Neos Kosmos’ own Maja Jovic has been awarded a Multicultural and Indigenous Media Award for her news feature entitled ‘Family Violence Confronted’.
Published on June 14, the leading front page article aimed to show the high level of unreported family violence cases experienced by newly arrived migrant families, in particular in the Greek community, and rightfully deserved recognition.
The article also exposed the lack of alternative treatments for violent men after evidence showed that behaviour change programs did not necessarily work.
The award came as quite a shock for Maja, who was even reluctant to enter the competition, modestly doubting her chances.
“The award – as they usually do – came as a surprise, even though I believed that the article had a strong point to prove and was putting an important new-old issue on the map of the Greek Australian community,” she says.
The lack of awareness and the tendency for the community to brush the topic under the rug pushed her to write the article. It was written under strict time restrictions and was very challenging to research and write.
“With domestic violence highly unreported in CALD communities as a whole, what I found unsettling and surprising, and what the article draws special attention to, are the new Greek migrant families who are facing these issues at present,” Maja explains.
She says the recent influx of Greeks migrating to Australia has alarmingly shown that those members of the community show increased levels of family violence.
Facing settlement issues, like adapting to a foreign environment, language and culture, puts pressures on the family dynamic that can lead to violence.
It’s a tough but necessary issue to address, and shocked many of our readers.
Maja thrives on that type of journalism. Just last year she was the finalist in the NSW Premier’s Multicultural Media Awards for the best feature of the year on a story describing the battle of living with a child with autism.
Her approach to her work is much-admired and coming from this journalist, working alongside Maja and learning from her has been invaluable. Always a great storyteller, it’s the way she strives for the truth and her attention to detail that makes her the archetype of a great journalist.
Maja was born in Montenegro. After commencing her journalism degree in Greece, she came to Australia three years ago to continue her studies. She started at Neos Kosmos shortly after, initially writing for the Greek edition, and moving to the English edition after a couple of months.
Amazingly, English is Maja’s third language, showing just how talented the multilingual journalist is.
Maja joins an elite group of journalists at this year’s Multicultural and Indigenous Media Awards.
Greek Australian Gerry Georgatos took out the editorial reporting award alongside Dr Woolombi Waters for the National Indigenous Times. Taking out Journalist of the Year was Malarndirri McCarthy for NITV and Kumud Merani of SBS Radio’s Hindi Program. Photographer of the year went to Romeo Cayabyab (The Filipino Australian) and Freedy Handa (The Indian Telegraph), the community affairs award went to Lok Hei (Feemi) Lai (Sing Tao Daily) and the online news coverage award went to Mohamad Taha from the ABC.
The Multicultural Hall of Fame 30 year’s award went to Paolo Rajo of La Fiamma.
From everyone here at Neos Kosmos and from the wider Greek community, we want to say a big congratulations Maja. Next up, a Walkley!