Impact Report

This photo is part of Nick Moir’s Walkley-winning photographic essay, Firestorm. Contents

2 Introduction 19 Coronavirus by the numbers

3 Unprecedented year of growth 22 NSW state politics

4 Stories with impact 24 -China relations

5 Secrets of War 26 US election

6 Dyson Heydon controversy 27 Bushfires

7 icare investigation 29 Environment 8 Crown Unmasked 31 Opinion

10 NSW regional hospitals 32 The Dalarinji Project

11 Blacktown hospital deaths 33 Life

13 Toxic property deal 34 Good Weekend 14 Sports rorts (Bridget McKenzie) 37 Photography

15 The Bribe Factory (Unaoil) 41 Awards 17 Global pandemic

The Morning Herald Impact Report 2020 1 Introduction

It’s been one of the most challenging years on record for the media, but The Sydney Morning Herald has finished 2020 even stronger than we started. Readers came in droves for our coverage of the unprecedented summer bushfire crisis, but even more stayed with us for the global pandemic. Why? Because the Herald puts the reader at the centre of everything we do. Our 24-hour coverage of COVID-19 gave readers the vital information they needed, while the diverse opinion, analysis and context kept people engaged in the issues. Beyond the pervading story of the pandemic, the year has showcased the Herald’s journalism as fearless but fair; we tackle issues from all sides of the argument and pursue stories that matter most to both our local communities and our national identity. We continue to place high value on our investigative journalism because it’s our job to hold our most powerful institutions and people to account. While our competitors at home and abroad have cut jobs and costs, we have not. Rather, the Herald has delivered record growth with a 20 per cent rise in our subscriber base. We have maintained our firm grip on the #1 spot as the country’s most-read masthead across print and online, with more than 9 million readers in September alone; double the size of the audiences of both The Daily Telegraph and . The support of our subscribers has allowed us to invest in public interest journalism that has made a difference, whether it was uncovering a toxic land deal in western Sydney, alleged war crimes in Afghanistan or a sports rorts scandal in Canberra. Investigative journalism is expensive and legally fraught, but our commitment to it differentiates us from our competitors. Reader response to our bushfire crisis led us to create a five-member climate and environment team at home, and we retained correspondents abroad in London, Asia and the United States. We did this all without compromising our local coverage, even increasing the size of our reporting team on Macquarie Street, adding an Indigenous affairs reporter and photographer, while maintaining dedicated teams on health, education, crime, courts and urban affairs. The strength in the Herald’s newsroom is unmistakable. This year may have been an anomaly, but whatever challenges 2021 brings we’ll help you understand the biggest issues and navigate the world’s complexities with incisive, independent, fact-based journalism you trust.

Lisa Davies, editor

The Sydney Morning Herald Impact Report 2020 2 An unprecedented year of growth

7 comment moderators who #1 20% 93,888 articles published more than Country’s most-read masthead increase in the number of published this year, including

across print and online paying subscribers, that 1,316,138 supported the work of…

New positions 64 national 23 business including: 451 43 sports • National environment team staff members nationally, including: • Indigenous photographer + reporter • 341 journalists, photographers, editors, 21 world • Reader editor videographers, magazine and production staff 20 opinion • Newsletter editor 18 culture • 58 national news team members, across • Five trainees given full-time positions federal politics, business, environment and world • 52 national life team members, across culture, lifestyle, Good Food and Traveller 18 politics 23,285 10 lifestyle subscriber-only 1,180,183 2 healthcare event streams newsletters delivered each week 2 technology 3 education

1 explainer 2 money 4,195,627 2 environment Please Explain podcast downloads articles published every day comments in 2020

The Sydney Morning Herald Impact Report 2020 3 Our journalism led to... Secrets Crown Unaoil - The Sports rorts Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie of War Unmasked Bribe Factory resigning as Federal Sports Minister. The most significant inquiry in recent The excoriating of over The arrest of a senior corporate figure military history into alleged war governance failings before a public inquiry and warrants issued for two others linked crimes committed by a small clique and Crown delaying the opening of its new to a global bribery scandal involving the of SAS soldiers in Afghanistan, with hotel and casino in Barangaroo after its Australian corporate behemoth Leighton allegations against 19 individuals directors and executives admitted to serious Blacktown Holdings (now CIMIC). referred to the soon-to-be-established wrongdoing. office of the special investigator for Hospital criminal investigation. deaths NSW regional Party Games Dyson Heydon Blacktown Hospital’s obstetricians The resignation of Liberal Party threaten to resign en masse before hospitals factional figures and a Liberal securing a dedicated operating controversy Party of investigation into theatre for obstetrics procedures An “urgent review” of sexual NSW parliament launching an inquiry into branchstacking; the corruption while nurses and midwives walked harassment processes in the justice regional and rural hospitals; the Health watchdog examining the allegations for out demanding better staffing and system, ordered by the NSW Attorney- Minister ordering an independent review abuses of taxpayer funds. safer conditions; the local health General, and the NSW Supreme Court into one patient’s death and the treatment district agreeing to implement the appointing an independent adviser to of another three patients; and a local doctor, recommendations of a review of its handle sexual harassment complaints. due to be replaced by telehealth services, obstetrics services. being reinstated. The Faceless icare Toxic Man investigation The removal of three Victorian state cabinet property deal ministers as Labor’s national executive The resignation of the icare CEO, three intervened in the Victorian division to icare directors including the chairman, The referral of a toxic land deal to the preselect state and federal candidates and the NSW Treasurer’s chief of staff, NSW Auditor-General and anti-corruption until 2023; anti-corruption watchdog plus a parliamentary inquiry into the watchdog ICAC as well as the resignation of IBAC launching a major inquiry with the workers compensation scheme. Transport for NSW secretary Rodd Staples. Ombudsman.

The Sydney Morning Herald Impact Report 2020 4 Secrets of War “Public interest journalism is It is hard to think of a more consequential series of stories The Sydney Morning Herald and have published in their 364 not a popularity contest and years of combined history than the investigation into allegations cliques of elite Special Air Service Regiment soldiers committed sometimes the most important war crimes in Afghanistan. When investigative reporters Nick McKenzie and stories are contentious and suggested looking into potential SAS misconduct in Afghanistan in 2017, senior editors expressed the same concerns many uncomfortable.” readers had when they first heard the allegations. How can we be sure these alleged crimes occurred? Were the actions of soldiers justifiable “in the fog of war”? Should we judge brave soldiers fighting in unimaginably tough conditions? A turning point was when McKenzie played back confidential, anonymised interviews with SAS whistleblowers. It was clear listening to their testimony that they themselves had no time for “fog of war” arguments. The whistleblowers were vindicated when the Inspector-General of the Australian Defence Force, Paul Brereton, found credible evidence 19 Australian special forces soldiers committed up to 39 murders of innocent Afghans. Now those current or former soldiers will face criminal investigation, possible prosecution and the stripping of their medals. Public interest journalism is not a popularity contest and sometimes the most important stories are contentious and uncomfortable. McKenzie’s moving Good Weekend feature about Dusty Miller, an SAS combat medic haunted by what he saw in Afghanistan, encapsulates why this difficult investigation was so important.

James Chessell, executive editor Chief of the Defence Force, Angus Campbell. Photo: Alex Ellinghausen

The Sydney Morning Herald Impact Report 2020 5 Dyson Heydon controversy

When the Herald broke the news that former recommended the AFP investigate High Court judge Dyson Heydon was found allegations of indecent assault against by an independent inquiry to have sexually Heydon. No charges have been laid. harassed six women at the court, the impact The former judge did not renew his was “seismic”, according to one of Sydney’s barrister’s practising certificate and his top silks. name disappeared from the website of the We revealed the findings of the High Court top Sydney chambers where he had spent investigation, along with exclusive testimony much of his career. Federal Attorney- from the victims who had fought for justice General asked anyone who for years. The effects of that story and those had complaints about Heydon from his time that followed were manifold. There were as Royal Commission head to come forward, huge ructions within the legal community, and several people did. with many asking who had known about Former High Court justice Dyson Heydon. Photo: Ben Rushton In the months since, our investigation has Heydon’s alleged conduct and for how long. been recognised with several awards: the As a result of our reporting, the High Court Walkley for best print/text news report, the announced it would invite all former judge’s NSW Council for Civil Liberties Journalism associates who had worked at the court Award and the Kennedy Award for during Heydon’s tenure to contact them Outstanding Investigative Reporting. if they had further alleged misconduct to report. A group of NSW’s top female barristers lodged a complaint with the “As a result of our reporting, professional watchdog. The NSW Attorney- General ordered an “urgent review” of sexual the High Court announced it harassment processes in the justice system, and sought advice on stripping Heydon of his would invite all former judge’s QC title. The NSW Supreme Court appointed an associates who had worked at the independent adviser to handle sexual harassment complaints. Hundreds of court during Heydon’s tenure to female legal professionals called upon the contact them if they had further federal Attorney-General to establish an independent complaints body for judges. Kate McClymont, investigative reporter, alleged misconduct to report.” The ACT’s Director of Public Prosecutions and Jacqueline Maley, senior reporter

The Sydney Morning Herald Impact Report 2020 6 icare investigation

Australia’s workers compensation system has been failing injured workers for years but it has largely slipped under the radar. It is worth $60 billion and it’s big business.

We went behind the so-called safety net to investigate and found that injured workers were getting sicker and employers, who fund the schemes, were left holding the bill.

The investigation was a co-production with ABC’s Four Corners and some of the stories told by injured workers were harrowing. In NSW the regulator said she had “grave concerns” about the finances of the workers compensation system managed by state insurance agency icare. Mismanagement, contracts without tenders and the underpayment of 52,000 injured workers (of up to $80 million) were a few of the bad practices exposed.

Since the stories broke three icare directors, including the chairman, have resigned, the CEO has resigned, the Whistleblower Chris McCann at his home in Burrawang, NSW. Chris, NSW Treasurer’s chief of staff resigned and an inquiry a former homicide detective, went into the entire workers compensation scheme has been to icare to set up systems to detect launched. Most importantly, icare has also promised to fraud, corruption and compliance. compensate the underpaid injured workers. He became suicidal and left in 2018 after two years in the job where he “Since the stories broke three was bullied. Photo: Kate Geraghty icare directors, including the chairman, have resigned, the CEO has resigned, the NSW Treasurer’s Adele Ferguson, chief of staff resigned” investigative reporter

The Sydney Morning Herald Impact Report 2020 7 Crown Unmasked

Crown Resorts was unmasked in July 2019 by an investigative series in the Herald which exposed how the company’s lax controls over its high-roller casino operations facilitated organised crime and money laundering, endangered its staff in China, and empowered drug and sex traffickers. After our stories were published, Crown went on the attack. The company’s high-profile board bought a full-page advertisement in News Corp newspapers that described the stories as full of “unsubstantiated allegations ... and outright falsehoods”. Now, under the sustained scrutiny of a regulators’ inquiry in Sydney, the Crown defence has crumbled. Multiple Crown directors and executives have admitted to serious wrongdoing, poor oversight, regulatory failure and a lack of independence. Under questioning, Crown’s largest shareholder, James Packer, agreed that emailed threats he sent to a businessman, whose name was withheld in the inquiry, were “shameful” and “disgraceful”. Counsel assisting the inquiry made lengthy submissions that Mr Packer was involved in the business as a “de facto” director and argued Illustration: Dionne Gain the billionaire’s “deleterious” influence over the group was one of the key reasons Crown was unfit to keep the licence for its Barangaroo casino. Mr Packer attributed his actions to mental illness and bipolar disorder, for which he is now being treated. Inquiry chair Patricia Bergin forced Crown to delay the opening of the “Multiple Crown directors Barangaroo casino. But the full impact of these stories will be played out for years to come. and executives have admitted “Crown Unmasked”, which Grace Tobin, Nick Toscano and I also produced for 60 Minutes, has won a Walkley Award and two major to serious wrongdoing, poor Kennedy Awards: outstanding TV current affairs and outstanding finance reporting. oversight, regulatory failure and a lack of independence.”

Nick McKenzie, investigative reporter

The Sydney Morning Herald Impact Report 2020 8 “Over the course of several months our investigation exposed the troubling circumstances surrounding three deaths and a series of near-misses at hospitals across the Western NSW Local Health District.”

John Stingemore, at his home in Cobar, is one of a number of residents who have had troubling experiences with hospitals in western NSW. Photo: Janie Barrett

The Sydney Morning Herald Impact Report 2020 9 NSW regional hospitals

This year the Herald exposed serious failings in review of Mr Wells’ treatment, which identified the NSW health system, which have cost lives multiple “areas for improvement” at the and called into question the quality of hospital hospital. care in some regional areas. The genesis of the investigation was a week- Over the course of several months our long trip to Western NSW, where photographer investigation exposed the troubling Janie Barrett and I walked the streets and won circumstances surrounding three deaths and the trust of local patients who until then had a series of near-misses at hospitals across been silent, fearful of rocking the boat in their the Western NSW Local Health District. tight-knit communities. They included a baby girl who died after her NSW parliament launched a probe into regional doctor at Dubbo Base Hospital failed to check and rural hospitals following the series, with her test results, leading to a whistleblower’s the inquiry members travelling across the state extraordinary discovery of a further 2000 for public hearings in the first half of 2021. unchecked results at the facility. The Herald uncovered the death of Dawn Trevitt, who bled to death while being treated via videolink in the emergency department of Gulgong Hospital. There were no doctors Carrie Fellner, physically present at the time, after the doctor investigative reporter who formerly worked there said his contract was not renewed because the health district wanted to reduce his pay and support more patients with telehealth. After the story was published the doctor’s contract with the hospital was reinstated. The investigation also raised serious questions about hospital resourcing following the death of Cobar man Allan Wells. His family branded his treatment “third world” after he allegedly went without food or water for three days because it was too expensive to roster staff on in a ward that “ran out” of morphine and paracetamol. In response to the story, Health Minister commissioned an independent

Allan Wells, whose family have complained about his treatment to the Coroner following his death in December.

The Sydney Morning Herald Impact Report 2020 10 Ashwitha and Praveen D’Souza grieving their baby girl Nigella, who was declared deceased shortly after she was born at Blacktown Hospital. Photo: Edwina Pickles

“They reassured us again and again that she would be all right, that we were in hospital and she was safe there. But our baby is no more… our grief is unbearable.”

Praveen D’Souza

The Sydney Morning Herald Impact Report 2020 11 Blacktown Hospital deaths

It started with a tip from an old source in late June: staff at The article triggered intense and volatile discussions Blacktown Hospital’s obstetrics and maternity service were among clinicians at Western Sydney Local Health District. worried. Several newborns had died from avoidable causes. NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard confirmed the story of They were stillborn, or declared deceased within minutes of Nigella D’Souza brought to a head protracted unrest among birth. Blacktown Hospital’s obstetricians. They threatened to resign en masse if the WSLHD failed to take their concerns But details were fuzzy. It would take several phone calls all seriously, including poor staffing levels and access to “I don’t want with medical and healthcare workers barred from talking to operating theatres. journalists under their employment contracts. Some felt a this to happen duty to talk. They told me about serious deficiencies within The day after the Herald broke the story, the WSLHD the service that they believed had contributed to the babies’ announced it would set up a dedicated operating theatre deaths: inadequate staffing and supervision and poor access for obstetrics procedures. It also agreed to implement the to another baby, to operating theatres when mothers and their babies needed recommendations of a review of its obstetrics services emergency caesarean sections. conducted by the NSW Chief Obstetrician and the NSW Clinical Excellence Committee. Propelled by the medicos’ another family Stillbirths and newborn deaths occur every day in Australia actions, two days later Blacktown Hospital’s nurses and and all are tragic. But it soon became clear that four babies midwives walked off the job, demanding better staffing and within 18 months had died unexpectedly. In a world-class ever again.” safer hours. healthcare system like NSW’s, unexpected deaths should be Jennifer Fonua a rare occurrence. Amid the action, Jennifer Fonua was sent our article about Nigella D’Souza. She was deeply affected to read of the death After we published the first article on July 11 I received of another baby 14 months after her own baby girl, Thalia, an anonymous email. The parent of one of these babies had died at Blacktown Hospital. had read the article. Still deep in grief and searching for answers, it would take several emails and many phone calls “I want the public to know what happened to her,” Ms Fonua before they felt they could trust me with their story. Praveen told me when she gave me her daughter’s root cause analysis and Ashwitha D’Souza were the parents of Nigella. She was report. “I don’t want this to happen to another baby, another the fourth baby to die unexpectedly, on June 22, 2020. family, ever again.” We met and we talked some more. I obtained the formal investigation into the circumstances surrounding Nigella’s death, which confirmed repeated failures that resulted in a delayed emergency caesarean. “They reassured us again and again that she would be all Kate Aubusson, right, that we were in hospital and she was safe there,” health editor Mr D’Souza says. “But our baby is no more … our grief is unbearable.”

The Sydney Morning Herald Impact Report 2020 12 Toxic property deal

The Leppington triangle scandal caused a furore when the Auditor-General released a scathing report into a land deal for Sydney’s second major airport that cost taxpayers 10 times its actual value. The Herald exposed a worse deal: the NSW government paid three times as much as the Valuer-General’s estimate for a parcel of highly contaminated land near Parramatta that earned a Sydney property developer a $15 million windfall in a matter of months. The bill for taxpayers is compounded by costs associated with cleaning up the site, which will cost at least $48 million to prevent toxic chemicals from leaching out of the property and into neighbouring land. Leaked documents, parliamentary records, whistleblower testimony, EPA documents, court and land title searches exposed alleged misconduct, including an urgent out-of-session meeting held to buy the land from the wealthy property developers. Our stories resulted in the NSW Transport Minister referring the deal to the NSW Auditor-General and anti-corruption watchdog ICAC two days after publication. On the third day, the state’s head of Transport, Rodd Staples, resigned. Illustration: Matthew Absalom-Wong

“Our stories resulted in the NSW Transport Minister Andrew Constance Adele Ferguson, investigative reporter, Matt O’Sullivan, city editor referring the deal to the NSW Auditor- General and anti-corruption watchdog ICAC two days after publication. On the third day, the state’s head of Transport, Rodd Staples, resigned. ”

The Sydney Morning Herald Impact Report 2020 13 Sports rorts

Gun-toting Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie’s long-time advocacy for firearms was well known but it was never expected to cost the Victorian her ministerial career. The then sports minister had tried to brush aside the so-called sports rorts scandal, a $100 million fund used to pork-barrel marginal seats, for days until The Sydney Morning Herald on January 22 revealed she’d become a signed-up member of the Clay Target Club before it was awarded a $36,000 grant. The revelations triggered a departmental review into whether Senator McKenzie had breached standards of integrity expected of a minister. In Prime Minister ’s own words, the review found: “The timing is such that the potential conflict should have been clear, this is in relation to the gun club membership, to the minister failing to put appropriate arrangements in place to avoid the potential for conflict, such as asking another minister to make any decisions relating to organisations of which she was a member. “The minister had failed to do that, and the secretary found that this was in breach of the ministerial standards. There are also a number of other matters relating to another organisation, but that one in particular dealt with a conflict of interest for an actual applicant who had received the grant. “On the basis of that and that is the conflict of interest and the failure to Illustration: John Shakespeare disclose, the minister has tendered her resignation to me this afternoon.” The reporting by the Herald for several days directly revealed a handful of conflicts and revealed concerns within government about the amount of money Senator McKenzie had approved to the sporting shooting associations during her time as a minister. “The reporting by the Herald for several days directly revealed a handful of conflicts and revealed concerns within government about

Rob Harris, the amount of money Senator McKenzie national affairs editor had approved to the sporting shooting associations during her time as a minister.”

The Sydney Morning Herald Impact Report 2020 14 Unaoil - The Bribe Factory

Sometimes the impact of a story is not felt in the first week, or month, or even year after publication. In the case of The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age investigative unit’s expose of international bribery and corruption in the oil industry, it’s taken four years. In 2016, the team and I revealed that a Monaco-based company, Unaoil, was acting as a front that allowed dozens of multinational companies including Rolls-Royce, Halliburton, Hyundai, KBR and Eni to funnel millions in bribes and kickbacks to officials in Iraq, Algeria, Angola, Azerbaijan and elsewhere. The stories, and the cache of emails they were based on, led to raids overseas, arrests across Europe and the jailing of Unaoil managers in the UK. Unaoil’s owners, the Ahsani brothers, were arrested by the FBI and in 2020 pleaded guilty to serious corruption and bribery. Rolls-Royce and TechnipFMC settled Unaoil-related investigations run by US or British agencies by paying hundreds of millions of dollars. In November, it hit home in Australia. Warrants were issued Former senior executive of construction giant Leighton Holdings, Russell Waugh. Photo: Rhett Hammerton for the arrest of three former executives from the Australian construction company Leighton Holdings (now CIMIC). The data leak and its publication in Australia produced such reams of evidence that ultimately left Unaoil’s owners, the Ahsani family, with no choice but to confess. They have “The stories, and the cache of since agreed to give evidence against others, including former Leighton managers Russell Waugh, Peter Cox and emails they were based on, led David Savage. to raids overseas, arrests across Europe and the jailing of Unaoil Nick McKenzie, managers in the UK.” investigative reporter

The Sydney Morning Herald Impact Report 2020 15 A huge year of news…

Photo: Dean Sewell

The Sydney Morning Herald Impact Report 2020 16 Global pandemic

The coronavirus pandemic changed the way we live our lives. It’s also changed the way we consume our news. Live blogs became the most effective way for The Sydney Morning Herald to deliver reliable, fast and accurate coverage of the health crisis to our readers. On March 9, we began daily live coverage that ran for almost 100 consecutive days. We took an eight-day break in June but from June 21 we blogged for almost 150 further consecutive days after the second wave struck in Victoria. The decision to remove the paywall from our live articles enabled us to provide a valuable service not only to our subscribers but to our community. Our blogs utilised all parts of the newsroom, incorporating text, video, photography and audio to provide real-time experiences. Readers accessed simultaneous, live-streaming press conferences, allowing them to customise their own content within the blog. The impact of our live coverage was astonishing. To date, subscribers have spent more than 59,393,411 minutes reading our coronavirus live blog, and our total audience has spent more than 215,547,653 minutes with it. No other news event has affected our coverage in such a dominant and comprehensive way. Staff communication was paramount, particularly as most people involved in contributing to the live coverage were doing so from their living rooms, bedrooms and kitchen tables at home. The ill-fated journey of the Ruby Prime Minister Scott Morrison and former Chief Medical Officer Professor sanitise their hands before entering a Princess that docked in Sydney exemplifies the necessity for exclusive news, National Cabinet meeting at Parliament House. Photo: Alex Ellinghausen and vivid storytelling, while our award-winning explainers inform our readers, helping them understand complex issues such as what COVID-19 does to the body, what it’s like to have the illness and how the epidemic spreads. Our political reporters regularly detailed and explained the decisions within Canberra’s corridors of power, depicting the crisis that changed the . Respected commentary illustrated the impact the pandemic had on our economy and how it affected Australian society and 250 215,547,653 Free 179 everyday life. Our health and science teams worked collaboratively, regularly breaking stories such as counterfeit face masks being sold to Australians. days of live minutes spent with live coverage daily coronavirus blogs live blogs for all readers newsletters (and counting…)

Alex Rowe, digital editor

The Sydney Morning Herald Impact Report 2020 17 Schoolies in Byron Bay, NSW. Photo: Elise Derwin

The Sydney Morning Herald Impact Report 2020 18 Coronavirus by the numbers

There have been more than 65 million coronavirus cases recorded globally since the start of the pandemic. In Australia there have “For many readers, been more than 27,000. By the time you read this, worldwide case numbers will have inevitably gone up - at a pace that sadly continues checking the data to accelerate as many countries deal with second waves that are turning out to be even bigger than the first. It’s a dizzying - and centre has become quite confronting - amount of information to comprehend, but our COVID-19 data centre has condensed all these numbers into an easy- a part of their daily to-understand dashboard. routine and a way of The data centre has consistently been one of the most-read items on the Herald website these past few months, which shows how vital this tracking exactly what information is to so many. For many readers, checking the data centre has become a part of their daily routine and a way of tracking exactly is happening with what is happening with infection numbers, right down to their local area. It’s been a huge undertaking for our team to create and infection numbers, maintain, and as the pandemic situation evolves, so too has the level of information we have made an effort to present in the dashboard. right down to their Data journalist Nigel Gladstone and I sourced the data and made sure the information being collected across different jurisdictions local area.” all matched up. We continue to run checks on the numbers each day. This is harder than it might look, since sometimes states report case numbers differently, information gets revised or the data being collected changes. Design director Mark Stehle came up with a layout that displayed the information clearly and concisely, and developer Soren Frederiksen worked out how to turn this design into a reality and combine multiple data feeds, some of which are automated and some which involve information being entered manually. We plan to tweak the data centre, shifting to a more automated experience, until the 5,806,628 time comes (hopefully soon) that checking the latest coronavirus information is no longer a part of the daily routine. COVID data centre visits (and counting)

The Sydney Morning Herald Coronavirus data Craig Butt, centre, which was built during the first Australian data reporter lockdown.

The Sydney Morning Herald Impact Report 2020 19 Bystanders practise social distancing while Brigette Leech and Matthew Selby are married at the Garrison Church in Sydney. Photo: Janie Barrett

The Sydney Morning Herald Impact Report 2020 20 Albie Woodhouse plays The Last Post for an Anzac Day driveway dawn service. Photo: Cole Bennetts

The Sydney Morning Herald Impact Report 2020 21 State politics

As the Berejiklian government steered NSW through a once-in-a- generation pandemic, the appeared united and strong. But that changed in the second half of the year when Nationals leader and Deputy Premier threatened to split from the Liberals over a little-known koala planning policy. Premier held her nerve and warned she would swear in an all-Liberal cabinet if Barilaro followed through with his threat. The Nationals backed down but the party lost an MP in the process - Port Macquarie MP Leslie Williams defected to the Liberals. After a bruising few months, including a public fall-out between Barilaro and his friend, Transport Minister Andrew Constance, over the Eden-Monaro by-election, the Nationals leader took a month’s mental health leave. In a year that started so strongly for the government, it came close at times to ending political careers. Treasurer had a political near-death experience after the Herald exposed mismanagement at the public insurer icare. But worse was to come when the Premier revealed to the corruption watchdog that she had been in a secret relationship for five years with now disgraced former Cartoon: John Shakespeare MP . But it was revelations in the Herald that could pose a bigger long-term problem for the Premier. We revealed the government handed out $250 million in council grants almost exclusively to Coalition seats and without any signed paperwork to explain its reasons. It then “In a year that emerged that the documents had been shredded. Ms Berejiklian responded by defending pork-barrelling, arguing systems that started so strongly allowed governments to prioritise certain areas over others had been in place for decades. The grants affair is being investigated by for the government, the Information Commissioner and the State Archives and Records Authority. It’s also the subject of a parliamentary inquiry. it came close at times to ending political careers.” Alexandra Smith, state political editor Cartoon: Andrew Dyson

The Sydney Morning Herald Impact Report 2020 22 Photos: Jessica Hromas

The Sydney Morning Herald Impact Report 2020 23 Australia-China relations

The task of covering a story so complicated, far- Bagshaw covered the brutal crackdown on Hong Kong’s reaching and significant as the rise of China and its democracy movement by the Chinese Communist impact on us in Australia is a newsroom-wide effort. Party that has culminated in draconian new national Some of our biggest and most engaged stories of the security laws there, and Australia’s offer to provide year have been about our relationship with our biggest some Hong Kongers with a safe haven. trading partner, a relationship that has grown more Bagshaw has led the news coverage of China’s response tense than ever. to the pandemic from the beginning. In “Trapped It has also become, for the newsroom, one of our between a global health crisis, diplomatic tensions greatest challenges. Eryk Bagshaw was appointed China and a logistical nightmare”, Bagshaw and foreign correspondent at the end of 2019 and, for a range of affairs correspondent Anthony Galloway covered reasons including COVID-19 and safety issues after the extraordinary predicament of Australians in the introduction of new Chinese security laws, he Wuhan before the Australian government launched completed the first year of his “posting” in Canberra an unprecedented rescue mission to bring them to rather than Beijing. This prompted a rethink of our quarantine on Christmas Island. Asia coverage and in the new year Bagshaw will move to They have also tracked the deterioration of our Singapore as North Asia correspondent where he will relationship with the Chinese Communist Party, be joined by Chris Barrett, who will also be based there breaking worldwide exclusives on Australia’s campaign as our new South-east Asia correspondent. for an independent investigation into the origins of Maintaining our ranks of foreign correspondents is coronavirus, the launch of the world’s largest trade a big priority for The Sydney Morning Herald. Foreign deal, a 14-nation pact that includes Australia and bureaus are very expensive and labour-intensive China, and the escalating ‘tongue war’ triggered by operations to manage, especially during a global China’s list of grievances about Australia. pandemic. But the news, analysis, features and colour stories produced by our correspondents, which also include Bevan Shields in London and Matthew Knott in Washington, DC, are among our most well-read articles for subscribers. Tory Maguire, From the very beginning of the coronavirus crisis, national editor international editor Peter Hartcher has put China’s response to the source of the outbreak in context in pieces including “What coronavirus teaches us about China”, “The coronavirus crisis was made in China but no one will say it”, and “Twitter-post garbage the clearest sign yet of desperation in Beijing.”

Illustrations: Matt Golding

The Sydney Morning Herald Impact Report 2020 24 Taylors Wines Managing Director, Mitchell Taylor, has had his family business disrupted by China’s trade sanctions against Australia. Photo: Janie Barrett

The Sydney Morning Herald Impact Report 2020 25 US election 17,249,576

The US presidential election was always views on US election live blog coverage going to be one of the biggest stories of the year and the Herald made it a top priority to provide our readers with distinctive and insightful coverage of this seismic moment in world history. Our readers had an almost insatiable appetite for content about the election and we worked hard to deliver it to them across all our platforms. 5,238,434 As US correspondent I was determined to visit as many swing states as possible views on a single live blog on November 4 and speak to voters on the ground rather than rely on polls (which again proved to be faulty). During the campaign, I travelled twice to Wisconsin, and also made reporting trips to Michigan, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Georgia and Florida. No other Australian media outlet covered so much ground. In the months leading up to election day, I wrote a weekly newsletter on Graphic: Dionne Gain the campaign and recorded a weekly Please 2,313,150 Explain podcast with national editor Tory Maguire. Farrah Tomazin, a senior writer world editor Michelle Griffin and election views on the US election results tracker at the Herald, spent two months reporting editor Heath Gilmore. It’s been extremely in the US and then continued filing after gratifying to hear from many readers that returning to Australia. In the week before they appreciated the depth and breadth of election day, we held a subscriber webinar our coverage, as well as our commitment hosted by former US correspondent Nick to reporting fairly and accurately O’Malley. while not giving a free pass to lies and misinformation. Meanwhile, a team of outstanding bloggers swung into action for an around-the- clock election blog. On the day after the 14 1 election, the blog received an incredible 5.2 million page views. Bringing all these live event with our Matthew Knott, dedicated US election components together required months of former and current US US correspondent newsletters planning and co-ordination from Maguire, correspondents

The Sydney Morning Herald Impact Report 2020 26 Bushfires

Australia’s bushfire crisis was unlike anything the world has ever seen. On November 11 last year, Premier Gladys Berejiklian declared a state of emergency as authorities warned of a “catastrophic” fire danger for Sydney’s metropolitan region - an unprecedented alert for such a populated area. That same day, The Sydney Morning Herald lifted the paywall on our digital bushfire coverage so readers could access important information that might impact their safety. We responded quickly throughout the crisis. As fires ravaged our landscape and smoke choked our cities, we sent reporters and photographers out to document the city’s “new normal” and out on the ground in the regions, as some communities lost everything. Chief photographer Nick Moir even witnessed the destruction of his own home town in the Blue Mountains at close range. We established live blogs to most efficiently update readers, also using our reporters and editors in London and New York to ensure around-the-clock coverage. We identified climate change as one of the most crucial elements of the crisis and were the first outlet to publish the concerns of former fire chief Greg Mullins. We know that when big stories hit communities people turn to the Herald, but our in- depth coverage, live updates and bespoke journalism attracted and engaged new audiences, elevated the Bilpin. Photo: Nick Moir reputation of our brand locally and internationally, and provided leadership when politics and policy “As fires ravaged our landscape and failed us. smoke choked our cities, we sent reporters and photographers out to document the city’s ‘new normal’ and Lisa Davies, out on the ground in the regions, as editor some communities lost everything.”

The Sydney Morning Herald Impact Report 2020 27 Kasey Butcher, 10, from Braidwood, near the North Black Range bushfire in NSW. Photo: Alex Ellinghausen

The Sydney Morning Herald Impact Report 2020 28 The environment

As the nation battled a bushfire catastrophe and prepared for a delayed United Nations climate change summit, The Sydney Morning Herald significantly ramped up climate and environmental coverage. We have built a team of specialist journalists including environment reporters Peter Hannam and Miki Perkins, working closely with resources writer Nick Toscano and the Canberra bureau’s climate and energy reporter, Mike Foley. As the world was overwhelmed by the pandemic, the Herald remained committed to our environmental Residents Anna Dunne coverage. (left) and her husband Ron Dunne (right) inspect The team was central to coverage of the fires and joined families as their destroyed home on they arrived to inspect the damage. In the months that followed, the outskirts of Nelligen it covered the state and federal inquiries. Hannam’s work was where several homes recognised with a Kennedy Award for Outstanding Reporting on and out buildings were destroyed in the fire near the Environment and with an award from Australia’s emergency Batemans Bay. Photo: management agencies. Kate Geraghty It dug into the government’s technology road map to reduce emissions and its plans for a gas-led economic recovery, revealing concern among scientists and engineers about the environmental cost. In the corporate world, the team tracked the investor revolt against the expansion of gas without stronger decarbonisation goals. It broke the news about the abandonment of coal by Australia’s second largest superannuation fund, First State Super, and it tracked the rapid drift from coal and uptake of net zero targets by Australia’s key markets and allies, and growing concern in diplomatic circles about the perceived lack of ambition in climate targets.

Nick O’Malley, national climate and environment editor

Nelligen resident Peregrine Philip sits on the verandah of his home where the fire came up to the back door. Photo: Kate Geraghty

The Sydney Morning Herald Impact Report 2020 29 A burnt-out car belonging to the family of Vinessa Maxwell on Tomakin Road heading towards North Rosedale from Mogo. Photo: Kate Geraghty

The Sydney Morning Herald Impact Report 2020 30 Opinion

The Herald’s opinion section is among the most The year’s most-read opinion pieces tackled widely read because subscribers want lively, “At a time when the media well-written articles and critical thinking to is flooded with ill-informed the biggest issues for Australia and the inform and test their own views about the world, often in counterintuitive ways. issues of the day. and ill-considered rants, we The opinion team is committed to publishing seek out the most credible a range of views and topics from across the and influential voices to ideological spectrum, from politics to popular Peter Hartcher culture. At a time when the polarisation weigh in on the big debates China’s man in Canberra has unmasked the regime’s of politics threatens to split communities, true face we strive to promote mature debate that that are firing up the nation encourages a greater understanding of the and apply a rigorous eye to ideas, people and policies shaping our nation their submissions.” today - free of any agenda other than to Ross Gittins contribute to an informed democracy. Why I didn’t donate to the Rural Fire Service this At a time when the media is flooded with time around ill-informed and ill-considered rants, we seek our lifetimes, we ran an early opinion from out the most credible and influential voices doctor Cathie Hull, whose experience with to weigh in on the big debates that are firing a colleague who caught COVID-19 led her to up the nation and apply a rigorous eye to their advocate the lockdown strategy that ultimately submissions. Chris Uhlmann guided Australia’s success in getting on top of COVID-19 has hammered home some uncomfortable We aim to start conversations and lead debate. the virus. truths about us as a people The seminal piece from former NSW Fire and All this is in addition to our regular Rescue commissioner Greg Mullins last year columnists, who include some of the most was one of those. Backed by 47 years on the respected names in journalism, whose fire-fighting front line, Mullins was the first to long careers and depth of contacts bring an authoritatively declare that the fire season we unparalleled authority to their judgments. Jacqueline Maley were facing was far from normal. We complement them with a variety of other Why did so many people vote for Trump? Like it or not, he is a ‘safe space’ for millions We published , the chairman of writers who are also plugged into the latest the Parliamentary committee on intelligence social and intellectual currents and concerns. and security, on the need to reset the nation’s thinking about China, giving our readers an insight into how top-secret evidence is shaping Julia Baird our response to the challenges. And as political There’s something odd about watching Donald leaders and the community struggled to work Julie Lewis, Trump’s women spruik for him out how to respond to the worst pandemic in opinion editor

The Sydney Morning Herald Impact Report 2020 31 The Dalarinji Project, supported by the Judith The Dalarinji Project Neilson Institute, invites all Australians to celebrate the living culture and the heart of our nation, and to closely examine the issues affecting our country’s First Peoples. Led by reporter Ella Archibald-Binge and “The project prioritises photographer Rhett Wyman, we have sought to Indigenous Affairs create a unique, comprehensive body of work showcasing the challenges, creativity and the reporting as a routine, culture of Indigenous Australia in 2020. The project prioritises Indigenous affairs reporting respected and valued as a routine, respected and valued staple of staple of our mastheads’ our mastheads’ offering for readers, and puts Indigenous issues on the national agenda, sparking offering for readers.” debate in an inclusive and productive way. The storytelling has been powerful, news-breaking and highly engaging; our readers have responded overwhelmingly positively. Among the standout examples of their work was a trip to Far North Queensland to look beyond the political rhetoric surrounding the annual Closing the Gap address, travelling to the tiny community of Lockhart River to put faces on the statistics, exploring what the strategy really achieves for Indigenous communities. Similarly, their three-part series on justice for Aboriginal people looked not just at some exclusive new data on arrests, incarceration and recidivism, but also examined allegations of police misconduct and a police force struggling to retain Indigenous officers across regional NSW. The project has been so successful we will be making it a permanent feature, thanks to the continuing support of JNI.

Lisa Davies, editor

Stolen Generations survivor Elly Chatfield in Katoomba. Photo: Rhett Wyman

The Sydney Morning Herald Impact Report 2020 32 MAY 26, 2020 Life

TRAVELLER.COM.AU What happens when a pandemic forces cooking – not just sourdough (although we

AUGUST 1, 2020 theatres to drop the curtains, restaurants all made plenty of that) but also vegetarian to close their kitchens and borders to recipes, one-dish wonders and old- slam shut? For the Life team at The Sydney fashioned baking. Traffic for our recipes at Morning Herald, it meant rethinking every goodfood.com.au soared from April, with aspect of what we do. our unique audience up nearly 50 per cent on the previous month, and peaking in While the Traveller team was grounded, May with a record unique audience of 1.46 with many unable to leave their home million. states let alone the country, the Saturday and Sunday sections paused publication A recipe by one of our top cooks such as RESTAURANTS while the travel industry went through Adam Liaw, Neil Perry and Jill Dupleix What our dining industry will look like on the other side of COVID-19 PAGE 4 unprecedented financial pain. We switched became one of the components of a special GREAT EXPECTATIONS 2.0 From the Reef to the Bight and the Ocean Road to the our attention from writing about travel new daily page, called Home Front, which Dividing Range, how great are Australia’s great places destinations to the stories of greater interest we launched in print on March 23. It served Shane Delia’s famous hummus PAGE 7 Sarah Wilson’s whole pumpkin soup PAGE 8 1HERSA1 E001 FINE LINES TOP END’S NEW CREATIVE HUB P6 DO TELL OUR READERS’ LATEST WRITES OF REPLY P7 to readers at that moment, such as travel as a survival guide to lockdown, covering

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1HERSA1 K001 MAY 5, 2020 industry, Traveller is getting back on its popular it has remained a weekday staple, feet with the Saturday section growing now called Life, with a broader remit of in size and once again focusing on travel smart, engaging lifestyle content.

MARCH 28-29, 2020 inspiration, starting with our own beautiful Given our collective focus on cooking, it’s backyard. not surprising that our readers also showed The mammoth task of reviewing for the immense interest in stories about staying annual Good Food Guide – typically about fit, eating better and getting more sleep. 750 restaurants around the country – was We’ve launched a new weekly newsletter paused in March. We subsequently made the called Live Well, sent every Monday difficult decision not to publish the book for evening to get your week off to a healthy the first time since the early 1990s as it felt start. Other new newsletters include The unfair to judge the restaurant industry in Booklist by books editor Jason Steger, and such a difficult year. Instead, in December The Watchlist by veteran TV critic Michael we published a special gloss magazine Idato. THE edition of Good Food called 100 Good Things, a celebration of survival and an invaluable DIY guide to the best eating and drinking over REVOLUTION summer in Sydney and . How to startt a v vegetableegetable g garden,arden, m makeake y yoghurt,oghurt, h herbalerbal tea, o oatat m milkilk a andnd m more PAGE 4 Monique Farmer, Terry Durack raises Sydney’s best bread PAGE 3 Mother’s Day recipes from the Ottolenghi team PAGE 6 1HERSR1 E001 The one bright spot for the Good Food team HOME BODIES life editor Our experts’ guide: from family history and film to gaming and apple pie-making. P8 this year was the renewed interest in home

RICHARD GLOVER Navigating our disappointment P3 BOOKS Sophie Hardcastle takes control P16 LANGUAGE The gender bias in dictionaries P14 GARDENING Fun with fungi P23

1HERSA1 F001

The Sydney Morning Herald Impact Report 2020 33 Good Weekend For more than 35 years, Good Weekend has been holding a mirror to Australian society, writing definitive stories about the people, places and issues that matter to us. This year was HOMO UNEXPECTUS: AN ARCHAEOLOGICAL FIND FOR THE AGES no exception, with the team producing ground-breaking journalism that attracted strong readership; introducing new special issues and bolstering existing ones with fresh columns; and expanding its footprint into podcasts, video, newsletters, live events and merchandise.

JUNE 20, 2020 Good Weekend landed exclusive profile stories in 2020 with , Nicole Kidman, Jane Fonda, Hamish Macdonald, Tayla Harris and Ben Fordham, plus more. INTENSIVE CARERS Unsurprisingly, politics and health were particularly popular with our readers this year. The most-read story among both subscribers and non-subscribers was Melissa Fyfe’s profile of Victorian Premier , published amid heated debate about his handling of the coronavirus pandemic. Madonna King’s recreation of the events leading to the death of Brisbane mother Hannah Clarke and her three children at the hands of her husband strengthened calls for coercive control to be criminalised. We published compelling first person pieces, including Matthew Knott’s piece on falling five storeys off a New York brownstone; a woman’s piece on discovering her husband was a paedophile; and Alexandra Collier’s account of her path towards single motherhood. Two stories looking at the issue of older female homelessness resonated with readers, as did investigations of the loneliness epidemic, climate change, the decline of Bauer Media, the rise of kindness during lockdown, adult children “divorcing” their parents, and the compelling yet ultimately destructive power of secrets.

Katrina Strickland, Good Weekend editor

25,761 17,067,772 29,414,095 FROM CLEANERS TO PHARMACISTS, Good Weekend NURSES TO DOCTORS … THE HEALTH WORKERS BEHIND

page views engaged quiz Instagram AUSTRALIA’S COVID-19 SUCCESS STORY minutes fans BY Tim Elliott

The Sydney Morning Herald Impact Report 2020 34 AUSTRALIAN CRICKET’S LOVE MATCH: MITCHELL STARC & ALYSSA HEALY WHAT JERRY SEINFELD DID NEXT plus BILL GRANGER’S COOKING COMMANDMENTS

JUNE 27, 2020 OCTOBER 10, 2020

“I WANT TO SAY SORRY. AND TO TELL THEM I SHOULD HAVE DONE MORE”

An Australian soldier, the Afghan family he couldn’t forget – and his mission to make amends

BY Nick McKenzie

Jacinda Ardern’s leadership wowed the world

So why are New Zealanders not as impressed?

BY Peter Hartcher

THE COMIC WHO TRUMPED TRUMP plus CRAIG FOSTER’S NEW LIFE GOALS Plus RADIO HEAD: BEN FORDHAM’S RISE TO THE TOP OF TALKBACK

OCTOBER 17, 2020 NOVEMBER 21, 2020

“ E v e r y t h i n g can be taken “I THINK HE’S GOING TO KILL ME’’ tomorrow. So that’s what I operate from.”

HANNAH CLARKE 1988-2020 AALIYAH, LAIANAH, TREY FOREVER 6, 4, 3

Nicole Kidman on becoming one of Hollywood's hottest TV executive producers – and her fear of loss The murders that sparked a movement to criminalise “intimate terrorism”

BY Madonna King BY Michael Idato

The Sydney Morning Herald Impact Report 2020 35 Black Lives Matter protesters pause near Sydney’s Town Hall along with Paul Silva, whose uncle David Dungay Jr died in custody. Photo: James Brickwood

The Sydney Morning Herald Impact Report 2020 36 Photojournalism from the frontline Four days before Christmas the Herald’s chief photographer, Nick Moir, captured a moment when a firefighter was struck by a ute, a scene filled with choking smoke as the fires overwhelmed east Bilpin. It was one of the state’s worst fire days. By then we had been monitoring and covering the bushfires for two months. My debriefing with Moir later that evening brought home to me the risks Herald photographers take to get the photos that propel these stories onto the national stage. It also underlined the emotional toll such work takes. In our day-to-day coverage, the Herald photo editors and photographers expect challenges, as we cover such a diverse range of stories and photographic genres. But COVID-19 took our preparation to another level. We, too, have to adapt to social distancing, are restricted to photographing outdoors, wearing October long weekend at Bondi Beach fuelling concerns of overcrowding. Photo: Edwina Pickles layers of PPE gear and sanitising all photographic equipment at the end of each shoot. Globally, photojournalists questioned how to photograph this pandemic. Whether it be bushfires, war zones, breaking news or poignant personal stories, our role as visual storytellers is heightened. As most of the country went into isolation, we continued to document the unprecedented changes in our lives and in our city. Kate Geraghty, who has covered conflict zones throughout her career, persisted and was granted unparalleled access at St Vincent’s Hospital’s ICU to document the everyday medical response to this pandemic. I couldn’t be prouder of the way we have covered these, two of the biggest stories of our lifetime. “Our photographs are more The work of our photographers was recognised with several awards, including Nick Moir (feature/photographic essay category at the Walkley Awards and outstanding news photo at the than the first draft of history; Kennedys), Dallas Kilponen (the Power of the Lens People’s Choice at the Kennedys) and Louise they’re powerful gut punches Kennerley (third prize in the International Photography Awards). Our photographs are more than the first draft of history; they’re powerful gut punches that force that force everyone from everyone from politicians and philanthropists to suburban mums and dads to sit up and take politicians and philanthropists notice. They demand, and judging by your reactions receive, a visceral response. to suburban mums and dads to sit up and take notice.” Mags King, managing photo editor

The Sydney Morning Herald Impact Report 2020 37 An RFS firefighter works to protect properties as the North Black Range bushfire threatens properties at Bombay, NSW. Photo: Alex Ellinghausen

The stars over Uluru. Photo: Alex Ellinghausen

Sydney Hobart Yacht Race entrant Business As Usual, sails into Twofold Bay at dusk, with HMAS Adelaide standing by as fire rages through the woodchip mill in Eden. Image captured from Sydney Hobart entrant, Kialoa II, anchored in Twofold Bay. Photo: Dallas Kilponen

The Sydney Morning Herald Impact Report 2020 38 A fire truck escaping an inferno whipped up by sudden 80km/h winds in Orangeville, near Campbelltown in Sydney’s far south-west. Photo: Nick Moir

The Sydney Morning Herald Impact Report 2020 39 Portrait of 17-year-old Sydney Boys High School student William Winter with his elderly grandmother at their Georges Hall family home in Sydney’s south-west. Photo: James Alcock

Year 12 student Ring Kondok, 17, felt unmotivated to study. “Socialising is one of the ways to reduce the stress and anxiety, but with all of the restrictions it’s been hard to do that,” he said. Photo: Louise Kennerley

The body of a COVID-19 casualty being delivered to a Sydney funeral director service after being released from hospital. Photo: James Brickwood

The Sydney Morning Herald Impact Report 2020 40 Awards 2020

6 Walkley Awards for: • Outstanding Finance Reporting: Nick • Louise Kennerley won third prize in the McKenzie, Grace Tobin, and Nick Toscano, International Photography Awards (IPA) for • Outstanding Contribution to Journalism: Ross “Crown Unmasked” for the Sydney Morning “Coming of Age during COVID-19”. Gittins, The Sydney Morning Herald. Herald, The Age and 60 Minutes. • Laura Chung and Peter Hannam, won the • Print/Text - News Report: Jacqueline Maley and • Outstanding Court Reporting: Michael Ruffles EMPA (recognising excellence in emergency Kate McClymont, “Dirty Dyson: A harasser on the and Michael Evans, The Sydney Morning Herald. communication) media award for their bushfire High Court”, The Sydney Morning Herald and The coverage. Age. • Outstanding Reporting on the Environment: Peter Hannam, The Sydney Morning Herald. • Konrad Marshall was runner up in the UNSW • Print/Text - Feature Writing Short (under Press Bragg Prize for Science Writing for his 4000 words): Liam Mannix, “The Perfect Virus: • Outstanding Investigative Reporting: Kate Good Weekend piece “Jeepers Creepers”. Two gene tweaks that turned COVID-19 into a McClymont and Jacqueline Maley, The Sydney killer”, The Age. Morning Herald. • Konrad Marshall won the “Best sport coverage by an individual - written” in theSport Australia • Feature/Photographic Essay: Nick Moir, Media Awards. “Firestorm”, The Sydney Morning Herald. Other Herald awards for 2020 • Samantha Lane won the “Best sports profile - • Television/Video - Current Affairs Long (More written” in theSports Australia Media Award. than 20 Minutes): Nick McKenzie, Joel Tozer and • Traveller won Publication of the Year at the Sumeyya Ilanbey, “The Faceless Man”, 60 Minutes. Mumbrella Travel Marketing Awards in March. • Roy Ward won an NBL media award for best feature story, “The NBL’s Slam Dunk” looking at • Commentary, Analysis, Opinion and Critique: • The Last Voyage of The Pong Su won gold at the resurgence of the NBL. Tony Wright, The Age. the New York Festival Radio Awards for best documentary/narrative podcast. • “The Invisible Crime” investigation won the prize of “Equality and Women’s Promotion, Best • The Sydney Morning Herald received an Graphic Awards (Digital)” at the International 8 Kennedy Awards for: honourable mention in the category “Best Idea Malofiej Awards. to Grow Digital Readership or Engagement” with • Journalist of the Year: Nick McKenzie, The Age/ its bushfire coverage at theInternational News • “The Invisible Crime” investigation also won a The Sydney Morning Herald. Media Association (INMA) global media awards. bronze medal (gender/identity and social issues), an award of excellence for information graphics • Outstanding News Photo: Nick Moir, The Sydney • Sophia Phan was recognised with the “30 under and an award of excellence for public interest at Morning Herald. 30” award for media global rising stars by the the Society of News Design Awards. International News Media Association (INMA). • Power of the Lens Peoples’ Choice: Dallas • Soren Frederiksen won gold in the humanitarian Kilponen, The Sydney Morning Herald. • The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age won “Best category at the Information is Beautiful coverage of a sporting event” for The Ashes 2019 Awards for his work on “The Invisible Crime” • Outstanding Television Current Affairs at the Sport Australia Media Awards. investigation. Reporting: Nick McKenzie, Grace Tobin, Nick Toscano, “Crown Unmasked” for 60 Minutes.

The Sydney Morning Herald Impact Report 2020 41 Drive-through COVID-19 testing clinic at Bondi Beach. Photo: Brook Mitchell

SydneyThe Sydney Morning Morning Herald Herald Impact Impact Report Report 2020 2020 422 Subscribers power our newsroom. Thank you for your support.