The Caroline Jones Women in Media Young Journalist’s Award

Supported by Women in Media and the National Press Club of Australia

We deeply mourn the loss of our co-patron Caroline Jones, but we are honoured to continue one of her proudest legacies – the award which bears her name and which seeks to elevate the importance of reportage by female journalists working across our regions.

For the sixth year, Women in Media Australia, in partnership with the National Press Club of Australia, is calling for entries for the country’s pre-eminent award for up-and-coming regional reporters.

The Caroline Jones Women in Media Young Journalist’s Award recognises tenacity and passion for the craft of journalism from young women working across rural and regional Australia.

It seeks to immerse the award winner in an intensive experience of journalism, politics and government in Canberra and to open doors to the experience and generosity of some of the country’s top female journalists.

THE AWARD INCLUDES:

A $2500 personal learning fund
Travel to Canberra with five nights’ accommodation
Attend a National Press Club lunch and ask a question
Mentorship from the members of the Women in Media Canberra committee
The winner will spend time in a variety of Canberra and Press Gallery newsrooms during the week

This award seeks to foster commitment and passion for journalism among young women practitioners in rural and regional Australia.

It is named in honour of Caroline Jones AO, a ground-breaking journalist who joined the ABC in 1963 and became the first female reporter for This Day Tonight. She reported for Four Corners between 1972-1981 before presenting Radio National’s Search for Meaning program. In 1996, Jones became the presenter of Australian Story.

Caroline was the national co-patron of Women in Media, a mentoring, networking, and professional development initiative for Australian women in media modelled on a successful group first established in Western Australia in 2005.

The award is the first of its kind in encouraging young female rural and regional journalists to experience first-hand the complexities of the media and political landscape across the nation’s capital.

It is a life-changing, horizon-broadening and immersive prize, exposing the winner to the institutions of Canberra, including the Press Gallery and National Press Club.

It also brings them into contact with the Women in Media network – providing mentorship, guidance, and insights from Canberra’s most prominent female journalists.

“This award is offered as a tribute to the women who, sometimes far from colleagues or mentors, choose to cover regional or remote areas of our country, reporting on local issues which are often of vital national interest,” Jones said.

“Maybe it’s because I come from the bush; or because my grandfather Ashley Pountney was editor of the first newspapers in north-west NSW, this award is close to my heart.”

WINNER: Jessica Klein - News Corp Australia

Women in Media is delighted to announce Jessica Klein as the winner of the Caroline Jones Women in Media Young Journalist’s Award for 2024.

Jessica is a reporter with News Corp Australia, working within the regional news team, covering the Southern Downs and Granite Belt region on Queensland’s southern border. An early-career journalist, Jessica’s winning portfolio of work focused on a series of social justice articles tackling domestic violence, homelessness and hospice care for the elderly. While her stories relate to specific regional communities, her themes have national relevance, and her work reflected her strong commitment to giving voice to the voiceless.

Savannah Pocock, who writes for the Byron Shire News, entered a strong selection of stories which have been highly commended by the judges. Her work looked at legal responses to domestic violence and sexual-based violence against women as well as homelessness and poverty in the Byron Shire.

The Caroline Jones Women in Media Young Journalist’s Award recognises tenacity and passion for the craft of journalism from young women working across rural and regional Australia. It is run with the support of the National Press Club of Australia and Bond University.

This year’s judges included Women in Media national board member Danielle Cronin, former Women in Media national co-convener Cath Webber and Women in Media Canberra convenor Emma Macdonald.

Cath said, “The late Caroline Jones would have been so proud of the high calibre of entries from across Australia. The entrants’ work covered a diverse range of topics of importance to their rural and regional areas, yet of great national interest.”

Of Jessica’s winning entry, Danielle said, “It is impressive to see an early-career journalist exploring important social justice issues, including domestic and family violence, rental affordability, and aged care, through a regional lens. It is clear from reading her stories that Jessica is a talented reporter who should benefit greatly from this award.”

Cath said, “Jessica’s storytelling is solid and has heart, which is critical when hoping to prompt difficult conversations in smaller communities in the hope of effecting change. It is incredibly exciting to see work of this calibre from such an early-career journalist!”

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Applicants are required to disclose if their entry or related journalism is or has been subject to any form of litigation such as claims for defamation or libel etc.
In any event, applicants will indemnify the National Press Club, its judges and corporate partners from any claim for damages and other financial settlements awarded by a court