Democracy's Watchdogs

Adele Ferguson has exposed deceptions, scams and heartless profiteering by financial institutions and weak oversight by the nation’s regulators. Her work has led to hundreds of millions of dollars being refunded to bank customers and ripped-off workers, as well as a Royal Commission and other inquiries. She has won more than 50 key journalism and other awards including the Graham Perkin Australian Journalist of the Year, the top prize in the Walkley, Quill and Kennedy awards, a Logie, and was made a Member of the Order of Australia for her services to journalism. ⁠See the video interview >>⁠ ⁠Support our mission >>⁠

As an investigative reporter on The Age, Nick McKenzie has covered the local Mafia, allegations of war crimes, Crown casino’s links to criminal figures, political donations by Chinese interests, national security issues, foreign bribery by Reserve Bank and other companies, and much more. The award-winning journalist’s work also is published in The Sydney Morning Herald, and his investigations have aired on the ABC’s Four Corners and Nine’s 60 Minutes. See the video interview >> Support our mission >>

Bob Bottom risked his life fighting organised crime as a journalist, a source to other journalists and as an advocate for the creation of federal and state crime-busting commissions. In a role that is unique in Australian journalism, he often acted as a conduit between police intelligence units and reporters, exposing the Mr Bigs of the criminal underworld. ⁠See the video interview >>⁠ ⁠ Support our mission >>⁠

Michael West is an investigative journalist who focuses on the rising power of corporations over democracy. He is best known for investigations into multinational tax avoidance by some of the world’s biggest companies, and exposing the influence of corporations on government policy. After eight years as a columnist and investigative reporter with The Australian and a similar stretch at the Sydney Morning Herald as a journalist and editor, West founded Michael West Media, which investigates tax avoiders, financial markets and the banking and energy sectors. His website attracts more than half a million views a month. ⁠See the video interview >>⁠ ⁠Support our mission >>⁠

Chris Masters reported about 100 episodes for the ABC’s Four Corners, exposing corruption and criminal behaviour at the highest levels of politics, the judiciary and police. His reporting withstood waves of litigation and the test of time. Multi-award-winning and highly honoured, Masters is one of the giants of Australian investigative journalism. ⁠See the video interview >>⁠ ⁠ Support our mission >>⁠

Gerard Ryle led worldwide teams of journalists who worked on investigations such as Offshore Leaks, the Panama Papers, Paradise Papers and Implant Files, producing the biggest cross-border collaborations in journalism history. Their award-winning stories helped bring about the downfall of three world leaders – the prime ministers of Pakistan, Iceland and Malta – and prompted government inquiries and legislative reform in more than 70 countries. ⁠ See the video interview >>⁠ ⁠Support our mission >>⁠

David Wilson led The Age’s Insight investigative team for a decade and was one of the first journalists in Australia to build vast databases of information that enabled him to expose dozens of criminals and organised crime figures. Wilson helped reveal corrupt land deals in Victoria in 1970s and early 1980s, claiming the scalps of two state ministers and jail for a senior official. A series known as The Age Tapes in 1984 led to a controversial political-judicial crisis that reverberated for years, embroiling a High Court judge and sparking numerous inquiries including a Royal Commission. ⁠See the video interview >>⁠ ⁠ Support our mission >>⁠

As executive producer of the ABC’s Four Corners, Australia’s premier investigative reporting program, Sally Neighbour continues a long tradition of award-winning exposés of injustice, corruption, and abuse of power. As a reporter, Neighbour dug deeply into the untold stories behind Islamic terrorism. ⁠See the video interview >>⁠ ⁠ Support our mission >>⁠

While editing The National Times, Brian Toohey published some of the most controversial and bold investigative journalism of the 1980s. As a reporter and author, he broke numerous stories about national security and politics, regularly receiving leaks that enraged and embarrassed politicians and governments. See the video interview >> Support our mission >>

Richard Baker is a multi-award-winning investigative journalist and podcaster at The Age. He has exposed a broad range of issues including the payment of bribes to foreign officials by subsidiaries of the Reserve Bank of Australia, and Chinese influence in Australian politics. His podcasts have explored the death of a young woman in a garbage chute, the suspected murder of an Indigenous couple, and a bungled heroin smuggling operation. A skilled listener, thoughtful and curious, he has delved deeply into stories that might otherwise not have been told. ⁠See the video interview >>⁠ ⁠ Support our mission >>⁠