AAPMediaPrize

TheAustralasianAssociationofPhilosophy(AAP)offersanannualprizeof$500forthebestphilosophicalpiece(s)published
byaprofessionalphilosopherinthepopularmediainAustralasiaduringthepreviouscalendaryear.Firstawardedin1999,
theprizeisofferedtoencourageandpromotephilosophicaldiscussioninthepopularmedia.

CriteriaofEvaluation
Therearetwomaincriteriafortheawardofthisprize:
1.Theabilityofthepiece(s)toengagetheinterestofthegeneralpublicinphilosophyorsomephilosophical
issue.
2.Thequalityofthepieceparticularlytheextenttowhichitreflectsorisenrichedbythenominee'sspecialist
backgroundinphilosophy.
Considerationisalsogivento:
3.Thesizeoftheaudiencereached.

Eligibility
Theprizeisopentoprofessionalphilosopherswhoare,orwhohavebeen,activelyengagedinphilosophyinanAustralasian
highereducationand/orresearchinstitute.ProfessionalphilosopherincludesResearchHigherDegreestudents.Itdoesnot
includethosewhoseprincipaljobisinthemediathereisaseparateprizeforsuchpersons,theAAPMediaProfessionals'
Award.
PopularMediaincludesprintandonlinepublicationsaswellasradiobroadcasts,televisionbroadcastsandfilm.Entriesmust
bepublishedorgotoairintheyear(calendar)previoustotheprizeaward.Nopersonmaywintheprizemorethanonce.

Applications
Entries/nominationsforpiece(s)publishedin2015mustbereceivedbytheExecutiveOfficernolaterthan29thFebruary
2016.

Entriesshouldbereceivedinelectroniccopyandinclude:
Acompletednominationform ,includingashortstatementagainstthejudgingcriteria(nomorethan500words)
and,
Anelectroniccopyofthepiece(s)(worddoc,pdf,mpeg,orotherformatasappropriate)
Entriesconsistingofalengthyportfolioofitemsshouldsubmitthebestoneortwoandlisttheremainder.
Nominationsmaybemadeionbehalfofothersandshouldincludethesamematerialasperallentries.

TheAAPMediaPrizeissponsoredbyTaylorandFrancis,the
publishersoftheAustralasianJournalofPhilosophy.

RecipientsofAAPMediaPrize
DrMatthewBeard
Thewinnerofthe2016AAPmediaprizeisMatthewBeard.Matthewisaprolific
contributortopublicphilosophy:in2015alonehisworkappearedonlineinThe

2016

HuffingtonPost,TheGuardian,TheDrum,TheConversation,ABCReligionandEthics,
andEurekaStreetinprintintheSydneyMorningHerald,CanberraTimes,andDaily
TelegraphandhewasaguestonTheMinefieldonABCRadioNationalandseveral
LocalRadioprograms,aswellasappearingonthetelevisionshowTheWorldonABC
News24.Matthewscontributionstopublicphilosophystoodoutasparticularlywell
attunedtothepublicaudience.Heseamlesslywovephilosophicalmethodsandcontent
intodiscussionsofawiderangeofissuesinthepublicinterestincludingcurrentaffairs,

newreleasemovies,sportandonlinedating.Matthewspublicphilosophydrawsheavily
onhisspecialistbackground.ForexampleinthehighlyengagingarticleItsaHellofa
Thing:AmericanSniperandtheTrueCostofKillinghedrawsonhisbackgroundinjust
wartheoryandtheethicsofwar.Despitethephilosophicalunderpinningsofthepiece,
thestyleisneverlabouredorcondescending,butremainsengagingthroughout.
DrHenryMartynLloyd
HenryMartynLloydreceivesthe2015AAPMediaPrizefortwopiecesonfreespeech

2015

anonlinearticleonTheDrum(Brandismissesthefinerpointsoffreespeech)andan
interviewwithIanNewtonfromRadioAdelaide.Theprintarticleisanexcellentexample
ofhowtodrawonaspecialistbackgroundinphilosophytoeffectivelyinterveneinpublic
debate.FocusingonAttorneyGeneralGeorgeBrandis'appealtoJohnStuartMillin

debatesaboutAustraliasracialdiscriminationlawsandclimatechange,Lloydgoes
backtotheoriginalsourcetoexplainthedetailsofMillsownargument,andindoingso
helpstodistinguishthephilosophyfromthepoliticalspin.Thepieceexemplifiesclear,

