2019 Awards Results
Overview
News Corp Best News Report in Print or Digital
Joint Winner:
ANDREW HOUGH, News Corp
“FBI Fugitive”
NIGEL HUNT, News Corp
“Killer’s bid for freedom”
HIGHLY COMMENDED:
REBECCA PUDDY, ABC “Peter Liddy applies for parole”
COMMENDED:
NIGEL HUNT, News Corp “Vicki Chapman police probe”
News Corp Best Feature In Print or Digital
MICHAEL McGUIRE, News Corp
“Fire alarm”
HIGHLY COMMENDED:
CRAIG COOK, News Corp “Don’t let my son’s death be in vain”
SARAH MULLINS, ABC “Backpacker abuse”
ANNA VLACH, News Corp “Coming clean”
COMMENDED:
DAVID ECCLES, Indaily “I was the happiest kid in the world, and then I wasn’t” – The life and death of Andy MacQueen”
RAA Best Sports Story in Any Medium
ISADORA BOGLE, ABC
“Country football club allows female player Casey McElroy in men’s league, now awaits penalty”
HIGHLY COMMENDED:
ANDREW CAPEL, News Corp “Footy ace beats his demons”
PATRICK MARTIN, ABC “Footy culture”
COMMENDED:
JOHN CASEY, Seven Network “Mitch Creek Basketball”
People's Choice Credit Union Best Finance or Business Reporting In Any Medium
CAMERON ENGLAND and MATT SMITH, News Corp,
“From Kangaroo to Manus: A tale of two islands”
HIGHLY COMMENDED:
CAMERON ENGLAND and ANDREW HOUGH, News Corp “AFP investigation unveiled”
COMMENDED:
HENDRIK GOUT, Seven Network “Paladin”
Best News Photograph in Print or Digital
TRICIA WATKINSON, News Corp
“A tearful goodbye to Sophia the ‘true angel’ “
HIGHLY COMMENDED:
TOM HUNTLEY, News Corp “One eyed murderer”
COMMENDED:
MATT TURNER, News Corp “Kate Ellis”
Best Features Photograph in Print or Digital
SARAH REED, News Corp
“Catching fire”
HIGHLY COMMENDED:
MATT TURNER, News Corp “The forest of dreams”
COMMENDED:
MATT TURNER, News Corp “The Swell Mob”
Lion Best Sports Photograph in Print or Digital
TOM HUNTLEY, News Corp
“Crows triumph”
HIGHLY COMMENDED:
SARAH REED, News Corp “More Eddie magic”
COMMENDED:
TRICIA WATKINSON, News Corp “Thunderbirds ready to break out of their nightmare”
Seven Network Best Television News Report
Joint winner
KATE SOMERS, Network 10 “Burnside brawl”
MARK MOONEY, Seven Network “Cancer bungle”
HIGHLY COMMENDED:
CHLOE BOURAS, Network 10 “Flinders disaster”
LUCY HINTON and KATE LAMBE, Nine News Adelaide “Nurse attack”
COMMENDED:
LUCY HINTON, Nine News Adelaide “Bike arrests”
HWL Ebsworth Lawyers Best Long Form Television Report
ANGELIQUE DONNELLAN, ABC
“Deadly DIY”
HIGHLY COMMENDED:
STEPHANIE PICONE and MARK SODERSTROM, Seven Network “Mark Mickan’s Parkinson fight”
COMMENDED:
ANGELIQUE DONNELLAN, ABCC “Borrowed time”
Best Broadcaster, Television, Radio or Online
CAROLINE WINTER, ABC “Ageing Australia Body of Work”
Aged Care Royal Commission – first day of testimony – PM
Research reveals systemic problems in the delivery of aged care home support
The cost of not employing older workers
HIGHLY COMMENDED:
HENDRIK GOUT, Seven Network “Going Ghan, Truck Court, Hospital”
COMMENDED:
MIKE SMITHSON, Seven Network “Solar rort exposed”
Telstra Best Special or Extended Coverage of a News Event, Television, Radio or Online
ABC Regional and Local SA, “River lives”
HIGHLY COMMENDED:
BOBBIE STAFFORD, ABC “Menindee Lakes”
COMMENDED:
MATT SMITH, News Corp “Federal election”
Nine News Best News Camera Coverage
MATT BONSER, Network 10 “Uluru tourism”
