Young Australian Journalist of the Year

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Established in 2008 by the Walkley Foundation for Journalism, the Young Australian Journalist of the Year award complements the prestigious Walkley Awards (Australia’s equivalent of the Pulitzer Prize).[1][2] It recognizes exceptional work across five categories by journalists aged 26 and under:

* Print
* Television
* Radio
* Online
* Photography

Category winners compete for the overall Young Australian Journalist of the Year title, selected by the Walkley Board.[1]

## Key Updates (2018–2024)

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1. New Category (2021): Added Student Journalist of the Year for university-level talent.[2]
2. Age Limit Flexibility: Extended to 30 during 2020–2022 due to COVID-19 career disruptions.[3]
3. Diversity Emphasis: Recent juries prioritize First Nations, regional, and climate reporting.[4]
4. Digital Expansion: Online category now includes podcasting and interactive storytelling.[5]

## 2008

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The awards were announced on 24 July 2008:

* Inaugural: Sophie McNeill of SBS-TV[6]
* Print: Ben Doherty, The Age
* Television: Sophie McNeill
* Radio: Michael Atkin, Triple J's "Hack"
* Online: Asher Moses, a reporter on the Sydney Morning Herald's website, for his story about politicians editing Wikipedia[7]
* Photography: Andrew Quilty, The Australian Financial Review

## 2009

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The awards were announced on 25 June 2009:

* Young Australian Journalist of the Year overall winner: Julia Medew, The Age
* Print: Julia Medew, The Age
* Television: Yaara Bou Melhem, SBS-TV
* Radio: Michael Atkin, Triple J "Hack"
* Online: Nic MacBean, ABC Online
* Photography: Sandie Bertrand, The West Australian

## References

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1. ^ "Award's website". Archived from the original on 18 July 2008. Retrieved 25 July 2008.
2. ^ "How and Why to Launch a CSD Student Ethics Contest". Blog post Digital Object Group. 8 September 2021. doi:10.1044/2021-0908-ethics-contest. Retrieved 15 July 2025.
3. ^ Skryl, Tatiana V.; Gregoric, Marina (2022), "Tourism in the Post-COVID Age", Post-COVID Economic Revival, Volume II, Cham: Springer International Publishing, pp. 239–254, doi:10.1007/978-3-030-83566-8_15, ISBN 978-3-030-83565-1
4. ^ not provided, greenfastdietsharktankreviews (18 November 2021). "[RETRACTED] SCAM ALERT!! Guardian Botanicals Blood Balance Australia – Does Guardian Botanicals Blood Balance Australia Really Work? v1". doi:10.17504/protocols.io.bz6sp9ee. `{{cite journal}}`: Cite journal requires `|journal=` (help)
5. ^ "Walkley, David B.", Benezit Dictionary of Artists, Oxford University Press, 31 October 2011, doi:10.1093/benz/9780199773787.article.b00193851, retrieved 15 July 2025
6. ^ "2008 Young Australian Journalists of the Year Winners". Archived from the original on 22 January 2009. Retrieved 25 July 2008.
7. ^ "Herald journalist gonged"