Impact Report - Sydney Morning Herald
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
Impact Report This photo is part of Nick Moir’s Walkley-winning photographic essay, Firestorm.
Contents
2 Introduction 19 Coronavirus by the numbers
3 Unprecedented year of growth 22 NSW state politics
4 Stories with impact 24 Australia-China relations
5 Secrets of War 26 US election
6 Dyson Heydon controversy 27 Bushfires
7 icare investigation 29 Environment
8 Crown Unmasked 31 Opinion
10 NSW regional hospitals 32 The Dalarinji Project
11 Blacktown hospital deaths 33 Life
13 Toxic property deal 34 Good Weekend
14 Sports rorts (Bridget McKenzie) 37 Photography
15 The Bribe Factory (Unaoil) 41 Awards
17 Global pandemic
The Sydney Morning Herald Impact Report 2020 1
Introduction
It’s been one of the most challenging years on record for the media, but The Sydney Morning Herald has
finished 2020 even stronger than we started. Readers came in droves for our coverage of the unprecedented
summer bushfire crisis, but even more stayed with us for the global pandemic.
Why? Because the Herald puts the reader at the centre of everything we do.
Our 24-hour coverage of COVID-19 gave readers the vital information they needed, while the diverse opinion,
analysis and context kept people engaged in the issues.
Beyond the pervading story of the pandemic, the year has showcased the Herald’s journalism as fearless but
fair; we tackle issues from all sides of the argument and pursue stories that matter most to both our local
communities and our national identity. We continue to place high value on our investigative journalism
because it’s our job to hold our most powerful institutions and people to account.
While our competitors at home and abroad have cut jobs and costs, we have not. Rather, the Herald has
delivered record growth with a 20 per cent rise in our subscriber base. We have maintained our firm grip on
the #1 spot as the country’s most-read masthead across print and online, with more than 9 million readers in
September alone; double the size of the audiences of both The Daily Telegraph and The Australian.
The support of our subscribers has allowed us to invest in public interest journalism that has made a
difference, whether it was uncovering a toxic land deal in western Sydney, alleged war crimes in Afghanistan
or a sports rorts scandal in Canberra. Investigative journalism is expensive and legally fraught, but our
commitment to it differentiates us from our competitors.
Reader response to our bushfire crisis led us to create a five-member climate and environment team at
home, and we retained correspondents abroad in London, Asia and the United States. We did this all without
compromising our local coverage, even increasing the size of our reporting team on Macquarie Street, adding
an Indigenous affairs reporter and photographer, while maintaining dedicated teams on health, education,
crime, courts and urban affairs. The strength in the Herald’s newsroom is unmistakable.
This year may have been an anomaly, but whatever challenges 2021 brings we’ll help you understand the
biggest issues and navigate the world’s complexities with incisive, independent, fact-based journalism you
trust.
Lisa Davies, editor
The Sydney Morning Herald Impact Report 2020 2
An unprecedented year of growth
#1
Country’s most-read masthead
20%
increase in the number of
93,888 articles
published this year, including
7 comment
moderators who
published more than
across print and online paying subscribers, that
1,316,138
supported the work of…
New positions
including:
• National environment team
451
staff members nationally, including:
64 national
43 sports
23 business
• Indigenous photographer + reporter • 341 journalists, photographers, editors,
• Reader editor videographers, magazine and production 21 world
staff 20 opinion
• Newsletter editor 18 culture
• 58 national news team members, across
• Five trainees given full-time positions
federal politics, business, environment
and world
• 52 national life team members, across
23,285
culture, lifestyle, Good Food and Traveller 18 politics 10 lifestyle
subscriber-only
event streams
1,180,183
newsletters delivered each week
2 healthcare
2 technology 3 education
4,195,627
Please Explain podcast downloads
1 explainer
2 environment
articles published every day
2 money
comments in 2020
The Sydney Morning Herald Impact Report 2020 3
Our journalism led to...
Secrets Crown Unaoil - The Sports rorts
of War Unmasked Bribe Factory Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie
resigning as Federal Sports Minister.
The most significant inquiry in recent The excoriating of Crown Resorts over
military history into alleged war The arrest of a senior corporate figure
governance failings before a public inquiry
crimes committed by a small clique and warrants issued for two others linked
Blacktown
and Crown delaying the opening of its new
of SAS soldiers in Afghanistan, with to a global bribery scandal involving the
hotel and casino in Barangaroo after its
allegations against 19 individuals Australian corporate behemoth Leighton
directors and executives admitted to serious
Hospital
referred to the soon-to-be-established Holdings (now CIMIC).
wrongdoing.
office of the special investigator for
deaths
criminal investigation.
NSW regional Party Games
Dyson Heydon Blacktown Hospital’s obstetricians
controversy hospitals The resignation of Liberal Party
factional figures and a Liberal
threaten to resign en masse before
securing a dedicated operating
Party of Victoria investigation into theatre for obstetrics procedures
An “urgent review” of sexual NSW parliament launching an inquiry into branchstacking; the corruption while nurses and midwives walked
harassment processes in the justice regional and rural hospitals; the Health watchdog examining the allegations for out demanding better staffing and
system, ordered by the NSW Attorney- Minister ordering an independent review abuses of taxpayer funds. safer conditions; the local health
General, and the NSW Supreme Court into one patient’s death and the treatment district agreeing to implement the
appointing an independent adviser to of another three patients; and a local doctor, recommendations of a review of its
handle sexual harassment complaints. due to be replaced by telehealth services, obstetrics services.
being reinstated.
The Faceless
icare Toxic Man
investigation property deal The removal of three Victorian state cabinet
ministers as Labor’s national executive
The resignation of the icare CEO, three intervened in the Victorian division to
icare directors including the chairman, The referral of a toxic land deal to the preselect state and federal candidates
and the NSW Treasurer’s chief of staff, NSW Auditor-General and anti-corruption until 2023; anti-corruption watchdog
plus a parliamentary inquiry into the watchdog ICAC as well as the resignation of IBAC launching a major inquiry with the
workers compensation scheme. Transport for NSW secretary Rodd Staples. Ombudsman.
