Winner of the student award for investigative journalism 2024
The winner of Democracy’s Watchdogs’ 2024 award is Brendan Kearns from the University of Melbourne.
Congratulations Brendan!
He will receive $1000 plus an engraved trophy. There were four students who were highly commended and each will receive a certificate from Democracy’s Watchdogs.
The judges liked Brendan’s story because it exposed how craftily energy drink companies like Red Bull had accessed huge markets of university students through student unions, sponsorships, marketing and give-aways while universities essentially looked the other way.
Brendan surveyed 25 universities and found that 21 advertised for “student marketeer’’ jobs in the past two years. These roles, he wrote are “part of Red Bull’s 4000-strong global band of student marketeers who run stalls at O-Week events and conduct promotions ‘on and off campus’.’’ Sixteen of the university student unions had current or past partnerships and promotions with Red Bull.
Brendan’s story, which was well written and clear, quoted numerous experts on the health impacts of drinks high in sugar and caffeine that can lead to anxiety, obesity, tooth decay and Type 2 diabetes.
While some may grab a free energy drink as they pass by and not see a story there, Brendan certainly did and started digging. As he wrote in his supporting statement: “It always struck me as strange that energy drink giveaways were so ubiquitous at universities across Australia. Was it not counterintuitive that institutions teaching public health are used to market unhealthy drinks?’’
His story was published in the Weekend Australian.
Honour Roll
Democracy’s Watchdogs has hosted an annual award for the best investigative stories by student journalists since 2020. We proudly foster journalism that enhances our democratic processes and promotes excellence in tomorrow’s journalists. Below are the winners of our award.
2020:
Kate Wong and David Bogi, University of Melbourne.
How China uses Muslim press trips to counter claims of Uighur abuse
2021:
Stephanie Tran, University of Technology Sydney.
State Capture: top corporations identified as members of both Liberal and Labor parties
2022:
Jade Murray, Sasha Gattermayr, James Costa, Helena Morgan, University of Melbourne.
Exhausted: the breathtaking cost of living near a freight route