HIGHLY COMMENDED:
MARCEL DE ROOY, Network 10 “Escapee”
COMMENDED:
REG BRADSHAW and JOHN SEVER, Nine News Adelaide “Greenacres standoff” ANDREW FOOTE, Seven Network “Henley drug house”
Telstra Best Radio Report
CLAIRE CAMPBELL, ABC “SA Fails to uphold pledge to improve palliative care”
Telstra Best News Feature or Long Form Radio Report
CAROLINE WINTER, ABC “Beekeeping explosion – hope for dying bees”
People's Choice Credit Union Best Community Report Any Medium
ASHLEIGH PISONI and KATE UREN, Messenger Community News
“Protect our dolphins”
HIGHLY COMMENDED:
LAUREN NOVAK, ROY ECCLESTON, JAS VALDMAN, and PAUL PURCELL, News Corp “Behind closed doors”
COMMENDED:
CASEY BRIGGS, ABC “We don’t have to answer each question literally: Government accused of deceiving foster carers”
ANGELIQUE DONNELLAN, ABC “Pet rescue”
Hotel Grand Chancellor Adelaide Best Regional or Rural Report Any Medium
ANGELIQUE DONNELLAN, ABC “Going nuclear”
HIGHLY COMMENDED:
MATT SMITH, News Corp “Cape Fear”
SOWIBAH HANFIE and NADIA ISA, ABC “Disgrace at Bonney Lodge”
COMMENDED:
TONY SALVATORE and YAZ DEDOVIC, Seven Network “Regional mental health”
HENDRIK GOUT, Seven Network “Coober Pedy Council”
People's Choice Credit Union Best 3 Headlines in Any Medium
JOHN WHISTLER, AAP
“Brussell Pouts, so May left to find Brexit solution”
“Cracklin Rozee”
“An Aldi……but not a goodie”
HIGHLY COMMENDED:
ROBERT KELLY, Messenger Community News “Words and music”
COMMENDED:
CHRISTIE PEUCKER, Network 10 “Assorted work”
Jeff Tims Jewellery Best Columnist/Blogger Print or Online/Digital
TOM RICHARDSON, Indaily “Politics in SA”
1) Secrets and lies? A day in the life of the spin cycle – November 01, 2018
https://indaily.com.au/news/analysis/2018/11/01/secrets-and-lies-a-day-in-the-life-of-the-spin-cycle/
2) Not quite the worst day ever – December 21, 2018
https://indaily.com.au/opinion/2018/12/21/richardson-not-quite-the-worst-day-ever/
3) Fleeced in our time? The Marshall Govt’s political waterfight – February 15, 2019
https://indaily.com.au/opinion/2019/02/15/fleeced-in-our-time-the-marshall-govts-political-waterfight/
HIGHLY COMMENDED:
LAUREN NOVAK, News Corp “Understanding child protection in SA”
COMMENDED:
MICHAEL MCGUIRE, News Corp “Three thoughts”
RAA Best Investigative Coverage of An Issue or Event Any Medium
NIGEL HUNT, News Corp “Like a wreckin ball – Victor Hicks”
HIGHLY COMMENDED:
The Advertiser/Sunday Mail, ”Fair go for our regions”
COMMENDED:
CRAIG COOK, News Corp ”Veteran abuse probe”
Network 10 Scoop of the Year in Any Medium
NIGEL HUNT, News Corp
“Killer’s bid for freedom”
HIGHLY COMMENDED:
NIGEL HUNT, News Corp “Vickie Chapman police probe”
COMMENDED:
ANGELIQUE DONNALLAN, ABC “Deadly DIY”
University of South Australia Young Journalist of the Year
CASEY BRIGGS, ABC
Highly Commended
LUCY HINTON, Nine News
FINALISTS:
Caleb Bond Chloe Bouras Casey Briggs Reece D’Alessandro Lucy Hinton Ntajsha Kramer
University of South Australia Student Journalism Award
REBECCA COPELAND
Gold Award
Presented to: NIGEL HUNT
Lifetime Achievement Award
Awarded to: SHIRLEY STOTT DESPOJA
“Thank you very much for this award. It is far beyond any recognition that I ever sought in during my career. A wonderful surprise and honour, just as my long life and long career have been surprises.