The Sydney Morning Herald Impact Report 2020 4
Secrets of War “Public interest journalism is
It is hard to think of a more consequential series of stories The
Sydney Morning Herald and The Age have published in their 364 not a popularity contest and
years of combined history than the investigation into allegations
cliques of elite Special Air Service Regiment soldiers committed sometimes the most important
war crimes in Afghanistan.
When investigative reporters Nick McKenzie and Chris Masters
stories are contentious and
suggested looking into potential SAS misconduct in Afghanistan
in 2017, senior editors expressed the same concerns many uncomfortable.”
readers had when they first heard the allegations. How can
we be sure these alleged crimes occurred? Were the actions of
soldiers justifiable “in the fog of war”? Should we judge brave
soldiers fighting in unimaginably tough conditions?
A turning point was when McKenzie played back confidential,
anonymised interviews with SAS whistleblowers. It was clear
listening to their testimony that they themselves had no time
for “fog of war” arguments. The whistleblowers were vindicated
when the Inspector-General of the Australian Defence Force,
Paul Brereton, found credible evidence 19 Australian special
forces soldiers committed up to 39 murders of innocent
Afghans.
Now those current or former soldiers will face criminal
investigation, possible prosecution and the stripping of their
medals. Public interest journalism is not a popularity contest
and sometimes the most important stories are contentious
and uncomfortable. McKenzie’s moving Good Weekend feature
about Dusty Miller, an SAS combat medic haunted by what he
saw in Afghanistan, encapsulates why this difficult investigation
was so important.
James Chessell,
executive editor
Chief of the Defence Force, Angus Campbell. Photo: Alex Ellinghausen
The Sydney Morning Herald Impact Report 2020 5
Dyson Heydon
controversy
When the Herald broke the news that former recommended the AFP investigate
High Court judge Dyson Heydon was found allegations of indecent assault against
by an independent inquiry to have sexually Heydon. No charges have been laid.
harassed six women at the court, the impact
The former judge did not renew his
was “seismic”, according to one of Sydney’s
barrister’s practising certificate and his
top silks.
name disappeared from the website of the
We revealed the findings of the High Court top Sydney chambers where he had spent
investigation, along with exclusive testimony much of his career. Federal Attorney-
from the victims who had fought for justice General Christian Porter asked anyone who
for years. The effects of that story and those had complaints about Heydon from his time
that followed were manifold. There were as Royal Commission head to come forward,
huge ructions within the legal community, and several people did.
with many asking who had known about Former High Court justice Dyson Heydon. Photo: Ben Rushton
In the months since, our investigation has
Heydon’s alleged conduct and for how long.
been recognised with several awards: the
As a result of our reporting, the High Court Walkley for best print/text news report, the
announced it would invite all former judge’s NSW Council for Civil Liberties Journalism
associates who had worked at the court Award and the Kennedy Award for
during Heydon’s tenure to contact them Outstanding Investigative Reporting.
if they had further alleged misconduct
to report. A group of NSW’s top female
barristers lodged a complaint with the “As a result of our reporting,
professional watchdog. The NSW Attorney-
General ordered an “urgent review” of sexual the High Court announced it
would invite all former judge’s
harassment processes in the justice system,
and sought advice on stripping Heydon of his
associates who had worked at the
QC title.
The NSW Supreme Court appointed an
independent adviser to handle sexual
harassment complaints. Hundreds of
court during Heydon’s tenure to
female legal professionals called upon the
federal Attorney-General to establish an
contact them if they had further
independent complaints body for judges.
The ACT’s Director of Public Prosecutions
Kate McClymont, investigative reporter,
and Jacqueline Maley, senior reporter
alleged misconduct to report.”
The Sydney Morning Herald Impact Report 2020 6
icare
investigation
Australia’s workers compensation system has been
failing injured workers for years but it has largely
slipped under the radar. It is worth $60 billion and it’s
big business.
We went behind the so-called safety net to investigate
and found that injured workers were getting sicker and
employers, who fund the schemes, were left holding the
bill.
The investigation was a co-production with ABC’s Four
Corners and some of the stories told by injured workers
were harrowing. In NSW the regulator said she had
“grave concerns” about the finances of the workers
compensation system managed by state insurance
agency icare. Mismanagement, contracts without
tenders and the underpayment of 52,000 injured
workers (of up to $80 million) were a few of the bad
practices exposed.
Since the stories broke three icare directors, including
the chairman, have resigned, the CEO has resigned, the
Whistleblower Chris McCann at his
home in Burrawang, NSW. Chris,
NSW Treasurer’s chief of staff resigned and an inquiry
a former homicide detective, went into the entire workers compensation scheme has been
to icare to set up systems to detect launched. Most importantly, icare has also promised to
fraud, corruption and compliance. compensate the underpaid injured workers.
He became suicidal and left in 2018
after two years in the job where he
“Since the stories broke three
was bullied. Photo: Kate Geraghty
icare directors, including the
chairman, have resigned, the CEO
has resigned, the NSW Treasurer’s Adele Ferguson,
investigative reporter
chief of staff resigned”
The Sydney Morning Herald Impact Report 2020 7
Crown Unmasked
Crown Resorts was unmasked in July 2019 by an investigative series
in the Herald which exposed how the company’s lax controls over its
high-roller casino operations facilitated organised crime and money
laundering, endangered its staff in China, and empowered drug and
sex traffickers.
After our stories were published, Crown went on the attack. The
company’s high-profile board bought a full-page advertisement
in News Corp newspapers that described the stories as full of
“unsubstantiated allegations ... and outright falsehoods”.
Now, under the sustained scrutiny of a regulators’ inquiry in Sydney,
the Crown defence has crumbled. Multiple Crown directors and
executives have admitted to serious wrongdoing, poor oversight,
regulatory failure and a lack of independence.
Under questioning, Crown’s largest shareholder, James Packer, agreed
that emailed threats he sent to a businessman, whose name was
withheld in the inquiry, were “shameful” and “disgraceful”.
Counsel assisting the inquiry made lengthy submissions that Mr
Packer was involved in the business as a “de facto” director and argued
Illustration: Dionne Gain
the billionaire’s “deleterious” influence over the group was one of the
key reasons Crown was unfit to keep the licence for its Barangaroo
casino.
Mr Packer attributed his actions to mental illness and bipolar disorder,
for which he is now being treated.
