Freelance journalist and filmmaker Daniel Clarke has been named South Australia’s 2023 Journalist of the Year at the 2023 SA Media Awards. Clarke was also recognised as Best Rural/Regional Journalist for the second straight year at the Awards ceremony held at Adelaide’s The Gallery on Friday, July 8.
“In a close race of journalistic excellence, Daniel Clarke emerged a narrow but clear winner,” the judging panel said.
It’s been a big year for Clarke, whose feature documentary – about the Kangaroo Island timber plantations saga that has split the community, tainted the highest office in South Australia and left a growing list of dangers in its wake – will premiere across Australia and New Zealand on the Fox Docos channel on Tuesday, August 15. It will then be available for streaming on Foxtel Now and Binge.
The documentary has been part-funded by Meta, in partnership with the Walkley Foundation.
Tarntanya/Adelaide-based journalist and author of the forthcoming book, Young Rupert: the making of the Murdoch Empire, Walter Marsh also won two categories at the SA Media Awards – Freelance Journalist and for a new award, Culture and Arts Report.
“Thank you to the SA Media Awards for this recognition, and the broader recognition of culture and arts reporting in the creation of this new category,” said Marsh.
Other award recipients included inDaily reporter Thomas Kelsall, winner of the Max Fatchen Award for Best Young Journalist, supported by Telstra, and Jessica Dempster, winner of the Julie Duncan Memorial Award for Student Journalism, supported by the University of South Australia.
The award, named after the late Walkley Award-winning Adelaide journalist Julie Duncan, is open to final-year students of the University of South Australia and recognises both excellence in journalism and academic study.
‘Inspirational storytelling, cutting through the pain of adversity’
Daniel Clarke’s dual-winning entry to the SA Media Awards explored complicated grief in a family bereaved by a suicide, post-traumatic stress symptoms in the wake of the brutal Kangaroo Island bushfires, and processing loss through art.
“These are clear examples of personal experiences through journalism enabling a wider community to better cope with loss and mental anguish,” the judging panel said.
“The stories in this body of work are compassionate, sensitive and skillfully translate his community’s pains and triumphs for a national audience. His nuanced and unflinching account of one community member’s suicide was a particular triumph.”
Deeply affected by the loss of friend Simon Wheaton, a pillar of the Kangaroo Island community who took his own life, Clarke worked closely with his family through grief “to tell his story in the hope of helping others, especially with the continued mental suffering of islanders since the Black Summer bushfires,” he said.
“Receiving this State Media Award is an acknowledgement of the importance of talking openly about this subject and I dedicate it to those we have lost and the families who have shown immense courage and trust to tell their stories. It also acts as a dedication to the tragic loss of community-minded mother Sarah Strong-Law on our roads.”
SA MEDIA AWARDS 2023: Complete winners’ list
TEXT FORMATS
News
supported by University of South Australia
- Riley Walter – The Advertiser – “Body of work”
Judges’ comments: Riley Walter’s reporting on a child’s tragic death – and its complicated circumstances – is outstanding. Beautifully, sensitively written and intelligently, empathetically framed, Walter gives a voice to the family impacted and doesn’t sensationalise. We couldn’t shortlist but admired Argyro Vourdoumpa’s savvy on-the-spot mining of a news story for her community.
Feature
supported by University of South Australia
- Lauren Novak – The Advertiser – “Facing My Father”
Judges’ comments: The judges were unanimous when it came to Lauren Novak’s story about Arman Abrahimzadeh and his decision to confront his father 12 years after he murdered his mother Zahra. It was clear that Lauren had researched her subject and, importantly in such a story, had developed a rapport with him. Her account of Arman’s shocking story was thoughtfully written and moving.
TELEVISION / VIDEO JOURNALISM
Feature
supported by Media Super
- Amelia Moseley – ABC News/Behind The News (BTN) – “Journey from Ukraine”
Judges’ comments: At a time when the invasion of Ukraine was reported so regularly and widely, Amelia’s work put a very human face on the conflict and connected viewers directly with these victims of it. Through the eyes of Taras, Nazar and Luka, their journey was told in a personal and engaging way. For an audience of all ages to experience and understand. The sheer volume of material showed how much effort and time had been spent to cultivate a relationship between the family and author. The piece is a detailed and honest account of lives torn apart by war. Yet filled with the hopeful perspective of the young. The judges were impressed by what was no doubt a meticulous effort, to tell an often-told tale with a fresh voice.
