Press Council calls for 2018 Press Freedom medal nominations
The Australian Press Council is calling for nominations for its Press Freedom Medal.
The announcement:
The Australian Press Council is calling for nominations for its Press Freedom Medal, to be awarded to an individual who has demonstrated extraordinary commitment or service to the cause of press freedom.
The winner will be announced and a presentation made at a special ceremony in Sydney on or around World Press Freedom Day, 3 May 2018.
In 2016, Press Freedom Medals were awarded at the Press Council’s 40th Anniversary Conference to leading investigative journalists Kate McClymont (Fairfax Media) and Paul Maley (The Australian). In 2017, the recipients were Peter Timmins, of the Open Government Partnership Network, and Michael Cameron, National Editorial Counsel for News Corp Australia.
“Advocating for freedom of the press is one of the many important responsibilities of the Press Council,” said the Council’s Chair Neville Stevens. “It is entirely in keeping with such a responsibility that we continue to identify and honour individuals who have made an exemplary contribution to ensuring that press freedom is protected and enhanced in Australia.”
Nominees can be journalists or editors or other individuals such as members of the legal profession, educators or whistleblowers whose work has supported press freedom or cast light upon important issues in Australian society in a way fully consistent with the Press Council’s Standards of Practice.
Nominations may be made by members of the public, any member of the Council and its Secretariat, or any publication that is a member of the Press Council. The nomination period commences on 5 February 2018 and closes on 5 March 2018.
A Press Council subcommittee will shortlist no more than three nominees. Council members will then select the appropriate recipient or recipients. The Press Council may decide to make no award in a given year.
The Council had awarded Press Freedom Medals prior to 2016, but the honour was reserved for people affiliated with the organisation. It was decided in 2016 to revitalise the award and open it up more broadly.
For more information about the Press Freedom Medal, contact the Director of Research and Communications by email at michael.rose@presscouncil.org. au or by telephone: 0451 978 276. Submit nominations, along with reasons why the individual should be considered for the award, to standards@presscouncil.org.au.
Source: Press Council