Inquiry chair Patricia Bergin forced Crown to delay the opening of the “Multiple Crown directors
and executives have admitted
Barangaroo casino. But the full impact of these stories will be played
out for years to come.
“Crown Unmasked”, which Grace Tobin, Nick Toscano and I also
produced for 60 Minutes, has won a Walkley Award and two major to serious wrongdoing, poor
oversight, regulatory failure
Kennedy Awards: outstanding TV current affairs and outstanding
finance reporting.
and a lack of independence.”
Nick McKenzie,
investigative reporter
The Sydney Morning Herald Impact Report 2020 8
“Over the course of several months our investigation exposed the troubling circumstances surrounding three deaths and a series of near-misses at hospitals across the Western NSW Local Health District.” John Stingemore, at his home in Cobar, is one of a number of residents who have had troubling experiences with hospitals in western NSW. Photo: Janie Barrett The Sydney Morning Herald Impact Report 2020 9
NSW regional hospitals
This year the Herald exposed serious failings in review of Mr Wells’ treatment, which identified
the NSW health system, which have cost lives multiple “areas for improvement” at the
and called into question the quality of hospital hospital.
care in some regional areas.
The genesis of the investigation was a week-
Over the course of several months our long trip to Western NSW, where photographer
investigation exposed the troubling Janie Barrett and I walked the streets and won
circumstances surrounding three deaths and the trust of local patients who until then had
a series of near-misses at hospitals across been silent, fearful of rocking the boat in their
the Western NSW Local Health District. tight-knit communities.
They included a baby girl who died after her
NSW parliament launched a probe into regional
doctor at Dubbo Base Hospital failed to check
and rural hospitals following the series, with
her test results, leading to a whistleblower’s
the inquiry members travelling across the state
extraordinary discovery of a further 2000
for public hearings in the first half of 2021.
unchecked results at the facility.
The Herald uncovered the death of Dawn
Trevitt, who bled to death while being treated
via videolink in the emergency department
of Gulgong Hospital. There were no doctors
Carrie Fellner,
physically present at the time, after the doctor
investigative reporter
who formerly worked there said his contract
was not renewed because the health district
wanted to reduce his pay and support more
patients with telehealth. After the story was
published the doctor’s contract with the
hospital was reinstated.
The investigation also raised serious questions
about hospital resourcing following the death of
Cobar man Allan Wells. His family branded his
treatment “third world” after he allegedly went
without food or water for three days because it
was too expensive to roster staff on in a ward
that “ran out” of morphine and paracetamol.
In response to the story, Health Minister
Brad Hazzard commissioned an independent
Allan Wells, whose family have complained about his treatment to the Coroner
following his death in December.
The Sydney Morning Herald Impact Report 2020 10Ashwitha and Praveen D’Souza
grieving their baby girl Nigella,
who was declared deceased
shortly after she was born at
Blacktown Hospital. Photo:
Edwina Pickles
“They reassured
us again and again
that she would be
all right, that we
were in hospital and
she was safe there.
But our baby is no
more… our grief is
unbearable.”
Praveen D’Souza
The Sydney Morning Herald Impact Report 2020 11Blacktown Hospital deaths
It started with a tip from an old source in late June: staff at The article triggered intense and volatile discussions
Blacktown Hospital’s obstetrics and maternity service were among clinicians at Western Sydney Local Health District.
worried. Several newborns had died from avoidable causes. NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard confirmed the story of
They were stillborn, or declared deceased within minutes of Nigella D’Souza brought to a head protracted unrest among
birth. Blacktown Hospital’s obstetricians. They threatened to
“I don’t want But details were fuzzy. It would take several phone calls all
with medical and healthcare workers barred from talking to
resign en masse if the WSLHD failed to take their concerns
seriously, including poor staffing levels and access to
this to happen
operating theatres.
journalists under their employment contracts. Some felt a
duty to talk. They told me about serious deficiencies within The day after the Herald broke the story, the WSLHD
to another baby,
the service that they believed had contributed to the babies’ announced it would set up a dedicated operating theatre
deaths: inadequate staffing and supervision and poor access for obstetrics procedures. It also agreed to implement the
to operating theatres when mothers and their babies needed recommendations of a review of its obstetrics services
another family emergency caesarean sections.
Stillbirths and newborn deaths occur every day in Australia
conducted by the NSW Chief Obstetrician and the NSW
Clinical Excellence Committee. Propelled by the medicos’
ever again.”
actions, two days later Blacktown Hospital’s nurses and
and all are tragic. But it soon became clear that four babies
midwives walked off the job, demanding better staffing and
within 18 months had died unexpectedly. In a world-class
safer hours.
healthcare system like NSW’s, unexpected deaths should be
Jennifer Fonua a rare occurrence. Amid the action, Jennifer Fonua was sent our article about
Nigella D’Souza. She was deeply affected to read of the death
After we published the first article on July 11 I received
of another baby 14 months after her own baby girl, Thalia,
an anonymous email. The parent of one of these babies
had died at Blacktown Hospital.
had read the article. Still deep in grief and searching for
answers, it would take several emails and many phone calls “I want the public to know what happened to her,” Ms Fonua
before they felt they could trust me with their story. Praveen told me when she gave me her daughter’s root cause analysis
and Ashwitha D’Souza were the parents of Nigella. She was report. “I don’t want this to happen to another baby, another
the fourth baby to die unexpectedly, on June 22, 2020. family, ever again.”
We met and we talked some more. I obtained the formal
investigation into the circumstances surrounding Nigella’s
death, which confirmed repeated failures that resulted in a
delayed emergency caesarean.
“They reassured us again and again that she would be all Kate Aubusson,
right, that we were in hospital and she was safe there,” health editor
Mr D’Souza says. “But our baby is no more … our grief is
unbearable.”
The Sydney Morning Herald Impact Report 2020 12Toxic property deal
The Leppington triangle scandal caused a furore when the Auditor-General
released a scathing report into a land deal for Sydney’s second major airport
that cost taxpayers 10 times its actual value.
The Herald exposed a worse deal: the NSW government paid three times as
much as the Valuer-General’s estimate for a parcel of highly contaminated
land near Parramatta that earned a Sydney property developer a $15 million
windfall in a matter of months. The bill for taxpayers is compounded by
costs associated with cleaning up the site, which will cost at least $48
million to prevent toxic chemicals from leaching out of the property and into
neighbouring land.
