Four on short list for Perkin media prize

Four reporters have been short-listed for the richest prize in Australian journalism, the Graham Perkin Award.

Four of the nation's leading reporters have been short-listed for the $20,000 Graham Perkin Australian Journalist of the Year Award.

Finalists for the 2014 Perkin award are the ABC TV's Europe correspondent Philip Williams, the Seven Network's Chris Reason, as well as business writer Adele Ferguson and crime writer John Silvester, both from The Age in Melbourne.

Named after the legendary editor of The Age who died suddenly in 1975 at the age of 45, the prize is funded by The Age and independently awarded by the Melbourne Press Club for a single piece of work or a portfolio that is excellent and memorable.

Williams was short-listed for his reports on the crisis in Ukraine and the downing of Flight MH17, Ferguson for her exposure of the financial advice scandal at the Commonwealth Bank, Reason for his marathon live reporting of the Sydney siege, and Silvester for his multi-media crime reporting and the television documentary Trigger Point on police involved in fatal shootings.

Judges for the 39th Perkin Award are Laura Tingle, Laurie Oakes and Jill Baker.

The winner will be announced at the Melbourne Press Club Quill Awards Dinner in Melbourne on Friday, March 20.