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Lisa Wilkinson

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Lisa Clare Wilkinson is a prominent Australian journalist, television presenter, and magazine editor.

Her career spans several decades of significant influence within the Australian media landscape. She has held major roles in print media, breakfast television, and nightly current affairs programming. Wilkinson is recognized for her leadership in magazines and her high-profile work on television networks. Beyond her reporting, she has been a vocal advocate regarding the treatment of women in the media. Her professional journey includes significant achievements, awards, and complex legal and professional challenges.

Wilkinson began her professional life in the magazine industry, specifically working for Dolly.

At the age of 21, she was appointed as the editor of the publication. During her tenure, she became known for discovering young female talent, such as Nicole Kidman. Her success at Dolly led to her becoming the editor of Cleo, a women's lifestyle magazine. As editor of Cleo, she removed the magazine's male centrefold and mentored rising journalists like Mia Freedman. Wilkinson eventually became Cleo's longest-serving editor and served as its International Editor-in-Chief. She also worked as an editor-at-large for the Australian Women's Weekly from 1999 to 2007.

Her transition into television involved several different networks and program formats.

In the late 1990s, she appeared as a panelist on the show Beauty and the Beast. She co-hosted The Morning Shift during the 2000 Summer Olympics on the Seven Network. In 2005, she began hosting Weekend Sunrise on the Seven Network. A major turning point occurred on May 10, 2007, when she was confirmed as a co-host for the Nine Network's Today program. She co-hosted Today with Karl Stefanovic for ten years. In 2016, their partnership helped the show reach the number one spot in breakfast television ratings for the first time in 12 years.

Wilkinson's departure from the Nine Network was marked by a significant professional dispute. In October 2017, she resigned from Today effective immediately. This decision followed a contract dispute regarding a significant gender pay gap between her and Stefanovic. Wilkinson later revealed in her 2021 memoir that she had been sacked following her request for fairer pay.

She moved to Network 10 in 2018 to join the nightly current affairs program, The Project. She remained with the program until November 2022, when she stepped down after a controversial year. Her career has been defined by these shifts between major networks and the challenges that accompanied them.

Throughout her career, Wilkinson has addressed systemic issues within the media industry. In 2013, she delivered the Andrew Olle Media Lecture, focusing on the treatment of women in and by the media. She was the first female journalist to give this lecture since 1997. In 2017, she used her platform to criticize sexism after being judged for wearing a blouse she had worn previously. This prompted other news presenters to wear the same outfit in solidarity. In 2021, she was a finalist for the Walkley Awards for her interview with Brittany Higgins. This interview involved allegations of sexual assault in Parliament House and led to a cultural review of workplace treatment for women.

Wilkinson has received numerous honors for her contributions to journalism and community service.

In 2016, she was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM). This honor recognized her service to print and broadcast media and various health groups. Her portrait by artist Peter Smeeth was a finalist in the 2017 Archibald Prize and won the Packing Room Prize. Additionally, her work with The Project earned two Logie Awards in 2022. These awards recognized the program for Most Popular Panel or Current Affairs Program and Most Outstanding News Coverage. Her professional impact is reflected in both these accolades and her widespread media presence.

Her later career has been shaped by complex legal proceedings and public debate. Following her Logie Awards acceptance speech in 2022, legal challenges arose regarding her comments about a sexual assault matter. The ACT Chief Justice, Lucy McCallum, noted that the speech blurred the distinction between an allegation and a finding of guilt. This led to a defamation suit filed by Bruce Lehrmann in 2023 against Wilkinson and several media organizations. In April 2024, the court dismissed the defamation suit, ruling that the allegations made by Higgins were true on the balance of probabilities. Wilkinson also commenced legal action against Network 10 regarding unpaid legal fees totaling $700,000.

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