44-567: Hitting Home may refer to: Hitting Home (TV series) , a 2015 Australian documentary television series presented by Sarah Ferguson that reported on domestic violence in Australia Hitting Home (film) , also known as Obsessed , a 1987 Canadian drama film based on a novel by Tom Alderman "Hitting Home", song by Acoustic Ladyland from the album Skinny Grin Hitting Home ,
88-638: A Four Corners three-part series on President Donald Trump and his connections to Russia. The series was filmed over several months in the United States, the United Kingdom and Russia. In November 2018, Ferguson reported and presented "Bitter End" about conflict within the ABC which led to the resignations of its managing director Michelle Guthrie and chair Justin Milne within one week. In 2020,
132-408: A 10-week rehabilitation program aimed at preventing violent men from reoffending. After a very long process of negotiation and building trust, Ferguson and the producers convinced two of the inmates to appear on camera, fully identified. But before either inmate could appear on camera, the producers had to identify and seek permission from their respective victims. Both women agreed to tell their side of
176-437: A basic factual error?' Powell walked out of the interview, only to reluctantly come back and continue to stick to her baseless claims. After Powell said the election fraud had been planned for at least three years, Ferguson asked her: Do you ever hear yourself and think it sounds ridiculous? Powell replied: No. I know myself very well. I've been me a long time. The Australian Communications and Media Authority finalised
220-536: A coordinated campaign against the program. The ABC said the News Corp response was expected and that "the striking uniformity of the attacks from News Corp journalists, commentators and outlets ... has only further served to highlight the importance of having a range of independent voices in the Australian media. News Corp not liking a story does not mean the story is biased or inaccurate". Ferguson responded to
264-535: A government which had successfully countered the 2007–2008 financial crisis . The series won the AACTA award for documentary in 2015. In November 2015, Ferguson replaced Kerry O'Brien as host of Four Corners . In 2017, as Ferguson was getting off a plane, she was told that her mother Marjorie had died suddenly in England. Later she became aware that hospital negligence had led to her mother's death. She wrote about
308-477: A legal threat to the ABC, stating that the broadcaster had "violated" its own standards by "exhibiting bias". The Murdoch-owned newspaper The Australian published 45 articles in two days attacking the program, accusing the ABC of doing a "full frontal hit-job on Rupert Murdoch, NewsCorp and the US Fox News Channel ". Episode 1 was watched by 586,000 viewers. News Corp denied there had been
352-708: A national crisis and a call to arms. Following the broadcast of Hitting Home, an online petition was launched to demand the Royal Australian Navy apologise for granting Elliot Coulson, the man who murdered Kate Malonyay, a full military funeral following his suicide. The petition attracted over 10,000 signatures before the Vice-Admiral of the Royal Australian Navy Tim Barrett visited Wendy Malonyay and apologised in person. Following an ABC Lateline investigation, it
396-718: A record four Walkley Awards in 2007. In 2011, Ferguson reported on the live cattle export trade in Australian cattle to Indonesia. The episode, "A Bloody Business", won the Gold Walkley Award and led to suspension of the trade. Ferguson won the Logie for Most Outstanding Public Affairs Report in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013. She also won the George Muster Award and the Queensland Premier's Literary Awards for her reporting on people smuggling and
440-461: A statement which stood by the program's content, stating "The ABC has – and will continue to – report accurately and without fear or favour on stories that are in the public interest, including this one." On 13 April 2020, police began an investigation of the sex abuse allegations discussed in Revelation . Following Revelation , Ferguson stepped down as presenter of Four Corners and accepted
484-496: A statement, the ABC defended Ferguson's story. The organisation described Ferguson's story as a "world class report" and "a strong and measured piece of public interest journalism". The ABC criticised the ACMA by saying their interpretation of the code could have negative consequences for public interest journalism, and were "deeply concerned at the ACMA's subjective characterisation of the program". Ferguson also publicly responded to
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#1732794309616528-508: A television programme from University of Salford's Channel M Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Hitting Home . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hitting_Home&oldid=858413323 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description
