Linton Besser
Linton Besser | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1976 or 1977 |
| Education | Moriah College |
| Occupation | Journalist |
| Employer | ABC Television |
| Spouse | Married |
| Children | 2 |
Linton Besser (born 1976 or 1977) is an Australian investigative journalist. In 2025 he took over as host of the long-running Media Watch show on ABC TV. He has won numerous awards in journalism, including four Walkley Awards, two Kennedy Awards, and a George Munster Award.
Early life and education
[edit]Linton Besser was born in 1976 or 1977[1] to Jewish parents, Anne and Mike Besser.[2][full citation needed] His grandparents, Sara Weintraub and Wolf Besser, were Holocaust survivors who were interned at Auschwitz concentration camp during World War II.[3]
He was educated at Moriah College in Sydney.[1]
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.[4] While there, he won a 2010 Walkley Award for Investigative Journalism for his story "The Wrong Stuff", on misspending by the Department of Defence;[5] and (with Kate McClymont) a Walkley[6][self-published source] and a George Munster Award for the 2012 investigative series "The Obeid family business",[7] followed by a 2013 Kennedy Award for Scoop of the Year.[8] 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.[9] The book was a finalist at the 2015 Ned Kelly Awards.[10]
Having moved to the ABC in 2013, he reported for Four Corners between 2014 and 2018.[4] During his tenure, he won a second Kennedy Award in 2014, for Outstanding Consumer Affairs Reporting with Janine Cohen and Mario Christodoulou,[11][full citation needed][better source needed] 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.[12][self-published source] 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.[13][14]
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.[4]
In 2024, Besser and Nina Kopel received the Walkley Business Journalism Award for their strata management industry investigation.[15][self-published source]
In November 2024 it was announced that from 2025 he would be the new host of ABC's long-running Media Watch program.[16][4]
Personal life
[edit]See also
[edit]References
[edit]- 1 2 Benjamin, Henry (10 December 2010). "Walkley for Linton". J-Wire. Retrieved 31 March 2025.
The 33-year-old journalist was educated at Sydney's Moriah College [...].
- ↑ "Relief as journo released from Malaysia". Australian Jewish News. Retrieved 5 December 2024.[author missing][date missing]
- ↑ Veitch, Harriet (24 September 2012). "Holocaust survivor lost family, built new life". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 7 February 2025.
- 1 2 3 4 "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". Walkley Foundation. Retrieved 5 December 2024.[self-published source]
- ↑ 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. AAP. 21 August 2014. Retrieved 5 December 2024.
- ↑ Australian Writers' Centre Team (9 August 2015). "2015 Ned Kelly Awards Shortlist Announced!". Australian Writers' Centre. Retrieved 5 December 2024.
- ↑ "2014 Kennedy Award Winners" (PDF). Retrieved 5 December 2024.[author missing][date missing][publisher missing]
- ↑ "Linton Besser, Louie Eroglu, Jaya Balendra and Elise Worthington". Walkley Foundation. Retrieved 5 December 2024.[self-published source]
- ↑ 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. AAP. 15 March 2016. Retrieved 5 December 2024.
- ↑ "69th Walkley Awards winners announced". Walkley Foundation. 19 November 2024. Retrieved 5 December 2024.[self-published source]
- ↑ 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.
