Kate Torney talks career, family and Ballarat

Why did you pursue a career in journalism? I can't remember ever wanting to do anything else. I grew up in a family of lawyers and I found stories from the courtroom fascinating, but I was more interested in telling those stories, than being part of the courtroom action or the legal process. Perhaps it was my Dad's influence — in primary school he took my class on an excursion to the Ballarat courts and my friends and I excitedly piled into an empty courtroom for a mock trial where he gave me the choice of being the accused or a journalist covering the case. I chose the latter and our teacher was tried and — not surprisingly — convicted. Where did you work before joining the ABC? I began my career on a street magazine called In-Press, where I got to review restaurants and bands, and it was a dream come true for a second year university student! My first TV job was as a field producer at the Today Show where I began work at 4am. I was hooked from the moment I walked in the door at Channel 9 — every day was different and I loved the pace, the variety, the pressure and the team I worked with. I then went backpacking around the world and where I could, I picked up freelance journalism work. Since then I've worked at a number of places including Vic TV (now Win TV) in Ballarat, Nine News and Channel 10. When did you join the ABC and what roles have you held there?I first joined the ABC as a casual journalist in the mid 90's, when I worked as an overnight producer on a breakfast television news program and then as a casual radio reporter. I have since worked as a radio and television news reporter, a radio producer, a current affairs reporter and producer on programs including the 7.30 Report and Stateline. I was founding executive producer of the Sunday morning politics program, Insiders, I then moved into international broadcasting as Editor of Australia Network before helping merge the newsrooms of Australia Network and Radio Australia to form the Asia Pacific News Centre. I am now the Director of News for the ABC. What does your current role involve?I'm privileged to lead a team of 800 journalists across Australia and in 13 bureaux around the world. We produce the radio, television and online news you hear, see and read on ABC radio, television and online, along with current affairs programs like AM, The World Today, PM and Correspondents Report, 7.30, Lateline, Lateline Business, Foreign Correspondent, Landline, Four Corners, Australian Story, Insiders, Inside Business, Offsiders and Behind the News. We also deliver news and current affairs content for the ABC's international audiences through Australia Network and Radio Australia. I work with an extremely talented group of executive producers and news leaders who manage program teams and newsrooms and deliver coverage to local, state, national and international audiences. Along with the ABC News Executive, my role is to oversee the direction and strategy of ABC News to ensure that the news and current affairs content we produce is of the highest standard, independent, and relevant and accessible to as many people as possible, in a range of ways. What have been some of the highlights of your time there? For a journalist, the ABC offers an array of opportunities through a variety of programs and platforms. While I've spent much of my working life there, I've had a range of different jobs and challenges and opportunities and they've all been rewarding in different ways. My time at Insiders probably stands out — I love politics, it is a fantastic team to work with and Barrie Cassidy was, and is, an important mentor and friend. Can you share any memorable anecdotes from your work? What stories or people stand out? I began my reporting career on the Wimmera round for Vic TV. I'd grown up in regional Australia but quickly realised how little I knew about the issues central to the survival and development of the nation beyond our capital cities. One of my first assignments was a regional crop report and I went to Gerang Gurang/Kiata, near Dimboola, to interview local farmer and mayor, Darryl Argall. Darryl worked out pretty quickly that I was starting from scratch, offered to buy me a beer at the local pub and set about educating me in regional affairs — starting with a map of local cropping which was scribbled on the back of a beer coaster. With regional reporting I loved the fact that you could examine complex issues of national significance by exploring the impact on small communities. When I left Vic TV, I made a documentary on the Gerang Gerung/Kiata football club and the town's desperate struggle to keep the club alive. For me that struggle was a powerful snapshot of the socio-economic impact of national and international decisions and policies. And it was a reminder of the unique resilience and determination you find in regional Australia. What do you love most about what you do? I distinctly remember feeling an incredible sense of pride the day I walked into the ABC at Ripponlea in Melbourne to do my first casual shift and that's never really left me. I genuinely love public broadcasting and for a journalist there's no better place to be than the ABC. I'm surrounded by incredibly talented people who share a deep sense of pride in what they do and pride in the organisation they work for. That's a rare thing and I don't take it for granted, it's a privilege to be in a leadership position at the ABC. Can you tell us about your husband and three children? Has being a mum changed the way you approach your work?My husband, John Donegan, is a photojournalist and one of the most talented people I know. He's also a full-time adviser and counsellor to me! We have three children, Ruby, 14, Sadie, 8, and Jack who is five. Being a mother has given me a much better perspective about what's important in life and as a result I'm much more grounded when it comes to work. When I get home the day's work dilemmas are mostly set aside pretty quickly in favour of news from school, crèche, basketball, gymnastics etc! How do you juggle work and family commitments? It's a timely question with Christmas parties, concerts, carols and work functions and that mad end of year rush to tie up loose ends, both at work and home, before a summer break. But in our house it's a partnership and like all families — we all pitch in, sometimes the wheels fall off the cart but most of the time our circus rolls along happily! What is your take on the age-old debate of whether it's possible for women to have it all? No-one — male or female — has it all. We all have competing priorities at times in our lives and there is no perfect formula. I do think some workplaces are better than others in supporting parents — mums and dads — and offering flexibility. I've had three children during my time at the ABC and when I was ready to return to work with each of them, I was able to arrange working hours to suit my needs and the needs of my children. As a result, when I did return to work, I worked harder and smarter than ever before. My husband worked in a similarly supportive environment at Fairfax when our children were younger, so as a family we've been very lucky. You were recently featured in the Australian Women's Weekly as one of Australia's most admired women? What was that experience like? That's best summed up by one of my daughters who asked "Mum, do you think they've got the wrong person?" The AWW is an iconic publication and it was a great honour and very humbling.Who do you most admire and why? My parents (Geoff and Janet Torney). They are generous, warm people, with strong values and a great sense of optimism about life and they gave my brothers and sisters and me an extraordinary head start. My Dad's thoughtful, calm diplomacy and patience, paired with my Mum's enthusiasm, energy and love of life, make them a formidable pair. What has been the best advice, career-wise or personal, you have received? As I mentioned in the Australian Women's Weekly piece, it's my mother's advice; 'Don't be afraid to fail and when you do, pick yourself up gracefully and respond with new perspective, hard work, humility and a sense of humour.'How often do you return to Ballarat? A few times a year and there always tends to be plenty of food, wine and laughter with the friends I've known all my life and my family, including my sister and brother-in-law, Jane and Tim Valpied and their children, Ava, Freya and Fred, and my aunt Noreen. Without fail, I always drive around Lake Wendouree to see how things have changed. We treated the lake like a backyard when I was growing up and it was a big part of my childhood. It wasn't until I had children that I appreciated how lucky my brothers, sisters, cousins and I were to have a childhood with so much space and freedom.