Most people during my mid career would have said, and indeed they did more than once, that I would come to a sticky end. The feminist thing. “ Now is not the time, Shirley” they would say.
I asked myself, “ if not now, when? “ A question most pesky radicals ask of themselves I suggest that question to you, even now, when good journalism faces so many challenges
It has been wonderful to witness the growth and maturing of women in journalism.
And I think with warmth and gratitude of the people who helped me, from Francis James on The Anglican in the 50s to Doug Jervis, Des Colquhoun, Don Riddell, and a few others. And the women who were there, such as the wonderful Sa Harris, and those who were not always in a position to support me. I understood. I was reckless, but always inspired by reckless women who had kicked over the traces before me. They too, asked themselves, If not now, when?
And I thank especially the newest generation of journalists here tonight who have thought to recognise those like me who went before. It is a lovely thing.
My warmest thanks to you all.”
ROY ECCLESTON’S NOTES
Shirley Stott Despoja was a pioneer for women journalists through the 1960s, 70s, 80s and beyond. She was a fearless and sometimes fearsome advocate for that most important of journalistic qualities – honesty.
Shirley believed her readers deserved to be told the truth, even when it offended the powerful – Adelaide’s arts mafia, the blokes who ran the newsroom, even the advertisers.
A feisty feminist, she sought to achieve a better deal for women – in journalism, and in society generally. She never wrote what was then called ‘women’s news’.
Shirley Stott was born in Sydney in 1936. She planned to be an actor until a girlhood chat with the sister of famous Sunday Times journalist Phillip Knightley inspired her to pursue journalism.
She began her career at The Anglican, a small influential newspaper in Sydney, where she learned the importance of accuracy and clear writing – and where mistakes could be followed by a dictionary thrown in her direction.
She broke into bigger papers at the Canberra Times, writing news, courts, and arts criticism for a couple of years before moving to The Advertiser as a C Grade in 1960.
Shirley was the first – and that time only – woman in the general reporters’ room, although she came to see that there was only an illusion of equality there.
She was once told by former Advertiser editor Des Colquhoun: “You know if you were a man, Shirley, the sky would be the limit.”
For a while she returned to Canberra but after her marriage ended she returned with her two children, Natasha and Luke, to Adelaide where she resumed work at The Advertiser as a single mother, determined to strike an independent chord in coverage of literature and the arts.
Shirley became the first arts editor of the paper, and her forthright columns, independent thought, and passion for calling a spade a spade, earned her respect – and enemies.
She took on powerful elements in the arts sector at a time, under the Dunstan Government, when the arts were enormously influential in Adelaide.
She was also a strong books editor, encouraging and mentoring others such as The Advertiser’s current books reviewer Katharine England who recalls a strict but caring taskmaster.
Shirley ranged more widely in her Saturday column Saturday Serve. She had been traumatised by domestic violence as a child, and she took on that scourge as well as difficult topics such as incest, child abuse and indigenous injustice. She got death threats but continued regardless.
Shirley struggled with hearing loss in her adult life, but, again, that didn’t stop her working. Remarkably, Shirley continue as a journalist until 2018, when she ended her regular column, often focussed on issues for older Australians, for the Adelaide Review.
But while the topics may have changed in her career, her willingness to speak her mind did not.
Speaking up and out, criticising the powerful, is tough. It is wearing. But it is also what leadership is about.
Journalists are a cynical lot. We question just about everything. But there’s one thing we as a profession should never doubt – and that is the value of what we do.
Shirley believed that even when it was hard, it was important and therefore worthwhile.
She inspired others, especially women. She was a leader in our craft.
We honour her tonight.
Shirley can’t be with us, but I would call on her daughter Natasha Stott Despoja to accept this lifetime achievement award.