Queensland Clarion award in doubt over Andrew Laming TV report aired by Nine Queensland

Another media award remains in doubt after it aired defamatory allegations about former Liberal MP Andrew Laming.

14/9/22: Former MP Andrew Laming leaves the Federal Court in Sydney after the resolution of his defamation hearing against Nine. He has received an apology from Nine News over allegations aired in a TV story last year. John Feder/The Australian.

Another media prize given to a report on former Liberal MP Andrew Laming is in doubt, with the organisers of the Clarion Awards in Queensland considering the matter, sources said.

The Walkley Foundation is already in the process of reviewing an award given to the reporters – Nine Queensland’s Peter Fegan and Rebeka Powell – after Dr Laming won a defamation case against the broadcaster this year.

A report by Fegan and Powell, falsely accusing Dr Laming of upskirting a woman, won the Media Arts and Entertainment Alliance’s 2021 Clarion Award for best broadcast interview.

Dr Laming launched defamation proceedings after a story by Nine aired in March last year which claimed he took an inappropriate photo of a woman bending over while she was working in a landscape supplies business.

In September, the defamation action was settled between Nine and Dr Laming. The company paid him a settlement understood to be in the vicinity of $1m.

They also issued a public apology to the former MP.

On Friday, an MEAA spokesman declined to respond to questions about the Clarion awards.

Last month, it was revealed the Walkley Foundation was conducting a review into an award won by Fegan and Powell for reports in March last year about Dr Laming, falsely accusing him of “upskirting” a woman.

The award-winning entry was dubbed “The investigation of Andrew Laming” and the two journalists took out the honour in February this year. They won the 2021 Walkley Award in the television/video news reporting category for their reporting on Dr Laming’s alleged misconduct.

The foundation has appointed Melbourne silk William Houghton KC to lead an independent review into the Walkley Award and determine whether it should be revoked or annulled or whether there should be another outcome.

Interested parties have been told they have until this Friday to lodge their submissions as part of the review. Mr Houghton KC will provide advice once this investigation is complete and the foundation will then deliberate and consult on the matter before announcing a decision.