The Pacific Magazines collective agreement is under renegotiation, after management put forward a proposal for the new agreement. To see the full proposal click here and fill in the survey here. For more information contact Claire O’Rourke on 02 9333 0935 or claire.orourke@alliance.org.au .

He lost three Walkley trophies when the Black Saturday bushfires destroyed his Kinglake home, but now The Australian’s Gary Hughes’ trophy case will be groaning after he took out the 2009 Gold Walkley and Best Print News Report for his accounts of the disaster. News Ltd also presented Hughes with three replacement trophies for those he lost. FoI campaigner Michael McKinnon was recognised for Journalism Leadership, and Tony Stephens for Outstanding Contribution to Journalism at the 54th Walkleys in Sydney last night. Get the details on all the winners here.

Federal Council, the decision-making body of the Alliance made up of 81 working members from all sections and from all around Australia, will in Sydney today and tomorrow to discuss ways to deal with the rapid changes reshaping the media and entertainment industries, and how we can turn these changes to the benefit of members. This follows two days of meetings by the different parts of the union. The Federal Council will hear from a range of guest speakers, including Minster for the Arts, Peter Garrett, this afternoon. For regular Federal Council updates go here.

The Media Alliance expresses its deepest sympathy to the families and colleagues of the media personnel killed in Mindanao and we invite to to send your condolences using our online form.

We would also like to extend our support to our colleagues working in the Philippines media and acknowledge the bravery and determination of the members of the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines.

Your messages will be seen instantly by the NUJP and will be delivered by our Media Alliance delegation in the coming weeks.

Click here to send your message.

The Rudd Government must use every diplomatic avenue to pressure the Arroyo administration in the Philippines to order an immediate, independent investigation into the massacre in Mindanao this week of members of a 60 person convoy, among whom at least 32 were journalists. Identification of bodies continues. The Alliance has written to the minister for Foreign Affairs, Stephen Smith, asking him to urgently intervene to put pressure on the Philippines government to investigate these murders and to further guarantee the safety of media workers in the region. 

Congratulations to all prize winners at Saturday’s 2009 WA Media Ball & Awards. The West’s Gary Adshead and Sean Cowan won this year’s top award, The Daily News Centenary Prize, and dedicated their win to the late News Ltd political columnist Matt Price, whose work inspired journalists everywhere. West editor Brett McCarthy immediately offered to sponsor a new prize next year to honour Matt’s memory. Full list of winners follows.