Well this is unusual, my Wandering Journo Tribe! For the first time in three series, my Streets of Your Town podcast features—me.
This week we celebrate International Women’s Day around the world, and the achievements of women through the ages. As part of those celebrations I was invited to speak for a group of senior hospital administrators at a celebratory breakfast for International Women’s Day. This year’s theme was Choose to Challenge—so I looked at how that has driven my journalism and inspired my love and respect for the power of audio storytelling.
Part of my speech talks about my investigation into a pivotal case, which highlighted how Australia’s justice system fails intellectually disabled victims of sexual abuse. If this is triggering for you, you may not want to listen to this episode of Streets of Your Town. But I included it because I think it raises yet again an important issue in Australian law that still must be addressed. South Australia remains the only state to have changed its Evidence Act, to allow people with an intellectual disability to give evidence with assistance in court. Most cases are dropped, because people with cognitive disabilities are seen by the courts as unreliable witnesses.
I also speak in the podcast about how getting stuck in the desert was the best thing that happened to my career, and how Sandra Sully taught me the art of constructive criticism in a way that has now become something of a life mantra.
Remembering Tony Barrass
I was so incredibly saddened last week to hear the news that journo legend Tony Barrass has died after a short battle with throat cancer. We all owe him a great debt—not just journos. He was the first Australian journo to be jailed for refusing to reveal a source, as he spoke about on my Journo Project podcast last year. And now every state except Queensland has shield laws to prevent that ever happening again, making our democracy stronger. Vale Tony. His tips for young reporters in this podcast interview are well worth listening to.
Listen again: Tony Barrass on being principled under pressure
Obituary from The West Australian: Tony Barrass: Legendary Perth journalist dies after battle with throat cancer
Another great International Women’s Day podcast, from The Gender Card
Well it’s another double dip newsletter! Two poddies for the price of one!
I was so thrilled on this International Women’s Day to also produce this latest episode of The Gender Card podcast on inclusive education.
It was fascinating to look into what inclusive education actually means and how can we help women around the world break down the barriers to full inclusion in school—something that most Australians take for granted. On the podcast I interviewed two former teachers who are now Griffith University researchers about how their paths are leading to more truly inclusive education and a better path for all.
Julie Ballangarry and Nina Ginsberg are doing groundbreaking research into the way we think about education and education policy. Julie’s research explores why Indigenous education policies are continually failing by investigating the current approaches to policy-making in this arena.
While Nina explores how bicycles can enable or constrain rural African girls’ access to secondary school. Nina is finding through her fieldwork that sometimes the most simple “out of school” solutions, such as enabling access to bikes as transportation, are key to overcoming gender discrimination and improving access to essential services.
Coming to Adelaide
What the Wandering Journo is preparing for now—watch out South Australians!:
Well it’s third time lucky I hope for me next week. I’m finally hoping to get over the border for the first time in a year to Adelaide! I dare not get too excited in case I jinx it again!
I will be there for a week so all my South Australian friends please drop me a line and let’s catch up for some Mad March action at some crazy Fringe show!
And also of course always get in touch if you know someone who you think would make a great Streets of Your Town podcast. That includes you Adelaide peeps!
As a special bonus to South Australians reading this Streets of Your Town newsletter—if you become a paid subscriber before March 18 I will personally come and deliver the limited edition Wandering Journo drink bottle to you as a personal thankyou for helping to keep independent journalism alive!
Thanks to you all my supporters—from streets of your town around Australia—from the sultry and sweaty streets of Brisbane to the wine soaked fringe festival streets of Adelaide—I hope you enjoy the wanderings of this edition.
See ya on my travels soon I hope!
Nance AKA The Wandering Journo
International Women's Day 2021