Mr Bill Birnbauer - Researcher Profile

Bill Birnbauer

Address

Monash University
Wellington Road, Clayton

Biography

William (Bill) Birnbauer is one of Australia’s most senior journalists, with more than 30 years experience at The Age, The Sunday Age and The Herald. He joined Monash University journalism in December 2008. Birnbauer has reported on many high-profile issues and was The Age’s Chief of Staff, News Editor and Night Editor for almost six years.

He was also the paper’s Health, Science and Environment Editor, City Editor, Medical Reporter, Sydney reporter, National Affairs Correspondent, Insight investigative reporter, features writer, state political reporter, general reporter and associate editor.

Bill has made two hour-long TV documentaries. The Big Lie (SBS) tracked lung cancer victim Rolah McCabe’s battle with Big Tobacco, while Sudden Death (ABC) was a medical detective story about a rare genetic defect called malignant hyperthermia. Bill has written two books, co-edited an anthology of short stories, and has written several chapters in edited publications.

In 1996, Bill led a team that won a Walkley award for best application of journalism to the print medium, for a narrative feature on the Port Arthur massacre. He has been a Walkley finalist four times. He won a Melbourne Press Club Quill award (he has been highly commended four times in the Quills), and has won the Victoria Law Foundation award (5 times), the Human Rights Award, the UN Association’s Media Peace Award and a Dart Award.

He is a member of the invitation-only International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), a project of the Washington-based Centre for Public Integrity, and has engaged in major investigations for the consortium.

In 2001, Bill reported on a $US1.2 billion international tobacco smuggling operation into China and Taiwan which involved links between a Triad-backed distribution company and former British American Tobacco executives. The ICIJ’s report was a finalist in the US-based Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE) online section.

In 2003, he was part of an ICIJ team that reported on the explosive growth of private global water utility companies which are taking control of public water works. The Water Barons won an IRE award for online journalism in 2003.

The judges said: “This series could become a coverage blueprint for years to come.”

Since 2001, Bill has reported on the shredding of sensitive internal documents by British American Tobacco, first revealed when Melbourne lung cancer victim Rolah McCabe sued the cigarette giant.

Bill’s reporting has prompted numerous government and regulator inquiries and reviews: they include investigations into the regulation of Victoria’s cosmetic laser industry; infection rates at a neo-natal intensive care unit; the reporting of adverse events at the state’s hospitals; medical board investigations into disgraced psychiatrist Dr Selwyn Leeks; the behaviour of British American Tobacco and Clayton Utz; and Labor Party funding raising.

Bill was a John S. Knight Fellow at Stanford University, California, in 1992–93. He undertook a variety of courses including management communication, power and politics in organisations, Japanese politics, the Gorbachev–Yeltsin years, and development of the short story.

He is currently doing a Masters degree by research which is examining models for non-profit investigative journalism.

Qualifications

GRADUATE CERTIFICATE IN HIGHER EDUCATION
Institution: Monash University
Year awarded: 2010
JOHN KNIGHT PROFESSIONAL JOURNALISM FELLOWSHIP
Institution: Stanford University Califiornia
Year awarded: 1993

Publications

Book Chapters

Birnbauer, W., 2012, The power of investigative journalism and why it is needed more than ever, in Australian Journalism Today, eds Matthew Ricketson, Palgrave Macmillan, South Yarra Vic Australia, pp. 78-91.

Journal Articles

Birnbauer, W., 2012, Narrowing the plagiarism 'ethics gap' between J-students and professional journalists, Australian Journalism Review [P], vol 34, issue 1, Journalism Education Association of Australia, Australia, pp. 65-77.

Birnbauer, W., 2011, Student muckrackers: applying lessons from non-profit investigative reporting in the US, Pacific Journalism Review [P], vol 17, issue 1, Auckland University of Technology, School of Communication Studies, Pacific Media Centre, New Zealand, pp. 26-44.

Conference Proceedings

Birnbauer, W., 2010, Building the non-profit road: investigative lessons and models from other places, Media, Investigative Journalism and Technology 2010 conference papers and proceedings, 04/12/2010 - 05/12/2010, Pacific Media Centre, http://www.pmc.aut.ac.nz/, pp. 1-10.

Other

Birnbauer, W., 2008, Crime Commission rules out inquiry into tobacco giant defence, Newspaper Article, Fairfax Media Ltd, The Sunday Age, p. 10.

Birnbauer, W., 2007, Crime body assault on top lawyers, Newspaper Article, Fairfax Media Ltd, The Sunday Age, p. 1.

Birnbauer, W., 2007, Crime body reviews case, Newspaper Article, Fairfax Media Ltd, The Age, p. 1.

Birnbauer, W., 2007, Lawyer revealed as smoking source, Newspaper Article, Fairfax Media Ltd, The Sunday Age, p. 1.

Birnbauer, W., 2007, McCabe rollercoaster hits a high as saga rolls on, Newspaper Article, Fairfax Media Ltd, The Sunday Age, p. 9.

Birnbauer, W., 2007, Smoke-case law firm faces state cash battle, Newspaper Article, Fairfax Media Ltd, The Sunday Age, p. 3.

Birnbauer, W., 2007, Smoking gun aimed at Big Tobacco, Newspaper Article, Fairfax Media Ltd, The Sunday Age, p. 4.

Birnbauer, W., 2007, The insider, Newspaper feature, Fairfax Media Ltd, The Sunday Age, p. 15.

Birnbauer, W., 2007, Thrust, parry as law firm slams ex-partner, Newspaper Article, Fairfax Media Ltd, The Sunday Age, p. 5.

