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Walkley Grants for Freelance Journalism stories

The 2019 Walkley Grants for Freelance Journalism awarded a pool of $75,000 to fund 11 outstanding projects pitched by freelancers, supporting stories that serve the public interest, make an impact and would not otherwise be published.

The initial pool of $50,000 from the Walkley Public Fund for Journalism was boosted by an additional $25,000 contribution from the Judith Neilson Institute for Journalism and Ideas. Read the full announcement here.

2019’s grants supported vital reporting in Australia and the Pacific, including stories on Bougainville’s referendum for independence, climate change in Tasmania, #LetHerSpeak and the NDIS. Articles have been published by outlets including Guardian Australia, The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, Essential Kids, The Saturday Paper and Overland, with more to come.

Read a selection of projects funded by the 2019 grants below.

Photo: Warren Frey
JNI

Is the National Disability Insurance Scheme failing Australians in remote communities?

Kylie Stevenson and Tamara Howie report.

Reigniting a land of extinction

Catastrophic fires in Tasmania’s wilderness in 2019 sparked calls for a return to Indigenous burning practices — but the path to cultural recovery is not so straightforward. Jess Cockerill reports.

Riding roughshod

Carol Altmann reports: The 2015 Melbourne Cup win of 100-to-1 long shot the Prince of Penzance, ridden by Michelle Payne, was the stuff of legend and became a movie. But in one particular town, in south-west Victoria, it’s no longer quite so popular.

Owning one’s voice

Nina Funnell first reported on a young Jane Doe’s story of sexual assault back in 2017. The story sparked a powerful campaign for Tasmanians to win the legal right to tell their stories in their own name.

Reestablishing Reality

In a post-truth era there are new tools and techniques for investigating.

Michael Cruickshank explains the fast-growing field of open-source intelligence.

Bolt from the blue

Is climate change putting Tasmania’s unique wilderness at risk by lashing it with lightning sans rain?
Jess Cockerill reports, as part of a series investigating 2019’s catastrophic fires in Tasmania.

NDIS review process like Groundhog Day

The NDIS review process is long and baffling for participants, but for lawyers fighting on their behalf it’s a version of Groundhog Day as battles won fail to set precedents. Kylie Stevenson and Tamara Howie report.

Walking our Walkley path

Vivienne Pearson and Margaret Paton’s project on school fundraising was one of 11 awarded a Walkley freelance grant. The two teamed up specifically for the project and met for the first time at the Walkley Fund Dinner…

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