Awards

About the 2019 Michael Gordon Fellows

Photos: Jack Banister, Guardian Australia/The Citizen;  Else Kennedy, NITV/The Citizen; Carly Earl, Guardian Australia


The Michael Gordon Journalism Fellowships – now in their second year - enable social justice journalism. They were created to honour the legacy of Michael Gordon, the respected former political editor of The Age newspaper who passed away in February 2018.


Jack Banister is a Melbourne-based writer, journalist and podcaster. Banister's 2019 Gordon Fellowship explored the impact of climate change on Torres Strait Islander communities and was co-published in The Citizen and The Guardian.

'"It’s our right to be here": the Torres Strait Islanders fighting to save their homes from a rising sea',  Guardian AustraliaThe Citizen, 1 March 2020


Else Kennedy is a freelance journalist who has written and produced stories for Guardian Australia, NITV, Sydney Morning Herald and The Citizen. Kennedy's 2019 Fellowship explored the digital gap in Alice Springs and was co-published by NITV and The Citizen

'In the town camps of Alice, coronavirus is raising the stakes of the digital divide', NITV, 5 April 2020


Helen Davidson is a reporter for Guardian Australia. Carly Earl is Guardian Australia picture editor. Together they produced a photo essay featuring stories from seasonal workers in south-east Australia, before and after COVID-19. 

'The fruit pickers: inside Australia's seasonal worker program – a photo essay', Guardian Australia, 18 October 2020


John Ferguson is associate editor, Melbourne for The Australian and a 2019 fellow.

Paul Farrell is a reporter at ABC 7.30 and a 2019 fellow.

Bianca Hall is a senior reporter for The Age. Joe Armao is a photographer for The Age. They are 2019 fellows.


The fellowships are generously supported by the Copyright Agency Cultural Fund, the ABC, Nine, the National Press Club, Grant Rule and Sophie Oh and the Ray & Margaret Wilson Foundation.

The selection panel included former ABC and Sky News journalist Jim Middleton, Guardian Australia political editor Katharine Murphy, former Melbourne Press Club CEO Mark Baker and Michael Gordon’s widow, Robyn Carter.

Apply to join the Melbourne Press Club

Membership is $100 for journalists, $150 for associate members and $40 for students.

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