Journo unpacks the news, so you understand how it's made, disseminated and consumed. Ride shotgun with the world's best journalists as they explore the stories behind the headlines. Nick Bryant brings in-depth analysis of the issues, opportunities and challenges facing journalists and the media industry. Journo is brought to you by Deadset Studios.
…
continue reading
The human experience is all about adapting. Whether it’s a CEO trying to ride out an international travel crisis, a surfer struggling against a monster wave while his floatation vest fails, or a media star whose whole life changes in an instant, rarely do you get to glimpse what’s really going on during a someone's darkest hour. In these revealing, personal conversations with a range of successful people, Curveball host Kellie Riordan gets the lowdown on how people grow in extraordinary time ...
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Test your instincts — Richard Harris on embracing risk to rescue teens trapped in a Thai cave
57:53
57:53
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
57:53
“Giving anaesthetic in a muddy cave kilometres underground and under water? I never thought that was a good idea.” Experienced cave diver and doctor Dr Richard ‘Harry’ Harris is no stranger to extreme dives in pitch-black, cramped conditions. But when a call came for him to assist retrieving 12 teens and their coach from treacherous conditions insi…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Playing piano in a warzone – Editor Alan Rusbridger on spies, spooks, and breaking the biggest stories of our time
57:34
57:34
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
57:34
“At one point the cabinet secretary pointed out through my window to a block of flats across the water and said, ‘You realise the Chinese will be in there and they’ll have a laser on that tumbler of water, and they’ll have turned it into a microphone. They can listen to what we’re saying now’. So, the curtains came down immediately. At home, I did …
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Hoodie economics — How Indigenous systems-thinking could unlock your business potential, with Jack Manning Bancroft
37:04
37:04
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
37:04
Jack Manning Bancroft was 17 when he walked into Australia’s most prestigious college at Sydney University. Think sandstone buildings, young men wearing suits and gowns to the dining hall each evening. Jack, a talented athlete and student and a Bundjalung man, had been awarded a scholarship to St Paul’s College. The level of privilege he was surrou…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Alan Rusbridger on spies, spooks, and the Assange saga
1:00:01
1:00:01
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:00:01
“We bought computers that had never been connected to the internet. Phones were taken out of the room and I unplugged everything, including televisions and fridges. At one point the cabinet secretary pointed out through my window to a block of flats across the water and said, ‘You realise the Chinese will be in there and they’ll have a laser on tha…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Twists and tumble-turns – Bronte Campbell’s road to Olympic glory has been anything but a straight line
1:02:38
1:02:38
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:02:38
“I love that moment on the blocks. It’s the most high pressure moment. You can feel your heart beating. Your palms are all sweaty. Often when I’m going down onto the block and they say ‘take your marks’ my hands and legs are shaking. It’s a place of great failure and great success. They’re both possible in that very same moment”. Bronte Campbell co…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Ratbag millionaire — Graeme Wood’s adventures with Wotif, tree huggers, and pirates
39:26
39:26
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
39:26
Graeme Wood knew his planet was in danger even as a little kid. No one had to tell him: he could tell by how rapidly his fishing hauls on Moreton Bay were diminishing each year. But what was a bored kid in Brisbane going to do about it? Come 2014, entrepreneur Graeme Wood sells Wotif, his internet travel booking platform, and for the first time he …
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Lips are sealed - Poppy King reveals she's back to conquer Australia
55:51
55:51
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
55:51
“It's nothing short of an Australian small business fairy tale that's about to unfurl.” Poppy King was barely out of high school when she launched her first company in 1991, quickly gaining a cult-like following for her dreamy 1940s Hollywood-inspired matte lipsticks. By 1995 she was Young Australian of the Year, but not long later the company fell…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Breaking tradition — Shivani Gopal’s ride from arranged marriage to mentoring mogul
