Deborah Richards
Encyclopedia
Deborah Richards is an award winning Australian journalist, of English descent from the Edwards family. Richards has worked for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation
, Essential Viewing Group, and Special Broadcasting Service
.
Primary School in Melbourne
, Australia, and then the Firbank Girls' Grammar School
from Year 7, but transferred to Morongo Girls' College
(now Kardinia International College
) for the last term of Year 10 until graduation. She then enrolled at Monash University
in 1972, taking an Arts degree, with a double major in Sociology and English. Richards deferred her English Honours year in 1976, and concentrated her efforts into building a mudbrick house in the Macclesfield
area, located in the Dandenong Hills
region, above Melbourne.
to work at Four Corners. Her career there lasted nine years; two years was spent as a reporter, another two as an associate producer, and five as a field producer.
Richards was responsible for the "re-vamping" of Lateline
(an ABC program), and the Business Show (an SBS program). She was the executive producer of MediaWatch, and has produced several Australian Stories, and a documentary on lymphoma
for the Leukemia Foundation of Australia.
Richards presented Earth Beat, and environmental program on Radio National
for a short period of time. Richards left the program to have her first and only child.
In 2003, Richards, her husband, and daughter moved to the Southern Highlands of New South Wales. Since then, Richards has worked as a freelance journalist for the Sydney Morning Herald, the Australian Doctor, the Medical Observer, and the Australian Financial Review. She now works as the co-editor of a local, independent news magazine called "YourTimes", and also as the producer for the Intelligence Squared Australia Debates (also known as iq2oz).
for their Cash For Comment affair
exposé on MediaWatch. In 2003 Richards was listed as Health Journalist of the Year, presented by the National Press Club of Australia
for a feature article about end-of-life decisions, which was presented in the Australian Doctor magazine.
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
, Essential Viewing Group, and Special Broadcasting Service
Special Broadcasting Service
The Special Broadcasting Service is a hybrid-funded Australian public broadcasting radio and television network. The stated purpose of SBS is "to provide multilingual and multicultural radio and television services that inform, educate and entertain all Australians and, in doing so, reflect...
.
Life
Richards attended Brighton BeachBrighton, Victoria
Brighton is a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 11 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Bayside. At the 2006 Census, Brighton had a population of 20,651...
Primary School in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Australia, and then the Firbank Girls' Grammar School
Firbank Girls' Grammar School
Firbank Grammar School is an independent, Anglican, day and boarding school, situated in the suburb of Brighton, in the bayside area of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....
from Year 7, but transferred to Morongo Girls' College
Morongo Girls' College
Morongo Girls' College was a Presbyterian school for girls, founded in 1920 on Bell Post Hill near Geelong, on the site of an original homestead ....
(now Kardinia International College
Kardinia International College
Kardinia International College is an independent school located in Bell Post Hill, Geelong, Victoria, Australia. It is a single campus college, residing on the site of the former Morongo Girls' College.-College history:...
) for the last term of Year 10 until graduation. She then enrolled at Monash University
Monash University
Monash University is a public university based in Melbourne, Victoria. It was founded in 1958 and is the second oldest university in the state. Monash is a member of Australia's Group of Eight and the ASAIHL....
in 1972, taking an Arts degree, with a double major in Sociology and English. Richards deferred her English Honours year in 1976, and concentrated her efforts into building a mudbrick house in the Macclesfield
Macclesfield, Victoria
Macclesfield is a town in Victoria, Australia, 47 km east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the Shire of Yarra Ranges. At the 2006 Census, Macclesfield had a population of 1,041....
area, located in the Dandenong Hills
Dandenong Ranges
The Dandenong Ranges are a set of low mountain ranges, rising to 633 metres at Mount Dandenong, approximately 35 km east of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia...
region, above Melbourne.
Career
Richards career began at the ABC, in 1983, when she was selected for the television producer training course. Two years later, Richards moved to New South WalesNew South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
to work at Four Corners. Her career there lasted nine years; two years was spent as a reporter, another two as an associate producer, and five as a field producer.
Richards was responsible for the "re-vamping" of Lateline
Lateline
Lateline is an Australian television news and current affairs program produced by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, airing weeknights at on ABC1. The program has developed a reputation for head-to-head debates on current issues and political interviews. Lateline is followed by its sister...
(an ABC program), and the Business Show (an SBS program). She was the executive producer of MediaWatch, and has produced several Australian Stories, and a documentary on lymphoma
Lymphoma
Lymphoma is a cancer in the lymphatic cells of the immune system. Typically, lymphomas present as a solid tumor of lymphoid cells. Treatment might involve chemotherapy and in some cases radiotherapy and/or bone marrow transplantation, and can be curable depending on the histology, type, and stage...
for the Leukemia Foundation of Australia.
Richards presented Earth Beat, and environmental program on Radio National
Radio National
ABC Radio National is an Australia-wide non-commercial radio network run by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.Radio National broadcasts national programming in areas that include news and current affairs, the arts, social issues, science, drama and comedy...
for a short period of time. Richards left the program to have her first and only child.
In 2003, Richards, her husband, and daughter moved to the Southern Highlands of New South Wales. Since then, Richards has worked as a freelance journalist for the Sydney Morning Herald, the Australian Doctor, the Medical Observer, and the Australian Financial Review. She now works as the co-editor of a local, independent news magazine called "YourTimes", and also as the producer for the Intelligence Squared Australia Debates (also known as iq2oz).
Awards
She was jointly awarded a Golden Walkley Award in 1999, alongside Anne Connelly and Richard AcklandRichard Ackland
Richard Ackland is an Australian journalist, publisher and lawyer, who has won many awards for his reporting.Ackland graduated with degrees in Economics and Law in the early 1970s and was admitted as a solicitor of the Supreme Court of New South Wales before going on to pursue a career in...
for their Cash For Comment affair
Cash for comment affair
The cash for comment affair was an Australian scandal that broke in 1999, concerning paid advertising in radio that is presented to the audience in such a way as to sound like editorial commentary. John Laws, a shock jock radio presenter for Sydney talk back, was accused of misusing his authority...
exposé on MediaWatch. In 2003 Richards was listed as Health Journalist of the Year, presented by the National Press Club of Australia
National Press Club (Australia)
The National Press Club is an association of primarily news journalists, but also includes academics, business people and members of the public service, and is based in Canberra, Australia. It was founded in the 1960s as the National Press Luncheon Club by a few journalists with the backing of the...
for a feature article about end-of-life decisions, which was presented in the Australian Doctor magazine.