Wednesday 10 December 2003 - Release No. 7
Four Corners dominates Human Rights TV Award again
ABC TV’s Four Corners program About Woomera by Debbie Whitmont and Jo Puccini has won this year’s Human Rights Award for Television - the second year in a row that Four Corners (including Jo Puccini) has won the award.
About Woomera has been widely commended as a ground breaking investigation of conditions inside the Woomera detention centre. The program was the product of more than a hundred interviews with staff, detainees and bureaucrats over the past two years.
Judges described the program as ‘outstanding’ and ‘touching’ as it took an issue in our society, researched and investigated it in a unique way, which then led to public debate and changes in community attitudes.
The program led to a police investigation, which is still ongoing, and its contents were used in evidence in the first successful application to the family Court for the release of five children from detention.
About Woomera generated a great public response, dominating talkback radio and editorials throughout the country. The judges were most impressed with how it ‘encouraged and promoted action, which led to a police investigation’ and ‘how it encouraged public debate and persuaded public opinion’.
The Four Corners team of Quentin McDermott, Morag Ramsey and Sandra Harvey were also highly commended for their groundbreaking report The Homies, which revealed a secret history of institutionalised child abuse in Australia.
The Homies documented some of the abuse suffered by children sent to homes run by states, charities and churches during the 1950-70s. As a result, for the first time, on the program, the Salvation Army publicly accepted these stories and apologised to all Australians.
Judges described this as ‘an outstanding piece’, which provided ‘comprehensive coverage that led to a public apology’.
Last updated 21 June 2004.
