Eleven new Australian journalism projects will share in just over $180,000 of funding support, thanks to the new Walkley Solutions Journalism Fund.
The Fund was launched in 2024, offering up to $30,000 each for projects or stories that focus on the solution to a problem, rather than the traditional approach of, ‘if it bleeds, it leads’. Solutions journalism involves stories about how people are trying to solve widely shared problems, using the same editorial rigour and independence as traditional hard news reporting.
From the 42 applications received, the independent judging panel deliberated and selected 11 projects to receive grant funding.
Six individuals and five organisations, from Western Australia, the Northern Territory, Victoria and New South Wales will receive amounts ranging from $5000 up to $25,000. They propose varied and exciting journalism projects on complex topics including public health, women-led start-ups, Indigenous business, domestic violence, medical misogyny, carbon footprints, HIV and the LGBTIQA+ community, bushfire resilience and regional and rural mental health.
This is the first time the Walkley Solutions Journalism Fund has been open to applications. The Fund is supported by the Walkley Foundation Public Fund with assistance from the Meta Australian News Fund.
The Chief Executive of the Walkley Foundation, Shona Martyn, said it was exciting to see the huge range of the projects that will get off the ground around Australia, thanks to this fund. “This is a positive project in a time of negativity, misinformation and disinformation. The fund allows stories that might not otherwise proceed due to lack of resources to go ahead. Stories that accentuate the positive and look at solutions to problems will reach news audiences as a result.”
The successful grantees are:
Individual recipients, clockwise from top-left: Nina Funnell, Grace Jennings Edquist, Liz Keen, Graeme Watson, Dellaram Vreeland, Annamarie Reyes. (Photos: supplied)
Individuals:
- Nina Funnell, NSW
- Grace Jennings Edquist, VIC
- Liz Keen, NSW
- Annamarie Reyes, NSW
- Dellaram Vreeland, VIC
- Graeme Watson, WA
Organisations:
- Star Mail: ‘Building Resilience for Fire’, VIC
- Women’s Agenda: ‘Beyond the Pitch- Bridging the Gender Funding Gap for Female Founders’, NSW
- Illawarra Flame: ‘Prevention is the best medicine’, NSW
- The Centralian Today: ‘Community Solutions to Youth Crime in Alice Springs/Mparntwe’, NT
- Indigenous Business Review, WA
An independent judging panel of Australian Solutions Journalism experts reviewed the applications over a five-week period then met to deliberate and decide which projects were most eligible for funding. The judges were:
- Ann Cordiner, ABC
- Associate Professor Alexandra Wake, RMIT
- Dr Victoria Fielding, The University of Adelaide
- Andrea Ho, ABC, AFTRS
–ENDS–
Media Contacts:
The Walkley Foundation:
- Sian Gard on 0403 258 054 or at sian.gard@walkleys.com
- James Gorman on +414 990 480 or at james.gorman@walkleys.com