2024 Print/Text News Report

This series was the culmination of a near decade-long investigation into PFAS, or “forever chemicals”. It started with a world exclusive on manufacturer 3M’s alleged campaign to deceive the world about the dangers of forever chemicals and their presence in the blood of the general population.

The investigation harnessed the power of visual storytelling to explore the risks to consumers from 900 household products containing the chemicals. The team trawled through studies to identify the products affected, bringing the findings to life with graphics and illustrations, and interviewing experts and industry about the implications.

The team unearthed evidence that Australia’s drinking water supplies had been contaminated. With the help of a water quality researcher and freedom of information requests, they sifted through hundreds of samples to locate relevant data and make it intelligible.

Two weeks after the investigation was published, Sydney Water conducted widespread sampling for the first time, finding the chemicals at five of its nine filtration plants. The World Health Organisation recently declared that a notorious forever chemical is carcinogenic, vindicating the Herald’s ongoing efforts to challenge claims from parties with potential liability that the substances are not harmful.

Carrie Fellner is a three-time Walkley award winner. She joined the Newcastle Herald in 2016 and the SMH investigations team in 2018. Matthew Absalom-Wong is National Creative Director for The Age and SMH. This is his third Walkley. A Walkley-winning graphic artist at The Age since 2000, Matt Davidson regularly illustrates The Age and SMH weekend pages. Michael Evans spent 27 years at The Sydney Morning Herald, including seven years as investigations editor.