Amnesty International today has the pleasure of announcing the finalists in the 2021 Media Awards, which celebrate excellence in human rights reporting.
“A free press is one of the greatest safeguards against tyranny and corruption. This years’ entries from some of Australia’s finest media practitioners show just how important the media is in uncovering, reporting and commenting on issues authorities might not want you to know,” Amnesty International Australia Media Lead, Danielle Veldre, said.
“I am ever grateful to the judges for their thoughtful and insightful contributions to the process and encourage everyone to review the finalists’ work because it is exceptional,” she said.
The Amnesty International Media Award finalists, in no particular order, are:
Cartoon:
- ‘Barred from Coming Home‘: Jessica Harwood
- ‘“They Don’t Understand the Fear We Have”- How China’s Long Reach of Repression Undermines Academic Freedom at Australia’s Universities‘: Badiucao, Human Rights Watch
- ‘Juukan Gorge‘: David Pope, The Canberra Times
Indigenous Issues Reporting:
- ‘Aboriginal Justice Agreement‘: Laetitia Lemke & Michael Franchi, ABC Online
- Abuse Of Power: Sexual Abuse Allegations In Youth Detention – ‘Youth detention horror – two men tell their story to. 7.30’ and ‘Two Aboriginal men claim they were sexually abused during strip searches in youth detention‘: Michael Atkin, 7.30, ABC TV, News Online, ABC
- ‘Living Black – Taken‘: Karla Grant, Julie Nimmo, Mark Bannerman, Susan Bell; NITV
Print/Online Media:
- Death or deliverance: detention’s cruel line – ‘Fazel Chegeni wanted ‘nothing but peace’. Instead he died alone in Australia’s island prison’ and ‘Three countries, eight years: one refugee’s nightmare odyssey through Australia’s detention system’: Ben Doherty, The Guardian
- ‘In the Witness Box’: Elise Kinsella, Ben Knight & Joanna McCarthy; ABC
- ‘The $5 Forests’: Drew Ambrose, Rhiona-Jade Armont, Nick Olle & Albertus Vembrianto; Al Jazeera
Radio:
- Afghanistan Interviews – ‘Afghan contractor fears death’, ‘Former ADF Chief watches Kabul scenes in horror’ and ‘US Marine Afghan Vet comes to terms with Taliban victory’: Sally Sara, The World Today, ABC
- ‘Her name was Mhelody Bruno’: Elise Kinsella & Andy Burns, Background Briefing and Regional Investigations, ABC
- ‘The Wait’: Nicole Curby, Mozhgan Moarefizadeh & Michael Green; Full Story, The Guardian
Television:
- ‘Embassy Guard’: Lucy Murray, World News, SBS
- ‘Inside Myanmar’s Crackdown: State of Fear’: Drew Ambrose, Ali Fowle, Nick Olle & Sharon Roobol; Al Jazeera English
- ‘The Australian-born children the government wants to deport because they have a disability’: Jessica Longbottom, ABC
No award was given in the Photography category.
Thank you to the Judges of this years’ awards:
- Cathy Wilcox, The Sydney Morning Herald
- Fiona Katauskas, Freelance/Eureka Street
- Jon Kudelka, The Saturday Paper
- Larissa Behrendt, ABC Radio – Speaking Out
- Miriam Corowa, ABC News 24’s Weekend Breakfast
- Jodan Perry, NITV
- Nick Moir, Sydney Morning Herald
- Syliva Liber, Illawarra Mercury
- Jeff Darmanin, The Daily Telegraph & The Sunday Telegraph
- Lisa Davies, The Sydney Morning Herald
- Charis Chang, news.com.au
- Josh Butler, The New Daily
- Martin Walters, 2SER
- Alexander Barwick, ABC Radio Alice Springs
- Fauziah Ibrahim, ABC News Breakfast
- Lindy Kerin, NITV
- Stela Todorovic, 10 News
The winners will be announced on Thursday, 18 November at the Media Awards online ceremony.