sustainedphilosophicalargument.Thepiecesareengaging,bothinstyleandbecause
theissuesareimportant.Thejudgingpanelalsonotesthattheradioarticlewaswidely
sharedand'liked'onsocialmedia,andtherewere746comments(125printedpages)
onthewrittenarticlewithinthe24hoursduringwhichitwasopentocomments.These
commentsstandasstrongevidenceofhowwhengoodphilosophyismadeaccessible
toawideaudienceitcaninspiregenuinereflectionandinformeddebate.
DrPatrickStokes
DeakinUniversityforseveralarticles:BuryingThatcher:whycelebratingdeathisstill
wrong(TheConversation,17th April2013)Doyoureallyexistonline(New
Philosopher,2013,Issue2)andJustwhodoyouthinkyouare?Thesplendidmessof
personalidentity(NewPhilosopher,2013,Issue1).
Thefieldofentriesfortheprizeincludedseveralstrongcontenders.Inreachinga
decision,thepanelnotedthatStokesarticlesaremodelsofaccessiblephilosophical
writing,strikingafinebalancebetweenpublicaccessibilityandphilosophicalanalysis.
Thewritingisexcellent,andStokesneverpresumesthatreaderswillfindphilosophy
2014

inherentlyinterestingratherheshowshowphilosophicalreflectioncanhelpilluminate
issuesthatarethesubjectofpublicdebate.
InBuryingThatcher:whycelebratingdeathisstillwrong,forexample,Stokessuccinctly
identifiesanumberofmoralissuesatplayintheemotionallyandpoliticallycharged
publicdiscoursesurroundingThatchersdeath.Distinguishingbetweenthe
commonplacethatweshouldntspeakillofthedead,andtherelatedideathatwe
shouldntcelebratethedeathofanotherhumanbeing,hesubjectsboththese
commonplacestoanilluminatinganalysis.Drawingtogetherideasfromdifferent
philosophicaltraditions,hedevelopsanuancedargumentthatwhileitissometimes
legitimatetospeakillofthedeadforexampletomakecriticaljudgmentsabout
Thatcherslifeasawholeitisneveracceptabletocelebratethedeathofanother
humanbeing.Thearticleshowshowgoodphilosophycanliftthetoneandimprovethe
qualityofpublicdebatebybringingreasonedargumentintothediscussionofa
polarizingtopic.
Althoughthedecisionofthejudgingpanelwasbasedonthethreenominatedpieces,
wealsonotethatStokesisaregularcontributortoTheConversationandNew
Philosopher,andhasmadenumerousappearancesonradioprogramsincludingABC
RadioNationalsLifeMattersandThePhilosophersZoneLocalABCRadioBBC
Radio3andcommunityradiostation3RRRinMelbourne.Itisthusfittingto
acknowledgehiscommitmenttopublicphilosophy,aswellasthehighqualityofhis
contributions.

DrDamonYoung
HonoraryFellow,UniversityofMelbourne
AwardedtoDamonYoungforhisworkinarangeofmediaoutletsonabroadvarietyof
topicssuchasfaithandfreedom,theworkofDavidHumeandtheideaofameaningful
life.Hiswork,whichishighlyaccessibleandyetstillintellectuallysophisticated,has
beenpublishedinmainstreamprintmediasuchastheSydneyMorningHeraldandthe
2013

FinancialReview(whichhaveaverywidereadership)andhehasappearedregularly
onABCRadio.Hehasalsoarguedpassionatelyintheseworksforthecontinuing
relevanceofphilosophytobothlargescaleproblemsofpubliclifeandanindividual
personssearchforunderstanding.(Theclarityandinsightfulnessofhiswritingprovides
anargumentinitselfofthebenefitsofaphilosophicaleducation.)Thetopicshe
exploresarethemselvesofgreatinteresttothegeneralpublicandDamonisableto
demonstratethesignificanceofthephilosophicaltraditiontosuchdiscussions,andinso
doingpromotesphilosophyinthecommunity.

DrPaulBiegler
CentreforHumanBioethics,MonashUniversity.ThePrizeisawardedforhistimely
discussionofclimatechangescepticisminawidelyreadarticleintheSydneyMorning

2012

Herald(20/12/11)andforaninterviewonLifeMattersonRadioNational(7/9/11)that
exploredtheethicaltreatmentofdepression.Theprintarticleiselegantlywrittenandin
theradiointerviewBieglerpersuasivelyargueshiscase.Onbothoccasions,Biegler
usesrecentphilosophicalliteraturetoshedlightontopicsofgreatpublicinterestandin
sodoinghedemonstratestherelevanceofaphilosophicaleducationandof
philosophicalresearchtomattersofcontemporarysignificance.

