The Australian Press Council (APC) is calling for nominations for its Press Freedom Medal, to be awarded to an individual, or individuals, who have demonstrated extraordinary commitment or service to the cause of press freedom.

Nominees can be journalists, editors, or others such as members of the legal profession, educators or whistle-blowers whose work has supported press freedom or cast light upon important issues in Australian society. Nominations may be made by members of the public, any member of the Council and its Secretariat, or any publication that is a member of the Press Council.

"Advocating for freedom of the press is an important responsibility of the Press Council," said APC Chair Neville Stevens. “The Press Freedom Medal honours those courageous individuals who pursue this freedom, often at great personal risk.”

Nominations for the 2022 Press Freedom Medal open today, Monday May 30, 2022, and should be submitted by Thursday June 30, 2022, along with reasons why the individual(s) should be considered for the award. They can be supplied as Word documents, PDFs, or within the body of an email and should be no longer than 250 words.

Nominations should be sent to media@presscouncil.org.au.  For those without access to email, they can be sent by post to:

The Australian Press Council

PO Box 1014

North Sydney NSW 2059.

Please supply a contact phone number with your submission.

At the close of the nomination period, a shortlist will be compiled from which the winner(s) will be selected. In selecting nominees for the award, the Press Council will be guided by its Constitutional aims to promote freedom of speech through responsible and independent print and digital media, and high journalistic and editorial standards.

If you have any questions about the Press Freedom Medal or need guidance on how to nominate someone for the award, please email info@presscouncil.org.au  with the subject line: Press Freedom Medal.

It is with great sadness that the Australian Press Council notes the passing of John Bedwell, a valued and much-admired member of the Australian Press Council.

As a Public Member since 2014, John served under three Chairs, sat on many adjudication panels and was a member of Council’s Administration and Finance Sub-Committee. In each of these roles, he made significant contributions to the Press Council’s mission of promoting freedom of expression and maintaining high journalistic standards in the Australian press. He also served on several important Council working groups.

Above and beyond these formal contributions, John was a compassionate and caring man, always extending kindness to his fellow Council Members and Secretariat staff. He was an absolute pleasure to work with and is sadly missed.