set itself apart from the rest by giving the reader a unique insight into the remote community of King Island and the role local football plays in the complicated social and economic landscape. The reporter immersed himself in the community which made the reader feel like they were there on game day. It was clear the reporter had gained the trust of the locals, to get an honest assessment of the challenges Island life presents. It was a well written, well researched and entertaining piece, sports feature writing at its very best.
Louise Milligan, Mary Fallon, Sarah Curnow and Carla Hildebrandt, Four Corners, ‘The Silence’
TV CAMERA WORK (CREATIVE)
Andrew Altree-Williams, 7.30, ‘Andy Jackson’s poetry ‘gives us a new way to see disability’” – WINNER
Judges’ citation:
Andrew’s ability to draw the viewer into this story was a credit to him. He had a clear understanding of what pictures were required to tell this emotive story with perceptive attention to detail. Subtle use of natural light and clever framing with multiple camera formats told a wonderful story, whilst maintaining the talent’s dignity.
Andrew Altree-Williams, 7.30, ‘Landholders battle the prospect of new above-ground electricity lines’
Simon Winter, ABC News, Australian Story, ‘Changing Minds’ – HIGHLY COMMENDED
Pete Healy, ABC News, Landline, ‘Swamp Saviours’
TV/VIDEO FEATURE
Louise Milligan, Mary Fallon and Jessica Longbottom, Four Corners, ‘Hiding Behind Tombstones’ – HIGHLY COMMENDED
Lauren Day, 7.30, ‘Stunned: The hidden footage the pork industry doesn’t want you to see’
