This was published 4 months ago
We’re doubling down on investigative journalism
By Liam Phelan
Two stories have dominated the Sydney news cycle this week: the bungled opening and design of the Rozelle interchange and the Bruce Lehrmann defamation case.
The former was a long-awaited milestone in Sydney’s roads network, which has been well previewed by our urban team. However, from the first traffic snarl on Monday morning it became clear that poor sign-posting and, more seriously, poor lane design have combined to turn what should have been a triumph into a shemozzle.
Traffic snarls approaching the Anzac Bridge at the Rozelle Interchange.Credit: Kate Geraghty
Our extensive coverage of this story, led by transport reporter Matt O’Sullivan and Sydney editor Michael Koziol, has set the agenda that other news outlets have been forced to follow.
We have had breaking news updates on our daily blog, rolling news stories, analysis and expert commentary all delivered – unlike Sydney infrastructure – on time (and on budget).
While Rozelle has dominated the news cycle, the bigger issue is how the Minns government will handle a multi-billion dollar slew of major infrastructure projects started by the previous government. We will stay focused on this in the days, weeks and months to come, with the aim of making sure Sydney’s planners avoid such fundamental errors in the future and deliver projects fit for purpose from the outset.
The other big story of the week was the defamation case in Courtroom 22A of the Federal Court brought by Bruce Lehrmann against Network Ten and journalist Lisa Wilkinson. After Lehrmann’s extensive cross-examination last week, this week brought the hard-to-watch testimony of former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins. Our brilliant legal affairs reporter Michaela Whitbourn has been filing multiple daily news takes while Harriet Alexander has been providing an insightful end-of-day analysis. Their pieces have become must-reads for subscribers and across the media and legal industries.
While readers and subscribers have been deeply interested in our coverage, a few have questioned why we are devoting so much attention to this case. Well, as Deborah Snow will explain tomorrow, it is important because it gives us an insight into the treatment of women in Parliament House and the workplace culture of political staffers – a culture that can be abusive, toxic and is in need of reform.
Away from the weekly news cycle, last week we celebrated the indefatigable Kate McClymont, who as I am sure most of you know is our chief investigative reporter, and her Walkley Award for outstanding contribution to journalism.
Well, this week we are pleased to announce a significant boost to our investigative team.
- Patrick Begley will return to the Herald from the ABC, where he has been working as a reporter for 7.30 and Four Corners. Begley will start in mid-January.
- Harriet Alexander will join the team as an investigative reporter, starting in January. Anyone familiar with Alexander’s work (including the Lehrmann case this week) knows her extraordinary writing ability, but she is also tenacious and forensic. Her brilliant work on poker machine reform helped the Herald secure a nomination in last week’s Walkley Awards.
- Chris Barrett will join the investigations team when he returns from his posting as South-East Asia correspondent in January. A former chief sports reporter for the Herald, Barrett will fill an exciting new role focused on sports investigations. He will work from our Canberra office.
- Finally, Eryk Bagshaw will join the team when he returns from his posting as North Asia correspondent in April. Bagshaw has published investigations with real impact during his postings.
The Herald’s new investigative reporters: Chris Barrett, Harriet Alexander, Patrick Begley and Eryk Bagshaw.Credit: Sydney Morning Herald
Alongside McClymont and investigative reporters Carrie Fellner and Ben Cubby, these four new additions will more than double the team’s size and further enhance its already significant impact on Australian journalism.
This is a major commitment by the Herald to investigative journalism and something we are very proud of. You can look forward to reading their work from early next year.