Finalists for the 2019 News Awards, News Corp Australia's inhouse prizes, have been announced.
Freedom of the press issues form a dominant theme this year, highlighting how much journalists are being forced to overcome hurdles imposed by governments and courts to suppress the public’s right to know what they are doing.
This comes as News Corp, and other major media outlets in the Right to Know Coalition, campaign against increasing government secrecy.
The Herald Sun’s five-year campaign to reveal the alleged activities of Lawyer X barrister-turned police-informer Nicola Gobbo and failures at the highest level of law enforcement is a finalist in the Outstanding Achievements in Reporting section.
The Herald Sun News won Story of the Year at the NewsMediaWorks' 2019 awards for the Lawyer X coverage.
Journalists Anthony Dowsley and Patrick Carlyon of the Herald Sun are also finalists in this year's Walkley Awards for the Lawyer X Informer Scandal.
Other campaigning journalism vying for awards include the Brisbane Sunday Mail’s expose of regional maternity unit closures, news.com.au/Hobart Mercury’s Let Her Speak campaign supporting sex assault victims in Tasmania and News360’s success in getting free heart health checks.
Executive chairman for News Corp Australasia Michael Miller SAYS the News Awards honour the values and spirit of News Corp to be bold, courageous, creative and passionate.
“2019 has been a brilliant year for storytelling across the News Corp Australia family,” he says.
“From broadcast to digital, print and books, we've told stories that have moved, inspired and informed the nation.
“The commitment to professional and trusted journalism, and passionately serving our many communities demonstrated in the entries makes me proud of the people who work at News.”
The winners will be announced at the 2019 News Awards event later this year.
The 2019 News Awards finalists:
Young Journalist of the Year
● Chanel Kinniburgh – The Mercury
● Natalie Wolfe – news.com.au
● Tamsin Rose – Herald Sun
Innovation in Journalism
● John McGourty – News Local: Digital masthead rollout
● Jon Ralph, Glenn McFarlane and Daniel Freeman – Herald Sun: Sacked AFL coaches series
● Matt Weiss – Fox Sports: Fox Cricket
● Tanya French, Geoff Egan, John Croucher, Mark Flack and Sarah Lunney – The Courier-Mail, NRM and The Advertiser: Schools Hub
Visual Journalism of the Year
● Alex Coppel – Herald Sun
● Jason Edwards – Herald Sun
● Phil Hillyard – The Daily Telegraph
● Toby Zerna – The Daily Telegraph
Keith McDonald Award (Business Journalist of the Year)
● Bridget Carter – The Australian
● John Stensholt – The Australian
● Ticky Fullerton – Sky News
Achievements in Sports Journalism
● Jamie Pandaram – The Daily Telegraph
● Leo Schlink – Herald Sun
● Yvonne Sampson – Fox Sports
Achievements in Specialist Journalism
● Grant McArthur and Alex Coppel – Herald Sun
● Sky News
● Tom Sangster – The Daily Telegraph
Interview of the Year
● Andrew Bolt – Sky News: Liberal MP Gladys Liu
● Damon Kitney – The Australian: James Packer
● Matty Johns – Fox Sports: Andrew Johns
Achievements in Commentary and Opinion
● Adam Creighton – The Australian
● Joe Hildebrand – news.com.au
● Shane Warne – Fox Sports
Outstanding Achievements in Reporting
● Anthony Dowsley and Patrick Carlyon – Herald Sun
● Greg Bearup, Eric George, Nicholas Adams-Dzierzba and Charlie Peel – The Australian
● Yoni Bashan and Claire Harvey – The Sunday Telegraph
Bill Leak Cartoonist of the Year
● Eric Lobbecke – The Australian
● Mark Knight – Herald Sun
● Warren Brown – The Daily Telegraph
Headline of the Year
● Andrew Piva – Geelong Advertiser
● Baz McAlister – The Courier-Mail
● Matt Williams, Stuart Thornton and Julian Ricci – NT News
Achievements in Campaigns
● Jackie Sinnerton and Antonia O'Flaherty – The Sunday Mail: Bush Baby Crisis
● Sue Dunlevy, Justin Lees, John Barker, Kathy Lipari and Evie White – News360: Serial Killer
● Kate de Brito and Chris Jones – news.com.au and The Mercury: Let Her Speak
Scoop of the Year
● Anna Caldwell – The Daily Telegraph
● Brenden Hills – The Sunday Telegraph
● Steven Wardill – The Courier-Mail
Achievements in Regional Journalism
● Chris Jones – The Mercury
● Jenna Cairney – Townsville Bulletin
● Paul Murray – Sky News: LIVE Our Town
Achievements in Community Journalism
● Ashleigh Pisani and Kate Uren – Portside Messenger
● Eliza Barr – St George Shire Standard
● Jake McCallum – News Local
Magazine/Lifestyle Brand of the Year
● Delicious
● Qantas Magazine
● Wish
Brand of the Year
● *The finalists and winner will be announced at the News Awards event
Sir Keith Murdoch Award (Journalist of the Year)
● *The finalists and winner will be announced at the News Awards event
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