Margot O'Neill (born 16 May 1958) is an Australian

journalist A journalist is a person who gathers information in the form of text, audio or pictures, processes it into a newsworthy form and disseminates it to the public. This is called journalism. Roles Journalists can work in broadcast, print, advertis ...

, writer and producer. She founded Original Thinking Productions, a multi-platform content provider after leaving the ABC in 2019 where she was a journalist for over 25 years. O’Neill worked as a journalist for nearly 40 years in television, radio, newspapers and online in Australia and overseas covering politics, national security and social justice issues and has worked on a variety of ABC programs including the investigative flagship program, ''Four Corners''. O'Neill twice won Australia's

Walkley Awards The annual Walkley Awards are presented in Australia to recognise and reward excellence in journalism. They cover all media including print, television, documentary, radio, photographic and online media. The Gold Walkley is the highest prize and ...

including for Best Investigative Reporting as well as four human rights awards. She also wrote a book called ''Blind Conscience'' (UNSW Press 2008) telling the stories of some of the key players in Australia's refugee advocacy movement. It won the 2009 Human Rights award for best non-fiction. She has a Bachelor of Arts (Politics) degree from the

University of Melbourne The University of Melbourne (colloquially known as Melbourne University) is a public university, public research university located in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1853, it is Australia's second oldest university and the oldest in the state ...

. She was a Journalist Fellow at the University of Oxford.

Early life, education and personal life

Margot O’Neill is one of five children who grew up in Gippsland, Victoria. She is married to Dr Ken Hudson and lives in Sydney. She has one daughter, Molly, and a step-daughter, Charlotte.

Professional career

O’Neill founded Original Thinking Productions in 2019 after leaving a career as a journalist with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, ABC. She started out as a journalist for radio 3RRR FM in Melbourne before moving to ''The Age'' newspaper and then to the ABC where she covered Australian politics in Canberra. She also covered US politics in Washington DC and the South Pacific and worked at ''Four Corners'' before joining ''Lateline'' and finally, the ABC Investigations Unit.

Awards

*1998 - UNAA Media Award - TV Current Affairs - Margot O'Neill, ''Four Corners'' ABC TV, - 'Death Sentence' *2002 - UNAA Media Peace Award - Finalist - Best Television - Margot O'Neill, ''Lateline'' ABC TV, - 'Curtin Tape' *2002 - Walkley Award Winner (Television) - TV Current Affairs Reporting (Less Than 10 Minutes), 'Curtin Tape', Australian Broadcasting Corporation -The Australian Women's Register - Walkley Awards *2003 - LOGIE Finalist Most Outstanding Public Affairs program Lateline ABC *2005 - Human Rights Commission winner TV 'Vivian Solon' Lateline ABC *2005 - Walkley Finalist TV Current Affairs (less than 20 mins) 'Vivian Solon' Lateline ABC *2005 - Walkley Award Winner (All Media) - Investigative Journalism, 'Vivian Solon', Lateline ABC (with Hamish Fitzsimmons, Tom Iggulden & Lisa Millar) National Library of Australia - Trove *2006 - LOGIE Finalist Most Outstanding News Coverage 'Vivian Solon' Lateline ABC TV *2006 - Walkley Social Equity Journalism Commendation 'Sex Abuse of the Elderly' Lateline ABC *2006 - UNAA Media Peace Award - Finalist - Best Television - News - Margot O'Neill & Michael Edwards, ABC TV ''Lateline'' – 'Belgrade Exile', United Nations Association of Australia *2007 - LOGIE Finalist Most Outstanding News Coverage 'Sexual Abuse of the Elderly' Lateline ABC *2008 -Walkley Finalist Best TV Current Affairs (under 20 mins) 'Tragic Story of Tony Tran' Lateline ABC *2009 - John Button Prize - Short Listed - Margot O'Neill: ''Blind Conscience'' (UNSW Press) *2009 - National Human Rights Award for Best Non-Fiction - Winner - ''Blind Conscience'' (UNSW Press) *2010 - Donald McDonald ABC Reuters Journalism Institute Fellowship to Oxford University - University of Oxford - Fellowships *2012 - Walkley Finalist Social Equity Journalism 'Aged Drugs' Lateline ABC *2013 - Human Rights Commission Finalist 'Aged Care Crisis' Lateline ABC *2013 - UNAA Media Award - TV Current Affairs - Margot O'Neill, ''Lateline'' ABC TV, - 'Aged Care Crisis'

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:ONeill, Margot 1958 births Living people Australian reporters and correspondents People from Leongatha Australian women television journalists University of Melbourne alumni