Six decades of telling Narrandera’s stories

Over six decades she has reported on local, state and federal politics, council and court matters, community events, and everything in between, helping to give Narrandera and the surrounding district a voice while holding decision makers to account. The recognition from the NSW Country Press Association – Australia’s oldest newspaper industry association – in the form of a Distinguished Service Medallion is especially meaningful to Liz because it comes from industry peers. “I’m very honoured to receive recognition for something I thoroughly enjoy doing. Not too many people get to do something they love and get paid for it,” Liz said. “To be recognised by people in the field makes it all the more enjoyable and rewarding.” When Liz entered journalism, newsrooms were overwhelmingly male-dominated, and women were often steered towards social reporting. She recalls being the only woman in the office when she first started and spending her early years covering organisations such as the Country Women’s Association (CWA) and garden clubs before relishing opportunities to tackle harder news stories. One of her first major assignments was covering a NSW Farmers’ conference in Narrandera. “Boy, it was tough,” Liz said. “All males were there at the time. I walked into that meeting room, and all eyes were upon me.” Years later, she was honoured at a state farming conference in recognition of her fair coverage of rural issues. Among the many highlights of her career, Liz points to the special editions of the Argus that she initiated and produced to celebrate significant milestones for both Narrandera and the newspaper. “So too were the special editions produced annually by the Argus with the aim of attracting people to our town and region, both as visitors and residents,” she said. “These had not been done before by the Argus and were used as a way of promoting the town. “Other highlights too numerous to mention include my first ever interview to obtain details about a well-known resident for an obituary – it ended up with both of us in tears.” Despite the many successes, she says journalism can be demanding and at times controversial. Yet her love of newspapers has never faded. “Love of the written word,” Liz said when asked what keeps her motivated to stay in the profession for so long. “Television and radio are fleeting but newspaper stories stay with you forever.” Her career has spanned from the era of Remington typewriters and linotype operators through to laptops, internet-based production systems and remote publishing through the COVID-19 pandemic. Throughout these changes, she has remained a fierce advocate for local journalism. “Providing quality local content to an interested audience is what journalism is all about,” Liz said. “Community newspapers are so close to the people, and when they're independent, there's no political bias. And I really do think they're an extremely important part of the community as they report on the news that matters to country people, which often differs widely from that of city readers. “News that matters to rural residents may not rate a mention in city newspapers.” When asked what advice she would give to someone aspiring to be a journalist, Liz says it’s imperative to report both sides of the story to ensure fairness and let the reader form their own opinions. “And develop a tough hide but don’t lose your compassion,” she said.

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