Outstanding work in the Walkleys' broadcast and online categories.
Links are provided to finalists’ entries wherever possible. These will be updated so please check back. Please note, in some cases entries comprised a number of stories, and the links show a sample of the entry.
Radio News and Current Affairs Reporting
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Samantha Donovan, The World Today, ABC Radio, “Black Saturday Aftermath” ("Victims share tales of survival"; "Survivors search for missing loved ones"; "A drink and a chat help victims connect")
Reporting from the ground immediately after the Black Saturday bushfires, juggling intense time pressures with trying to compassionately tell stories of grief and loss.
Stephen Long, ABC Radio, “The Week That Shook the World” ("Wall Street giant files for bankruptcy"; "Lehman bankruptcy implications")
Timely, analytical coverage of the collapse of Lehman Brothers that would trigger a near-catastrophic meltdown in financial markets.
Stephen McDonell, AM, ABC Radio, “China: Wall of Silence” ("The Dalai Lama's House"; "The Last Days of Old Kashgar"; "Tiananmen Crisis")
Chinese government and security forces’ interference were the hurdles for these reports on the anniversary of the Dalai Lama’s exile, the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre and deadly tensions in Xinjiang province.
Sally Sara, AM, ABC Radio, “India Child Sex”
Dogged yet sensitive reporting on the case of an Australian man arrested on child sex and passport offences in India.
Radio Feature, Documentary or Broadcast Special
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Anita Barraud, 360, ABC Radio National, “Indonesian Journeys: Democracy and Diversity: Jakarta, Aceh, West Timor, Bali”
Series of programs on Indonesia’s transition to democracy after more than 30 years of dictatorship, in the lead-up to the 2009 elections.
Damien Carrick, The Law Report, ABC Radio National, “Ercan Tekin’s Treatment”
Delved into the professional conduct of a Melbourne chiropractor whose treatments left a cerebal palsy sufferer $45,000 in debt.
Ian Townsend, Background Briefing, ABC Radio National, “Crisis for Children”
Looked past the shocking examples of child abuse to explore the deeper causes behind cycles of violence and disadvantage.
Television News and Current Affairs Camera
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Tim Hawkins, Sunday Night, Seven Network, “Volcano Hunter”
Following volcano chaser John Seach to PNG, Hawkins’ pictures captured all the ferocity of the eruptions and even footage of a rare lightning strike within an eruption.
Robert Hill, Foreign Correspondent, ABC TV, “Kashgar: The Uighur Dilemma”
Visual insight into a part of China generally inaccessible to media, capturing the tensions that later escalated into deadly riots.
Tim Noonan, Today Tonight, Seven Network, “Street Gangs”
Shooting alone, Noonan earned the trust of street gangs, graffiti gangs and street racing syndicates to tell their stories gonzo-style.
Television News Reporting
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Greg Jennett, Simon Johnson and Chris Uhlmann, ABC News, “Our Man Godwin”
Coverage of the explosive case of Godwin Grech in a highly pressured environment that dramatically changed the course of political debate over the Ozcar affair.
Chris Reason, Seven News, "Shadow Boxer"
Series of reports on Cronulla Sharks CEO Tony Zappia that ultimately forced his resignation and investigation of the club, prompting and accountability review across the NRL.
Seven News Victoria team, “Black Saturday Bulletin”
Graphic, comprehensive coverage of the unfolding bushfire catastrophe in an extended hour-long bulletin.
Commended:Jane Cowan, ABC News, “Marysville Gone”
Television Current Affairs, Feature, Documentary or Special (more than 20 minutes)
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Anna Broinowski and Sally Regan, SBS TV, “Forbidden Lie$”
The dramatic documentary about Chicago fraudster Norma Khouri, whose Jordanian memoir Forbidden Love was exposed as a hoax.
Steve Cannane, Antoinette Chiha, Kath Earle and Brendan Hutchens, The Hack Half Hour, ABC TV2, “Fight”
Explores the nature, attraction and repercussions of fighting, with an audience of street fighters, bouncers, victims, campaigners, social workers and more.
Anne Connolly, Sarah Ferguson, Ivan O’Mahoney and Kate Wild, Four Corners, ABC TV, “Code of Silence”
Blew the cover of Rugby League’s off-field culture of group sex and attitudes to women with forensic research and hard to find sources.
Television Current Affairs Reporting (less than 20 minutes)
Proudly sponsored by Media Monitors
Ross Coulthart, Sunday Night, Seven Network, “Ice Man”
A police informant on the run was tracked down, and spoke about the drug-making operations of an Australian bikie gang.
Andrew Geoghegan and Mary Ann Jolley, Foreign Correspondent, ABC TV, “Zimbabwe, Left to Die”
Exposed the extent of Zimbabwe’s cholera epidemic and asked why the Mugabe regime hadn’t acted earlier to prevent the disease’s spread.
Matt Peacock, The 7.30 Report, ABC TV, “Killer Carpets”
Research into James Hardie revealed that asbestos sacks used as carpet underfelt could pose lethal domestic risks.
Best Online Journalism
Kate Geraghty, Jonathan Pearlman and Kimberley Porteous, smh.com.au & The Age, “Sexual Warfare in the Democratic Republic of Congo”
Used photographic reportage to investigate the Congo’s humanitarian crisis, where an estimated one in three women have faced sexual violence.
Maroondah Leader team, “Feeling the Strain”
Multimedia exploration of mental health services in Melbourne’s outer east, incorporating articles, audio galleries and dramatic photography.
news.com.au and heraldsun.com.au team, “Victoria in Flames”
Huge collaborative effort to create interactive features that stand as a living testament to the victims of the Black Saturday bushfires.
