Behind the Headlines
From an ambush in the African jungle and boozing with Boonie to “death knocks” and emotionally fraught interviews, these are the unseen events and unforgettable moments that Age reporters will never shake.
Special series
I wrote a harsh restaurant review. Then the chef emailed me
This man had worked at some of the best restaurants in the world, but didn’t know how to cook a piece of chicken. This is the story of a review that changed my approach to criticism.
- by Besha Rodell
Special series
I was at the centre of an Elon storm – and survived
Waking up to hundreds of notifications on X is generally not a good sign. This time, it was nuclear – and it came from the world’s richest man.
- by David Swan
Special series
A decapitated doll and a prayer for my death: The many, many threats of the Exclusive Brethren
A parcel mailed to me at The Age office contained a small, blonde female doll, its head had been ripped from its shoulders. It wasn’t the only threat the members of the Exclusive Brethren had made against me.
- by Michael Bachelard
I’ve covered many tragic funerals. These are the details I always jot down
Hours after someone dies in dramatic or horrific fashion, journalists appear on a doorstep, hoping we’ll be allowed inside to ask a shocked and grieving person to talk about their dead relative.
- by Konrad Marshall
I’ve covered many US mass shootings since 2022. There’s one thing I’ll never understand
I still often think about the parents who had to identify the bodies of their dead children, or an 11-year-old who covered herself with her dead friend’s blood to evade a shooter.
- by Farrah Tomazin
Special series
I watched sport from the best seats for 45 years. But it wasn’t always fun and games
Sports reporting does take you to the damnedest places. As you might imagine, nearly all the most improbable places where a reporter might find themselves are in Asia.
- by Greg Baum
Special series
I went for a walk in the footsteps of a killer – then cried at my desk
Days after the Bourke Street massacre, my editors gave me a simple, but important assignment. Among the flowers and candles, the story of a tragedy revealed itself in unexpected ways.
- by Chip Le Grand
Special series
I was about to get married. Then my phone exploded with calls from one person
He called four times in four minutes. It must be important, I thought – but I’d sworn to myself I wouldn’t answer my phone. Not today, of all days.
- by Nick McKenzie
Special series
Why one small detail in my story about a murdered woman still haunts me
Some of the hardest things I’ve done as a reporter have involved conversations with mothers. But there was one mum I let down.
- by Melissa Fyfe
Special series
We gave a celeb a ‘halo’ on this magazine cover. Then came the social media pile-on
As journalists, we dish it out and we take it. We can’t – and shouldn’t – complain. But I’d be lying if I said this story didn’t shake me.
- by Katrina Strickland
Special series
I’ve written more than 5 million words on crime. But one story taught me good can trump evil
The case against Peter Dupas was strong, but not strong enough for charges to be laid – then one of the fresh investigators made a phone call more in hope than expectation.
- by John Silvester
Special series
A man stepped out on the road with an AK-47. I traded my life back with cigarettes – and a desperate joke
Everyone in Rwanda knew travelling after dark was inviting trouble. I’d taken a risk for a trivial reason, and now a large man with an assault rifle was at the window of the car, making demands.
- by Tony Wright
Special series
A war raged outside and IS militants lurked in the darkness. Then our fellow Aussies turned on us
Heavy artillery was firing when two nervous American soldiers came to the tent with bad news. It’s a war zone story I’ve always itched to tell, and still infuriates me six years on.
- by Michael Bachelard
Original URL: https://www.smh.com.au/national/victoria/behind-the-headlines-20231219-p5esgs.html