Steve Pennells Explained

Steve Pennells (born 1971) is an Australian journalist.[1]

In 2012, Pennells was awarded the Gold Walkley.[2] [3] Pennells received the award in recognition for his work at The West Australian, specifically a series of articles about asylum seekers[4] [5] [6] [7] [8] and for his reports on the conflict between Australian mining magnate Gina Rinehart and her children.[9] [10] [11] [12] [13]

Pennells won a legal battle with Rinehart in the Supreme Court of Western Australia in 2013 after she had served a subpoena, attempting to expose Pennells' sources by accessing confidential documents and communications, specifically between Pennells and her son John.[14] [15] In what was considered to be the first test of Australia's shield laws, Justice Janine Pritchard described the subpoena as oppressive and an abuse of process, stating that if Pennells' sources had been disclosed it would have been a breach of a journalist's "fundamental ethical obligation".[14] The ramifications of the decision were widely discussed in Australia.[16] [17]

In 2013, Pennells joined the Seven Network's weekly current affairs program, Sunday Night.[18] Pennells hosted a Seven News special in 2016, Anita: You Thought You Knew It All.[19]

Pennells was among 48 Australian journalists who were inducted into the Australian Media Hall of Fame in November 2018.[20]

Notes and References

  1. Bannister, Brooke (15 August 2011) WA journalist comes face-to-face with East Africa famine, ABC Radio Perth, Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 12 April 2019.
  2. (1 December 2013) Walkley Award winners announced in Canberra, news.com.au, News Corp Australia. Retrieved 12 April 2019.
  3. Emery, Kate (1 December 2012) The West's Gold Walkley winner, The West Australian, Seven West Media. Retrieved 12 April 2019.
  4. Pennells, Steve (16 May 2011) Freedom beckons for refugees heading to Perth, The West Australian, Seven West Media. Retrieved 12 April 2019.
  5. Pennells, Steve (17 May 2011) Hard life for refugees in Malaysia, The West Australian, Seven West Media. Retrieved 12 April 2019.
  6. Pennells, Steve (24 December 2011) Asylum boat bodies float 300km, end up at Bali, The West Australian, Seven West Media. Retrieved 12 April 2019.
  7. Pennells, Steve; Sas, Nick; Butterly, Nick (27 June 2012) Rescue emergency as asylum boat sinks, The West Australian, Seven West Media. Retrieved 12 April 2019.
  8. Pennells, Steve (20 August 2012) Deaths do not faze smugglers, The West Australian, Seven West Media. Retrieved 12 April 2019.
  9. Pennells, Steve (14 January 2012) Youngest of Rinehart's out of shadows, The West Australian, Seven West Media. Retrieved 12 April 2019.
  10. Pennells, Steve (4 February 2012) Son breaks his silence in Rinehart battle, The West Australian, Seven West Media. Retrieved 12 April 2019.
  11. Pennells, Steve (10 March 2012) Rinehart's bombshell to kids over Hancock legacy, The West Australian, Seven West Media. Retrieved 12 April 2019.
  12. Pennnells, Steve (12 March 2012) Old fights surface as Rinehart secrecy folds, The West Australian, Seven West Media. Retrieved 12 April 2019.
  13. Pennells, Steve (17 March 2012) We are just doing this for fairness: son, The West Australian, Seven West Media. Retrieved 12 April 2019.
  14. Weber, David (6 August 2013) Rinehart loses attempt to discover sources, Lateline, Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 12 April 2019.
  15. Harvey, Eliza (7 August 2013) WA newspaper journalist wins legal battle against billionaire Gina Rinehart, AM, Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 12 April 2019.
  16. Bradley, Seamus (7 August 2013) Australia's shield laws, state by state, The Guardian, Guardian Media Group. Retrieved 12 April 2019.
  17. Lidberg, Johan (8 August 2013) Pennells decision a win for source protection and investigative journalism, The Conversation, The Conversation Trust. Retrieved 12 April 2019.
  18. Cronin, Bob (18 November 2018) The Australian Media Hall of Fame: Steve Pennells, Melbourne Press Club. Retrieved 12 April 2019.
  19. Knox, David (30 January 2016) Seven News: Anita Cobby investigation, TV Tonight. Retrieved 12 April 2019.
  20. Knox, David (18 November 2018) Australian Media Hall of Fame: 2018 inductees, TV Tonight. Retrieved 12 April 2019.