She has the reputation as a journalist who goes where many fear to tread, even to the extent of writing the unauthorised biography of Gina Rinehart, the richest woman in Australia.
Adele Ferguson is a multi-award-winning business writer whose investigations into the banking sector, franchising and the retirement living industries have sparked numerous inquiries.
She’s won eight Walkley Awards, two Quills, and this year was also also made a member of the Order of Australia for her services to journalism.
She paid credit to the whistleblowers that have played such a crucial part in her investigations, saying the awards are as much theirs as hers.
“Oh, absolutely,” Adele says. “Without them, none of these stories into the banking system, franchising, wage fraud or retirement villages, would ever have come about without brave whistle-blowers.”
Her work is so respected she is one of the few journos to regularly work across different networks, from the public broadcaster ABC, to leading newspapers such as The Age and Australian Financial Review.
Her investigations go behind corporate spin to expose wrongdoing, with her series of investigations into the banks helping to bring about a Royal Commission into the sector.
As Adele tells me on this episode of Streets of Your Town—The Journo Project podcast, her main motivation after two decades as a reporter is giving vulnerable people a voice.
“I wanted to make a difference,” Adele says.
“I always loved writing, you know? And so maybe it was a calling in a way. I always had an interest in journalism, but I thought maybe politics was the way to really get change. But you know, looking back, I think journalism, you can really get change.”
She says it’s crucial that investigations have a combination of real people telling their stories, and documents to back that up.
“Because if you have the documents, they've got nowhere to go, because the argument that companies have always used is it's a few bad apples, they're isolated cases move on,” she says.
“You've got to get it right because you know, these companies are very powerful and if you get something wrong, they will pounce.”
She says Australia should celebrate its whistleblowers rather than condemn them, as they play such a vital role in society.
“You know the laws do not protect whistleblowers. It's just shocking. In America, they have a whistleblower day. They get rewards,” she says.
“Here, they're seen as snitchers and troublemakers and they're punished.”
Adele is concerned about the wider ramifications of the recent raids on Australian media outlets at the ABC and News Ltd.
“It's chilling, you know, two weeks after the federal election you have, in consecutive days, two different media organisations getting raided,” she says.
“It's frightening because it just has a chilling effect on whistleblowers speaking up, you know, and the impact on the journalists and the organisation, it's just horrendous.
“Don't give up. Don't fall for spin. Always try and cut through.”
Behind the scenes
What’s a girl to do when she’s got a few hours to spare in Melbourne after finishing my interview with Adele but stumble across a superb socially aware coffee and brekky at the Kinfolk Cafe.
Look at this little bowl of happiness served with a smile by amazing volunteer Huk. They address social inclusion through great coffee and seasonal food—with all profits going to charity. Hurrah! Let alone that was the best cuppa, smashed avo and baba ganoosh I think I’ve had in my life. Well worth a visit when you’re in town and say hello to Huk for me!
I then stumbled out the door to follow the throng of Melbournites on their way to their religion of choice—at the MCG of course! My beautiful Melbourne friend and fellow freelancer Elissa Doherty warned me that it wouldn’t be a bad idea to take a sleeping bag—and she was not far off! Man it was bone chilling cold up there in the gods!
What I’m reading
And in a beautiful piece of Journo Project podcast timing, Adele is launching her Banking Bad book this week! In it she tells the full story behind the royal commission into the banking sector. Adele is coming to Brisbane State Library on August 12—and she’s also visiting many other venues around Australia in coming weeks—you can check out this link to see if she’s coming somewhere near you!
For those of you feeling similar to me that this year’s expectations and pace are all just becoming a bit too much, I found this article from the New York Times a massive encouragement!
How to Do Less and Achieve More — NY Times
And now for a giggle—along with a side of sage economic advice on theme with this week’s business journo extraordinaire podcast—digest this one with a cup of coffee at your favourite cafe…
Here’s Some Money Advice: Just Buy the Coffee — NY Times
Upcoming
This week, thanks to the support and contributions from my beautiful Wandering Journo subscriber tribe, the Journo Project podcast travels to Sydney to meet the legendary journo with four decades of evocative storytelling under his belt—Hugh Riminton! This self-described “hack” has won Walkley Awards for his investigations, and has also traversed different networks and media such as television, radio and online with ease. I spoke to Hugh in the ABC studios at Ultimo, just near where he now broadcasts as presenter for Radio National’s Sunday Extra. This on top of his role as National Affairs Editor at Network 10! He tells about his time as a foreign correspondent reporting from more than 40 countries, and his fundamental belief in the importance of the Fourth Estate to keep those in power to account. Hugh will land in your email inbox one click away from your earbuds next Monday—the day before the podcast's release onto iTunes, Spotify and Soundcloud! So keep subscribing to this email, and share it with a friend, and you’ll keep getting great episodes like this ahead of their official release!
Merch!
Wonderful to see a tweet from the amazing Deanna Nott at Wings PR this week live in action listening to the recent Trent Dalton episode on bluetooth through her car stereo!
Thanks Deanna—you’ll be receiving your limited edition Wandering Journo keep cup in the mail very soon to accompany you on those long drives to clients while you’re listening to the podcast!
Thanks to all of you, my wonderful subscribers for your amazing support of my this podcast, Streets of Your Town—The Journo Project! Please share this email link with a few of your friends who will also rally the call to protect press freedom in Australia. Thank you for helping me fulfil the vision I have for The Journo Project: interviewing great Aussie Journos face to face using the highest quality audio so that you feel like you are there as part of the dinner party conversation.
Adele Ferguson on whistleblowers