Leaked documents, parliamentary records, whistleblower testimony, EPA
documents, court and land title searches exposed alleged misconduct,
including an urgent out-of-session meeting held to buy the land from the
wealthy property developers.
Our stories resulted in the NSW Transport Minister Andrew Constance
referring the deal to the NSW Auditor-General and anti-corruption
watchdog ICAC two days after publication. On the third day, the state’s head
of Transport, Rodd Staples, resigned. Illustration: Matthew Absalom-Wong
“Our stories resulted in the NSW
Transport Minister Andrew Constance
Adele Ferguson, investigative reporter,
Matt O’Sullivan, city editor
referring the deal to the NSW Auditor-
General and anti-corruption watchdog
ICAC two days after publication. On the
third day, the state’s head of Transport,
Rodd Staples, resigned. ”
The Sydney Morning Herald Impact Report 2020 13Sports rorts
Gun-toting Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie’s long-time advocacy for
firearms was well known but it was never expected to cost the Victorian
her ministerial career.
The then sports minister had tried to brush aside the so-called sports
rorts scandal, a $100 million fund used to pork-barrel marginal seats, for
days until The Sydney Morning Herald on January 22 revealed she’d become
a signed-up member of the Wangaratta Clay Target Club before it was
awarded a $36,000 grant.
The revelations triggered a departmental review into whether Senator
McKenzie had breached standards of integrity expected of a minister.
In Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s own words, the review found: “The
timing is such that the potential conflict should have been clear, this is
in relation to the gun club membership, to the minister failing to put
appropriate arrangements in place to avoid the potential for conflict, such
as asking another minister to make any decisions relating to organisations
of which she was a member.
“The minister had failed to do that, and the secretary found that this was
in breach of the ministerial standards. There are also a number of other
matters relating to another organisation, but that one in particular dealt
with a conflict of interest for an actual applicant who had received the
grant.
“On the basis of that and that is the conflict of interest and the failure to Illustration: John Shakespeare
disclose, the minister has tendered her resignation to me this afternoon.”
The reporting by the Herald for several days directly revealed a handful
of conflicts and revealed concerns within government about the amount
of money Senator McKenzie had approved to the sporting shooting
associations during her time as a minister. “The reporting by the Herald for several days
directly revealed a handful of conflicts and
revealed concerns within government about
Rob Harris, the amount of money Senator McKenzie
national affairs editor
had approved to the sporting shooting
associations during her time as a minister.”
The Sydney Morning Herald Impact Report 2020 14Unaoil - The
Bribe Factory
Sometimes the impact of a story is not felt in the first week,
or month, or even year after publication. In the case of
The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age investigative unit’s
expose of international bribery and corruption in the oil
industry, it’s taken four years.
In 2016, the team and I revealed that a Monaco-based
company, Unaoil, was acting as a front that allowed
dozens of multinational companies including Rolls-Royce,
Halliburton, Hyundai, KBR and Eni to funnel millions in
bribes and kickbacks to officials in Iraq, Algeria, Angola,
Azerbaijan and elsewhere.
The stories, and the cache of emails they were based on,
led to raids overseas, arrests across Europe and the jailing
of Unaoil managers in the UK. Unaoil’s owners, the Ahsani
brothers, were arrested by the FBI and in 2020 pleaded
guilty to serious corruption and bribery. Rolls-Royce and
TechnipFMC settled Unaoil-related investigations run by US
or British agencies by paying hundreds of millions of dollars.
In November, it hit home in Australia. Warrants were issued
Former senior executive of construction giant Leighton Holdings, Russell Waugh. Photo: Rhett Hammerton for the arrest of three former executives from the Australian
construction company Leighton Holdings (now CIMIC). The
data leak and its publication in Australia produced such
reams of evidence that ultimately left Unaoil’s owners, the
“The stories, and the cache of Ahsani family, with no choice but to confess. They have
since agreed to give evidence against others, including
emails they were based on, led
former Leighton managers Russell Waugh, Peter Cox and
David Savage.
to raids overseas, arrests across
Europe and the jailing of Unaoil
managers in the UK.” Nick McKenzie,
investigative reporter
The Sydney Morning Herald Impact Report 2020 15A huge year of news… Photo: Dean Sewell The Sydney Morning Herald Impact Report 2020 16
Global pandemic
The coronavirus pandemic changed the way we live our lives. It’s also
changed the way we consume our news. Live blogs became the most effective
way for The Sydney Morning Herald to deliver reliable, fast and accurate
coverage of the health crisis to our readers.
On March 9, we began daily live coverage that ran for almost 100 consecutive
days. We took an eight-day break in June but from June 21 we blogged
for almost 150 further consecutive days after the second wave struck in
Victoria. The decision to remove the paywall from our live articles enabled
us to provide a valuable service not only to our subscribers but to our
community. Our blogs utilised all parts of the newsroom, incorporating text,
video, photography and audio to provide real-time experiences. Readers
accessed simultaneous, live-streaming press conferences, allowing them to
customise their own content within the blog.
The impact of our live coverage was astonishing. To date, subscribers have
spent more than 59,393,411 minutes reading our coronavirus live blog,
and our total audience has spent more than 215,547,653 minutes with it.
No other news event has affected our coverage in such a dominant and
comprehensive way.
Staff communication was paramount, particularly as most people involved
in contributing to the live coverage were doing so from their living rooms,
bedrooms and kitchen tables at home. The ill-fated journey of the Ruby Prime Minister Scott Morrison and former Chief Medical Officer Professor Brendan Murphy sanitise their hands before entering a
Princess that docked in Sydney exemplifies the necessity for exclusive news, National Cabinet meeting at Parliament House. Photo: Alex Ellinghausen
and vivid storytelling, while our award-winning explainers inform our
readers, helping them understand complex issues such as what COVID-19
does to the body, what it’s like to have the illness and how the epidemic
spreads.
