Tony Jones (news journalist)
Encyclopedia
Anthony William Jones, known as Tony Jones, is a Walkley Award-winning Australian television journalist.
(1970–74) and the University of Sydney
as a resident of St Paul's College
.
as a radio current affairs cadet working on the AM, PM and The World Today programs. In 1985 he joined the Four Corners program as a reporter. In 1986 he went to the Dateline program on SBS
. He returned to the ABC in 1987, reporting for Four Corners.
In 1990, Jones went to London as the ABC's current affairs correspondent. He covered the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe, the Gulf War, the war in the former Yugoslavia, the fall of Kabul to the Mujahadin and the collapse of apartheid. Jones returned to Australia in 1993 as Executive Producer of the Foreign Correspondent program. From 1994 to 1996 he was the ABC’s correspondent in Washington D.C., before returning to Foreign Correspondent in 1997. He also covered the war crimes in Bosnia. In mid 1998 he returned to Four Corners.
Jones has hosted ABC TV
's Lateline
news and current affairs program since 1999. In 2011, he hosts the show on Wednesday and Thursday nights. He also hosts the ABC's Q&A
political panel discussion show.
Tony Jones is one of Australia's most acclaimed journalists, winning four awards including four of Australia's leading journalism awards, the Walkleys
. He has been commended by the Crikey
website for having, "ferocious intelligence, polite calmness, [being a] dogged interrogator, [having] deep political instincts, juggling the running agenda, [and having] a great sense of context." Crikey also put much of the success of Lateline to Jones, stating, "Lateline without Jones is a perfectly adequate late night news review; with Jones it is a world-class piece of television."
In 2006, Jones and Lateline embarked on a series of stories that provided the catalyst for the Northern Territory Intervention. Tony Jones highlights these stories as being the ones he is most proud of.
On the high rating Q&A Program, Jones regularly hosts national figures from politics, culture and the arts to discuss issues on the national agenda and face questions from a selected audience. Jones hosted the major party leaders during the 2010 Australian Federal Election. In 2010 on the Q&A program with Jones as host, former Taliban supporter David Hicks
submitted an antagonistic question to former Prime Minister John Howard
. In the same program, Jones apologized to Howard after a man threw his shoes at him in protest against the Iraq War. In March 2011 on Q&A, the ABC sought out a question for Prime Minister Julia Gillard
from political activist Julian Assange
in which Assange queried if Gillard should be tried for "treason". Jones asked Prime Minister Gillard if she had got "carried away" in making an emotional address to the US Congress in which she praised the United States. Jones said "Briefly, when I was a small boy my first impression of America was of the Vietnam War and the fact that young Australians were being conscripted to go and fight in this war and there were demonstrations in streets and the notion of all the way with LBJ and at that time Labor figures were leading the demonstrations. There's no sort of reflection of any of that Labor tradition in your speech - a sort of cynicism about American power."
, filling in for his father as the host of Lateline.
Early life
Jones attended Newington CollegeNewington College
Newington College is an independent, Uniting Church, day and boarding school for boys, located in Stanmore, an inner-western suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia....
(1970–74) and the University of Sydney
University of Sydney
The University of Sydney is a public university located in Sydney, New South Wales. The main campus spreads across the suburbs of Camperdown and Darlington on the southwestern outskirts of the Sydney CBD. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and Oceania...
as a resident of St Paul's College
St. Paul's College, Sydney
St Paul's College in Sydney, Australia, is an Anglican residential college for men which is affiliated with the University of Sydney. Founded in 1856 by an 1854 act of the New South Wales Legislative Council, it is Australia's oldest university college...
.
Career
Jones joined the Australian Broadcasting CorporationAustralian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
as a radio current affairs cadet working on the AM, PM and The World Today programs. In 1985 he joined the Four Corners program as a reporter. In 1986 he went to the Dateline program on SBS
Special Broadcasting Service
The Special Broadcasting Service is a hybrid-funded Australian public broadcasting radio and television network. The stated purpose of SBS is "to provide multilingual and multicultural radio and television services that inform, educate and entertain all Australians and, in doing so, reflect...
. He returned to the ABC in 1987, reporting for Four Corners.
In 1990, Jones went to London as the ABC's current affairs correspondent. He covered the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe, the Gulf War, the war in the former Yugoslavia, the fall of Kabul to the Mujahadin and the collapse of apartheid. Jones returned to Australia in 1993 as Executive Producer of the Foreign Correspondent program. From 1994 to 1996 he was the ABC’s correspondent in Washington D.C., before returning to Foreign Correspondent in 1997. He also covered the war crimes in Bosnia. In mid 1998 he returned to Four Corners.
Jones has hosted ABC TV
ABC Television
ABC Television is a service of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation launched in 1956. As a public broadcasting broadcaster, the ABC provides four non-commercial channels within Australia, and a partially advertising-funded satellite channel overseas....
