War Memorial at the centre of its own battle
University of Canberra, Laurence Kelson
December 15, 2020
When the Australian War Memorial was opened in 1941, then-Governor-General Lord Gowrie said people should come out of the memorial saying: “no more war, never again, no more war.” He believed the memorial should be a reflection on the devastating nature of war rather than a celebration of military...
The fight over marine life: to preserve or to fish
University of Canberra, Talia Jones
December 15, 2020
Conservation groups on the NSW south coast fear for the future of marine species because of the state government’s decision to allow recreational fishing in what was a protected part of the Batemans Marine Park. In 2007, the NSW Government created a zoning plan for the newly established Batemans...
University of Canberra, Mitch Braithwaite
December 15, 2020
One of life’s challenges is being able to deal with adversity and to find solutions when things don’t turn out as we had hoped or planned. If you’re looking for the embodiment of that challenge, meet Soumil Sharma. He was born with pseudoachondroplasia, a form of dwarfism that affects one-in-100-thousand...
‘Set up to fail’: Language policies undermine Indigenous children
Swinburne University, Zoe Moffatt
December 16, 2020
A once strong bilingual education system has been undermined, leading to a loss of identity and culture in Indigenous children. Zoe Moffatt reports.
Chance encounters not enough: Indigenous students deserve better
Swinburne University, Rebecca Martyn
December 11, 2020
Mainstream schooling should encourage the exploration of culture to benefit the futures of Indigenous students. Rebecca Martyn reports.
Winner announced in Democracy’s Watchdogs’ student award
Democracy's Watchdogs, Bill Birnbauer
December 11, 2020
Investigative reporting award: winners and high commended students honoured.
‘Set up to fail’: Language policies undermine Indigenous children
Swinburne University, Zoe Moffatt
December 16, 2020
A once strong bilingual education system has been undermined, leading to a loss of identity and culture in Indigenous children. Zoe Moffatt reports.
University of Newcastle, Isabella O'Brien
December 8, 2020
The damage caused by pedophile priests has been been a dark chapter in Newcastle's history. In this profile interview, Isabella O'Brien talks to investigative journalist Suzie Smith about her book, The Altar Boys. Suzie Smith was on holidays in January 2018 when the news came through. Her long-time friend and mentor from the ABC, Steven Alward, had died. Alward had contacted Smith in November 2017 and asked her to investigate ‘something to do with the Maitland-Newcastle diocese’, and the two of them made plans to meet in January to discuss it further. Steven then suicided on the 17th of January, only a few months after he had asked Suzie to investigate something that was close to his heart. His suicide was completely unexpected. Shrouded in mystery, his death raised many questions for those he left behind. Steven was raised in the Maitland-Newcastle...
The hidden world of WA’s outback monastery
Murdoch University, Kasper Johansen
December 8, 2020
Drive an hour and a half north-east from Perth and the road spirals through canola fields, passes Chittering, then Bindoon, until there is nothing but hills, cattle and road trains. New Norcia creeps up, almost appearing out of nowhere. A simple left turn and grand Spanish architecture replaces the dusty fields and yellow flowers. The style belongs to the Benedictine monks who reside there on the banks of the Moore River. “It’s kind of a town, or a village, but it’s not really a regular town if you know what I mean, we’ve got a service station and the roadhouse and the gift shop, the museum and the old colleges,” Father Robert Nixon, a Benedictine monk of eight years explains. St Benedictine monks follow a rigorous order, prayer and silence broken by work and recreation. Their Italian robes suit the architecture rather than the place, where stubby shorts and singlets...
Swinburne University, Gemma Davidson
December 10, 2020
COVID-19, with its disposable masks and bans on KeepCups, brought the fight for the environment to its knees. Meet the entrepreneurs and community leaders who found ways to keep their green hopes alive throughout Victoria’s COVID crisis. Gemma Davidson reports. This video was produced during stage four lockdown in Melbourne.
COVID-19 sparks wave of innovation
Swinburne University, Kate Oxley
December 9, 2020
Staring into the void of Melbourne’s stage four lockdown, some local entrepreneurs found the inspiration to reimagine their businesses – and turn 2020 into a winning year. Kate Oxley reports.
University of Newcastle, Cara Thomson
December 8, 2020
Victoria is the only Australian jurisdiction that has passed voluntary assisted dying legislation, and this has been viewed as a step forward in end-of-life care. However, the issue remains controversial and divisive in Australia. In this video story Cara Thomson talks with representatives of Dying with Dignity to understand their view that every person has the right to die a dignified death.
The Black Lives Matter movement has awakened many pressing conversations concerning underlying issues...
