# Steve Pennells

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Steve_Pennells
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Steve_Pennells.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Pennells
> Source revision: 1149601340
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

**Steve Pennells** (born 1971) is an Australian journalist.[1]

In 2012, Pennells was awarded the [Gold Walkley](/source/Gold_Walkley).[2][3] Pennells received the award in recognition for his work at *[The West Australian](/source/The_West_Australian)*, specifically a series of articles about [asylum seekers](/source/Asylum_seeker)[4][5][6][7][8] and for his reports on the conflict between Australian mining magnate [Gina Rinehart](/source/Gina_Rinehart) and her children.[9][10][11][12][13]

Pennells won a legal battle with Rinehart in the [Supreme Court of Western Australia](/source/Supreme_Court_of_Western_Australia) in 2013 after she had served a [subpoena](/source/Subpoena), attempting to expose Pennells' sources by accessing confidential documents and communications, specifically between Pennells and her son [John](/source/John_Hancock_(Australian_businessman)).[14][15] In what was considered to be the first test of Australia's [shield laws](/source/Journalism_source_protection), Justice [Janine Pritchard](/source/Janine_Pritchard) described the subpoena as oppressive and an abuse of process, stating that if Pennells' sources had been disclosed it would have been a breach of a journalist's "fundamental ethical obligation".[14] The ramifications of the decision were widely discussed in Australia.[16][17]

In 2013, Pennells joined the [Seven Network](/source/Seven_Network)'s weekly current affairs program, *[Sunday Night](/source/Sunday_Night_(Australian_TV_program))*.[18] Pennells hosted a *[Seven News](/source/Seven_News)* special in 2016, *[Anita: You Thought You Knew It All](/source/Anita_Cobby)*.[19]

Pennells was among 48 Australian journalists who were inducted into the Australian Media Hall of Fame in November 2018.[20]

## References

1. Bannister, Brooke (15 August 2011) [WA journalist comes face-to-face with East Africa famine](http://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2011/08/15/3293797.htm), [ABC Radio Perth](/source/ABC_Radio_Perth), [Australian Broadcasting Corporation](/source/Australian_Broadcasting_Corporation). Retrieved 12 April 2019.

1. (1 December 2013) [Walkley Award winners announced in Canberra](https://www.news.com.au/national/walkley-award-winners-announced-in-canberra/news-story/3a05a7d8f54841071e9656107735051a), *[news.com.au](/source/News.com.au)*, [News Corp Australia](/source/News_Corp_Australia). Retrieved 12 April 2019.

1. Emery, Kate (1 December 2012) [The West's Gold Walkley winner](https://thewest.com.au/news/australia/the-wests-gold-walkley-winner-ng-ya-286515), *[The West Australian](/source/The_West_Australian)*, [Seven West Media](/source/Seven_West_Media). Retrieved 12 April 2019.

1. Pennells, Steve (16 May 2011) [Freedom beckons for refugees heading to Perth](https://thewest.com.au/news/australia/freedom-beckons-for-refugees-heading-to-perth-ng-ya-169126), *The West Australian*, Seven West Media. Retrieved 12 April 2019.

1. Pennells, Steve (17 May 2011) [Hard life for refugees in Malaysia](https://thewest.com.au/news/world/hard-life-for-refugees-in-malaysia-ng-ya-168965), *The West Australian*, Seven West Media. Retrieved 12 April 2019.

1. Pennells, Steve (24 December 2011) [Asylum boat bodies float 300km, end up at Bali](https://thewest.com.au/news/australia/asylum-boat-bodies-float-300km-end-up-at-bali-ng-ya-338141), *The West Australian*, Seven West Media. Retrieved 12 April 2019.

1. Pennells, Steve; Sas, Nick; Butterly, Nick (27 June 2012) [Rescue emergency as asylum boat sinks](https://thewest.com.au/news/wa/rescue-emergency-as-asylum-boat-sinks-ng-ya-309760), *The West Australian*, Seven West Media. Retrieved 12 April 2019.

1. Pennells, Steve (20 August 2012) [Deaths do not faze smugglers](https://thewest.com.au/news/australia/deaths-do-not-faze-smugglers-ng-ya-301497), *The West Australian*, Seven West Media. Retrieved 12 April 2019.

1. Pennells, Steve (14 January 2012) [Youngest of Rinehart's out of shadows](https://thewest.com.au/news/wa/youngest-of-rineharts-out-of-the-shadows-ng-ya-335837), *The West Australian*, Seven West Media. Retrieved 12 April 2019.

1. Pennells, Steve (4 February 2012) [Son breaks his silence in Rinehart battle](https://thewest.com.au/news/australia/son-breaks-his-silence-in-rinehart-battle-ng-ya-332414), *The West Australian*, Seven West Media. Retrieved 12 April 2019.

1. Pennells, Steve (10 March 2012) [Rinehart's bombshell to kids over Hancock legacy](https://thewest.com.au/news/australia/rineharts-bombshell-to-kids-over-hancock-legacy-ng-ya-327046), *The West Australian*, Seven West Media. Retrieved 12 April 2019.

1. Pennnells, Steve (12 March 2012) [Old fights surface as Rinehart secrecy folds](https://thewest.com.au/news/australia/old-fights-surface-as-rinehart-secrecy-folds-ng-ya-326963), *The West Australian*, Seven West Media. Retrieved 12 April 2019.

1. Pennells, Steve (17 March 2012) [We are just doing this for fairness: son](https://thewest.com.au/news/wa/we-are-just-doing-this-for-fairness-son-ng-ya-326009), *The West Australian*, Seven West Media. Retrieved 12 April 2019.

1. Weber, David (6 August 2013) [Rinehart loses attempt to discover sources](https://www.abc.net.au/lateline/rinehart-loses-attempt-to-discover-sources/4869572), *[Lateline](/source/Lateline)*, Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 12 April 2019.

1. Harvey, Eliza (7 August 2013) [WA newspaper journalist wins legal battle against billionaire Gina Rinehart](https://www.abc.net.au/am/content/2013/s3819707.htm), *[AM](/source/AM_(Australian_radio_series))*, Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 12 April 2019.

1. Bradley, Seamus (7 August 2013) [Australia's shield laws, state by state](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/aug/07/australia-journalist-protection-shield-laws), *[The Guardian](/source/Guardian_Australia)*, [Guardian Media Group](/source/Guardian_Media_Group). Retrieved 12 April 2019.

1. Lidberg, Johan (8 August 2013) [Pennells decision a win for source protection and investigative journalism](http://theconversation.com/pennells-decision-a-win-for-source-protection-and-investigative-journalism-16755), *[The Conversation](/source/The_Conversation_(website))*, The Conversation Trust. Retrieved 12 April 2019.

1. Cronin, Bob (18 November 2018) [The Australian Media Hall of Fame: Steve Pennells](http://halloffame.melbournepressclub.com/article/steve-pennells), [Melbourne Press Club](/source/Melbourne_Press_Club). Retrieved 12 April 2019.

1. Knox, David (30 January 2016) [Seven News: Anita Cobby investigation](https://tvtonight.com.au/2016/01/seven-news-anita-cobby-investigation.html), *[TV Tonight](/source/TV_Tonight)*. Retrieved 12 April 2019.

1. Knox, David (18 November 2018) [Australian Media Hall of Fame: 2018 inductees](https://tvtonight.com.au/2018/11/australian-media-hall-of-fame-2018-inductees.html), *TV Tonight*. Retrieved 12 April 2019.

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Steve Pennells](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Pennells) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Pennells?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.