's Lateline
Lateline
Lateline is an Australian television news and current affairs program produced by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, airing weeknights at on ABC1. The program has developed a reputation for head-to-head debates on current issues and political interviews. Lateline is followed by its sister...
news and current affairs program since 1999. In 2011, he hosts the show on Wednesday and Thursday nights. He also hosts the ABC's Q&A
Q&A (TV program)
Q&A is an Australian television program, broadcast on ABC1 hosted by award-winning news journalist Tony Jones. It is similar to shows like Question Time on the BBC and Questions and Answers on RTÉ....
political panel discussion show.
Tony Jones is one of Australia's most acclaimed journalists, winning four awards including four of Australia's leading journalism awards, the Walkleys
Walkley Awards
The annual Walkley Awards, under the administration of the Walkley Foundation for Journalism, are presented in Australia to recognise and reward excellence in journalism. Finalists are chosen by an independent board of eminent journalists and photographers. The awards cover all media including...
. He has been commended by the Crikey
Crikey
Crikey is an independent Australian electronic magazine comprising an open access website and an email newsletter available to subscribers. Well known in Australian political, media and business circles, Crikey was described by former Federal Opposition Leader Mark Latham as the "most popular...
website for having, "ferocious intelligence, polite calmness, [being a] dogged interrogator, [having] deep political instincts, juggling the running agenda, [and having] a great sense of context." Crikey also put much of the success of Lateline to Jones, stating, "Lateline without Jones is a perfectly adequate late night news review; with Jones it is a world-class piece of television."
In 2006, Jones and Lateline embarked on a series of stories that provided the catalyst for the Northern Territory Intervention. Tony Jones highlights these stories as being the ones he is most proud of.
On the high rating Q&A Program, Jones regularly hosts national figures from politics, culture and the arts to discuss issues on the national agenda and face questions from a selected audience. Jones hosted the major party leaders during the 2010 Australian Federal Election. In 2010 on the Q&A program with Jones as host, former Taliban supporter David Hicks
David Hicks
David Matthew Hicks is an Australian who was convicted by the United States of America Guantanamo Military Commission under the Military Commissions Act of 2006, on charges of providing material support for terrorism...
submitted an antagonistic question to former Prime Minister John Howard
John Howard
John Winston Howard AC, SSI, was the 25th Prime Minister of Australia, from 11 March 1996 to 3 December 2007. He was the second-longest serving Australian Prime Minister after Sir Robert Menzies....
. In the same program, Jones apologized to Howard after a man threw his shoes at him in protest against the Iraq War. In March 2011 on Q&A, the ABC sought out a question for Prime Minister Julia Gillard
Julia Gillard
Julia Eileen Gillard is the 27th and current Prime Minister of Australia, in office since June 2010.Gillard was born in Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, Wales and migrated with her family to Adelaide, Australia in 1966, attending Mitcham Demonstration School and Unley High School. In 1982 Gillard moved...
from political activist Julian Assange
Julian Assange
Julian Paul Assange is an Australian publisher, journalist, writer, computer programmer and Internet activist. He is the editor in chief of WikiLeaks, a whistleblower website and conduit for worldwide news leaks with the stated purpose of creating open governments.WikiLeaks has published material...
in which Assange queried if Gillard should be tried for "treason". Jones asked Prime Minister Gillard if she had got "carried away" in making an emotional address to the US Congress in which she praised the United States. Jones said "Briefly, when I was a small boy my first impression of America was of the Vietnam War and the fact that young Australians were being conscripted to go and fight in this war and there were demonstrations in streets and the notion of all the way with LBJ and at that time Labor figures were leading the demonstrations. There's no sort of reflection of any of that Labor tradition in your speech - a sort of cynicism about American power."
Family
Jones is married to another journalist, Sarah Ferguson, and they have three sons, Lucien, Felix and Cosmo. Lucien once made a guest appearance on The Chaser's War On EverythingThe Chaser's War on Everything
The Chaser's War on Everything is an Australian television satirical comedy series broadcast on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation television station ABC1. It has won an AFI Award. The cast perform sketches mocking social and political issues, and often feature comedic publicity stunts...
, filling in for his father as the host of Lateline.
Awards
- 1987 Walkley Award for Best Television Current Affairs Report, for his story Horses for Courses, which broadcast on the ABC.
- 1991 Walkley Award for Best Coverage of a Current Story (Television), joint winner with Kerry O'Brien and Dugald Maudsley.
- 2004 Walkley Award for Broadcast InterviewingWalkley Award for Broadcast InterviewingThe Walkley Award for Broadcast Interviewing has been awarded since 1997. Until 2001, it was known as the Walkley Award for Broadcast Presenting...
, for his interviews on LatelineLatelineLateline is an Australian television news and current affairs program produced by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, airing weeknights at on ABC1. The program has developed a reputation for head-to-head debates on current issues and political interviews. Lateline is followed by its sister...
. - 2007 Walkley Award for Broadcast InterviewingWalkley Award for Broadcast InterviewingThe Walkley Award for Broadcast Interviewing has been awarded since 1997. Until 2001, it was known as the Walkley Award for Broadcast Presenting...
, for his interviews on LatelineLatelineLateline is an Australian television news and current affairs program produced by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, airing weeknights at on ABC1. The program has developed a reputation for head-to-head debates on current issues and political interviews. Lateline is followed by its sister...
.