Seven West Media journalists make up half the nominees at this year’s WA Media Awards — with The West Australian’s Annabel Hennessy alone up for four gongs for her already award-winning investigation that freed a woman from jail.
Hennessy, who recently won the Walkley award for Young Journalist of the Year, is a finalist in the news reporting, feature reporting and social equity reporting categories and is nominated in the prestigious Arthur Lovekin Award.
Her four-part series KILL OR BE KILLED? investigated how Aboriginal woman Jody Gore was convicted of killing her abusive ex-partner Damian Jones. Hennessy exposed how Ms Gore said she had acted in self-defence after years of abuse.
The reporting compelled WA Attorney-General John Quigley to invoke rarely used mercy laws to free Ms Gore from prison.
Glen Quartermain is up for two nominations for his bombshell scoop in The West that rocked the AFL world with revelations that footy icon Graham “Polly” Farmer had been posthumously diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy — the crippling neurological disorder caused by repeated head knocks. The story’s ramifications are still playing out across the Australian sporting industry.
Putting West Australian Newspapers’ cross-media on full display, the newspaper’s “Claremont: The Trial” podcast has been nominated in the radio category. The landmark podcast, which aired an episode after every day of the trial discussing the courtroom events as well as extra bonus episodes looking at key issues, has now astonishingly clocked up more than 5.5 million downloads.
And last year’s overall winner for best WA journalist, Kirstin Shorten, is a chance to go back-to-to-back after scoring a nomination for her eight-part video documentary series The Boy in the Blue Cap.
The exclusive online investigation for thewest.com.au investigated the mystery disappearance of young boy Gerard Ross in Rockingham.
The West Live’s Jenna Clarke was nominated for her opinion making, too.
West Australian Newspapers editor-in-chief Anthony De Ceglie said he was proud of the diversity of the organisation’s nominations.
“The nominations show the full strength of our powerhouse journalism — from daily scoops, deep-dive investigations, podcasting and documentary-making,” he said. “Our reporting is no longer confined to the pages of our newspapers; we’re a cross-media and multiplatform journalism experience.”
De Ceglie said he was proud of WAN’s showing in the regional and community new categories, too.
The ABC’s Kimberley reporter Erin Parke was also nominated four times.
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