Our political reporters regularly detailed and explained the decisions
within Canberra’s corridors of power, depicting the crisis that changed the
Australian government. Respected commentary illustrated the impact the
pandemic had on our economy and how it affected Australian society and
everyday life. Our health and science teams worked collaboratively, regularly
250 215,547,653 Free 179
days of live minutes spent with live coverage daily coronavirus
breaking stories such as counterfeit face masks being sold to Australians.
blogs live blogs for all readers newsletters (and
counting…)
Alex Rowe,
digital editor
The Sydney Morning Herald Impact Report 2020 17Schoolies in Byron Bay, NSW. Photo: Elise Derwin The Sydney Morning Herald Impact Report 2020 18
Coronavirus by the numbers
There have been more than 65 million coronavirus cases recorded
globally since the start of the pandemic. In Australia there have “For many readers,
been more than 27,000. By the time you read this, worldwide case
numbers will have inevitably gone up - at a pace that sadly continues checking the data
to accelerate as many countries deal with second waves that are
turning out to be even bigger than the first. It’s a dizzying - and
centre has become
quite confronting - amount of information to comprehend, but our
COVID-19 data centre has condensed all these numbers into an easy-
a part of their daily
to-understand dashboard.
routine and a way of
The data centre has consistently been one of the most-read items on
the Herald website these past few months, which shows how vital this tracking exactly what
information is to so many. For many readers, checking the data centre
has become a part of their daily routine and a way of tracking exactly is happening with
what is happening with infection numbers, right down to their
local area. It’s been a huge undertaking for our team to create and infection numbers,
maintain, and as the pandemic situation evolves, so too has the level
of information we have made an effort to present in the dashboard. right down to their
Data journalist Nigel Gladstone and I sourced the data and made
sure the information being collected across different jurisdictions local area.”
all matched up. We continue to run checks on the numbers each
day. This is harder than it might look, since sometimes states report
case numbers differently, information gets revised or the data being
collected changes.
Design director Mark Stehle came up with a layout that displayed the
information clearly and concisely, and developer Soren Frederiksen
worked out how to turn this design into a reality and combine
5,806,628
multiple data feeds, some of which are automated and some which
involve information being entered manually. We plan to tweak the
data centre, shifting to a more automated experience, until the
time comes (hopefully soon) that checking the latest coronavirus
information is no longer a part of the daily routine. COVID data centre visits
(and counting)
The Sydney Morning Herald Coronavirus data Craig Butt,
centre, which was built during the first Australian data reporter
lockdown.
The Sydney Morning Herald Impact Report 2020 19Bystanders practise social distancing while Brigette Leech and Matthew Selby are married at the Garrison Church in Sydney. Photo: Janie Barrett The Sydney Morning Herald Impact Report 2020 20
Albie Woodhouse plays The Last Post for an Anzac Day driveway dawn service. Photo: Cole Bennetts The Sydney Morning Herald Impact Report 2020 21
State politics
As the Berejiklian government steered NSW through a once-in-a-
generation pandemic, the Coalition appeared united and strong. But
that changed in the second half of the year when Nationals leader and
Deputy Premier John Barilaro threatened to split from the Liberals
over a little-known koala planning policy.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian held her nerve and warned she would
swear in an all-Liberal cabinet if Barilaro followed through with his
threat. The Nationals backed down but the party lost an MP in the
process - Port Macquarie MP Leslie Williams defected to the Liberals.
After a bruising few months, including a public fall-out between
Barilaro and his friend, Transport Minister Andrew Constance, over
the Eden-Monaro by-election, the Nationals leader took a month’s
mental health leave.
In a year that started so strongly for the government, it came close
at times to ending political careers. Treasurer Dominic Perrottet
had a political near-death experience after the Herald exposed
mismanagement at the public insurer icare. But worse was to come
when the Premier revealed to the corruption watchdog that she had
been in a secret relationship for five years with now disgraced former Cartoon: John Shakespeare
MP Daryl Maguire.
But it was revelations in the Herald that could pose a bigger long-term
problem for the Premier. We revealed the government handed out
$250 million in council grants almost exclusively to Coalition seats
and without any signed paperwork to explain its reasons. It then
“In a year that
emerged that the documents had been shredded. Ms Berejiklian
responded by defending pork-barrelling, arguing systems that started so strongly
allowed governments to prioritise certain areas over others had
been in place for decades. The grants affair is being investigated by for the government,
the Information Commissioner and the State Archives and Records
Authority. It’s also the subject of a parliamentary inquiry. it came close at
times to ending
political careers.”
Alexandra Smith,
state political editor Cartoon: Andrew Dyson
The Sydney Morning Herald Impact Report 2020 22Photos: Jessica Hromas The Sydney Morning Herald Impact Report 2020 23
Australia-China relations
The task of covering a story so complicated, far- Bagshaw covered the brutal crackdown on Hong Kong’s
reaching and significant as the rise of China and its democracy movement by the Chinese Communist
impact on us in Australia is a newsroom-wide effort. Party that has culminated in draconian new national
Some of our biggest and most engaged stories of the security laws there, and Australia’s offer to provide
year have been about our relationship with our biggest some Hong Kongers with a safe haven.
trading partner, a relationship that has grown more
Bagshaw has led the news coverage of China’s response
tense than ever.
to the pandemic from the beginning. In “Trapped
It has also become, for the newsroom, one of our between a global health crisis, diplomatic tensions
greatest challenges. Eryk Bagshaw was appointed China and a logistical nightmare”, Bagshaw and foreign
correspondent at the end of 2019 and, for a range of affairs correspondent Anthony Galloway covered
reasons including COVID-19 and safety issues after the extraordinary predicament of Australians in
the introduction of new Chinese security laws, he Wuhan before the Australian government launched
completed the first year of his “posting” in Canberra an unprecedented rescue mission to bring them to
rather than Beijing. This prompted a rethink of our quarantine on Christmas Island.
Asia coverage and in the new year Bagshaw will move to
They have also tracked the deterioration of our
Singapore as North Asia correspondent where he will
relationship with the Chinese Communist Party,
be joined by Chris Barrett, who will also be based there
breaking worldwide exclusives on Australia’s campaign
as our new South-east Asia correspondent.
for an independent investigation into the origins of
Maintaining our ranks of foreign correspondents is coronavirus, the launch of the world’s largest trade
a big priority for The Sydney Morning Herald. Foreign deal, a 14-nation pact that includes Australia and
bureaus are very expensive and labour-intensive China, and the escalating ‘tongue war’ triggered by
operations to manage, especially during a global China’s list of grievances about Australia.
pandemic. But the news, analysis, features and colour
stories produced by our correspondents, which also
include Bevan Shields in London and Matthew Knott in
Washington, DC, are among our most well-read articles
for subscribers.
