John Pilger, Australian-born journalist and filmmaker best known for his coverage of Cambodia, dies at 84

John Pilger, an Australian-born journalist and documentary maker best known for his coverage of Cambodia’s Khmer Rouge, has died at the age of 84, his family said on Sunday.

Pilger died in London on Saturday, his family said in a statement via X (formerly Twitter).

“His journalism and documentaries were acclaimed around the world, but to his family he was the most amazing and beloved father, grandfather and partner,” the statement said.

Pilger has lived in the UK since 1962 and has worked for the left-wing British newspaper The Daily Mirror, ITV’s investigative program World in Action, and Reuters.

In 1979, he made an expose of Khmer Rouge atrocities, Year Zero: Cambodia’s Silent Death, for which he won an International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Award, and in 1990 he made a documentary, Cambodia: Betrayal, which explored whether the Khmer Rouge’s international complicity still posed a threat.

He also received praise for a 1974 documentary exploring the campaign for compensation for children following concerns that thalidomide, taken by pregnant women, could cause birth defects.

Pilger, known for his opposition to US and British foreign policy, was also a harsh critic of Australia’s treatment of its Aboriginal people.

In recent years, he has worked to push for the release of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who had long fought extradition to the United States.

Kevin Lygo, ITV’s managing director of media and entertainment, described Pilger as a “giant of campaign journalism” who provided viewers with analysis and perspective rarely seen on mainstream television.

“He has a clear, distinctive editing style that has served him well throughout his distinguished filmmaking career. His documentaries are fascinating, challenging and always well worth watching,” Legault said.

He added: “For more than 50 years, he rejected the comfortable consensus and instead offered a radical, alternative approach to current events and provided a platform for dissenting opinions to be heard.”