Seven West Media has been recognised for its journalism excellence, claiming four categories at the prestigious Kennedy Awards.
The winners of 37 categories were announced on Friday including journalists, producers and editors from across 7NEWS, Spotlight, 7NEWS Digital and The West Australian.
The Spotlight reporting team of Phil Goyen, Sarah Greenhalgh and Ben Fogarty took out the Outstanding Crime Reporting category with their story Sextortion: Teens, Tech and Tragedy.
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7NEWS Chief Reporter Chris Reason also won Outstanding Investigative Reporting for The Bishop of Broome and 7NEWS Digital won Outstanding Documentary for The Devils Outback Playground.
The documentary, produced by Stefan Mitchell, Nicholas Gane and Lucy Hatcher, is available to stream on 7Plus and YouTube.
Christopher Saunders, the former Bishop of Broome, was arrested months after 7NEWS revealed the details of a top-secret Vatican investigation ordered by Pope Francis. He is the highest-ranked Catholic in Australia currently facing child sex offences.
Chris Reason, Nicholas Gane and Lucy Hatcher. Credit: Salty Dingo
Reason said he was “extremely honoured to win each of these prestigious journalism prizes”.
“The arrest of the former Bishop of Broome Christopher Saunders this year was the culmination of four years of investigative journalism,” he said.
“I would like to pay tribute to our invaluable sources in the story – the church insider who leaked the Vatican report, the whistleblower priest who lost his job and had to move interstate, and the Bishop’s secretary who left her job and is still dealing with the mental health impact. Without them, our broadcasts would not have been possible.
“They were vital in the work that was done and I salute their assistance.”
He thanked senior cameraman Simon Hydzik “for the countless hours he worked on this assignment”, the 7NEWS Digital Team for their “extraordinary efforts” and the 7NEWS leadership team for “backing this story every step of the way”.
“It’s an important reminder that behind the difficult headlines of recent months, there is seriously outstanding journalism being delivered day after day by our incredible team at 7NEWS. I am so proud of the work we do.”
Senior Video Producer Nicholas Gane said it was “amazing to see a piece of content edited on my own home computer reach such large audiences across Australia and the globe”.
“This truly showcases the power of digital-led and focused video content.”
Jakeb Waddell with his award. Credit: Kennedy Foundation/Salty Dingo
The West Australian’s Sports Editor Jakeb Waddell was also awarded Outstanding Three Headlines for AH, KANE HAS DONE IT AGAIN, NO CHANCE IN VFL and TAKES ONE TO NO.1.
“I am absolutely honoured to have been recognised at such a prestigious event and perhaps even more honoured that I managed to win for headlines that did not mention the words ‘Harley’ or ‘Reid’,” Waddell said.
“While I am grateful for the individual accolade, I believe it is reflective of the incredible work of my sport team at The West as you can’t have a great headline without a ripping story to attach it to.”
SWM Kennedy Award winners
Outstanding Crime Reporting
Phil Goyen, Sarah Greenhalgh and Ben Fogarty for “Sextortion: Teens, Tech and Tragedy” – Spotlight
Outstanding Investigative Reporting
Chris Reason for “The Bishop of Broome” – 7NEWS
Outstanding Documentary
7News Digital Team for “The Devils Outback Playground” – 7PLUS
Outstanding 3 Headlines
Jakeb Waddell for “AH, KANE HAS DONE IT AGAIN”, “NO CHANCE IN VFL” and “TAKES ONE TO NO.1” – The West Australian
Source : 7news.com.au
Author : News7
Publish date : 2024-08-16 22:42:42
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