Tory Maguire,
From the very beginning of the coronavirus crisis,
national editor
international editor Peter Hartcher has put China’s
response to the source of the outbreak in context in
pieces including “What coronavirus teaches us about
China”, “The coronavirus crisis was made in China
but no one will say it”, and “Twitter-post garbage the
clearest sign yet of desperation in Beijing.”
Illustrations: Matt Golding
The Sydney Morning Herald Impact Report 2020 24Taylors Wines Managing Director,
Mitchell Taylor, has had his family
business disrupted by China’s trade
sanctions against Australia. Photo:
Janie Barrett
The Sydney Morning Herald Impact Report 2020 25US election 17,249,576
The US presidential election was always
views on US election live blog coverage
going to be one of the biggest stories of the
year and the Herald made it a top priority
to provide our readers with distinctive and
insightful coverage of this seismic moment
5,238,434
in world history. Our readers had an almost
insatiable appetite for content about the
election and we worked hard to deliver it to
them across all our platforms.
As US correspondent I was determined
to visit as many swing states as possible views on a single live blog on November 4
and speak to voters on the ground rather
than rely on polls (which again proved
to be faulty). During the campaign, I
travelled twice to Wisconsin, and also made
reporting trips to Michigan, Pennsylvania,
2,313,150
Arizona, Georgia and Florida. No other
Australian media outlet covered so much
ground. In the months leading up to
election day, I wrote a weekly newsletter on Graphic: Dionne Gain
the campaign and recorded a weekly Please
Explain podcast with national editor Tory
world editor Michelle Griffin and election
Maguire. Farrah Tomazin, a senior writer views on the US election results tracker
at the Herald, spent two months reporting editor Heath Gilmore. It’s been extremely
in the US and then continued filing after gratifying to hear from many readers that
returning to Australia. In the week before they appreciated the depth and breadth of
election day, we held a subscriber webinar our coverage, as well as our commitment
to reporting fairly and accurately
14 1
hosted by former US correspondent Nick
O’Malley. while not giving a free pass to lies and
misinformation.
Meanwhile, a team of outstanding bloggers
swung into action for an around-the-
clock election blog. On the day after the
election, the blog received an incredible
5.2 million page views. Bringing all these live event with our
Matthew Knott, dedicated US election
components together required months of former and current US
planning and co-ordination from Maguire, US correspondent newsletters
correspondents
The Sydney Morning Herald Impact Report 2020 26Bushfires
Australia’s bushfire crisis was unlike anything the
world has ever seen. On November 11 last year,
Premier Gladys Berejiklian declared a state of
emergency as authorities warned of a “catastrophic”
fire danger for Sydney’s metropolitan region - an
unprecedented alert for such a populated area.
That same day, The Sydney Morning Herald lifted
the paywall on our digital bushfire coverage so
readers could access important information
that might impact their safety. We responded
quickly throughout the crisis. As fires ravaged our
landscape and smoke choked our cities, we sent
reporters and photographers out to document the
city’s “new normal” and out on the ground in the
regions, as some communities lost everything.
Chief photographer Nick Moir even witnessed
the destruction of his own home town in the Blue
Mountains at close range.
We established live blogs to most efficiently update
readers, also using our reporters and editors in
London and New York to ensure around-the-clock
coverage. We identified climate change as one of the
most crucial elements of the crisis and were the first
outlet to publish the concerns of former fire chief
Greg Mullins. We know that when big stories hit
communities people turn to the Herald, but our in-
depth coverage, live updates and bespoke journalism
attracted and engaged new audiences, elevated the
Bilpin. Photo: Nick Moir reputation of our brand locally and internationally,
and provided leadership when politics and policy
“As fires ravaged our landscape and failed us.
smoke choked our cities, we sent
reporters and photographers out to
document the city’s ‘new normal’ and
Lisa Davies,
out on the ground in the regions, as editor
some communities lost everything.”
The Sydney Morning Herald Impact Report 2020 27Kasey Butcher, 10, from Braidwood, near the North Black Range bushfire in NSW. Photo: Alex Ellinghausen The Sydney Morning Herald Impact Report 2020 28
The environment
As the nation battled a bushfire catastrophe and prepared for a
delayed United Nations climate change summit, The Sydney Morning
Herald significantly ramped up climate and environmental coverage.
We have built a team of specialist journalists including environment
reporters Peter Hannam and Miki Perkins, working closely with
resources writer Nick Toscano and the Canberra bureau’s climate
and energy reporter, Mike Foley. As the world was overwhelmed by
the pandemic, the Herald remained committed to our environmental Residents Anna Dunne
coverage. (left) and her husband
Ron Dunne (right) inspect
The team was central to coverage of the fires and joined families as their destroyed home on
they arrived to inspect the damage. In the months that followed, the outskirts of Nelligen
it covered the state and federal inquiries. Hannam’s work was where several homes
and out buildings were
recognised with a Kennedy Award for Outstanding Reporting on
destroyed in the fire near
the Environment and with an award from Australia’s emergency Batemans Bay. Photo:
management agencies. Kate Geraghty
It dug into the government’s technology road map to reduce emissions
and its plans for a gas-led economic recovery, revealing concern
among scientists and engineers about the environmental cost. In
the corporate world, the team tracked the investor revolt against the
expansion of gas without stronger decarbonisation goals.
It broke the news about the abandonment of coal by Australia’s
second largest superannuation fund, First State Super, and it tracked
the rapid drift from coal and uptake of net zero targets by Australia’s
key markets and allies, and growing concern in diplomatic circles
about the perceived lack of ambition in climate targets.
