Justine Kelly on career crossroads, making radio accessible and phenomenal female bosses

In her 25 years at the ABC, there is a golden rule that Justine Kelly has stuck to right from the get-go.

Never burn a bridge.

Kelly, today the Manager of Audio Output and Strategy at ABC International, has staunchly carried these sorts of values with her in every role she has undertaken.

“I think they’ve played a big part in why I’ve been able to build a long and rewarding career at the ABC,” she says. “I think being decent and dependable goes a long way.”

Kelly is reflecting on her remarkable media career with Serena Ahern in Radioinfo’s Wisdom of Women in Media series:

Starting out as a journalist, Kelly’s entry into the media was somewhat accidental.

“I actually wanted to be a lawyer. Blame LA Law,” Kelly says.

She had her heart set on studying at the University of Queensland.

“But my TE score (throwback!) wasn’t quite high enough, so I enrolled in journalism with the plan to upgrade into law later.”

“I did get into law eventually, but by then, the chance to earn a whopping $20K a year at the Dalby Herald in Western Queensland had come up.”

Journalism won out.

“It’s been an incredible ride, full of stories, people, and places I never imagined I’d get to see.”

Kelly was working as a junior state political reporter for ABC Radio in Perth and dreaming of one day covering politics in Canberra, when, out of the blue, she found herself at a huge career crossroad.

“A friend, who was the triple j reporter in Perth at the time, was leaving and said to me ‘The only time you can do this job is right now. If you wait, you’ll be too old.’”

“So, much to the news director’s horror, I took the leap and joined triple j,” Kelly says.

“I’ve never looked back.”

Stepping off the traditional news path set Kelly’s career on a completely different trajectory, her job with triple j taking her all over WA and, eventually, to Sydney, where she produced the Breakfast show with Wil Anderson and Adam Spencer (pictured above).

“It was a golden era for radio, before social media took off and before Spotify existed,” Kelly remembers.

“If you wanted to hear new music or feel connected, you tuned in. We travelled the country, went to festivals and gigs, and had a great time. It was a brilliant time to be in radio.”

Kelly says she’s been incredibly lucky to have had great role models and colleagues – both men and women – who’ve shaped her ability to work and lead.

For more than a decade now, Kelly says her bosses have been phenomenal women.

“They’re kick arse, and I don’t mean aggressive –  I mean smart, emotionally intelligent, deeply capable, and full of integrity.”

With the audio industry continuing to evolve at a rapid rate, Kelly says fostering connection with audiences is key.

“My focus right now is on how we can visualise podcasts and radio shows in ways that make them accessible and engaging on video platforms, without losing the essence of what makes audio so powerful.”

It’s about meeting audiences where they are, be it YouTube, Spotify or scrolling through TikTok.

“The challenge – and the opportunity – is to adapt our storytelling and production methods so that audio content can live and thrive in visual-first spaces, while still staying true to its roots in voice, sound and connection.”

More stories from Radioinfo’s Wisdom of Women in Radio series here.

Images: ABC and supplied