Bethany Atkinson-Quinton and Madison Griffiths have been announced as the winner of the 2022 Our Watch Award, administered by the Walkley Foundation, for an episode of their Tender podcast.
Winner: 2022 Our Watch Award
Administered by the Walkley Foundation
Bethany Atkinson-Quinton and Madison Griffiths, Broadwave, “Tender: Roia Atmar”
Their win was announced at the Walkley Foundation’s Mid-Year Celebration of Journalism in Sydney this evening.
The judges said: “This podcast series is raw and powerful storytelling at its best. It unpacks with care and diligence the complexities of what happens after a woman leaves an abusive relationship. It is thoughtfully articulated through Roia Atmar’s own story, interwoven with voices from other advocates and leaves us with a deeper, more nuanced understanding about gendered violence and what it is really like to be a survivor. Thank you for this incredible piece of work.”
Our Watch CEO Patty Kinnersly said the calibre of the work demonstrates how far we’ve come in understanding the issue of violence against women and what powerful and responsible journalism looks like.
“We have evolved from simply reporting on violence, to analysing it, truly understanding the gendered drivers of it and building trust in giving victim survivors a voice to tell their stories. Bethany Atkinson-Quinton and Madison Griffiths carefully and responsibly created a safe space for Roia Atmar to be the lead storyteller. This podcast makes the far too common story of violence against women more accessible and powerfully relatable via Roia’s voice, and in doing so, encourages us all to invest in respectful relationships.
“I congratulate these exceptional journalists for the quality and care of their work, and for the bar they have set in reporting on this critically important topic.”
The judges also acknowledge the high standard of the two other finalists:
- Natassia Chrysanthos and David Leser, Good Weekend and Good Weekend Talks, Sydney Morning Herald, “Sex, schoolkids and where it all goes wrong” and “‘What heartache or trauma could have been avoided?’: teen hook-up culture’s social fallout”
- Karla Grant, Ross Turner, Michael Carey and Nick O’Brien, NITV, “Carly and Keenan: Struggle of Our Lives”
The judging panel comprised:
- Liz Burke, News.com.au
- Tarla Lambert, Women’s Agenda
- Lin Evlin, SBS
Bethany Atkinson-Quinton and Madison Griffiths were awarded their trophy alongside all the winners in the Walkley Foundation’s 2022 Mid-Year Celebration of Journalism. Peer-judged and selected on the basis of journalistic excellence, the Mid-Year Celebration suite administered by the Walkley Foundation includes the John B Fairfax Family Young Australian Journalist of the Year Awards, June Andrews Award for Industrial Relations Reporting, June Andrews Award for Freelance Journalist of the Year, June Andrews Award for Women’s Leadership in Media, Our Watch Award, Media Diversity Australia Award, Humanitarian Storytelling Award, June Andrews Award for Arts Journalism and The Pascall Prize for Arts Criticism.
–ENDS–
MEDIA CONTACT
Lex Guider, Our Watch Media and Communications Manager
P: 0423 444 907
ABOUT OUR WATCH
Our Watch is a national leader in Australia’s work to stop violence against women and their children before it starts. The organisation was created to drive nation-wide change in the structures, norms and practices that lead to violence against women and children.
BACKGROUND
Our Watch has been recognising and rewarding excellence in reporting on violence against women and children since 2013, initially through the Our Watch Awards – administered by the Walkley Foundation – and from 2019 onwards through the Our Watch Award at the Walkley Mid-Year Celebration. The objective of Our Watch’s ongoing work with the Walkley Foundation is to improve the quality of reporting on violence against women and their children by building awareness of gender inequality as setting the underlying context for this violence. To access guides for reporting about violence against women and their children, visit: media.ourwatch.org.au
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