What is your role at The Australian and what does an average day look like?
My role is photographer at The Australian. There is no such thing as an average day. One of the reasons why I love the job so much is that you never know how any given day will turn out. From a Pacific tsunami to a portrait of Baz Luhrmann…anything could happen.
How does your role at The Australian help deliver the news?
Photographers show it as it is – one image can convey an enormous amount of meaning. Pictures personalise events by giving the story a face, providing a sense of immediacy that can also pack an emotional punch.
What is the structure of the team you work in and how do you work together?
Photographers at The Australian are spread across the country and are always on the move. The picture editor assigns jobs, and we team up with a journalist to go out on the road. Reporters and photographers brainstorm ideas, and the jobs are often interchangeable as photographers suggest ideas or come up with fresh angles to an ongoing story.
What is your proudest achievement during your time at The Australian with relation to making the news?
There are so many moments that stand out – photographing a grandmother sweeping the sand from the front of her makeshift home on the beach at Groote Eylandt; witnessing Australia win its first gold medal at the Sydney Olympics; covering major news events, including the Pacific tsunami and the Bali bombings.
How would you define ‘quality journalism’?
Quality journalism is factual, informative, and investigative…all the while still managing to entertain.
Why do you think quality journalism is important to Australians?
Information is power. Without quality journalism a democracy would be poor.
How do you see the industry progressing and what are your hopes for the future?
We are in a time of great change and evolution in journalism. Stories are always fresh, being updated constantly, and photographers will have an even greater role in online journalism.