50:33
50:33
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
50:33
“When my friends were all going out and still doing Contiki tours, I was navigating a divorce.” Growing up in a traditional Fijian-Indian family, Shivani Gopal was given the message that women should be nice, they should serve others, that a woman’s value came from kindness and doing the right thing by others. So when Shivani fell in love as a teen…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Boy-like wonder — Trent Dalton sees the humanity where there's none
56:04
56:04
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
56:04
Best-selling author and journalist Trent Dalton appreciates things most people wouldn’t give a second glance. Growing up, Trent had no choice but to see the best in people, because if there wasn’t some light in those he loved, the world would be too dark a place to bear. When he sat down to transform that story into his best-selling debut novel Boy…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Advertising oracle — Dee Madigan makes the message matter
46:16
46:16
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
46:16
The thin timber floorboards and sticky carpet were a thin shield from the noise at the pub downstairs. But a 17-year-old Dee Madigan was trying to drown it all out as she studied for her final high school exams. The room above a bar hardly qualified as optimum living quarters but moving back to the city on her own to get a good education was Dee’s …
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
What if everything changed in an instant? Curveball returns
4:15
4:15
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
4:15
One day you can be striding into work in a suit worth thousands of dollars, and the next you can be at home in your pyjamas struggling to connect your laptop to the wifi in time for a job interview well below your pay grade. Tragedy, failure, loss – they’re all part of life’s ups and downs. Life happens to all of us, no matter how much success you’…
…
continue reading
Ever wondered how much you could grow your business, if only you could amplify your message? Now that 40% of Australians regularly listen to podcasts, it’s a great way to communicate to your clients and customers. Let Deadset Studios help you make a show! We’re a full-service production company and our team’s made many of the country’s most popular…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Going nuclear – King of the airwaves Richard Fidler on lightning strikes and falling for history
1:04:50
1:04:50
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:04:50
“She helped me completely dismantle a media personality I constructed and wasn’t happy with. It was a media personality I constructed to be a television presenter. To be sort of charming, maybe trying to be funny, trying to be a smartass here and there. But it was a struggle because it wasn’t who I really am.” Richard Fidler’s had more careers than…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
New buckaroo – Tanya Van Der Water redefines success for her family business
41:55
41:55
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
41:55
Legacy can be a bit of a loaded term when it comes to family businesses. If you’re taking over at the helm, how do you honour the legacy of those who came before you? Do you keep things as they were, or should you shake things up? Buckaroo Belts owner Tanya Van Der Water asked herself exactly these questions when her father fell ill in 2013. Unexpe…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Sweat and tears – How Michelle Bridges built an empire based on grit
42:58
42:58
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
42:58
There’s sweat flying everywhere at the Alice Springs YMCA as a young instructor cheers the class through their workout. Michelle Bridges is learning how to bring the heat, honing her craft as the motivator-in-chief for people looking to turn their lives around. Michelle had been teaching fitness classes and entering bodybuilding competitions while …
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Settling scores – Brandon Jack uncovers a darker side of Australian sport
39:31
39:31
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
39:31
The sun’s setting in the Sydney suburbs, but a young Brandon Jack’s still running his science experiment. Or rather, he’s still pretending to run his science experiment. In reality, he’s just kicking an Aussie Rules football around. But when you’re the son of an NRL legend, you have to come up with a good cover story to even go near other football …
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
What would happen if you were a little bit vulnerable?
