Linton Besser
Linton Besser | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1977[1] |
| Alma mater | Moriah College |
| Occupation | Journalist |
| Employer | ABC TV |
| Spouse | Married |
| Children | 2 |
| Parents |
|
Linton Besser (born 1977) is an Australian investigative journalist. In 2025 he took over as host of the long-running Media Watch show on ABC TV. He is the winner of numerous awards in journalism, including four Walkley Awards, two Kennedy Awards and a George Munster Award.[2]
Early life and background
[edit]Besser was born to Jewish parents, Anne and Mike Besser.[3] He was educated at Moriah College in Sydney.[4] His grandparents, Sara Weintraub and Wolf Besser were Holocaust survivors that were interned at Auschwitz concentration camp.[5]
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.[6] While there, he won a 2010 Walkley Award for Investigative Journalism for his story "The Wrong Stuff", on misspending by the Department of Defence;[7] and (with Kate McClymont) a Walkley[8] and a George Munster Award for the 2012 investigative series "The Obeid family business",[9] followed by a 2013 Kennedy Award for Scoop of the Year.[10] 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.[11] The book was a finalist at the 2015 Ned Kelly Awards.[12]
Having moved to the ABC in 2013, he reported for Four Corners between 2014 and 2018.[6] During his tenure, he won a second Kennedy Award in 2014 for Outstanding Consumer Affairs Reporting with Janine Cohen and Mario Christodoulou,[13] 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.[14] During that investigation, Besser and Eroglu were arrested in Malaysia for trying to question Prime Minister Najib Razak over the 1MDB scandal, but were released without charge several days later.[15][16]
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.[6] He won a fourth Walkley, for Business Journalism with Ninah Kopel for reports on problems with the strata management industry.[17]
In November 2024 it was announced that from 2025 he would be the new host of ABC's long-running Media Watch program.[18]
Personal life
[edit]As of 2013[update], he was married with two children.[19]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Benjamin, Henry (10 December 2010). Walkley for Linton JWire. Retrieved on 4 February 2025
- ^ Linton Besser takes the hotseat at Media Watch ABC. 21 November 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.
- ^ Veitch, Harriet (24 September 2012). "Holocaust survivor lost family, built new life". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 7 February 2025.
- ^ 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.
- ^ McClymont, Kate (3 May 2013). "Where angels fear to tread". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 5 December 2024.
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