Quick Facts
Biography
Debbie Whitmont, aka Deb Whitmont, is an Australian television journalist and writer, who once worked as a practising lawyer.
Four Corners Programs Reported
2010
The State of Play
Rush to Riches
2009
A Totally Avoidable Tradgedy [sic?]
Going back to Lajamanu
2008
The Newman Case
Stretching the Law
2007
David Hicks' Story
2006
In The Line of Fire
The Making of Zargawl
2005
Anna's Story
Flight 675
2004
The Nuclear Bazaar
After Saddam
What the Children Saw
Television
In 1989 Debbie Whitmont began her work at the ABC as a researcher earning a cadetship. She then spent 3 years in commercial television, working for Channel 10. Whitmont then returned to Four Corners as a Reporter, Producer and later Associate Producer. From 1993 to 1996 Whitmont was a Middle East correspondent for ABC and filed reports from Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Egypt and Pakistan for Lateline, Foreign Correspondent, and The 7.30 Report. In 1998 she returned to report for Four Corners and continues to do so now.
As author
She wrote An Extreme Event, a book about the fatal 1998 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race. The book sold around 10,000 copies around Australia.
"I *loved* this book. Finally, I learned why this race was so awful. It is compelling, informative, accurate in every way and meticulously written.Extreme Event is written by a journalist so the reportage is trustworthy. Whitmont's writing style is compelling and investigates especially the events surrounding Business Post Naiad, whereas Knockdown and Proving Ground tended not to go into this in nearly as much detail." - An Internet Review
Awards
Human Rights Commission Award for Journalism
- Inside Story (2002) about the Villawood Detention Centre
- About Woomera (2003)
Logie Award
- Other People's Money
Walkley Award
- She and fellow journalist Morag Ramsay won the Walkley Award for The Newman Case (2008).
- About Woomera
New York Film Festival
- She won a Gold Medal at the New York Film Festival for her body of work as a producer.
Nominations
Whitmont was nominated for an Emmy Award for The Forgotten Famine.