The Major Prize-Winner at the 2020 Walkley Awards
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UpdateDecember 2020 Vol 28, No. 4 Quarterly Newsletter Bravo ABC! The major prize-winner at the 2020 Walkley Awards Mark Willacy and ABC to not only get a witness on camera, but Investigations team to obtain and broadcast what we believe is the first footage of an alleged Australian win Gold Walkley; ABC military war crime, was a massive task awarded for bushfires and – one that really underscores the ABC’s coronavirus coverage commitment to investigative journalism. ABC News, 20 November 2020 “This work built on some very brave ABC investigative journalist Mark Willacy reporting by my colleagues Dan Oakes and the ABC Investigations team worked and Sam Clark in their series “The Afghan for more than a year to get to the truth Files”. Also thanks to everyone in Four Coronacast podcast took the prize for about alleged unlawful acts by Australia’s Corners who supported this work so Radio/Audio News and Current Affairs. elite soldiers in Afghanistan. Tonight brilliantly. “I’m really proud to be part of Hosted by health expert and broadcaster the ground-breaking reporting was the ABC Investigations team started by Dr Norman Swan and ABC health and recognised with the Gold Walkley Award, Gaven Morris and led by Jo Puccini. It’s science journalist Tegan Taylor, and Australian journalism’s top honour. Willacy still a relatively new team and it’s breaking produced by Will Ockenden, Coronacast and the ABC Investigations and Four some big stories and proving it’s a real launched on 3 March and has gone on Corners teams also won the Walkley for powerhouse in quality journalism.” to address hundreds of questions from Investigative Journalism for “Killing Field”, listeners. “When we started our little which in March exposed alleged killings podcast we had no idea what we had and cover ups by Australian special forces walked into,” said Swan. “Our goal now in Afghanistan. is the same as on day one: to inform, explain and answer, and provide a sense of solidity in a time of uncertainty and huge change.” Sports reporter Russell Jackson won the award for Feature Writing (Over Cartoonist Jon Kudelka - ‘Lest we find out’ 4000 Words) for his powerful story of the racial abuse experienced by The ABC was the major prize-winner trailblazing Indigenous AFL player at this year’s Walkleys. Among its other Robert Muir, which earlier this year “This story was extremely sensitive and honours, the coverage of last summer’s also won the Grant Hattam Award for a difficult one to crack,” Willacy said. bushfires, a combined effort by journalists Excellence in Sports Journalism, voted on “We were dealing with allegations of from the News and Regional & Local by all AFL players. criminal acts in a distant land by our most teams, won the award for Coverage of continued on page 3. secretive and lethal special forces. “For us A Major News Event or Issue, and the ABC Friends National Update, December 2020, Vol 28, No 4 1 Update Publication Information From the Editor Update is published four times a year by ABC Friends National Inc. PO Box 3620 Manuka ACT 2603 Print Post approved: PP245059/00002. s 2020 draws to a close, we look must be told. 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David McBride, the companion at home and in the car is [email protected] whistleblower, still faces the threat of life in ABC Classic, perhaps not surprising for Production Manager - prison. a musician and music educator. But I Angela Williamson Similarly, the recent Four Corners program refer to the current project, Classic Choir, [email protected] on the toxic culture for women in the which has brought together (online) over 6,000 singers of all types and experience Assistant Editor - Canberra “bubble” went to air despite to learn together, under conductor Ben Dr Diana Wyndham enormous pressure from government Northey, and perform a new Christmas Cartoonist - Phil Somerville representatives who would clearly prefer Carol, composed by Yorta Yorta singer and that the truth did not come out. But Phil currently runs an online topical composer Deborah Cheetham. For more cartoon by paid subscription called Line let us consider the number of Royal details, go to abc.net.au/classic of Thought. Enquire at phil.somerville@ Commissions that have been established somervillecartoons.com over the past 30 years as a direct outcome This project is the culmination of a year in Layout Artist - Paul Martens of an investigation by the ABC. The truth which ABC Classic presenters have used [email protected] 2 ABC Friends National Update, December 2020, Vol 28, No 4 music in a quite miraculous way to calm, to THANK YOU TO DEPARTING soothe, to comfort and console, especially FRIENDS during periods of lockdown, and have had listeners dancing and singing in lounge Four of our State Presidents are stepping Inside rooms across the country. Musical friends down from their positions after many years from overseas are invariably impressed by of wonderful and committed service to Update ABC Classic – there is nothing quite like ABC Friends, both their state committees it anywhere else, especially in its ability to and the national committee, and we ABC the embodiment of Australia 4 engage with listeners. I have appreciated express appreciation for all that they have the periods of focus on contemporary done to maintain the fight to preserve ‘Siege mentality’ as ABC’s Four Australian composers, on women our national broadcaster, and to enable Corners bursts Canberra bubble 5 composers, on indigenous composers, it to continue to provide a service to all on music for children, and for the ability Australians.