n journalist John Pilger, who spent most of his professional life in Britain working for publications such as the Daily Mirror, has died at the age of 84.
Mr Pilger, who made his name as a foreign correspondent, reported on some of the most important world events of the 20th century, including the Vietnam War and the death of Dr Martin Luther King in the United States.
However, he was renowned for his reportage on Cambodia in the aftermath of the reign of its fierce dictator, Pol Pot, on which he reported for the Mirror and later a documentary, Year Zero: The Silent Death of Cambodia.
The film recounted the bombing of Cambodia by the United States in the 1970s – a scandal that had been covered up from the public – and the brutality of Pot’s regime.
He also produced a documentary on victims of the thalidomide scandal in Britain, which had seen pregnant mothers who were given the drug give birth to malformed children, who were left out of a court settlement by its producers.
John Pilger (pictured here in 2001) was renowned for his foreign reporting from across the world
Mr Pilger’s acclaimed reporting saw him send dispatches from across the world for the Daily Mirror for over 20 years
John Pilger poses outside the premiere of his film Utopia in Sydney, in January 2014
His family announced his death via his official profile on X, formerly Twitter, hailing him as ‘the most amazing and loved dad, grandad and partner’
Announcing his death on X, formerly Twitter, his family said he was ‘simply the most amazing and loved dad, grandad and partner’.
The statement read: ‘It is with great sadness the family of John Pilger announce he died yesterday 30 December 2023 in London aged 84.
‘His journalism and documentaries were celebrated around the world, but to his family he was simply the most amazing and loved Dad, Grandad and partner. Rest In Peace.’
Pilger produced a number of documentaries for ITV later in his career – and was hailed by the broadcaster’s boss Kevin Lygo as a ‘giant of campaigning journalism’.
Mr Lygo said in remarks reported by ITV News: ‘He had a clear, distinctive editorial voice which he used to great effect throughout his distinguished filmmaking career.’
Throughout his career Pilger was highly critical of Western foreign policy, as well as the treatment of indigenous people in his native .
Pilger was born in Bondi, Sydney, in 1939 and took an interest in journalism from a young age, producing his first newspaper at Sydney High School.
He left for Europe in the 1960s, first travelling to Italy before joining the Reuters news agency in London. He then joined the Daily Mirror, becoming chief foreign correspondent, filing on earth-shattering stories from across the globe.
His work in Cambodia following the fall of Pol Pot’s regime saw the Mirror dedicate almost an entire issue to his breathless reporting.
Pilger later moved into documentary making, particularly focusing on , with films such as The Secret Country, The Last Dream, Welcome To and Utopia all examining his home country’s indigenous people.
Year Zero, his Cambodia documentary, was credited with raising millions of dollars of international aid for the country after the Khmer Rouge regime crumbled.
Elsewhere, Pilger reported for the BBC, Granada Television and ITV in the UK and ABC Television in .
He also had bylines on The Guardian, The Independent, The New York Times and The Sydney Morning Herald, and wrote a regular column for the New Statesman magazine for more than 20 years.
Among his awards were an Emmy and a BAFTA, as well as a Royal Television Society award for Best Documentary.
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