Linton Besser
Linton Besser is an Australian journalist, who has won multiple awards for investigative reporting. He is to be the host of Media Watch from 2025.
Career
[edit]In 2003, Besser began his media career as a producer for morning TV program Today. Then, after a stint at rural and regional papers, he moved to the Sydney Morning Herald in 2007.[1] While there, he won a 2010 Walkley Award for Investigative Journalism for his story "The Wrong Stuff", on misspending by the Department of Defence;[2] and (with Kate McClymont) a Walkley[3] and a George Munster Award for the 2012 investigative series "The Obeid family business",[4] followed by a 2013 Kennedy Award for Scoop of the Year.[5] The pair released the best-selling book He Who must Be Obeid in 2014; its first print run was pulped due to incorrectly identifying one person as another.[6] The book was a finalist at the 2015 Ned Kelly Awards.[7]
Having moved to the ABC in 2013, he reported for Four Corners between 2014 and 2018.[1] During his tenure, he won a second Kennedy Award in 2014 for Outstanding Consumer Affairs Reporting with Janine Cohen and Mario Christodoulou,[8] and a 2016 Walkley Television/Audio Visual Current Affairs Award for "State of Fear", along with cinematographer Louie Eroglu, producer Jaya Balendra and researcher Elise Worthington.[9] In 2016, Besser and Eroglu were arrested in Malaysia for trying to question Prime Minister Najib Razak over the 1MDB scandal. They were released without charge several days later.[10][11]
From 2018 until 2021 he was the ABC's Europe Correspondent, after which he returned to providing investigative reporting for ABC News including programs 7.30, AM, and Four Corners.[1] He won a fourth Walkley, for Business Journalism with Ninah Kopel for reports on problems with the strata management industry.[12]
From 2025 he is to be the host of the ABC's Media Watch program.[13]
Personal life
[edit]Besser's parents are Anne and Mike Besser. They are Jewish.[14] He was educated at Moriah College.[15] As of 2013[update], he was married with two children.[16]
See also
[edit]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c "Linton Besser takes the hotseat at Media Watch". ABC. 21 November 2024. Retrieved 5 December 2024.
- ^ Vatsikopoulous, Helen; Benthe, H. F.; Haberland, G. (31 May 2012). "Panel discussion—investigative case studies". Pacific Journalism Review. 18 (1): 44. doi:10.24135/pjr.v18i1.288.
- ^ "Walkley Winners Archive". The Walkley Foundation. Retrieved 5 December 2024.
- ^ Winners of the George Munster Award (PDF), retrieved 5 December 2024
- ^ "Kate McClymont leads Herald pack at Kennedy Awards". The Sydney Morning Herald. 9 August 2013. Retrieved 5 December 2024.
- ^ "Obeid book pulped over defamation threat". SBS News. Retrieved 5 December 2024.
- ^ "2015 Ned Kelly Awards Shortlist Announced!". Australian Writers' Centre. Retrieved 5 December 2024.
- ^ 2014 Kennedy Award Winners (PDF), retrieved 5 December 2024
- ^ "Linton Besser, Louie Eroglu, Jaya Balendra and Elise Worthington". The Walkley Foundation. Retrieved 5 December 2024.
- ^ Murdoch, Lindsay (18 March 2016). "The story behind the arrest of Four Corners' Linton Besser and Louie Eroglu in Malaysia". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 5 December 2024.
- ^ "ABC pair flying home after Malaysia saga". SBS News. Retrieved 5 December 2024.
- ^ "69th Walkley Awards winners announced". The Walkley Foundation. 19 November 2024. Retrieved 5 December 2024.
- ^ Meade, Amanda (21 November 2024). "Linton Besser, award-winning investigative journalist, named new Media Watch host". The Guardian. Retrieved 5 December 2024.
- ^ "Relief as journo released from Malaysia". www.australianjewishnews.com. Retrieved 5 December 2024.
- ^ Benjamin, Henry (10 December 2010). "Walkley for Linton". J-Wire. Retrieved 5 December 2024.
- ^ McClymont, Kate (3 May 2013). "Where angels fear to tread". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 5 December 2024.
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