Ruby Jones, Georgia Cranko, Elle Marsh and Erik Jensen of 7am won the 2022 Reporting on Disability Issues Quill for “The killing of Ann Marie Smith”.

Judges' citation

This is a powerful work of journalism exploring the horrendous, systemic disability care failures that led to the extraordinary neglect and subsequent death of Ann Marie Smith.

The 7am Podcast met the accessibility needs of Georgia Cranko, who lives with cerebral palsy, the same condition as that of Ms Smith, to take listeners into the emotional reality of the story and the treatment of disabled people more broadly.

It’s a meaningful and insightful piece of storytelling, centred on an experience too little heard from in journalism - especially audio journalism.

The winning piece

The killing of Ann Marie Smith, 7am, 5 April 2022

Highly commended

Claudia Forsberg, ABC Victoria and ABC Ballarat, “Accessible Taxis Reportage” (Link 1, Link 2, Link 3)

Jewel Topsfield, The Age, “The autism advantage - why businesses are hiring autistic people” (Link 1, Link 2, Link 3)

Shortlisted

Stephanie Convery, Guardian Australia, “Left behind: the fight for accessible public transport in Victoria”