ABC News expands with National Reporting Team

The ABC has announced an expanded National Reporting Team, with nine new employees joining with 15 current ABC staff, headed up by former 7:30 producer Jo Puccini.

The new team, includes recruits from Fairfax, News Limited, the BBC, and TVNZ, Seven and TEN.

The National Reporting Team is a new ABC initiative, following on from ABC Fact Check,  and new bureaus in Ipswich, Geelong and Parramatta. They will research, investigate and produce major news and current affairs stories for radio, television, online and mobile.

“The new team will quickly become a vital part of ABC News output across the country,”says Kate Torney, Director of News. “I welcome all the new recruits and the increased opportunity this presents to deliver original and important journalism to ABC audiences everywhere.”

Among the new journalists joining the ABC team are:

· Linton Besser from The Sydney Morning Herald, a Walkley winner and one of the finest investigative reporters in the country;

· Mark Solomons, a renowned investigative reporter from Brisbane’s Courier Mail;

· Daniel Oakes, currently Crime Editor for The Age and a former Defence and Foreign Affairs writer;

· Andrea Jonson, a senior producer with the BBC and Seven Network;

· Dale Owens, an award-winning producer with TVNZ’s Sunday program.

They will join other new recruits from inside the ABC who are also joining the new team, among them:

· Mark Willacy, the ABC’s returning Tokyo Correspondent, whose reporting on the recent Fukushima nuclear story has been internationally recognised;

· Trevor Bormann, who joins from Foreign Correspondent after breaking one of the year’s biggest stories – Prisoner X;

· Alison McClymont, a story-breaking producer with experience at Four Corners, Lateline, 7.30 and Radio Current Affairs.

The new recruits will join forces with the ABC’s existing team of national reporters, including Michael Brissenden (Defence), Sophie Scott (Health), Jake Sturmer (Technology & Science) and Peter Lewis (Rural & Regional).

There are 12 men and 12 women in the team. Two of the new staff are Indigenous.

The full team is:

Editor: Jo Puccini (from ABC 7.30)
Coordinating Producer: Pip Quinn (ABC Newsgathering Desk)
Admin Assistant: Kylene Anderson (external hire)
Brisbane Reporter: Mark Willacy (from ABC Tokyo)
Brisbane Producer: Mark Solomons (from Courier Mail)
Sydney Reporters: Trevor Bormann (from ABC Foreign Correspondent)
Linton Besser (from Sydney Morning Herald)
Sydney Producers: Alison McClymont (from ABC Radio Current Affairs)
Andrea Jonson (from BBC/Channel 7)
Melbourne Reporter: Daniel Oakes (from The Age)
Melbourne Producer: Sam Clark (from Channel Ten’s The Project)
Perth Producer: Dale Owens (from TVNZ’s Sunday)
Darwin Reporter: Michael Coggan (from ABC Darwin)
Defence & National
Security: Michael Brissenden
Health: Sophie Scott
Technology: Jake Sturmer
Arts: Anne Maria Nicholson
Social Affairs: Sally Sara
Finance: Phil Lasker
Rural & Regional: Peter Lewis
Consumer Affairs: Amy Bainbridge
Resources: Sue Lannin
Researchers: Alison Branley (from Newcastle Herald)
Suzanne Dredge (from Koori Radio)