20:27
20:27
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
20:27
We get it! It’s scary being your real self out there. Being vulnerable. Laying it all on the line when you’re feeling uncertain, not quite sure if you’ve got it right. We’ve noticed so many Curveball guests have had a moment where they could choose to be the all-knowing tough guy/gal, but instead decide to let their guard down. It might be emotiona…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Military might - Kirstin Ferguson's long march to equality in leadership
43:19
43:19
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
43:19
Once upon a time, a young Kirstin Ferguson wanted to be Australia’s first female Prime Minister. And she figured the free university education and rigorous leadership training of the military would make a good first step. But – surprise! - the Royal Australian Air Force Academy of the 1990s wasn’t the most welcoming environment for an ambitious you…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Still fighting — Kath Koschel crosses Australia in search of kindness PART 2
52:52
52:52
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
52:52
Think back to the toughest challenges you've ever faced - the longest grind, the lowest low... What would you do if, almost as soon as it ended, you were told you had to do it all again? For Kath Koschel, former New South Wales cricketer, this question isn’t hypothetical. She’d already faced loss of her fiancé and was overwhelmed with grief. And af…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Empathy wins - How Kath Koschel turned a string of personal tragedies into an empire of kindness PART 1
45:19
45:19
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
45:19
As Kath Koschel steps behind the crease, she grips her bat just a little tighter than usual: she’s pushing through an annoying but minor back injury. The next thing she sees is the sky. She’s laying flat on her back. She can’t feel her legs. Turns out that back injury wasn’t so innocuous, and Kath’s on her way to the hospital. She doesn’t know it y…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Tech titan — Dom Pym’s near-death experiences in life and business
52:55
52:55
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
52:55
“We’re building it for the people comfortable doing mobile banking, who are living on the edge of the future,” says fin-tech entrepreneur Dom Pym. “All the things we do with Up are different than other banks. Because when you’re carrying your phone in your pocket, doing everything with your finger on your phone, or with your face or your voice, tha…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Finish lines – Jana Pittman on the biggest hurdles of her life
49:39
49:39
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
49:39
Athlete Jana Pittman has spent her life clearing obstacles that arise out of nowhere. Chasing down Olympics gold on the 400-metre hurdles track since she was a teenager, she’s overcome injury after injury, hounded by the media along the way. All for that spot on the top podium to evade her. That kind of determination isn’t uncommon among profession…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
We’re back after some Curveballs close to home
7:28
7:28
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
7:28
Were we tempting fate hosting a show called Curveball? Because it feels a little like the universe wants us to have more first-hand experience of adversity. As 2022 began, host Kellie Riordan was champing at the bit to bring you some amazing new guests with stories of resilience. Then the Australian floods in February ruined the Curveball studio (a…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
If it bleeds, bin it — Will your tired news audience click on a constructive news story instead?
29:01
29:01
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
29:01
War. Environmental peril. The never-ending pandemic. No wonder audiences are tired of bad news. And in worse news for the media, that widespread news fatigue is rapidly becoming active news avoidance. Constructive journalism offers a solutions-based approach to reporting, which is appealing to audiences. But how do you convince the rest of the news…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
From tip-off to pay-off — Inside the minds of the world’s best investigative reporters
36:18
36:18
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
36:18
Investigative reporting might make great fodder for Hollywood movies, but the reality is far from glamourous. Blockbuster investigations can take years, even decades, and require grit and determination. So, what drives this special breed of journalists? Take Chicago-based journalist Jim DeRogatis, who pivoted from pop music critic to investigative …
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
From drum and bass to hard news at a viral pace — How Ros Atkins became the voice of reason in global news
32:09
32:09
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
32:09
“It's the power of the story. It's the same thing, whether it's drum and bass, or much more serious news. If you tell stories that people want to hear the end of, they are much, much more likely to consume your work, whatever it is." Ros Atkins’ relentless experimentation with finding an audience means his stories aren’t just devoured by the news c…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Geopolitical football — How cash and culture are shifting the goalposts for sports journalism
30:48
30:48
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
30:48
“I wasn't just doing what was right. I was doing what was journalistically correct.” Veteran sports reporter Jim Trotter was doing a live cross for ESPN when the host began describing American footballer Colin Kaepernick’s refusal to stand during the national anthem as “disrespectful to the flag”. Jim had a choice — to let the host’s opinions go un…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
How Leigh Sales made it to the top of Australian news
38:07
38:07
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
38:07
“I’ve always stopped to think — well, you're a little brat from the back blocks of Brisbane and you're about to interview Paul McCartney. That is really rare. It’s very, very special.” Leigh Sales is a towering figure in Australian journalism, and after almost 12 years as the anchor of the ABC’s flagship current affairs program, 7.30, she has decid…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Activism or accuracy — As climate change disrupts the planet, should it upend journalism as well?
