A Journalist’s lens
Most organisations can explain what they do. What’s harder is making it clear why it matters.
In national TV news, the best stories don’t just get things right. They show how and why this relates to the audience.
I work with organisations across philanthropy, education, research and the arts to bring clarity to complex work, especially when decisions matter.
This approach is grounded in my background in national TV news, where audience focus is everything.
Whether we’re building a $5M case for support or simplifying a story that’s become cluttered, the focus is the same: making the work clear, relevant and easy to understand.
The Longer Story
My work has taken me from national news coverage to field producing for Nat Geo and Disney+ (The show was ‘Shark Attack Files’ where I interviewed Australian survivors. Not a single one hated sharks. The best story is not always the most obvious.) I’ve learned from journalism’s best:Ray Martin, Liz Hayes, Tracey Grimshaw. But waitressing in Sydney before I broke into the industry, I felt daunted by my ambition to work alongside them. Would it ever happen?
Yes, as it turned out. My first break was a reporting job in Taree, country NSW, where Liz Hayes launched her career. From there I moved to Alice Springs as the ABC’s first permanent TV reporter in the red centre.
Those years gave me the foundation I needed. By the time I got back to Sydney, I was ready for the dream job: producing at Nine for their star reporters and presenters, including — yes — Liz Hayes. I was a supervising producer on the Today Show, when she was co-hosting with Steve Liebmann. Ambition realised.
I was bureau producer for A Current Affair Perth when I left Nine to study sociology and education. After a detour into school teaching (now that’s a tough gig) I moved into marketing and communications. These days I work as a narrative consultant, occasionally returning to producing (those shark documentaries), and serving on the committee for Women in Media WA.
WHAT I BRING TO CLIENTS TODAY
When purpose-led organisations need to:
- say what they do, in a way that feels true
- connect with funders, boards or teams
- align people behind a shared message
A LITTLE STORY ABOUT TRUST
One of my first current affairs stories was about a land sale to Japanese developers. As I was leaving to interview the real estate agent handling the sale, my editor told me — “Play up the Japanese angle. People here still feel strongly after the war.” At 22, I was still figuring out the ethics of storytelling, so when I wrote the story, I did just as he suggested.
I can still hear the disappointment in the agent’s voice when he rang after we went to air. He had no idea I would take such a cynical angle.
It’s easy to squander trust. And hard to earn it back.
When the narrative is clear and true, people understand what matters and why it’s worth backing.