Jackson, Liz (c. 1941 - )

Liz Jackson is a multi-award winning journalist who came relatively late to the profession. After working as a lawyer, and then as a 'femocrat' in the New South Wales Public Service, at the age of thirty-three she turned her hand to journalism. In 2005 she became the first female host of ABC Television's Media Watch program.

Liz Jackson grew up in Parkville, near the University of Melbourne. In the 1970s, after completing an arts degree, she travelled to London where she studied to be a barrister. On her return to Australia she worked for the New South Wales Government.

It was during this time that Liz Jackson moved into a home full of journalists, eventually shifing into journalism herself. 'My life as a public servant seemed a lot less interesting than theirs' as journalists,' she said. 'No one seemed to want to know what I did that day.'

Jackson joined the ABC in 1987. After spending seven years in radio, at Radio National and 2JJJ, she joined Four Corners as a reporter. In 2005 she became host of Media Watch. She is now (2008) back at 4 Corners.

Events

c. 1985 -	Career in journalism active
1993	Walkley Award (All Media) - Best International Report, 'Somalia. Dying for Relief', Australian Broadcasting Corporation
1996	Walkley Award (Television) - Best Application of the Television Medium to Journalism, 'Telling His Story' Australian Broadcasting Corporation (with Ashley Smith)
2000	Walkley Award (All Media) - Coverage of Sport, 'Fixing Cricket', Australian Broadcasting Corporation, (with Lin Buckfield & Peter Cronau)
2000	Walkley Award (All Media) - Coverage of Indigenous Affairs, 'Go to Jail', Australian Broadcasting Corporation, (with Lin Buckfield)
2002	Walkley Award (All Media) - Social Equity Journalism (Highly Commended), 'Putting The Children At Risk', Australian Broadcasting Corporation (with Morag Ramsay & Jo Puccini)
2006	Walkley Award (Gold Walkley) - 'Stoking the Fires', 4 Corners, Australian Broadcasting Corporation (with Lin Buckfield and Peter Cronau)
2006	Walkley Award (All Media) - Coverage of the Asia-Pacific Region, 'Stoking the Fires', 4 Corners, Australian Broadcasting Corporation (with Lin Buckfield)

Australian Women Exhibitions

• The Women's Pages: Australian Women and Journalism since 1850, Australian Women's Archives Project, 2008, http://www.womenaustralia.info/exhib/cal/cal-home.html. [ Details... ]

Online Resources

• Pedler, Emma & Joseph Thomsen, 'Liz Jackson', in ABC South Australia, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 2005, http://www.abc.net.au/sa/stories/s1383221.htm. [ Details... ]