Pursuit wins Universities Australia Award for Excellence In University Research Reporting

Pursuit, the University of Melbourne’s news research website, has been recognised for its “powerful storytelling” after receiving The Universities Australia Award for Excellence in University Research Reporting 2022 at the National Press Club of Australia in Canberra.

The award recognised the “outstanding journalism” Pursuit produced during the COVID-19 pandemic between May 2021 and May 2022. It also salutes the important role of universities during a time of crisis to provide a trusted and unbiased voice, contributing to the public conversation with factual journalism and informed opinion.

“Each year we recognise exceptional reporting on key issues in higher education, including the enormous contributions our universities make to the communities they serve and across the nation,” said Universities Australia Chief Executive, Catriona Jackson.

The judging panel noted that “Dr Nerissa Hannink, Andrew Trounson and Imogen Crump at Pursuit rose to the urgent public interest journalism challenge of a vast public desire to understand what the evolving expert university science from all across Australia had to say”.

“In skilled coverage on a dedicated COVID-19 channel that generated strong readership metrics, the team reported consistently on the latest university research breakthroughs about the virus itself, the ongoing pandemic, and illuminated how university research was informing policy and debunking dangerous misinformation.

“It was powerful public service journalism that highlighted the indispensable role of Australian university research to save lives, safeguard public health, and help to shape public policy informed by robust evidence,” the panel concluded.