The Yarn
The Yarn is a podcast showcasing work from The Centre for Advancing Journalism at the University of Melbourne. It features original reporting by students, content from The Citizen publication, as well as talks and events held by the Centre.
Producer: Clancy Balen
Episodes
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The electorate of Chisholm is not only the most marginal seat in Victoria, it’s also one of the most diverse. Almost half its residents were born overseas and almost one in six have Chinese ancestry.
The week, we’ll hear from reporters Jenny Cai and Caitlyn Duan about two of those residents and the concerns they’ll be taking to the ballot box later this month.
The Yarn is produced at the Centre for Advancing Journalism at the University of Melbourne.
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This week, we’re zeroing in on one of the most heated battlegrounds in this month’s election: the electorate of Chisholm in Victoria.
We’ll hear from reporters Meghan Dansie and Sean Ruse about two very different Chisholm voters and the issues they’re most passionate about. One is a teenager voting in her first ever federal election, the second has been voting for over a decade, but began questioning his political beliefs during the pandemic.
The Yarn is produced at the Centre for Advancing Journalism at the University of Melbourne.
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Ahead of Australia’s general election on May 21, 2022, we’re launching a new miniseries about a key battleground in Victoria. It’s called Chisholm, and it’s one of the most marginal electorates in the country.
In today’s episode, we’re joined by reporter Petra Stock who explains why Chisholm’s is so important.
The Yarn is produced at the Centre for Advancing Journalism at the University of Melbourne.
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As concerts halls cleared out and people cancelled their holidays, COVID dried up revenue streams for most leisure industries.
In today’s episode of generation COVID, our journalists investigate how workers got creative in their efforts to move their jobs from the stage and streets to their bedrooms.
Reporting by Hanyang Cheng, Christopher M. Harley, Jade Murray, and Zhixin Zhang
The Yarn is produced at the Centre for Advancing Journalism at the University of Melbourne.
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During the world’s longest lockdown, Melbournians yearned for their lives to return to normal. Now that restrictions have eased, some are finding that things aren’t quite as normal as they’d hoped.
From the way we’re getting married, to how the most vulnerable people have slipped through the cracks, it’s becoming clear that things may never go back to the way they were before.
In our first episode of Generation Covid, four reporters look into our our post-lockdown society.
Reporting by Meghan Dansie, Sasha Gattermayr, Ann Khorany, and Nick Doyle.
The Yarn is produced at the Centre for Advancing Journalism, at the University of Melbourne.
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If there’s one thing humans love, it’s doing things en masse.
From fashion to collecting data, building algorithms, and social contact, we always seem to demand more. Sometimes, finding the balance is difficult. And we don’t always get it right. This week on Swarm our journalists investigate the dark side of swarm behaviour.
Reporting by Yue Jiang, Maya Pilbrow, and Julie Barman.
These stories have been produced as part of an upcoming exhibition with the Science Gallery Melbourne. They were developed together with mentors from All The Best.
The Yarn is produced at the Centre for Advancing Journalism, at the University of Melbourne.
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Have you ever looked at a group of ants carrying food back to the colony, and wondered how they know how to work together so well? Or pondered how storks know how to migrate from Europe to North-Africa for the winter? Well, there’s a word for it: Stigmergy.
From the behaviour of insects to, jellyfish blooms and mice plagues, our reporters investigate what drives animals to band together, and how our changing environment may be affecting them. Reporting by Angus Thompson, Amalyah Hart, and Matthew Hall.
These stories have been produced as part of an upcoming exhibition with the Science Galley Melbourne. They were developed together with mentors from All The Best.
The Yarn is produced at the Centre for Advancing Journalism, at The University of Melbourne.
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We all desperately want to be a part of something greater than ourselves. Instinct tells us when we band together, we can achieve amazing things. But our desire to belong can drive us – and our environment – to strange places.
In part one of our new series Swarm, we present three stories about the lengths we go to for connection, and the hidden price we sometimes pay. Reporting by Julie Fenwick, Nyima Lhamo Wangchuk, and Josh Nevett.
These stories have been produced as part of an upcoming exhibition with the Science Gallery Melbourne. They were developed together with mentors from All The Best.
The Yarn is produced at the Centre for Advancing Journalism, at The University of Melbourne
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What if the Murray River could sing? Well, it turns out that it can.
In this special edition of The Yarn, a co-production with ABC Radio National, outgoing 2021 Citizen graduate cadet Jordyn Beazley reports on what the river song tells about the history and health of this vital waterway, its ecology, and its troubled future.
This audio feature was developed for Radio National’s Science Friction program, where it was originally produced and presented by Natasha Mitchell. It was supported by a fellowship grant awarded by the Science Journalists Association of Australia.
The Yarn is produced at the Centre for Advancing Journalism, at the University of Melbourne.
Original audio and other great Science Friction episodes can be found here: https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/sciencefriction/murray-river-sound-sonification/13647928
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How far would you go for the perfect body?
Mounting scientific evidence points to alarming health risks associated with taking bodybuilding supplements at a young age. But the question remains: why are so many young men turning to potentially harmful supplements in such large numbers?
In part two of Hulk Pressure, reporter Harry Sekulich investigates male body image, and the pressures young men face in trying to achieve the perfect body.
The Yarn is produced at the Centre for Advancing Journalism, at the University of Melbourne.
The following episode contains descriptions of mental health struggles, and experiences of eating disorders. If this episode brings up anything for you, please contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or the Butterfly Foundation on 1800 334 673.
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What’s the cost of a perfect body? For some young Australian men, it could be lifelong liver damage.
Under-regulated and readily available straight off the shelf, bodybuilding supplements are being consumed in growing numbers by adolescent males. But many of them haven’t been tested on teenage bodies, and no one knows the true extent of what the damage may be.
In part one of our two-part series Hulk Pressure, Harry Sekulich investigates supplements, male body image, and the hidden toll this is taking on young men.
The Yarn is produced at the Centre for Advancing Journalism, at the University of Melbourne
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Minds are messy, complicated things. But we can make them work for us…not against us. This week we focus on catharsis.
From emotional support animals, to conquering seasonal affective disorder and finding peace with the grieving process, our reporters investigate the capacity for emotional and mental healing.
Reporting by Anthony Marsicotevere, Stephanie Zhang, and Sean Goodwin.
This episode is made in collaboration with All the Best Radio and the Science Gallery Melbourne. Their new exhibition MENTAL: Head Inside is a welcoming place to confront societal bias and stereotypes around mental health. It runs from 20.01.22 -18.06.22