Nick O’Malley, national climate
and environment editor
Nelligen resident Peregrine
Philip sits on the verandah of
his home where the fire came
up to the back door. Photo:
Kate Geraghty
The Sydney Morning Herald Impact Report 2020 29A burnt-out car belonging to the family of Vinessa Maxwell on Tomakin Road heading towards North Rosedale from Mogo. Photo: Kate Geraghty The Sydney Morning Herald Impact Report 2020 30
Opinion
The Herald’s opinion section is among the most
“At a time when the media The year’s most-read opinion pieces tackled
widely read because subscribers want lively,
well-written articles and critical thinking to is flooded with ill-informed the biggest issues for Australia and the
inform and test their own views about the
and ill-considered rants, we world, often in counterintuitive ways.
issues of the day.
The opinion team is committed to publishing seek out the most credible
a range of views and topics from across the
ideological spectrum, from politics to popular
and influential voices to Peter Hartcher
culture. At a time when the polarisation weigh in on the big debates China’s man in Canberra has unmasked the regime’s
true face
of politics threatens to split communities,
we strive to promote mature debate that
that are firing up the nation
encourages a greater understanding of the and apply a rigorous eye to
ideas, people and policies shaping our nation
today - free of any agenda other than to their submissions.”
Ross Gittins
contribute to an informed democracy. Why I didn’t donate to the Rural Fire Service this
At a time when the media is flooded with time around
ill-informed and ill-considered rants, we seek our lifetimes, we ran an early opinion from
out the most credible and influential voices doctor Cathie Hull, whose experience with
to weigh in on the big debates that are firing a colleague who caught COVID-19 led her to
up the nation and apply a rigorous eye to their advocate the lockdown strategy that ultimately
submissions. Chris Uhlmann
guided Australia’s success in getting on top of COVID-19 has hammered home some uncomfortable
We aim to start conversations and lead debate. the virus. truths about us as a people
The seminal piece from former NSW Fire and All this is in addition to our regular
Rescue commissioner Greg Mullins last year columnists, who include some of the most
was one of those. Backed by 47 years on the respected names in journalism, whose
fire-fighting front line, Mullins was the first to long careers and depth of contacts bring an
authoritatively declare that the fire season we unparalleled authority to their judgments. Jacqueline Maley
were facing was far from normal. We complement them with a variety of other Why did so many people vote for Trump? Like it or
writers who are also plugged into the latest not, he is a ‘safe space’ for millions
We published Andrew Hastie, the chairman of
the Parliamentary committee on intelligence social and intellectual currents and concerns.
and security, on the need to reset the nation’s
thinking about China, giving our readers an
insight into how top-secret evidence is shaping Julia Baird
our response to the challenges. And as political There’s something odd about watching Donald
leaders and the community struggled to work Julie Lewis, Trump’s women spruik for him
out how to respond to the worst pandemic in opinion editor
The Sydney Morning Herald Impact Report 2020 31The Dalarinji Project The Dalarinji Project, supported by the Judith
Neilson Institute, invites all Australians to
celebrate the living culture and the heart of our
nation, and to closely examine the issues affecting
our country’s First Peoples.
Led by reporter Ella Archibald-Binge and
“The project prioritises photographer Rhett Wyman, we have sought to
Indigenous Affairs create a unique, comprehensive body of work
showcasing the challenges, creativity and the
reporting as a routine, culture of Indigenous Australia in 2020. The
respected and valued project prioritises Indigenous affairs reporting
as a routine, respected and valued staple of
staple of our mastheads’ our mastheads’ offering for readers, and puts
offering for readers.” Indigenous issues on the national agenda, sparking
debate in an inclusive and productive way.
The storytelling has been powerful, news-breaking
and highly engaging; our readers have responded
overwhelmingly positively. Among the standout
examples of their work was a trip to Far North
Queensland to look beyond the political rhetoric
surrounding the annual Closing the Gap address,
travelling to the tiny community of Lockhart
River to put faces on the statistics, exploring
what the strategy really achieves for Indigenous
communities.
Similarly, their three-part series on justice for
Aboriginal people looked not just at some exclusive
new data on arrests, incarceration and recidivism,
but also examined allegations of police misconduct
and a police force struggling to retain Indigenous
officers across regional NSW. The project has been
so successful we will be making it a permanent
feature, thanks to the continuing support of JNI.
Lisa Davies,
editor
Stolen Generations survivor Elly
Chatfield in Katoomba. Photo:
Rhett Wyman
The Sydney Morning Herald Impact Report 2020 32Life
MAY 26, 2020
TRAVELLER.COM.AU
What happens when a pandemic forces cooking – not just sourdough (although we
AUGUST 1, 2020
theatres to drop the curtains, restaurants all made plenty of that) but also vegetarian
to close their kitchens and borders to recipes, one-dish wonders and old-
slam shut? For the Life team at The Sydney fashioned baking. Traffic for our recipes at
Morning Herald, it meant rethinking every goodfood.com.au soared from April, with
aspect of what we do. our unique audience up nearly 50 per cent
on the previous month, and peaking in
While the Traveller team was grounded,
May with a record unique audience of 1.46
with many unable to leave their home
million.
states let alone the country, the Saturday
and Sunday sections paused publication A recipe by one of our top cooks such as
RESTAURANTS while the travel industry went through Adam Liaw, Neil Perry and Jill Dupleix
2.0 unprecedented financial pain. We switched became one of the components of a special
What our dining industry will look
like on the other side of COVID-19
GREAT EXPECTATIONS
PAGE 4
From the Reef to the Bight and the Ocean Road to the
Dividing Range, how great are Australia’s great places
our attention from writing about travel new daily page, called Home Front, which
Shane Delia’s famous hummus PAGE 7 Sarah Wilson’s whole pumpkin soup PAGE 8
destinations to the stories of greater interest we launched in print on March 23. It served
to readers at that moment, such as travel as a survival guide to lockdown, covering
1HERSA1 E001
FINE LINES TOP END’S NEW CREATIVE HUB P6
DO TELL OUR READERS’ LATEST WRITES OF REPLY P7
Tasmania Complete
Tasmania 2020/21
BEST
DOMESTIC
TOUR
booking refunds and the impact of COVID-19 wellness, mental health, relationships
on Australian tourism. Just like the tourism and ways to switch off. That page was so
12 days Hobart return OPERATOR
2012-16 &
2018-19
——
From $5,695* pp twin share Save $600 per couple*
National Travel Industry Awards
industry, Traveller is getting back on its popular it has remained a weekday staple,
*Conditions apply. Offer is valid until 31 August 2020 unless sold out prior. SEE: aptouring.com.au/SpecialDeals for full conditions. Price is per person (pp), AUD, twin share and includes ‘APT LUXU RY T R AVE L’ CALL 13 0 0 374 704
savings. Price is correct as at 28 July 2020. Price based on RTH12: 11 May 2021 departure. ALL OFFERS: Limited seats on set departures are available and are subject to availability.