Birnbauer, W., 2007, Whistleblower draws judge's ire on evidence, Newspaper Article, Fairfax Media Ltd, The Sunday Age, p. 8.

Birnbauer, W., 2006, Answers given, questions asked, Newpaper Article, Fairfax Media Ltd, The Sunday Age, p. 17.

Birnbauer, W., 2006, Big tobacco threatens McCabe family, Newspaper Article, Fairfax Media Ltd, The Sunday Age, p. 1.

Birnbauer, W., 2006, Cheated by the law, Newspaper Article, Fairfax Media Ltd, The Sunday Age, p. 1.

Birnbauer, W., 2006, Envoy under tobacco cloud, Newpaper Article, Fairfax Media Ltd, The Sunday Age, p. 1.

Birnbauer, W., 2006, Justice denied: how lawyers set out to defeat a dying women, Newspaper Feature, Fairfax Media Ltd, The Sunday Age (Extra), pp. 16-17.

Birnbauer, W., 2006, Legal probe sought on tobacco case lawyers, Newspaper Article, Fairfax Media Ltd, The Age, p. 5.

Birnbauer, W., 2006, Litigation practices under scrutiny as Attorney-General lights up, Newspaper article/analysis, Fairfax Media Ltd, The Age, p. 9.

Birnbauer, W., 2006, Pressure mounts on big-tobacco lawyers, Newspaper Article, Fairfax Media Ltd, The Sunday Age, p. 3.

Birnbauer, W., 2006, Subpoena over revelations in McCabe case, Newspaper Article, Fairfax Media Ltd, The Sunday Age, p. 4.

Birnbauer, W., 2006, The tobacco conspiracy, Newspaper Article, Fairfax Media Ltd, The Sunday Age, p. 19.

Birnbauer, W., 2006, Tobacco giant sends in big guns, Newspaper Article, Fairfax Media Ltd, The Sunday Age, p. 6.

Birnbauer, W., 2006, US seeks to share tobacco findings, Newspaper Article, Fairfax Media Ltd, The Sunday Age, p. 8.

Birnbauer, W., 2005, Behind the smokescreen, Cover story, Fairfax Media Ltd, Green Guide, p. 8.

Birnbauer, W., 2005, Cancer victim's travesty of justice, Newspaper Article, Fairfax Media Ltd, The Sunday Age, p. 9.

Birnbauer, W., 2005, Evidence under wraps in US tobacco document case, Newspaper Article, Fairfax Media Ltd, The Sunday Age, p. 11.

Birnbauer, W., 2005, How Big Tobacco was forced to cough up, Newspaper Article, Fairfax media Ltd, The Sunday Age, p. 8.

Birnbauer, W., 2005, The Big Lie, , SBS Television, Melbourne.

Birnbauer, W., 2005, Tobacco body's 'trash tactics', Newspaper Article, Fairfax Media Ltd, The Age, p. 1.

Birnbauer, W., 2005, Tobacco group eye on judges, Newspaper Article, Fairfax Media Ltd, The Sunday Age, p. 4.

Birnbauer, W., 2005, Witness in tobacco suit cries foul, Newspaper Article, Fairfax Media Ltd, The Age, p. 7.

Birnbauer, W., 2004, Hulls plan to move on document shredding, Newspaper Article, Fairfax Media Ltd, The Sunday Age, p. 15.

Birnbauer, W., 2004, I helped Australian tobacco firm destroy documents: US lawyer, Newspaper Article, Fairfax Media Ltd, The Sunday Age, p. 5.

Birnbauer, W., 2003, Attorney-General to probe smoking 'insider' case, Newspaper Article, Fairfax Media Ltd, The Age, p. 1.

Birnbauer, W., 2003, Australian cited in US tobacco suit, Newspaper Article, Fairfax Media Ltd, The Age, p. 8.

Birnbauer, W., 2003, Backing for inquiry into tobacco, Newspaper Article, Fairfax Media Ltd, The Age, p. 2.

Birnbauer, W., 2003, Hulls plea on McCabe case, Newspaper Article, Fairfax Media Ltd, The Age, p. 8.

Birnbauer, W., 2003, Parties ready for tobacco inquiry, Newspaper Article, Fairfax Media Ltd, The Age, p. 2.

Birnbauer, W., 2003, Rat on the loose hell-bent on avoiding tobacco anaconda, Newspaper Article, Fairfax Media Ltd, The Age, p. 4.

Birnbauer, W., 2003, State joins appeal in tobacco case, Newspaper Article, Fairfax Media Ltd, The Age, p. 1.

Birnbauer, W., 2003, State to challenge McCabe ruling, Newspaper Article, Fairfax Media Ltd, The Age, p. 5.

Birnbauer, W., 2003, The smoking gun, the insider, and the ghost of Rolah McCabe, Newspaper Article, Fairfax Media Ltd, The Age, p. 10.

Birnbauer, W., 2003, Tobacco insider tells of 'culling', Newspaper Article, Fairfax Media Ltd, The Age, p. 1.

Birnbauer, W., 2003, Tobacco insider to detail allegations, Newspaper Articles, Fairfax Media Ltd, The Age, p. 3.

Birnbauer, W., 2003, Tobacco man must testify, court rules, Newspaper Article, Fairfax Media Ltd, The Age, p. 6.

Birnbauer, W., 2003, Tobacco whistleblower sparks inquiry calls, Newspaper Article, Fairfax Media Ltd, The Age, p. 3.