# Margot O'Neill

Margot O'Neill (born 16 May 1958) is an Australian journalist, 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 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 Melbourne University. 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

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