Who gets to shape the story? That’s what journalist Nour Haydar has been asking in relation to Australian coverage of Israel’s bombardment of Gaza.  

On this week’s episode of The Yarn, we’re sharing her AN Smith lecture from December 2024. It’s a searing critique of the Australian media’s double standards, and its failure to “meet the moment”. 

Since then, the Gaza health ministry says the death toll of Israel’s campaign has risen to at least 68,000, and a United Nations commission of inquiry has classified it as a genocide. 

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First, Artificial Intelligence took our jobs. Now, it's deciding how we're recruited into the ones that are left. 

For today's episode, Sarah Jensz discusses her reporting on this new—and barely regulated—industry practice. She also speaks with legal experts, including Human Rights Commissioner Lorraine Finlay, who is pushing for urgent reforms to curb algorithmic discrimination.

Show Notes:

Sarah's reporting for The Citizen

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Thousands of Little Penguins nest along the southwest coast of Victoria, but their colonies are constantly threatened by energy companies pushing to conduct seismic surveys.

Fearing these shockwaves could devastate local marine life, citizen scientist Carli Reeve rallied her community to protect them. Her grassroots campaign ultimately forced the plans to be scrapped, if only for now. 

Our reporter Theoné van der Merwe broke this story for Crikey and The Citizen, and in today's episode, The Yarn spoke to her about how this small coastal community took on a multinational energy company - and won.

 

Show Notes:

Theoné's reporting for The Citizen

Theoné's reporting for Crikey

 

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Nature is like a time capsule. The cyclical rhythm of healthy ecosystems can outlast entire civilisations.

This week on The Yarn, two environmental stories take us back to postwar Germany and prehistoric Australia. We hear how fragile ecosystems have stood the test of time — and what’s at stake if we lose them forever.  

These audio documentaries were originally produced by Thomas Phillips for Short Cuts, a Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4. Follow the link below to hear more Short Cuts stories.

 

Show Notes

Short Cuts on Apple Podcasts

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In the final episode of Distraction, we explore how a well‑timed distraction, often thought of as a mindless time sink, can become tools for mindfulness, connection, and creativity.

Featuring stories by Guilia Scenna, Ying Wan, and Georgie Preston.

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Whether powered by pixels or pure imagination, gaming offers players a way to forget the outside world. But when the stakes become real, is it really just a game?

This week on The Yarn, we’re bringing you stories about the comforts and consequences of gaming, how it helps some players cope, and how it can leave others more drained than when they logged in.

Featuring stories by Dylan Claringbold, Olivia Tan, and Bobbi Hewitt.

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For the third episode of Distraction, we explore the psychological benefits of hobbies — and investigate whether leisure time is divided equally.  

Featuring stories produced by Elliot Rodriguez, Molly Frew, James Worsfold, and Sarah Jensz. 

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They say that if something is free online, then you’re the product. So are we controlling technology, or is it controlling us? 

This week on The Yarn, we’re bringing you stories from both sides of the spectrum. From the dangers of social media addiction, to harnessing technology as a tool for good. 

Featuring stories by Brandon Kearns, Ellen Cutler, Yuqi Zhao, and Yang Li.

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The first episode of our Distraction series is about wayward attention and the struggle to focus. This week, our producers navigate ADHD, limit screentime, and question whether the solution to distracting technology can come from technology itself. 

This series was made in collaboration with the Science Gallery for their new exhibition, which is open now. Today's stories were produced by Ricky Sproule,  Shixin Wang, Yeting Gao, and Samuel Irvine.

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Exiled Russian journalist Mikhail Zygar says the Russia-Ukraine war is far from over. He believes Vladimir Putin is prolonging the conflict to fuel propaganda and silence critics. 

This week on The Yarn, we’re sharing Zygar’s 2025 AN Smith Lecture—Journalism Against Autocracy. Addressing a sold-out audience at Melbourne University, Zygar recounts covering Putin’s Russia for more than two decades. He also discusses attacks on press freedom, coming out as gay in a deeply homophobic society, and why his new home in the United States is giving him “déjà vu”. 

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