Women in media may earn less, have lower status roles and get promoted at a slower pace than their male colleagues, according to a recent New Matilda report, but at last night’s Walkley Awards in Brisbane it was the women who took out the majority of awards, including the big two.
Newcastle Herald journalist Joanne McCarthy and Australian Story presenter Caroline Jones led an impressive roll call of women who walked away with a Walkley award.
Joanne McCarthy got a standing ovation when she was awarded the prestigious Gold Walkley for her relentless pursuit of the truth about the sexual abuse of children by Catholic clergy in Newcastle and the Hunter Valley. The 350 articles she wrote over seven years led to a royal commission. “Thousands of Australians share your passion for justice,” former prime minister Julia Gillard famously wrote in a letter to McCarthy on the night that she lost the leadership vote. In her acceptance speech McCarthy noted that although she had never intended to be a journalist (she wanted to be a librarian but a journalism cadetship got in the way), “I feel really good about the work I do”.
Women In Media patron Caroline Jones was celebrated for her outstanding contribution to journalism. With a career spanning 50 years, she was the first woman given a significant role in current affairs. She was the first female journalist on the ABC’s This Day Tonight and the first woman to host Four Corners. A newspaper article on her Four Corners appointment half a century ago carried the headline: ‘Girl To Host Four Corners’. During her Walkleys speech she spoke at length about the importance of mentoring young women. Jones is an outstanding role model for female journalists. The line of the night belonged to Jones: “I bet you’re dying to know what the ABC pays me”.
Nineteen of the 34 awards were won by women or a team of people containing at least one woman. I have listed them below to give them due recognition for their achievement and as a reminder to all of the incredible depth of female talent in the media right now.
Press Photographer of the Year: Fairfax Media’s Kate Geraghty.
Coverage of Community & Regional Affairs winners: Newcastle Herald’s Joanne McCarthy.
Social Equity Journalism: The Sydney Morning Herald’s Sarah Whyte.
Multi-media Storytelling: The Guardian’s Katharine Viner, Lee Glendinning and Madhvi Pankhania.
Coverage of Indigenous Affairs: Griffith Review’s Kathy Marks.
Sports Journalism: 7.30‘s Caro Meldrum-Hanna.
Radio/Audio, Documentary, Feature, Podcast or Special: Radio National’s Sarah Dingle.
Feature Writing Long: Griffith Review’s Melissa Lucashenko.
Cartoon: The Sydney Morning Herald’s Cathy Wilcox.
Coverage of a Major News Event or Issue: The Age’s Caroline Wilson.
Business Journalism: Fairfax Media’s Adele Ferguson.
International Journalism: The Australian’s Amanda Hodge.
News Reporting: Seven Network’s Paula Doneman.
Daily Current Affairs: Lateline’s Suzanne Smith.
Investigative Journalism: Foreign Correspondent’s Vivien Altman.
TV/AV Weekly Current Affairs: Foreign Correspondent’s Vivien Altman.
Interview: SBS Insight’s Jenny Brockie.
Commentary, Analysis, Opinion and Critique: The Age’s Caroline Wilson.
Walkley Book Award: Pamela Williams for Killing Fairfax.
It was an inspirational night for female journalists with an impressive roll call of women gripping a prized trophy by the end. It would be a travesty if any of those women are paid less than their male counterparts.