The Media Diversity Australia Award honours journalists who are making an outstanding contribution through their reporting or coverage of diverse people or issues in Australia. This includes culturally and linguistically diverse communities (CALD) and people with disability (PWD).

It celebrates reporting that demonstrates notable courage in raising awareness of CALD and/or PWD experiences and perspectives, as well as innovation in the telling of these stories. It recognises the significance of media coverage in providing nuanced reporting which serves to alter perceptions and attitudes, challenge stereotypes and fight misinformation.

2022 Winners

Patrick Abboud and Simon Cunich, Lockdown Productions and Audible, “The Greatest Menace: Inside the Gay Prison Experiment”

Judges said, “The Greatest Menace revisits rumours of a long-forgotten gay prison on the edges of an isolated town in alpine New South Wales. Patrick Abboud and Simon Cunich investigate what happens when prejudice, police cover-ups, and government-sponsored human experimentation collide with notions of sexuality, gender identity, cultural heritage, and faith. An exceptional piece of work.”



Patrick Abboud is an award winning journalist, broadcaster and the director of Only Human Productions creating original long form TV / streaming documentaries. He is also co-director of Lockdown Productions creating investigative podcasts. Pat continues to report and present for The Project on Network 10 and has hosted Conversations for the ABC. Formerly at SBS, Pat was the founder of The Feed, a foreign correspondent for Dateline, and hosted the annual Mardi Gras live TV broadcast.

 

 


Simon Cunich is a Canberra-based documentary maker working across film, TV and podcasting. His work has screened on the ABC, SBS and at film festivals around the world. He co-wrote and co-produced The Greatest Menace, an 8-part investigative podcast series on Audible.

 

2022 Finalists

2022 finalists were announced on May 26:

Read the full list of Mid-Year Celebration finalists here. Winners will be announced at the Mid-Year Celebration of Journalism on June 15.

Judging criteria

Judges will evaluate submissions according to the following criteria:

  • Newsworthiness
  • Research, writing and production.
  • Incisiveness
  • Balance and range of perspectives
  • Courage in trying new innovation and/or in tackling subjects that are difficult
  • Covers issues that are underrepresented in the media
  • Impact and public benefit
  • Adherence to ethical standards
  • Time constraints and resources available

Judges will also consider the pressure and demand of reporting deadlines, and the location of the journalist. They also take into consideration isolation or exposure to outside forces, as well as the real or potential dangers in presenting a story.

Conditions of entry

Submissions are open to all journalists working in mainstream, community or alternative media, as individuals or in collaboration with others on projects.

Entries are open to work produced in languages other than English but a full transcript must be provided.

Entries may be single pieces or may consist of up to three pieces of work to represent a body of work. All forms of media are accepted.

Entries must have been published, broadcast or televised in Australia from April 27, 2022 to April 26, 2023.

Eligibility for the Media Diversity Australia award is based on independent acts of journalism, free from any commercial or corporate interests.

All entrants must certify that the entry is their original work. Apart from standard sub-editorial/production treatment, submissions must adhere to the MEAA Code of Ethics in their preparation; undertake to abide by this Code of Ethics, and have complied with all copyright requirements.

Entry fee

Entry is free for members of MEAA. The cost of entering the award for non-members is $50 including GST.  Inquiries about MEAA membership please contact members@meaa.org for further details or call 1300 656 513.

Full Terms & Conditions
Frequently Asked Questions

If you have any further questions, please contact either:

Lauren Dixon
lauren.dixon@walkleys.com or 0413 212 890

Past Media Diversity Australia Award winners