ABC Pacific news coverage wins 2026 Lowy Institute Media Award – ABC NEWS journalist Stephen Dziedzic has received the top media prize for reporting on international affairs and Australia’s engagement with Pacific Island nations.
Dziedzic works in the ABC’s International and Indigenous team. The Lowy Institute recognised his in-depth coverage of global affairs, including Australian Government policy and negotiations across the Pacific. The award places sustained regional reporting in the spotlight for a national audience.
The ABC had a second connection to the 2026 award: Foreign Correspondent: Cartel Paradise, a two-part investigation from its Asia Pacific Newsroom, was shortlisted as a finalist. Together, the recognition points to both individual reporting and collaboration with journalists based in the region.
The Cartel Paradise reporting team
Senior reporter Stephanie March worked on Cartel Paradise with Pacific Local Journalism Network correspondents Lice Movono in Fiji, Chrisnrita Aumanu-Leong in the Solomon Islands and Marian Kupu in Tonga. Their work formed part of the ABC’s wider Pacific reporting network.
Dziedzic welcomed the Lowy Institute’s recognition of the ABC’s commitment to the region. He also credited his Pacific colleagues, saying many stories on Australian statecraft over the past year relied on their expertise, contacts and collaborative reporting.
ABC NEWS director Simon Robinson congratulated Dziedzic and the Cartel Paradise team. He said the award reflected the broadcaster’s Pacific coverage and the value of cross-team work in telling those stories.
Why the award matters
Since 2013, the Lowy Institute Media Award has recognised Australian journalism on international affairs. This year’s result highlights the importance of reporting from Pacific communities as well as from Canberra: the policies and deals under scrutiny affect countries across the region.
The ABC release identifies Dziedzic as the winner and the Foreign Correspondent investigation as a finalist, not a co-winner. The award ceremony photograph supplied with the announcement is credited to the Lowy Institute.
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