The radio news story that transformed the political landscape

Ebony Abblitt (above left) with ARN colleague and fellow award winner Olivia Hicks. Image: LinkedIn

When Ebony Abblitt from ARN’s Hobart newsroom approached senior journalist Britt Aylen last year about a confidential news tip regarding mass salmon mortalities, Britt says they knew they were onto something big.

What neither could have predicted was the impact the resulting story would have, not just on the local salmon industry, but the political landscape as a whole.

With its constant deadlines, the pressure-cooker environment of a commercial radio newsroom doesn’t often afford journalists the chance to get out in the field to conduct a thorough investigation.

Ebony says she sat on the story for about two weeks, knowing the gravity of the situation and working to gather the evidence she needed.

Last Saturday night, Ebony’s hard work was rewarded when she took out the honour for Best Radio/Audio News Reporting at the Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance (MEAA) Tasmanian Media Awards.

“Making sure I protected my source was important as they would very likely have their job at risk if it was discovered,” Ebony said on LinkedIn. “I’m grateful for their trust.”

“I’m also very grateful to have a supportive manager in Britt, who backed me 100% from the get go – and took the brunt of an unhappy phone call or two on my behalf!”

Sixteen months on, there is now significantly greater scrutiny on the aquaculture industry and much more transparency than there previously was.

Ebony says it can be easy to fly under the radar when you work in radio news.

“So much of our reporting is done via email and over the phone, between half-hourly or hourly bulletins. Sometimes it feels like people forget that we’re here, despite hearing our voices every day.”

Ebony wasn’t ARN’s only winner, with iHeart Tassie’s Olivia Hicks taking out the award for Best Radio/Audio Feature, Documentary and Podcast.

Images: LinkedIn