"The thing that I love about audio is that...it's really intimate."

ABC journalist Jo Lauder says audio can be really effective in transporting the listener to a particular time and place. She explains how she goes about planning different types of audio pieces, whether for Triple J's Hack or long-form narrative podcasts like Saving the Franklin. She says it is crucial to engage the listener right from the start.

"You grab them with the curiosity. You just have to really hook someone in so they want to find out what's going on."

WORK MENTIONED

https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/dig/series-3-saving-the-franklin/102414460

https://soundcloud.com/triple-j-hack/jo-lauder-goes-on-a-space-walk-with-earthlight

https://www.abc.net.au/triplej/programs/hack/hck-2024-01-04/103234860

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“Who measures objectivity? Who judges objectivity?”

Objectivity is traditionally seen as a cardinal tenet of journalism, but Daniel Browning's long experience in Australian newsrooms has left him questioning whether objectivity is possible, or even beneficial.

The Bundjalung and Kullili man, who leads the ABC's Indigenous Radio unit, says First Nations communities have been failed by the Australian media.

He champions the idea of subjective journalism, believing that being 'close to the subject’ can be an asset.  

“The lie of objectivity is that we assume we have it.”

WORK MENTIONED

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsySGx7ReWU

https://magabala.com.au/products/close-to-the-subject

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“Always get the name of the dog, the brand of the beer, and the title of the song that was playing as the car crashed off the road.”

This is one writing commandment that the award-winning writer for Good Weekend Konrad Marshall keeps top of mind, as told to him by Pulitzer Prize-winner Tom French. For Marshall, that attention to detail is one trademark that helps set his work apart.

As a feature writer, he sees his main job as engaging readers in a captivating story.

“I’m just trying to get your attention for thirty-five minutes on a Saturday morning by reading something that you really enjoy.”

WORK MENTIONED

https://www.smh.com.au/national/couch-surfer-in-his-30s-oscar-winner-in-his-40s-why-the-whole-world-wants-taika-20231101-p5egs4.html

https://www.smh.com.au/interactive/2016/the-noongar-warriors/

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/tennis/rod-laver-gets-back-into-the-swing-of-life-and-love-20190115-p50re5.html

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“Focus on the intimate and particular.”

When it comes to feature writing, Stephanie Convery says it is often the small details that count. Her work with Guardian Australia involves shining a light on inequality, and frequently focuses on people’s personal circumstances. She likens features to creative writing in the need to draw on literary devices to ‘show’ rather than ‘tell’ the reader why a story matters.

She says the key to starting any feature story is being curious.

“When you go to write a feature you don’t necessarily know all the answers to the questions that you’ve asked. Part of finding the answers is writing.”

WORK MENTIONED

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/mar/25/yachts-at-the-top-power-privacy-and-privilege-in-the-world-of-australian-superyachts

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2023/feb/13/slowly-tortured-by-his-brain-family-urges-action-on-head-trauma-at-concussion-inquiry

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/nov/21/we-need-to-be-alarmed-food-banks-in-overdrive-as-politicians-allow-australians-to-go-hungry

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“You can’t go in with no idea of what you might hope to get out of it, but you have to be open to what happens in the interview.”

As former host of Guardian Australia’s Full Story podcast, Laura Murphy-Oates speaks to people for a living. Here she outlines her rules for interviewing, including the pre-interview research process and how to structure questions. She describes the importance of an ethical approach, particularly when interviewing marginalised communities. The interview's purpose, she says, should always be top of mind. 

“Think about what the audience would want from the interview.”

WORK MENTIONED

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/audio/2023/jun/26/a-deep-sea-explorer-on-the-oceangate-disaster-and-the-rise-of-submersibles-full-story-podcast

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/audio/2021/jan/21/the-indigenous-family-fighting-back-against-a-legacy-of-police-brutality

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/audio/2023/oct/09/we-dont-want-your-backyard-briggs-on-why-hes-campaigning-for-yes-full-story-podcast

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"If you haven't grabbed the readers' attention within the first 10-12 words, you lose them."

Saffron Howden's job is training journalists how to write news for Australian Community Media. She sees news journalists as storytellers dealing in facts, who need to always be thinking about their audience. In this episode, she offers tips on the craft of writing a strong news story.  

"Focus on...the thing people are going to care about. And keep it simple."

WORK MENTIONED:

https://www.bluemountainsgazette.com.au/story/8279201/licence-to-kill-2-million-roos-emus-culled-to-protect-humans/

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"It's about fairness in the search for the truth, and fairness in publishing our stories."

The Age's Nick McKenzie has put fairness at the centre of his journalistic identity. It's led him to break some of the nation's biggest stories, winning him 16 Walkleys, but also has meant he's been sued for defamation on multiple occasions. In this episode, he lays out the steps he takes to ensure his reporting is fair and ethical.

"Journalism is a profession of infinite possibility - you just need to apply yourself and be determined and be ethical and be thorough and be guided by the public interest." 

WORK MENTIONED:

https://9now.nine.com.au/60-minutes/the-faceless-man-60-minutes/27c925bd-757d-47c9-ba88-1b2309b72936

https://www.theage.com.au/politics/victoria/calls-for-investigation-into-factional-powerbroker-adem-somyurek-20200614-p552iy.html

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"Every story that you do, you need to talk to people." 

Julia Bergin's journalistic career has taken her as far afield as Japan and the Northern Territory, meaning she's had to work at building up her contact book time and time again. In this episode, she talks about all that goes into finding the right interviewees for a story.

"It's broadening this remit of interviewing from just a Q&A to the groundwork that happens before. And that's not just about writing up questions. That's developing a rapport with your interview subject."

Articles mentioned:

https://www.crikey.com.au/2023/04/24/alice-springs-traditional-owners-launch-patrol/

https://www.crikey.com.au/2023/06/13/dingoes-research-dna

https://www.crikey.com.au/2023/10/13/voice-to-parliament-aec-silenced-alice-springs-indigenous-supervisor/

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“You have to learn by doing, and you will only get better with practice.”

Angus Thomson started with Sydney Morning Herald as a cadet in 2022, and is currently their health reporter. In this episode he explains how he goes about finding news stories, reflecting on his experience as a student at The University of Melbourne and as a professional journalist. He has a key piece of advice for those unsure of where to start in finding a news story.

“Go local. Draw on your networks.”

Articles mentioned:

Two towns separated by a bridge, a border – and $28 million lost to gambling.

Matthew was given a 20-year ban for this. Now he’s fighting to clear his name.

From Port Phillip Bay to the Coral Sea, tracking the travels of the eels.

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In 2018, Silvi Vann-Wall was a journalism student who was chosen as a finalist in a nationwide podcasting competition.  Suddenly she found herself on a stage, pitching her idea to the best podcasters in the world.   Her advice on developing your podcast concept is very simple, "You must be able to describe it in one sentence by the time you're ready to pitch.  Otherwise, keep trying!"   She went on to produce, with Izzie Austin and the Wheeler Centre, the Pill Pop podcast, which she describes as an audio road trip for the chronically ill.

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“The most helpful part of the series arc is dragging people to the next episode,” says ABC’s Matt Bevan, the host of China, If You’re Listening.  That’s the fifth season of his geopolitical pod, for which he’s done both chronological and thematic season arcs.  In this episode of the Masterclass, he shares what he’s learned about shaping narrative arcs across a season for a podcast, including how to tempt your audience to keep listening and how to reward loyal listeners.

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