572-548: A video recording of the victims statement in the immediate aftermath of their reported assault. Hitting Home featured the first time a DVEC gathering was captured on camera, when two officers apprehended a man who had badly beaten his wife in their car. Access to domestic violence courts in Blacktown and Toronto was achieved with the support of NSW Justice Department. The production was allowed to bring cameras into both courts to film magistrates, victims and perpetrators and for
616-462: A year-long investigation on 19 December 2022 which was prompted by various complaints about the story by Fox News. Although the ACMA dismissed most of the complaints, they did find that Ferguson's report had breached two standards in the ABC Code of Practice 2019 - standard 2.2 (materially misled) and standard 5.1 (inform participants of the nature of their participation). The ACMA concluded that
660-533: Is an Australian journalist, reporter and television presenter. She is the host of ABC TV 's flagship news and current affairs program 7.30 . She was previously a journalist for Dateline , Insight , Sunday and Four Corners . Ferguson was born in Lagos , Nigeria, in 1965 to Iain and Marjorie. She has two older brothers. The onset of the Nigerian Civil War led the family to move back to
704-616: Is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Hitting Home (TV series) Hitting Home is a Walkley and AACTA winning television documentary series, consisting of two episodes, broadcast on ABC in November 2015. Presenter Sarah Ferguson reported on domestic violence in Australia . Following two years of research, journalist Sarah Ferguson spent six months reporting on domestic violence in Australia. To better understand
748-479: The 2020 Presidential Election . Ferguson asked Powell what fact-checking she had done to find out what Smartmatic's actual involvement in the election was. Powell responded that she was confused as to why Ferguson was interviewing her. Ferguson explained it was because Powell had made a series of very strong allegations against Smartmatic and Dominion , containing 'many errors of fact.' Ferguson then said 'You said Smartmatic owns Dominion . How do you justify such
792-538: The Diocese of Ballarat and investigated their accusations. The alleged sexual abuse occurred when Pell spent time at the Catholic orphanage where the men resided in the 1970s. Following Pell's acquittal and subsequent release from Barwon Prison , the producers temporarily removed the third episode of the series to include these developments before restoring the episode to the ABC iView platform. The ABC also released
836-558: The 2016 AACTA Awards and the Walkley Documentary Award . In 2018, Ferguson started working on Revelation , a three-part documentary series for the ABC about the Catholic Church sexual abuse cases in Australia . Revelation aired on ABC on 17 March, 31 March and 2 April 2020. Ferguson interviewed convicted Catholic priest Father Vincent Ryan and Bernard McGrath , a former religious brother from
880-561: The ABC announced Ferguson would take up a short term role as a "special reporter" in Washington in early 2021. In April 2022, the ABC announced Ferguson would return to Australia to succeed Leigh Sales as the host of ABC TV 's flagship news and current affairs program 7.30 from July 2022. Ferguson has collaborated with producer Nial Fulton on two documentary series for ABC. In 2016 she presented Hitting Home on domestic violence in Australia . The series won Best Documentary at
924-512: The ABC's London correspondent, Tony Jones , hired Ferguson to help him on a story about French politics. In 2000, Ferguson worked as a reporter for Dateline and Insight . In 2004 she joined the Sunday program on Channel Nine and in 2008 joined Four Corners , the ABC's long form current affairs program. Her first story was an investigation into political fundraising. She was nominated for
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#1732794309616968-504: The Australian press, significantly contributing to the wider national debate. Jane Caro of The Daily Telegraph wrote "'...this is compelling and important television. Ferguson and her team have done extraordinary work.'" Georgina Dent of Mamamia '..if you want to stem the tide of domestic violence, watching Hitting Home in its compelling and gritty entirety is the only place to start.' Amanda Meade from The Guardian included Hitting Home as one of her top 10 hits of 2015. Hitting Home
1012-451: The Order of St John of God. Her interview with Ryan was the first time anywhere in the world a still serving Catholic priest publicly discussed their sexual abuse of children. In "Goliath", the third episode of Revelation , Ferguson interviewed two men, identified as Bernie and Peter Clarke, who accused Australian cardinal George Pell of sexually abusing them as boys when he was a priest in