AssociateProfessorPeterSlezak
SchoolofHistoryandPhilosophyattheUniversityofNewSouthWalesforthepivotal
rolethatheplayedintheproductionoftheCompassprogram,TheTrialsofGalileo,
2011

whichappearedontheABCinMay2010.InthisprogramthetrialofGalileoatthehands
oftheRomanCatholicInquisitionisreexamined.Nearly400yearsaftertheoriginal

trial,theprogrambroughttogetherleadingsscientists,scholars,barristers,politicians
andchurchmentoassesswhetherGalileowascorrectlytreated.Thiswasanimportant
televisioneventthatexploredimportantphilosophicalthemesabouttherelationship
betweenreligionandscience.Theprogramdemonstratedakeensenseofhowissuesin
thephilosophyofsciencemightbebroughttolifeforageneralaudience.

DrCarolineWest
UniversityofSydney

2010

'Workfourhours,thenrest'whichappearedastheleadopinionpieceintheSydney
MorningHeraldon4August2009,andalsointheBrisbaneCourierMailandNational
Times.Itledtomorethan11followupradiointerviews.includingABC702Sydney
(BreakfastProgramwithAdamSpencer)ABCNewcastle(Driveprogram)ABC
TasmaniaandABCMelbourne(DriveProgram).

Carolinealsodeliveredapubliclectureatthe2009SydneyWritersFestival,whichwas
recordedandbroadcastonABCRadioNational,ThePhilosopher'sZone,as'The
HappinessMachine'on30May,2009.Inaddition,Carolinepublished2furtheropinion

piecesin2009:
'WhichKindOfHappinessToPursue',SydneyMorningHerald,May22,2009
'Learninghowtouseleisurewell',SydneyMorningHerald,December26,2009
AssociateProfessorJohnArmstrong
SchoolofPhilosophy,AnthropologyandSocialInquiry,UniversityofMelbourneand
PhilosopherinResidenceattheMelbourneBusinessSchool,UniversityofMelbourne,
foraseriesofarticlesthatappearedinTheAgeandtheAustralianonwhatisartandthe

2009

functionofthehumanities.Articlesnominatedinclude:
'Thelineofugliness',TheAge,January26,2008.
'Inaliberaldemocracy,idealsinspire',TheAustralian,October10,2008.
'DeclineReflectsPoorlyonArts',TheAustralian,November05,2008
DrGeoffreyLevey
SeniorLecturerinPoliticsandInternationalRelationsattheUniversityofNewSouth

2008

Wales,forhisessay'Ahealthydoseofmulticulturalism',publishedinAustralian
FinancialReview,27April2007.

DrJeremyMoss
foraseriesofcolumns,'TheEthicist',whichappearedinTheSundayAgein2006.'The
2007

Ethicist'presentsphilosophicalthinkingtoawideaudienceonaregularbasis,
discussingissuesoftheday,withanexplicitlyphilosophicalfocus.Mosshasalsowritten
anumberofarticlesonethicsineducationforteachersmagazinesaimedatVictorian
secondaryschools.

SimonClarke
2006

UniversityofCanterburyforaseriesofnewspapercolumnsentitled'ClearThinking'that
appearedintheChristchurchPress.

KimAtkins
2005

forherarticle'Mattersofpersonalpreference',TheAustralianFinancialReview.

StanVanHooft
forhisLateNightLiveinterviewwithPhillipAdamsonSocraticDialogue.Listento,or
2004

2003

viewthetranscript,ofsomeofStan'smorerecentradiointerviewsonWhatisMorality?
andCosmopolitanism.BothinterviewstookplaceonAlanSaunders'ABCRadio
NationalProgram,ThePhilosophersZone.

TimDare.

JohnSutton
forhisweeklyradioprogramGhostintheMachine.Johnhasalsobeeninterviewedon
2002

varioustopics,includingDreamsonABCRadioNationalProgramLifeMattersand
AnimalSpirits:TheMindinHistoryonABCRadioNationalProgramAllintheMind.

2001

In2001theAAPMediaPrizewasnotawarded.

2000

TamasPataki
forhisarticle'NarcissismIncarnate',TheAustralian'sReviewofBooks,August1999.

ChandranKukathas

1999

forhislecture,'ToleratingtheIntolerable',deliveredattheSenateDepartment's
OccasionalLectureSerieson24thJune1998inParliamentHouse.Thelecturewas
broadcastonABCRadioNationalprogramLifeMatters,andispublishedinPaperson
Parliament,1999.

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