Mark Willacy
Mark Willacy is an Australian investigative journalist for the
Career
Willacy was a Middle East region correspondent based in
From 2008 to 2013 he was a North Asia region correspondent based in Tokyo, where he covered the
Awards
Willacy has won an Australian
In 2010, he was awarded local Queensland Clarion Awards' Journalist of the Year for his investigation into the Mindanao massacre in the Philippines,[8] and again in 2019, for his Four Corners investigation into children being locked up in adult watch houses.[2]
Willacy was awarded a
In 2019, Willacy was part of the Four Corners team that won the
In 2021, Mark Willacy and Rory Callinan, on behalf of ABC News Online, were awarded a Queensland Clarion Award for Investigative Journalism.[2]
Writing
In 2007, Willacy wrote his first published book about his experiences covering the conflict in the Middle East, entitled The View From the Valley of Hell, published by
Willacy's second book, Fukushima: Japan's Tsunami and the Inside Story of the Nuclear Meltdowns, on the 2011
Willacy's third book, Rogue Forces, was published by
Complaints and defamation over alleged war crimes
In October 2020, Willacy co-authored an ABC Investigations article that alleged in 2012 commandos from 2nd Commando Regiment had killed an Afghan prisoner after a US Marine helicopter crew member told them that there was no room for him on board the helicopter.[20][21][22]
Following a complaint, an ABC internal review found that readers could have misinterpreted that November platoon was alleged to have killed the prisoner.[20][23][24] The commander of November platoon at the time Heston Russell has said the unlawful killing never happened.[25][26][27] The ABC added a clarification to the article as a particular platoon had not been identified by their source.[20][23] Heston sued for defamation. Willacy denied claims in court that he had been "irresponsible" or had reported on allegations of war crimes he had "failed to corroborate".[28]
On 16 October 2023, Russell was award $390,000 in damages for defamation as Justice Michael Lee found in his favour. The judge said the 2021 article "overstated the cogency of the evidence in the ABC's possession" and was published following several "missteps", including the failure to seek a response from the veteran.[29] Justice Lee also noted a motivation for the creation and then urgent publication of the story was an eagerness for Willacy to prove wrong those who, in his terms, had ‘come after [him]’ and his reporting, and to vindicate Willacy’s reporting and ABC Investigations.[30] The defamatory articles were removed from ABC publication.
See also
- ABC News (Australia)
- ABC News 24
References
- ^ a b "ABC's "Killing Field" wins the 2020 Gold Walkley Award". The Walkley Foundation. 20 November 2020. Retrieved 29 August 2021.
- ^ a b c "Queensland Clarion Awards". MEAA. Retrieved 12 September 2019.
- ^ "Mark Willacy". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 20 January 2009. Retrieved 20 October 2022.
- . Retrieved 26 November 2020.
- ^ Willacy, Mark (10 April 2013). "North Korean Super Spy". The 7.30 Report. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
- ^ "Walkley Winners Archive". The Walkley Foundation. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
- ^ WalkleyMag (22 November 2018). "Hit podcast The Teacher's Pet wins the 2018 Gold Walkley Award". The Walkley Foundation. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
- ^ Willacy, Mark (6 April 2010). "Philippines - Pet Monsters". Foreign Correspondent. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
- ^ Willacy, Mark (10 June 2010). "Japanese Whaling accused of corruption". Foreign Correspondent. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
- ^ Idato, Michael (30 June 2019). "ABC, Ten win big, Tom Gleeson takes gold at Logie Awards". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
- ^ "The NRMA Kennedy Awards – Excellence in Journalism". Retrieved 26 November 2020.
- ^ Bruce Elder; reviewer (20 August 2007). "The View from the Valley of Hell". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
- ^ Fensom, Anthony (27 July 2013). "Incredible stories that should not be forgotten". The Japan Times. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
- ^ "Walkley Book Award". The Walkley Foundation. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
- ^ "Rogue Forces". Simon and Schuster. 18 August 2021. Retrieved 21 November 2021.
- ^ Kelly, Fran (19 August 2021). "New book reveals details of alleged war crimes by Australian forces in Afghanistan". Radio National. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
- ^ Doran, Matthew (19 November 2020). "SAS soldiers made to shoot prisoners to get their first kill, 39 Afghans 'murdered', inquiry finds". www.abc.net.au. ABC News. Retrieved 29 August 2021.
- ISSN 2207-6069. Retrieved 29 August 2021.
- ^ Burke, Kelly (13 December 2022). "Prime Minister's Literary awards 2022: Nicolas Rothwell and Mark Willacy win major prizes". The Guardian. Retrieved 13 December 2022.
- ^ a b c Mark Willacy; Alexandra Blucher; Dan Oakes (21 October 2020). "Australian soldiers killed prisoner because he could not fit on aircraft, American marine says". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 14 November 2021.
- ^ "ABC statement on Mark Willacy's reporting on war crimes allegations". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. March 2022. Retrieved 16 November 2022.
- ^ Paul Barry (6 December 2021). "November platoon". Media Watch. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 16 November 2022.
- ^ a b Audience and Consumer Affairs (29 March 2022). "Audience and Consumer Affairs Report on ABC Investigations story about Australian Special Forces in Afghanistan". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 19 October 2022.
- ^ Fordham, Ben (29 March 2022). "ABC apologises over sloppy war crimes reporting". 2GB. Nine Entertainment. Retrieved 11 October 2022.
- ^ Peter van Olsen (1 November 2020). "Australian Army Commando Hits Back At Allegations Of Misconduct In Afghanistan". YouTube. The Project. Retrieved 14 November 2021.
- ^ Fordham, Ben (6 December 2021). "Media Watch humiliates ABC journalist over unproven war crimes claim". 2GB. Retrieved 29 October 2022.
- ^ "Letter to the ABC". Veteran Support Force. 25 October 2021. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
- ^ ABC case opens as it fights defamation claim by former Special Forces commando, news.com.au. Accessed 1 August 2023.
- ABC News Australia. Retrieved 8 November 2023.
- ^ Neilson, Naomi (17 October 2023). "What went wrong with ABC's public interest defence?". www.lawyersweekly.com.au. Retrieved 10 November 2023.