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- News Club - Oh what a lovely year
News Club - Oh what a lovely year
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We couldn’t let you go into the Christmas/New Year break without one final News Club newsletter for the year… |  With Claire Kimball |
A wrap on 2024…
Today, I thought we could go through the news stories that have stayed with me from 2024. And we’ll then hand it over to you - we’re keen to know what will hold a place in your memory.
So without further delay, let’s deploy our Club Picks for a look back at 2024:
The year started with a focus on cases of women being killed by men, and as we end the year, the number is higher than 2023. The deaths of Hannah McGuire and Molly Ticehurst allegedly at the hands of partners (amongst several others) and the disappearance of Samantha Murphy saw thousands rally in April and a new $4.7 billion strategy from National Cabinet. This podcast episode from ABC’s If You’re Listening is campaigner Rosie Batty’s pitch for violence against women and children to get the same attention and funding as terrorism. It’s powerful.
The assassination attempt against then-presidential candidate/incoming White House occupant Donald Trump was quite a moment. I’m unlikely to forget going for my Saturday morning walk as it was all unfolding with CNN streaming through my headphones. And those pictures of him with the American flag = iconic. If news photography interests you, this interview with AP photographer Evan Vucci is great.
War in the Middle East was never far from the headlines this year. It also wasn’t run-of-the-mill tensions playing on repeat - for example, Iran’s attack on Israel in October was one of the many dangerous firsts 2024 saw. For this one, I reckon it’s another example of where pictures are worth a thousand words…
And to land on an up-note - our Mary had a big year… She became Queen of Denmark in January and hasn’t put a foot wrong on the world stage. For something fun, you might find this story from Tatler about her refashioning of some crown jewels into a funky new tiara as dazzling as I did.
Thank you for coming along with News Club this year. Launching a new thing is no small task, particularly when you sweat the small stuff to make it as good as Team Squiz does... Let’s do it all again in 2025, shall we?
Tell us what you think…
What will stick with you from 2024?Click to cast your vote. We're keen to know your thoughts in the comments |
Holiday listening sorted…
If you are looking for something to listen to over the holiday period, here are a few of our fave News Club interviews for this year:
“In some ways, I feel guilty”…: Richard Scolyer, 2024 joint Australian of the Year and leading melanoma researcher, was diagnosed with incurable brain cancer in June 2023. Now, he’s become a “human guinea pig,” testing if his groundbreaking work could help him (and others) beat the odds… Listen time: 34 mins
“The biggest reality TV show in the world”: Arthur Sinodinos was the US Ambassador for a time under the first Trump Presidency. He shares with us why he thinks the American people voted for him again and what he expects from a second Trump administration. Listen time: 43 mins
The power of curiosity: When Leigh Sales said yes to joining us on Newsmakers, it was a big moment for us. With so much to ask, we dive into everything from her time as a foreign correspondent and anchoring 7.30 to her writing on journalism, research into grief and fear, and thoughts on news fatigue. Listen time: 45 mins
More kids, more towns, more empathy: Bernie Shakeshaft is the founder of BackTrack, a community-led organisation that helps kids going through a tough time. With all the news lately about youth crime and incarceration rates, we’ve often asked ourselves - I wonder what Bernie thinks…Listen time: 29 mins
PS: Prefer to watch? You can find our News Club interviews on our YouTube channel here. And don’t forget to hit subscribe while you’re there.
The best gift you can give us…
If you’ve enjoyed News Club this year, the ultimate pressie would be sharing us with your mates/fam/colleagues. Pop them your unique link below, and we’ll know you’ve spread the festive cheer our way. Merci buckets.
Copy and paste this link and share it around: