Day: October 11, 2024

18 ABC Finalists in 2024 Walkley Awards for Excellence in Journalism

The ABC has 18 finalists across 13 categories in the 2024 Walkley Awards for Excellence in Journalism.

The ABC’s investigative journalism is strongly represented, including nominations for Four Corners‘ programs “Pain Factory”, which investigated the multi-billion dollar chronic pain industry, and “Ruthless Pursuit”, about the former Chinese spy who blew the whistle on China’s covert oppression activities across the globe.

Also finalists are the 7.30 investigations “Financial Housing Prison”, on the land lease retirement living sector, and “Netstrata”, exposing rorting in the strata industry; Background Briefing investigations “Stop and Search” and “The Price of Freebirth”; and Triple J Hack‘s “Behind Closed Doors”.

Among the other nominations, the ABC’s reporting from Modi’s India for Foreign Correspondent, Four Corners and ABC Listen is recognised in the category for International reporting and the ABC’s Perth newsroom is a finalist in Coverage of Indigenous Affairs for its ongoing series of newsbreaking investigations into WA’s youth justice crisis.

Presenter and writer Annabel Crabb is a finalist for Commentary, Analysis, Opinion and Critique for three of her columns.

The ABC’s talented technical operators feature with two finalists in the category of Television/Video Camerawork, both for Foreign Correspondent programs, and one for Feature/Photographic Essay.

Presenter and writer Julia Baird is also on the Walkley Book Award Longlist for her book Bright Shining.

See the full list of the ABC’s 69th Walkley Award finalists:

ALL MEDIA: COMMENTARY, ANALYSIS, OPINION AND CRITIQUE

  • Annabel Crabb, ABC News, ‘Shades Of Grey’ (1,2,3)

ALL MEDIA: EXPLANATORY JOURNALISM

ALL MEDIA: COVERAGE OF INDIGENOUS AFFAIRS

  • ABC News Perth, ABC News, ‘WA’s Youth Justice Crisis — The Death of Cleveland Dodd’ (1,2,3)

ALL MEDIA: COVERAGE OF COMMUNITY & REGIONAL AFFAIRS

  • Erin Parke and Andrew Seabourne, ABC News and ABC, 7.30, ‘Boat Arrivals’ (1,2,3)

AUDIO SHORT (UNDER 20 MINUTES)

AUDIO LONG (OVER 20 MINUTES)

  • Paul Farrell and the Background Briefing Team, ABC, Background Briefing, ‘Stop and Search’ (1,2,3)
  • Charlotte King and Andy Burns, ABC, Background Briefing, ‘The price of freebirth‘

ALL MEDIA: BUSINESS JOURNALISM

  • Linton Besser and Ninah Kopel, ABC, 7.30 and ABC News, ‘Netstrata’ (1,2,3)

FEATURE/PHOTOGRAPHIC ESSAY

  • Sean Davey, Oculi / ABC News, ‘The Goode Fight’

TELEVISION/VIDEO: CAMERAWORK

TELEVISION/VIDEO: CURRENT AFFAIRS SHORT (UNDER 20 MINUTES)

TELEVISION/VIDEO: CURRENT AFFAIRS LONG (OVER 20 MINUTES)

  • Adele Ferguson and Chris Gillett, ABC, Four Corners, ‘Pain Factory‘

ALL MEDIA: INTERNATIONAL

  • Avani Dias, Naomi Selvaratnam, Madeleine Genner and Mayeta Clark, ABC, Foreign Correspondent, Four Corners and ABC Listen, ‘Reporting from Modi’s India’ (1,2,3)

ALL MEDIA: INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM

  • Echo Hui, Elise Potaka and Dylan Welch, ABC, Four Corners and ABC News, ‘Ruthless Pursuit — China’s Secret Police, its Agents, and Global Campaign of Repression’ (1,2,3)

WALKLEY BOOK AWARD LONGLIST 

  • Julia Baird, Bright Shining, HarperCollins Publishers

Richard Glover drives off ABC Radio Sydney

After 26 glorious years steering 702 ABC Radio Sydney’s Drive program, esteemed presenter, journalist and author Richard Glover has announced he’s stepping away from the mic.

Glover began hosting Drive on 702 ABC Radio Sydney in 1998 and quickly became one of Sydney’s favourite presenters to accompany them home.

His program has grown to be an eclectic mix of humour, news, pop culture, politics, and anything else Glover dreams up.

In 1998 he started his popular Thank God It’s Friday program before adding a live studio audience to the show in 2009. TGIF has become a hilarious bookend to the work week and is beloved by his loyal audience for its humour, special guests and anything can happen style.

In December 2011 Richard and Peter FitzSimons achieved a record for the world’s longest radio interview, supervised by Guinness World Records at the ABC Ultimo Studios.

Glover first joined the ABC in 1996, presenting Mornings and before that worked at the Sydney Morning Herald, where he was Arts Editor, News Editor and European Correspondent. He’s also been nominated for three Walkley Awards – two for print, and one for radio.

He is the author of a number of books, including the memoir Flesh Wounds and the bestseller The Land Before Avocado.

Of the decision to leave Glover said: “It’s been a tough decision, but I’ve decided to leave the ABC Radio Sydney Drive show after 26 years, finishing at the end of November. It’s one of the best jobs in Australian journalism, and I feel I’ve hogged it for long enough. It has a terrific audience – funny, wise, full of intellect but also willing to share some of the deeper stories of being human. The program also offers the chance to do anything. Every afternoon we have politics, literature, music and comedy, all jockeying for position.”

Of what’s next, Glover said: “Sometime in the future, there may be new opportunities for me at the ABC, but in the short-term I plan to keep writing my column for the Sydney Morning Herald, attempt another book and dote over my three grandchildren. I also plan to get my knees done (after years of boring my listeners with my problems.)”

“I’ll miss the listeners, of course, but also my fabulous colleagues at 702 ABC Radio Sydney – radio’s best team.”

ABC Managing Director David Anderson said: “Richard is a once in a generation broadcaster who manages to strike the balance between news and politics and just having a really good yarn on radio.”

“I would like to thank Richard for giving so much of himself to his program. He has been an intrinsic part of 702 ABC Radio Sydney for more than 25 years and he will be missed by his colleagues and his audience in equal measure.”

Glover’s final program will be a Thank God It’s Friday spectacular on November 29 featuring Wendy Harmer, Tommy Dean and Tahir, with music from The Backsliders.

Details of ticketing for Richard’s last TGIF will be announced on the show in coming weeks.