News Reporting
supported by Media Super
- Ethan Rix and camera operator Steve Opie – ABC News – “River Murray Flood Emergency”
Judges’ comments: Ethan and Steve’s stories from the unfolding Murray River flood emergency stood out for the timely, original and empathetic way they were done. They managed to find fresh angles on a story that was receiving widespread coverage and did well to capture the urgency and potential human cost of the event through their vivid portrayals of the characters at its centre.
RADIO / AUDIO JOURNALISM
Feature Based on a Single Story
supported by MEAA
- Megan Spencer – Shrine of Remembrance – “Defending with Pride: Voices”
Judges’ comments: Megan’s podcasts used sensitive, empathetic interviews and high production values to convey the pain and resilience of Australian military service men and women impacted by discrimination. Megan clearly built a high level of trust with the talent, and used the powerful interviews she got as a result to weave a nuanced picture of past military culture and its long legacy. The resulting work is a compelling contribution to ongoing public truth-telling about a powerful national institution.
VISUAL STORYTELLING
supported by Media Super
- Lincoln Rothall – ABC – “War in Ukraine”
Judges’ comments: Navigating the challenges of time zones and war zones, Lincoln demonstrated significant courage to cover the ongoing war in Ukraine. The public impact of being on the ground can’t be underestimated. Lincoln’s cinematography, farming, storytelling and use of drones demonstrated a high technical ability. His ability to turn around imagery is to be commended.
MULTIMEDIA NEWS OR FEATURE
supported by MEAA
- Nicholas Maher – ABC’s Behind the News (BTN) – “Woman, Life, Freedom: Iran Explained (Series)”
Judges’ comments: A well-researched, informative and nuanced series of Instagram and TikTok stories that helped deliver complex insights on the “Protests in Iran” to a likely younger audience of news-consumers, who may not access news through traditional means. Judges agreed Nicholas Maher’s use of the social media platforms, combined with excellent research and interviews made this entry a standout.
SA MEDIA AWARDS ALL MEDIA (INCLUDING ONLINE PUBLICATIONS)
Best Rural/Regional Journalist
supported by Stories Well Told
- Daniel Clarke – Freelance Journalist – “Legacy of Islanders We Lost”
Judges’ comments: Daniel Clark’s body of work reflects his obvious and deep connection to his Kangaroo Island community. The stories in this body of work are compassionate, sensitive and skillfully translate his community’s pains and triumphs for a national audience. His nuanced and unflinching account of one community member’s suicide was a particular triumph.
Business, Economics or Finance Report
supported by MEAA
- Royce Kurmelovs – BBC/The Guardian – “Gone Ballistic”
Judges’ comments: Despite working with the limited resources of a freelance journalist, Royce Kurmelovs’ series on lithium mining in Australia was nationally significant and reflected a true depth of understanding. The pieces thoughtfully educated readers about the issues arising from lithium’s extraction. In particular, his contribution to the BBC reflected the journalist’s expert level knowledge which he in turn made very digestible for lay readers.
Commentary, Analysis, Opinion and Critique
supported by MEAA
- Rory McClaren – ABC News – “Body of work”
Judges’ comments: Rory’s incisive work displays excellent analytical skills as he explores how politics is woven into the fabric of daily life. This is a reporter who knows his beat inside-out, and his clear, concise breakdowns are ably supported by charts, graphics and references, which all contribute to the impact of his columns. The judges would also like to commend Jane Howard on her perceptive and lyrical work in the important field of arts criticism.
Culture and Arts Report
supported by MEAA
- Walter Marsh – Freelance Journalist – “Adelaide Festival 2022”
Judges’ comments: The judges were impressed by the strength and variety of the entries in this new category and found it difficult to decide on three finalists. It was a tight finish, but Walter Marsh’s quality writing and breadth of coverage stood out. The judges would like to note the immense research and unique context Thomas Kelsall brought to his important piece and congratulate all entrants for their work.
Freelance Journalist
supported by MEAA
- Walter Marsh – “Body of work”
Judges’ comments: Walter’s entry Body of Work exemplified the skillsets of a freelancer: versatility, readability, adaptability and being able to produce a good story out of nothing (in this case, googly eyes). His three stories were a mix of light and shade, and showed his ability to to turn his hand to a variety of subjects and writing styles. The other finalists in the category were also of a high quality, but Walter’s entry stood out for the quality of his writing and storytelling ability.
