At the Press Club’s ceremony on Friday night, Jemma Chapman won the gold award for her exclusive InDaily stories about the neglect of a patient in a government-run Adelaide care facility.
Her series of reports on the case ended with an independent inquiry finding “serious failings” with the man’s care and an analysis of how the state government’s response raised concerns about its ability to recognise and fix disability care issues.
Chapman’s reporting on the case also won the award for Best Investigative Coverage of an issue or event in any medium, with the ABC’s Rory McLaren highly commended and the ABC’s Isabel Dayman and Nine’s Ben Avery also commended.
Chapman’s exclusive story also saw her named joint winner of Best News Report in print or digital, along with News Corp’s Nigel Hunt who was recognised for ‘Gang wars – Operation Meld’.
InDaily’s Simon Royal won Best Feature in print or digital for ‘Named, shamed, interrogated while dying: The women the law put last’, a special report about South Australia’s pre-law reform backyard abortions, written in the wake of the US Supreme Court overturning Roe v Wade.
InDaily’s Michael Errey won Best Sports Photograph for his great shot of Port Adelaide’s Mitch Georgiades taking a screamer against Geelong.
CityMag, published by InDaily owner Solstice Media, was also recognised in the awards.
CityMag editor Johnny von Einem was commended in Best Feature category for ‘Workers call out hospo industry’s sexual assault problem’, with News Corp’s Michael McGuire highly commended, while von Einem was also commended for ‘Pitching at the edge’ in the Best Finance or Business report in any medium, won by the ABC’s Eric Tlozek.
CityMag’s Angela Skujins and von Einem, along with Solstice Podcasting and Solstice editorial director David Washington, were highly commended in the Best News Feature, Podcast of Long Form radio report for their Notes on Adelaide podcast: The weight of Wangayarta, about the historic burial of 130 Old People’s remains at a purpose-built Kaurna memorial site in Adelaide’s north, with ABC Radio Adelaide taking out the category.
InDaily editor Dave Eccles said it was Solstice Media’s most successful awards night so far.
“It’s gratifying to see our original, public interest journalism recognised by media industry peers,” he said.
“Our small but committed team spends the time to dig up and shine a light on stories that matter, exploring and exposing issues that authorities would prefer we didn’t.
“Our journalism and its impact shows again why it’s important for South Australia to have an alternative, independent media voice outside of, and prepared to question, the status quo.”
The ABC’s Isabel Dayman won Best Long Form Television Report for a story about ambulance ramping, with the ABC’s Meagan Dillon commended.
News Corp’s Riley Walter won Best Scoop of the Year in any medium, with Nigel Hunt highly commended and Meagan Dillon commended.
Riley was also named joint Young Journalist of the Year, along with the ABC’s Bec Whetham.
Anisha Pillarisetty took out UniSA’s Student Journalism Award, with Lauren Wisgard runner-up, while veteran broadcaster Keith Conlon was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award.
Chapman recently left InDaily to take up a job with the State Government as a media adviser.
A full list of SA Press Club 2022 awards can be found here.
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