1056-649: The United Kingdom when Ferguson was a toddler. She attended New Hall , a Catholic-run private girls school in Boreham, Essex . She later studied English literature at King's College, London . In her early teens, she began a correspondence with the poet Philip Larkin . In a teenage essay she said that she wanted to be "a commando and a librarian in the British House of Commons". Ferguson married journalist Tony Jones in 1992 or 1993. They have three sons, including one from Jones' previous relationship. In 2017,
1100-594: The Walkley Awards when she publicly railed against job cuts at the ABC. Ferguson presented two major series for the ABC in 2015. She wrote and presented The Killing Season , a documentary series on the Rudd / Gillard years, analysing the events of the Labor governments of 2007 to 2013. Ferguson interviewed Australian Labor Party decision-makers and strategists who had engaged in internal conflict that brought down
1144-632: The documentary. The production team worked closely with the NSW Police Domestic Violence Unit in Blacktown over the course of six months. Working with Sgt Genelle Warne and her team, Ferguson went on patrol, entered court safe rooms and met women in their own homes who had suffered violence at the hands of partners. The series was also able to capture the rolling out of new DV related procedures, including DVEC (Domestic Violence Evidence in Chief) - where police officers make
1188-588: The experience in her book On Mother . In May 2017, Ferguson presented "The Siege", a two-part special investigating the 2014 Sydney hostage crisis at the Lindt Cafe in Martin Place, Sydney . Ferguson interviewed the families of Tori Johnson and Katrina Dawson and the surviving hostages and examined how authorities had failed to comprehend the risk posed by hostage-taker Man Haron Monis . In June 2018, Ferguson presented and produced "Trump/Russia",
1232-406: The findings of the ACMA investigation. She accused the regulator of issuing an "inflammatory" media release and failing to understand journalism. Ferguson accused the ACMA of creating the impression that her story was misleading and dishonest when in fact that regulator had found only three minor subjective breaches and had dismissed 19 complaints. She also accused the ACMA of attempting to restrict
1276-548: The first time, show the new court safe-rooms in operation. Getting access to film in locals courts in Australia is extremely rare and allowed the production to highlight the challenges faced by victims, police and magistrates. After speaking to a trauma councillor and the Homicide Victims Support Group, the producers reached out to Wendy Malonyay, the mother of Kate Malonyay, a young women murdered by her ex-boyfriend. Malonyay agreed to be interviewed for
1320-460: The honorary degree of Doctor of Letters was conferred on Ferguson by the University of Sydney for excellence in journalism. Ferguson's career began in newspapers in the United Kingdom, writing arts reviews for The Independent . Later she moved to Paris and worked as a researcher and production assistant on arts programs for French and British broadcasters. In 1992, Australian journalist and
1364-578: The producers worked alongside Corrective Services NSW , The NSW Justice Department, The NSW Police , Domestic Violence NSW, the NSW Coroner and many other agencies and peak bodies to ensure the safety of the participants. A comprehensive Duty of Care Statement was conceived, with the full support of all agencies. In June 2015, production on Hitting Home began in the South Coast Correctional Centre ( Nowra ) on day 1 of
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1408-508: The program omitted key information that resulted in information being conveyed in a way that materially misled the audience. The ACMA found that the ABC failed to include information about two Fox News presenters ( Sean Hannity and Jeanine Pirro ) being censured after appearing at a Donald Trump rally and also neglected to report on the role social media played prior to the Capitol riots . The ACMA also found that an interviewee (Jeanine Pirro)
1452-702: The role of China bureau chief for the ABC. After a year of political turmoil in the region, with journalists forced to leave China, her visa did not eventuate. In August 2021, Ferguson's two-part report "Fox and the Big Lie" screened on Four Corners . It investigated how the Rupert Murdoch -owned American cable network Fox News allegedly became a propaganda vehicle for Donald Trump and helped destabilise America. Ferguson interviewed major Fox identities, including Gretchen Carlson and former Fox political editor Chris Stirewalt . Prior to broadcast, Fox News sent
1496-695: The series. To help tell the story of her daughters murder, the producers negotiated access to a homicide detectives training course, had a Non Publication Order on the Corners Report on the victim's death lifted and secured interviews with the State Coroner, the Investigating Police Officer and many of Kate's friends and family. The musical score to the series was composed by Roger Mason . Post Production on Hitting Home ran from June 2015 until November 2015. The series
