Richard Guilliatt Resigns From Walkley Awards Board

Journalist Richard Guilliatt has resigned from the Walkley Awards judging board following a dispute over a podcast he produced and a subsequent award given to another journalist. Guilliatt's resignation came after the Walkley Foundation rejected his complaints regarding his podcast, "Shadow of Doubt." The foundation then proceeded to award Nina Funnell the mid-year Walkley for freelance journalist of the year. Funnell received the award for a series of three articles published on news.com.au. These articles focused on a survivor of sexual assault who had endured 14 years of abuse by her parents. The controversy arose when an abuse survivor expressed devastation that her father, who had been jailed for 48 years, was interviewed for Guilliatt's "Shadow of Doubt" podcast. The survivor stated that the interview was conducted without her knowledge or consent, and that she had not been consulted about the podcast's content. Guilliatt's resignation signifies a significant internal conflict within the prestigious Australian journalism awards body, highlighting tensions between journalistic integrity, survivor advocacy, and the recognition of reporting.