Public interest journalism receives vital support 

Walkley Grants for Journalism provide $134,000 for 11 stand-out projects

The Walkley Foundation is delighted to announce the recipients of the 2020 grants for public interest journalism. This year, thanks to the generosity of our corporate, philanthropic and university partners, the funding available has risen to $134,000. The grants will support 11 projects exploring overlooked stories in regional Australia, the Pacific and Asia, and will help meet the growing need for journalism that serves the public’s right to know. 

The grants program supports Australian journalists to produce significant journalism in any medium. The judges have been rigorous in selecting projects on the basis of originality, public interest, value and impact. These are stories that will surprise, educate and make a difference. In this round, the emphasis was on applications that were supported by co-publishing arrangements. 

Walkley Foundation Chief Executive Louisa Graham said: “We were thrilled with the diversity of entries and stories selected. It is clear there are many stories to be told in these under-reported areas.  We thank our grant partners and only wish we had more money to fund this sort of public interest journalism.”

The funding will be distributed across the following grants categories:

1. Walkley Grants for Freelance Journalism on Regional Australia
2. Sean Dorney Grant for Pacific Journalism
3. Judith Neilson Institute Freelance Grant for Asian Journalism