1540-418: The statistics of domestic violence , Nial Fulton and Ivan O'Mahoney, series producers of Hitting Home, spent nearly two years negotiating unprecedented access to specialised police domestic violence units, domestic violence courts and secured unprecedented access to new court safe-rooms for victims, women's refuges, a unique prison rehabilitation program and specialist forensic doctors. During pre-production,
1584-487: The story. Their interviews and police footage captured in the aftermath of the attack were incorporated into the series. As part of the production of Hitting Home , Ferguson moved into a refuge in western Sydney. It was the first time in Australia a television crew was granted such access. During the six months filming, Ferguson met many women who lived in the refuge, often with their young children. Ferguson convinced several victims to speak about their experiences on
1628-499: The threat of legal action by Fox News, stating that "We're not in fear of anything ... there are fewer more important stories to look at in America right now." In the second episode of Fox and the Big Lie , Ferguson's interview with former federal prosecutor and Trump lawyer Sidney Powell generated international headlines as Powell struggled to answer questions about her claims Smartmatic and Dominion were involved in rigging
1672-430: The toxic culture within the rugby league. In 2014, Ferguson hosted 7.30 and her interviews with the Australian treasurer Joe Hockey were nominated for a Walkley for journalistic excellence. They would later be described as "aggressive" and "the tone of the questioning could have been interpreted by some viewers to be a potential breach of the ABC's impartiality guidelines". In 2014, Ferguson caused controversy at
1716-499: The week following the Hitting Home broadcast. On the day after the broadcast, there were 419 calls - over twice the national average. Hitting Home received overwhelmingly positive reviews, with many commentators praising the courage of the victims of domestic violence for speaking so candidly about their experiences. With strong ratings and high social media activity, the program generated an extraordinary amount of coverage in
1760-839: Was edited at Spectrum Films at Fox Studios in Sydney. Andrew Cooke edited episode 1 and Philippa Rowlands edited episode 2. Andrew Cooke was nominated for an AACTA Award for his work on the series. Culminating on the UN International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women , episode 2 of Hitting Home was followed by a special edition of Q&A hosted by Julia Baird . The Q&A Hitting Home Special featured Moo Baulch (Domestic Violence NSW), Christian Porter (Minister for Social Services), Nova Peris (Northern Territory Labor Senator), Mick Fuller (NSW Assistant Police Commissioner) and Professor Cathy Humphreys. It
1804-401: Was hosted by Julia Baird and screened on 25 November 2015. The New South Wales Women's Court Advocacy Service reported a surge in women seeking help in the days after Hitting Home aired. Director of the service, Renata Field, said some shelters and counsellors had also reported a similar surge in victims calling for help. The National Domestic Violence hotline also reported a 44% increase in
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1848-453: Was not adequately informed about the way the program would be presented. The ACMA rejected Fox News' suggestions that Ferguson's report was partisan. However, the ACMA reasoned that the program "came close to, but did not breach" the impartiality standards in the code, finding that there were instances where Ferguson used "emotive and strident language" (specifically her use of the word "mob") but did show impartiality in her questioning. In
1892-544: Was revealed that the Navy was wrong to grant Elliot Coulson a military funeral as he was AWOL at the time of his death. Following the Navy apology, Wendy Malonyay was invited to talk to the Navy's senior management about domestic violence on 28 January 2016. Episode 1 reached an audience of just below 1 million viewers. Hitting Home had the second highest iView ratings for an ABC factual program in 2015. Sarah Ferguson (journalist) Sarah Ferguson (born 31 December 1965)
1936-663: Was selected by realscreen magazine's editorial team for their annual MIPTV Picks feature. The series won many major Australian television awards, including the prestigious Walkley Documentary Award . The Walkley judges remarked: Hitting Home went beyond an excellent news/current affairs story. It both exploited the momentum at the time of broadcast around domestic violence and propelled the issue much further, engaging viewers in complexities of gender control and violence, viscerally confronting male perpetrators and showing impact on families. It revealed compassionately that domestic violence affects all classes of women. A powerful window into
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