John Garnaut wins inaugural Lowy Institute Media Award

The Lowy Institute is pleased to announce that John Garnaut is the winner of the inaugural Lowy Institute Media Award.

The Fairfax correspondent was awarded a $5000 cash prize and return airline travel to Asia, as well as a special trophy. Other finalists selected by the judges were Trevor Bormann (ABC, Foreign Correspondent), Rowan Callick (News Corp, The Australian), and Jo Chandler (Freelancer, The Global Mail).

‘John Garnaut's reporting generated impressive insights about China, a country of immense importance to Australia,’ said Lowy Institute Executive Director Dr Michael Fullilove, who was a member of the Media Award judging panel.

‘His fine stories on Bo Xilai and the leadership transition in Beijing helped illuminate China for Australians. They also made him a sought-after China commentator around the world. The Lowy Institute Media Award was established to recognise exactly this kind of achievement and ambition,’ said Dr Fullilove.

The 2013 winner was decided by a panel of eminent judges: comprising former Australian foreign minister Alexander Downer, multi award-winning journalists Jana Wendt and Max Uechtritz, Lowy Institute Board Director Mark Ryan and Lowy Institute Executive Director Dr Michael Fullilove.

The prize was awarded during a ceremony at the Lowy Institute’s Bligh Street headquarters.  The keynote address for the ceremony was delivered by Nick Warner AP PSM, Director-General of the Australian Secret Intelligence Service. Warner made a speech in tribute to his late father, distinguished war correspondent Denis Warner OBE CMG. The Lowy Institute intends to honour past Australian foreign correspondents such as Denis Warner at each year’s Award ceremony.

'I don't know if there could be a greater privledge than doing what I have been doing; being the Fairfax correspondent, and explaing China to Australia. It's encouraging to know that people want to know how China works, ' said John Garnaut.

The Lowy Institute Media Award was established to acknowledge Australian journalists (in print, broadcast, online) who through a single piece of reporting or commentary, or series of reports, have deepened the knowledge or shaped discussion of international policy issues in Australia over the last year. Finalists are selected on the basis of the topicality of their reporting, its originality and influence on the public debate, as well as the quality of the written work or broadcast.   

For more information visit: www.lowyinstitute.org/media-award