34:03
34:03
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
34:03
In 2021, News Corp’s tabloids in Australia made a stunning announcement. For the month leading up to the Glasgow climate summit, they would be running a nationwide campaign on how to tackle climate change. Cries of hypocrisy rang out from pundits all over — including News Corps’ own — for this seeming about-face on the white-hot issue. So, was it a…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Get in the bin “gotcha” — A vote for change in political reporting
27:24
27:24
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
27:24
Australians have elected a new government and, in a campaign where journalists came under almost as much scrutiny as the politicians, is this a vote for change in how we report on elections too? "We want the press pack to insist on an answer. But I do think there were points in the campaign where the questioning went too far and in an unhelpful way…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
From TikTok to Telegram — What is the war in Ukraine teaching journalists?
37:06
37:06
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
37:06
“I always say in journalism that everything has changed and nothing has changed," says BBC foreign correspondent Lyse Doucet, who reported from Ukraine's capital Kyiv as Russian tanks rolled into the country. The war in Ukraine shows us that history never ends, and journalists are taking extraordinary risks in composing the first draft. A key battl…
…
continue reading
For the journalists writing the first records of history, this past year has been one for the ages. In season 2 of Journo, foreign correspondents are pulling on their flak jackets and scouring new platforms like TikTok and Telegram to report on the war in Ukraine — and local reporters are taking huge risks to stay in their homes and bear witness to…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Clairvoyants and correspondents — Where political journalism gets it wrong
44:01
44:01
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
44:01
Covering the cut and thrust of politics is one of the most thrilling jobs in journalism. But why are reporters misreading the mood of our nations? Brexit. Trump. Australia’s surprising 2019 election outcome — all resulted in plenty of soul-searching from political journalists. What if it’s more than just faulty polling — what if it’s a basic failur…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
The story-breaker — The remarkable rise of Jonathan Swan
38:10
38:10
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
38:10
He is one of Washington’s most recognisable and influential journalists, who became even more well-known thanks to his facial expressions in that interview with US President Donald Trump in 2020. But it wasn’t an easy road for political reporter Jonathan Swan. The Aussie print journalist’s first ever TV interview was also with President Trump — onl…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
New directions – A personal crisis changes Gaven Morris’ outlook as he brings news into the future PART 2
33:38
33:38
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
33:38
Gaven Morris has put his doubts aside and stepped into a leadership role at the ABC, but his trials are far from over. While he’s trying to un-learn everything he was taught as a journalist in order to become a more open-minded, proactive leader, life starts to unravel around him. Family illnesses and a workplace tragedy that kills several of his c…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
And we’re live – Why Gaven Morris launched a 24-hour news channel before it was ready PART 1
29:47
29:47
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
29:47
Gaven Morris is the man behind most of the news you consume on a daily basis. As the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s Director of News, Gaven’s led many of the country’s top reporters and best-loved programs. But now he’s stepping away from this leadership role, and reflecting on his time in one of the most rapidly changing industries. Journal…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Steve Coll on journalism in this disrupted world
40:42
40:42
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
40:42
“We have to recognise that the truth is often complex. And it's often elusive in some respects. And it's nuanced. That's not an excuse for enabling liars or for being complicit in propaganda campaigns.” From inside the Washington Post on the day the Drudge Report cracked open the Clinton scandal, through the digital disruption of the past 20 years,…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Pirouette power — Greta Thomas leaps gracefully from ballet to Bono
48:01
48:01
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
48:01
The crowd is spilling out of a Bob Geldof event, but one wily ex-reporter has tapped into her performing arts know-how to get backstage. Armed with nothing but a business card and a tiny handwritten message, she’s trying to get her name to rockstar Bono and his new venture, PRODUCT (RED). It might sound ludicrous. And it kind of was. Greta Thomas w…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Live from your living room — reporting from the frontlines of the pandemic
34:08
34:08
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
34:08
The daily press conference, Covid case numbers, border closures, reporting from your living room or from the silent streets of a locked down city. Barring world wars, has any event had a bigger impact on the way journalists do their jobs than this pandemic? Covid-19 has changed the way we live but also the way we cover news. For journalists, it’s m…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Doing it on purpose — Start cultivating your why
