The Walkley Foundation has revised the Terms and Conditions for entry to the Walkley Awards for Excellence in Journalism.
Stories and interviews that are paid for will not be eligible for a Walkley Award. Allowance will be made for reasonable/minimal payment and/or reimbursement of expenses.
The Chair of the Walkley Judging Board Sally Neighbour said: “The Walkley Foundation will not condone or reward chequebook journalism. The events of last year, which saw the board remove the finalist status of an entry, highlighted the need to strengthen the Foundation’s policy on this issue. We are confident these changes reflect and strengthen the Walkleys’ commitment to the highest levels of integrity and excellence in Australian journalism.”
Entrants must now, at the time of entry, declare and quantify in detail all payments, inducements, or benefits over a total value of $200, provided to interviewees, participants in stories, their representatives, or other related parties, either directly or via other means, including value-in-kind benefits.
All such payments and benefits must be declared whether provided before, during, or following the publication of the relevant story or series of stories.
Benefits that must be declared include payment or reimbursement for accommodation, hotels, flights, taxis, rideshare services, entertainment, event tickets, and any other service or activity that constitutes a benefit to the recipient.
Ahead of the judging process, the Walkley Foundation will scrutinise entries where journalists declare that a benefit has been given in the preparation of stories and interviews.
The Foundation reserves the right to request further information, including receipts, invoices, or other documentation in order to determine whether an application for entry into the Awards will be approved. Compliance with such a request is a condition of entry to the Awards.
Where the Foundation determines, in its absolute discretion, that disproportionate payments or benefits have been provided, that entry may be disqualified from the Walkley Awards and any nomination or award given to the relevant entrants may be revoked.
Entrants will be contacted to discuss their entry prior to any decision on disqualification.
The decisions of the Walkley Foundation on breaches of Terms and Conditions and Eligibility for entry are final.
Entries for the 69th Walkley Awards open on 1 July, 2024 and the winners will be announced in Sydney on 19 November, 2024. The revised Terms and Conditions for the Walkley Awards will be available on our website when entries open.
Media Enquiries:
James Gorman, Communication Manager, the Walkley Foundation