DEPOSITS: A non-refundable deposit of $200 pp is due within 7 days of booking. Australian Pacific Touring Pty Ltd. ABN 44 004 684 619. ATAS accreditation #A10825. APT-2090 A PTO U R I N G .CO M . AU/ TAS M A N I A O R S P E A K TO YO U R T R AV E L AG E N T
1HERSA1 K001
MAY 5, 2020
feet with the Saturday section growing now called Life, with a broader remit of
in size and once again focusing on travel smart, engaging lifestyle content.
inspiration, starting with our own beautiful
MARCH 28-29, 2020
Given our collective focus on cooking, it’s
backyard.
not surprising that our readers also showed
The mammoth task of reviewing for the immense interest in stories about staying
annual Good Food Guide – typically about fit, eating better and getting more sleep.
750 restaurants around the country – was We’ve launched a new weekly newsletter
paused in March. We subsequently made the called Live Well, sent every Monday
difficult decision not to publish the book for evening to get your week off to a healthy
the first time since the early 1990s as it felt start. Other new newsletters include The
unfair to judge the restaurant industry in Booklist by books editor Jason Steger, and
such a difficult year. Instead, in December The Watchlist by veteran TV critic Michael
we published a special gloss magazine Idato.
THE edition of Good Food called 100 Good Things,
DIY
REVOLUTION
a celebration of survival and an invaluable
guide to the best eating and drinking over
summer in Sydney and Melbourne.
How to startt a v
vegetable
egetable g
garden,
arden, m
make
ake y
yoghurt,
oghurt, h
herbal
erbal tea, o
oat
at m
milk
il k a
and
nd m
more PAGE 4
Monique Farmer,
Terry Durack raises Sydney’s best bread PAGE 3 Mother’s Day recipes from the Ottolenghi team PAGE 6
1HERSR1 E001
The one bright spot for the Good Food team life editor
HOME BODIES
Our experts’ guide: from family history and film to gaming and apple pie-making. P8 this year was the renewed interest in home
RICHARD GLOVER Navigating our disappointment P3 BOOKS Sophie Hardcastle takes control P16
LANGUAGE The gender bias in dictionaries P14 GARDENING Fun with fungi P23
1HERSA1 F001
The Sydney Morning Herald Impact Report 2020 33Good Weekend
For more than 35 years, Good Weekend has been holding a mirror to Australian society,
writing definitive stories about the people, places and issues that matter to us. This year was HOMO UNEXPECTUS: AN ARCHAEOLOGICAL FIND FOR THE AGES
no exception, with the team producing ground-breaking journalism that attracted strong
readership; introducing new special issues and bolstering existing ones with fresh columns;
and expanding its footprint into podcasts, video, newsletters, live events and merchandise.
JUNE 20, 2020
Good Weekend landed exclusive profile stories in 2020 with Malcolm Turnbull, Nicole
Kidman, Jane Fonda, Hamish Macdonald, Tayla Harris and Ben Fordham, plus more. INTENSIVE CARERS
Unsurprisingly, politics and health were particularly popular with our readers this year.
The most-read story among both subscribers and non-subscribers was Melissa Fyfe’s profile
of Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews, published amid heated debate about his handling of
the coronavirus pandemic.
Madonna King’s recreation of the events leading to the death of Brisbane mother Hannah
Clarke and her three children at the hands of her husband strengthened calls for coercive
control to be criminalised.
We published compelling first person pieces, including Matthew Knott’s piece on falling
five storeys off a New York brownstone; a woman’s piece on discovering her husband was a
paedophile; and Alexandra Collier’s account of her path towards single motherhood.
Two stories looking at the issue of older female homelessness resonated with readers, as
did investigations of the loneliness epidemic, climate change, the decline of Bauer Media,
the rise of kindness during lockdown, adult children “divorcing” their parents, and the
compelling yet ultimately destructive power of secrets.
Katrina Strickland,
Good Weekend editor
25,761
17,067,772 29,414,095 FROM CLEANERS TO PHARMACISTS,
Good Weekend
page views engaged
N U R S E S T O D O C T O R S … T H E H E A LT H W O R K E R S B E H I N D
quiz Instagram AU S T R A LI A’ S C OV I D -19 S U C C E S S S TO RY
minutes fans
BY Tim Elliott
The Sydney Morning Herald Impact Report 2020 34AUSTRALIAN CRICKET’S LOVE MATCH: MITCHELL STARC & ALYSSA HEALY WHAT JERRY SEINFELD DID NEXT plus
BILL GRANGER’S COOKING COMMANDMENTS
JUNE 27, 2020 OCTOBER 10, 2020
“ I W A N T T O S AY S O R R Y. A N D T O T E L L T H E M
I S HOU LD H AVE D ON E M OR E ”
An Australian soldier, the Afghan family he couldn’t forget
– and his mission to make amends
BY Nick McKenzie
Jacinda Ardern’s leadership wowed the world
So why are
New Zealanders
not as impressed?
BY Peter Hartcher
THE COMIC WHO TRUMPED TRUMP plus CRAIG FOSTER’S NEW LIFE GOALS Plus RADIO HEAD: BEN FORDHAM’S RISE TO THE TOP OF TALKBACK
OCTOBER 17, 2020 NOVEMBER 21, 2020
“Everything
can be taken “ I TH I N K HE’S GOI NG TO K I LL M E’’
tomorrow.
So that’s what
I operate
from.”
HANNAH CLARKE
19 8 8 - 2 0 2 0
A A L I YA H , L A I A N A H , T R E Y
FOREVER 6, 4, 3
Nicole Kidman on becoming one of Hollywood's hottest TV executive producers
– and her fear of loss
The murders that sparked a movement to criminalise “intimate terrorism”
BY Madonna King
BY Michael Idato
The Sydney Morning Herald Impact Report 2020 35You can also read