13:44
13:44
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
13:44
When the ‘why’ is missing, often so is our motivation. Something I’ve noticed about people who bounce back from adversity, is they tend to have a strong sense of purpose – and if they don’t have one when that curveball hits, it sure prompts them to find it! Take Who Give a Crap founder Simon Griffiths – when his body gave out and exhaustion hit, hi…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
From Tigerland to Ivy League — Peggy O’Neal graduates from football president to University Chancellor
11:27
11:27
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
11:27
“Education can change your life in a generation.” When RMIT University announced its newest Chancellor would be Richmond Football Club President Peggy O’Neal, those words from her mother might just have been on Peggy’s mind. From the tiny coal-mining town she grew up in, Peggy became the first member of her family to graduate university. Then the f…
…
continue reading
Our outlook and media consumption are increasingly global, but local journalism remains more important than ever — keeping communities connected, saving lives during disasters, and holding power to account in places where few lights shine. Within weeks of Australia's first COVID lockdown, in April 2020, more than 200 regional newspapers announced t…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Soft swerves — Declan Lee scoops himself up from failure to create an ice-cream empire
37:27
37:27
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
37:27
“The more you fail, the easier it gets. People get scared of failing. I know this is something that anyone entrepreneurial will say, but every time you lose all your money, it becomes easier. Because you know you can pick yourself up.” Declan Lee never chooses the easy path. These days he’s one of four owners of the famous Messina gelato chain, but…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Tech visionary — Kate Vale on running Google, Spotify, and now a VC fund
36:09
36:09
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
36:09
When Kate Vale was appointed Google Australia’s first employee, she didn’t have an office or a mobile phone. She found herself answering her home landline to do business! From humble beginnings she used her HR background to quickly build a team, and grew Google Australia to record revenues and eventually to IPO. Ever the digital pioneer since her d…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Who’s really listening — Reporting when your phone is the enemy
32:00
32:00
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
32:00
“If you're targeted by Pegasus, you see nothing, you smell nothing, you taste nothing. You’re minding your own business, doing whatever it is that you do with your phone. And then it’s infected.” It might sound cloak-and-dagger, but cyber security expert John Scott-Railton says spyware poses a very real threat to journalists’ ability to do their jo…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
BONUS — Fable Food takes on more investment as mushroom meat makes it into fast food chains
23:11
23:11
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
23:11
Remember when Michael Fox first joined us on Curveball? He’d clawed his way back from a bruising collapse of his first start-up Shoes of Prey to build a new company. Fable Foods creates a meat-alternative from shiitake mushrooms and Michael and his co-founders had convinced celebrity chef Heston Blumenthal to be part of their journey. But Covid had…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Selling down but not out — How Olivia Humphrey scaled all the way to a sale PART 2
23:09
23:09
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
23:09
Olivia Humphrey has taken her company Kanopy from her spare bedroom in Perth to San Francisco... and turned down some pretty enticing investment offers along the way. She stuck to her guns, keeping her values front of mind at all times, and it paid off. I mean – it really paid off! Kanopy has sold for an eye-watering price. In part two of this reve…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
The Queen of Stream — Olivia Humphrey on creating streaming platform Kanopy PART 1
30:41
30:41
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
30:41
Olivia Humphrey was having lunch in a Napa vineyard when a billionaire stepped in to help turn her genius start-up into a fully-fledged global streaming platform. A former Village Roadshow employee, Olivia came up with the idea to streamline the way universities could secure rights for films and documentaries for students. As streaming took off and…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
WeCensor — Getting news into and out of China
35:34
35:34
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
35:34
China is closing its doors to foreign journalists just as it becomes the most interesting story in the world. So, is this all part of a strategy by China to control its own news at home and abroad? But with geopolitical tensions rising, China is not a place the world can afford to ignore. Nationalistic media reports produced under the watchful eye …
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Pep talk — A salary dispute catapults Meggie Palmer into tech solutions for the gender pay gap
47:33
47:33
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
47:33
Meggie Palmer was one of Australia’s best TV journalists, when she learned she wasn’t being paid the same as her male colleagues. She had a choice. Put up with it or speak up and risk it all. This enormous career gamble almost crushed her. Until she realised it could also be the making of her. Disillusioned with the power of traditional media, and …
…
continue reading