Jewel Topsfield wins the 2016 Lowy Institute Media Award
Fairfax Media Indonesia correspondent Jewel Topsfield has won the 2016 Lowy Institute Media Award for her reporting on Indonesia and the bilateral relationship with Australia in the aftermath of the execution of several Australians in Indonesia and the cash-for-turnbacks allegations.
Lowy Institute Executive Director Dr Michael Fullilove said: “Few countries are so close and yet so different as Indonesia and Australia. Jewel Topsfield’s reporting has helped Australians to better understand our neighbour to the north. She is a worthy winner of the 2016 Lowy Institute Media Award.”
The editor-in-chief of the Sydney Morning Herald Darren Goodsir said the award recognised Jewel’s outstanding dedication.
“This is testament to her prowess in interpreting the complex Indonesian story in a way that resonates with Australian readers,” he said. “It also underscores the importance of Fairfax Media’s commitment to our own foreign coverage.”
Topsfield was awarded a $20,000 cash prize.
This year’s other Lowy Institute Media Award finalists were:
- Amanda Hodge, South East Asia Correspondent Jakarta – The Australian
- Nick McKenzie, Richard Baker, Michael Bachelard and Daniel Quinlan – The Age Investigations team in conjunction with the Huffington Post
- Eric Tlozek, Papua New Guinea Correspondent – ABC
- Philip Wen, China Correspondent – Fairfax Media
The judging panel for the 2016 Lowy Institute Media Award was comprised of journalist Monica Attard, author Anna Funder, former DFAT Secretary Peter Varghese, Lowy Institute Board Member Mark Ryan and Lowy Institute Executive Director Dr Michael Fullilove.
The Lowy Institute Media Award, now in its fourth year, was established to recognise journalists who have deepened and enriched the discussion of global issues in Australia. Finalists are selected on the basis of the topicality of their reporting, influence on the public debate, the originality of the reporting, and the quality of the written or broadcast work.
The previous winners of the Lowy Institute Media Award were John Garnaut of Fairfax Media (2013), Hayden Cooper of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (2014) and Paul Maley of The Australian (2015).
