Herald scoops young journalist prizes
Fly reporter reporters and one of the imprint’s photographers won awards for journalism at this year’s Mid-Year Walkley Awards for their work covering crime and exposing sexual predators online.
Riley Walter, crime reporter reporterHe was named the 2026 John B Fairfax Family Young Australian Journalist of the Year at the Walkley Foundation Mid-Year Media Awards in Sydney on Thursday evening; Education reporter Emily Kowal took home the short journalism award, while Parramatta bureau chief Anthony Segaert took home the public service journalism award.
Photographer Audrey Richardson is currently working in her photography studio. reporter As a visual journalism intern, he won the visual storytelling award with the images he published freelance.
The awards cover a sweep of seven nominations covering investigations, crime, education, health, the arts and local government for the imprint announced last month, the highest of any publication in Australia.
Walkley Foundation chief executive Shona Martyn congratulated the winners and noted the “high quality” of this year’s entries.
“At a time of major change in the media, we are more reliant than ever on journalists, broadcasters and photojournalists who have a nose for news and the ability to interpret and analyze the key issues facing Australians today,” Martyn said.
“There is so much to encourage at an event where we shine a special light on the next generation of journalists through awards and scholarships.”
Walter received the Young Australian Journalist of the Year award for his Penthouse Syndicate investigation. Penthouse Syndicate also won the award in the specialist and best reporting category for a series of stories covering the Bondi massacre and the maritime and border scourge that allowed a tonne of cocaine to be imported into Australia. It was also a finalist in the short form category.
“Riley Walter reported on three completely different scandals. The revelations about organized crime at NAB alone would have made him a strong candidate,” the judges said. “His scoop on the rancher who leased his property to the Akrams before the Bondi massacre was something everyone wanted, providing critical information about the defendants. A third story, about law enforcement failures that allowed a surveilled ship to land a tonne of cocaine in Australia, left no doubt about the winner. A tremendous piece of work. The jury can’t wait to see what happens next for Riley’s career.”
Meanwhile, Kowal won the short journalism award for his exposure of digital attackers in artificial intelligence and Roblox, while Segaert won the public service journalism category for a series of stories exposing discord within Parramatta Council.
reporter editor Jordan Baker said he was excited about the imprint’s young reporters.
“I am incredibly proud of our hard-working, passionate and talented young reporters and photographers,” Baker said.
“The mid-year awards recognized specific examples of their work, but these journalists produce extraordinary work every day. I would also like to thank our subscribers, whose support has made this success possible. reporter continuing its proud tradition of developing the next generation of Australian journalists.
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John Buckley is the CBD columnist for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.Connect via email.