Investigative Journalism
supported by Media Super
- Brad Crouch – News Corp – “WCH kids at risk”
Judges’ comments: This was a very hard category to judge with many strong contenders. Ultimately Brad’s was the winner because it was an excellent and traditional investigation showcasing good use of sources with a powerful result. The judges would like to highlight the Stephanie Richards investigative series for its commitment to victims of sexual harassment and assault; a strong body of work, and this made judging the winner for this category very difficult. ‘Cost of Going Green’ was a very in-depth piece that highlighted critical and complex issues in an engaging way. The judges applauded the amount of work that went into this.
Social Equity Report
supported by South Australian Council of Social Service (SACOSS
- Michael McGuire – The Advertiser – “Ice epidemic”
Judges’ comments: The judges were impressed with the high quality of submissions in this category but felt Michael McGuire had excelled in capturing important, emotional and impactful human stories that put very real and inspiring faces forward to highlight the problem of Methamphetamine use in South Australia. Blending exclusives about funding shortfalls and bureaucratic holdups, with deeply personal stories of those who have come out the other side of their drug use, resulted in a series of articles that highlighted the personal tragedy and broad impact of this important social issue.
Sports Report
supported by Media Super
- Liz Walsh – The Advertiser – “Women’s football”
Judges’ comments: The judges were thoroughly impressed by the exceptional quality of sports journalism showcased by Liz Walsh. Her ability to craft compelling narratives, combined with her thorough research and attention to detail seamlessly weaved together compelling storytelling and expert analysis. The judges unanimously acknowledged Liz as an outstanding contributor to the field of sports journalism.
MAJOR AWARDS
Julie Duncan Memorial Award for Student Journalism
supported by University of South Australia
- Winner: Jessica Dempster
- Highly Commended: Amelia Walters
About Jessica: Jessica Dempster’s first piece of journalism was published in her first year of journalism study at UniSA. She has continued to publish since, with topics ranging across community recovery after bushfires and poetry and the arts on the Limestone Coast for Writers SA. She writes and photographs her stories. In 2022, she received a National Nine News Student Journalism Award for TV journalism, and was Highly Commended in the national student journalism awards, The Ossies, for a feature on how COVID was affecting long-distance truck drivers.
Jess is engaged in and contributes to UniSA student journalism outlets, On the Record and Unicast, taking committee and leadership positions, and hosts and produces a radio program. She has received a University Chancellor’s Letter of Commendation and two University Merit Awards for excellent levels of academic achievement.
About Amelia: Amelia commits herself to writing stories about the things that matter – including sexual harassment in the South Australian hospitality industry and keeping community television on our screens. She tells these stories as written features, and audio and video stories. She is also highly engaged and committed, internally and externally.
She is President of the UniCast Radio Station, a full-time journalist with On The Record, and Verse magazine, and has worked as a news presenter and producer for Channel 44’s SA Sports Show. She is an academic high-achiever, a student ambassador for journalism and has been selected to complete her internship with SBS in Sydney, where she will work with the Insight team.
The Max Fatchen Award for Best Young Journalist
supported by Telstra
- Thomas Kelsall – Solstice Media/InDaily – “InDaily reporting 2022”
Judges’ comments: The judges chose Thomas Kelsall as the winner of the SA young journalist of the year because his body of work demonstrated deep engagement with a wide variety of topics. From poker machines to the political impact of a paramedic-driven social media campaign to the impact of urban development on live music venues. Thomas’ work was well researched, original, and contained a wide variety of voices from all sides of the issues he was covering.
Journalist of the Year
supported by University of South Australia
- Daniel Clarke – Freelance Journalist – “Legacy of Islanders We Lost”
Judges’ comments: In a close race of journalistic excellence, Daniel Clarke emerged a narrow but clear winner. His ability over time to gain the trust and respect of a grieving family to tell their story in the aftermath of the devastating bushfires and then the loss of a husband and father was outstanding. Daniel’s ‘Islander Lifesaver’ article was also inspirational storytelling, cutting through the pain of adversity and the fostering of mate ship. These are examples of personal experiences through journalism enabling a wider community to better cope with loss and mental anguish. He, along with the other finalists, are to be congratulated.
See also:
ABC’s Gabriella Marchant wins Journalist of the Year at 2022 SA Media Awards