Schwartz Media has been recognised for its outstanding contributions to journalism, clinching three Walkley Awards. The awards, announced last week at the ICC Sydney, acknowledge the best in Australian journalism across various categories.

The Monthly, The Saturday Paper, and 7am, all Schwartz Media platforms, were awarded for their excellence in longform journalism, explanatory journalism, and specialist reporting. Schwartz Media said the wins backed its commitment to in-depth, investigative journalism in an era dominated by quick news bites and fleeting social media trends.

Rick Morton, a senior reporter at The Saturday Paper, was a standout, bagging two awards for his comprehensive coverage of the Federal government's robodebt saga. His work, which included a five-part podcast series on 7am, was lauded for its inquisitive, tenacious, and humane approach.

Erik Jensen, Editor-in-chief of Schwartz Media, said: "Rick’s coverage of robodebt is the sort of journalism that defines Schwartz Media – inquisitive, tenacious and humane, exploring the structures and politics of this illegal scheme while never losing sight of the people brutalised by it."

Anna Verney and Richard Cooke from The Monthly were also recognised, winning the Walkley Award for Feature Writing Long for their essay 'Being John Hughes'. The essay delved into the intriguing tale of how Australian author John Hughes became one of the most prolific literary plagiarists in history.

Michael Williams, Editor of The Monthly, said the essay was a testament to the power of longform journalism. "Verney and Cooke’s award last night reaffirms that their essay is about more than a strange case of plagiarism. This essay – about the relationship between writing and reading, about authenticity and public life, and about the way we tell stories – is longform journalism at its best," he said.

Williams emphasised the importance of longform journalism in today's fast-paced media landscape. "Now, at a time when sound bites and hot takes dominate our media landscape, there’s more need than ever for considered, meticulously investigated writing. The Monthly is unparalleled when it comes to offering great writers the time and space and support to do just that."

The recent launch of Paddy Manning's investigative podcast 'Rupert: The Last Mogul' and Michael Williams' 'Read This' were new initiatives from Schwartz Media's based on quality, independent journalism.

"Schwartz Media is consistently publishing some of the best journalism in this country. These awards are recognition of the central place Schwartz has in quality, independent journalism, telling stories that would be otherwise overlooked," Jensen said.