Kate McClymont honoured at Walkleys for outstanding contribution to journalism

The Sydney Morning Herald’s chief investigative reporter, Kate McClymont, has been honoured with the Walkley Award for outstanding contribution to journalism in recognition of her fearless reporting spanning more than three decades.

Now a winner of 10 Walkley Awards for excellence in journalism, McClymont’s contribution to the industry has previously been recognised by an appointment as a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) and induction to the Australian Media Hall of Fame. She has won many other awards.

McClymont’s reporting has held the powerful to account and uncovered corruption, fraud and criminal enterprise across politics, business, sport and wider society. Her investigations are synonymous with some of the biggest scandals and stories in Sydney and Australian public life.

Perhaps best-known for her coverage of corrupt former NSW Labor MP Eddie Obeid, McClymont’s revelations resulted in Obeid being jailed not once but twice for his conduct in public office.

McClymont also exposed allegations of inappropriate conduct against High Court judge Dyson Heydon and revealed serious misconduct by television star Don Burke.

Her coverage in the Herald and on 60 Minutes of neurosurgeon Charlie Teo’s treatment of his patients led to sanctions against the controversial neurosurgeon.

She led the coverage of the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs’ NRL salary-cap scandal, which resulted in the team losing all its competition points and being fined $500,000.

An investigation into the then ALP national president Michael Williamson and the Health Service Union’s east branch forced him off the party’s executive.

McClymont also delved into the mysterious world of Sydney fraudster Melissa Caddick, helming the hugely successful, Walkley-nominated Liar Liar, which has now recorded more than 6 million downloads.

Herald editor Bevan Shields said McClymont was a “powerhouse of Australian journalism”.

“Her enthusiasm for the yarn is legendary, as is her willingness to mentor younger colleagues,” Shields said.

“She is generous to a fault with contacts, tips and encouragement to fellow reporters. Colleagues admire her fearlessness in the face of threats to her safety, and her ability to pry information from reluctant sources. She is a legend of our industry and recognition of this status is long overdue.”

The award recognises the achievements of a person or group each year that has demonstrated an outstanding commitment to the highest standards of journalism – truth, rigour, integrity and fairness – over their career.

The Walkley Foundation awarded eight female winners the outstanding contribution to journalism award this year in a bid to redress a gender imbalance.

Kate McClymont has been awarded a Walkley Award for her outstanding contribution to journalism.Credit: Wolter Peeters

McClymont was honoured alongside Pamela Williams, Joanne McCarthy, Karla Grant, Marian Wilkinson, Colleen Ryan, Geraldine Doogue and Caroline Wilson.

The Herald’s economics editor Ross Gittins, a recipient of the same award in 2020, was one of several industry leaders to support McClymont’s nomination, saying: “In a highly competitive profession not noted for its willingness to mentor potential rivals, Kate’s record of encouraging and training many younger colleagues stands out.

“It adds a further significant dimension to her selfless contribution to both the profession and the public interest. She is a woman of whom all journalists can be proud.”

Herald senior writer Jacqueline Maley said in the nomination that McClymont “is collegiate, warm and will always serve the story ahead of serving herself”.

Kirsty Thomson, the executive producer of 60 Minutes, said: “It’s a rare achievement in the highly competitive world of journalism but Kate is almost universally admired and respected by both her colleagues and rivals.

“She is more than collaborative; she goes out of her way to encourage and champion her co-workers.

“Even when she doesn’t realise it she’s being a role model, teaching us not only about the finer points of forensic journalism but also about decency and humanity.”

The Walkley Awards were held in Sydney on Thursday night.

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