Full House

Tight and expensive market creates a generation of renters

What was once considered a short-term living arrangement will increasingly become a long-term necessity in the future as the impact of interest rate rises, petrol, high property prices and too many people chasing too few rental properties begins to bite around the country.

A survey by insurance company AAMI has revealed that more than 50 per cent of tenants in Australia believed they would never be able to afford their own home.

Newlyweds Paul and Amelia Antognelli cannot even contemplate buying their own home after experiencing the tight and expensive rental market first hand.

“Since I have been watching the rentals on the Internet like a hawk, I noticed a three bedroom townhouse in Illawong with an asking rent price of $400 that was advertised about 12 o’clock one weekday,” Mrs Antognelli said.

“I checked the Internet at about two-thirty the same day and found that the property’s rent had gone up to $440 per week in the space of two and a half hours!”

On average, weekly median rents in the shire have risen by $100 since last year, and in St George, up to $70 for a typical two-bedroom unit.

By comparison, the couple lived in Sutherland from February 2005 to December 2006, paying $250 per week to rent there.

Their new unit, also in Sutherland, is essentially the same thing but will now pay $330 per week.

Too add insult to injury, a recent report by property analyst BJS Shrapnel and the Real Estate Institute of NSW predicted that the city’s rents will rise by up to 50 per cent in the next four years.

James Holt of The Holt Property Group believes if rents reach their projected levels, “you might as well be paying off a mortgage.”

Week Twelve: The Min and Max Story

In today’s class we learnt about the idea of knowing your minimum and maximum story and were reminded to write and not ponder when working to deadlines – the industry’s pace-maker.

When tackling your story, decide early what your minimum story is – a story that answers the basic 5 W’s and H. Once you have sourced the minimum, pursue the maximum. The maximum is the dream story, with plot, setting, characters, dialogue, better talent with a more difficult how, why and greater depth. This seemed to be beneficial because even if you don’t land the maximum story the information will help the minimum story.

This idea could be applied to my “Full House” story. While pursuing my minimum story about the ‘crisis’ creating a generation of renters, one such renter mentioned a conversation she had had with a potential room mate about newlyweds. I’d stumbled across my dream story. I wanted to show the impact of the tight and expensive rental market on newly married couples, who cannot afford to rent a place and are needing people to move in with them. I could already envisage the headline, “You, Me and Dupree” and the lead would play on the wedding vows, ‘do you take….and also….”. But I couldn’t get in contact with the couple and thought the piece their quotes to anchor it. Minimum it is.

“But what’s your hook?” – Finding angles and pitching stories

The idea of news, is as it suggests, its new. My story on the rental crisis was difficult to find a new angle or impact without simply re-hashing one of the many stories already splashed about. As a class we had to pitch our story ideas to Shawn. I can hear him saying, “but what’s your hook?”, “what’s you’re angle?” and you knew you were onto something when he replied, “yep, there’s a yarn in that”.

A huge lesson for me was that news stories aren’t simply a chronological account of what happened. A successful story finds a fresh and interesting angle and hangs the story off that. For example, I though my ‘Hope’ story should lead with details of the walk fundraiser. I learnt that the lead was the issue, and so the story began by framing the context of the walk. It makes perfect sense now. Similarly, ‘Out of the Blue’ didn’t begin with the local seminars on depression, but stemmed from the big issue of government funding and mental health. Shawn gave the example of a council meeting.
The news is in what’s been said. Don’t produce copy that leads with, “200 people crammed into the school hall….” because by the first paragraph people are asleep! I learnt to lead the story with the information that grabs people’s attention and to get in the detail people need in the supporting paragraphs.

Impact is key when formulating an angle and I learnt news stories are all about how people are affected, for example, if it hurts the hip pocket – it’s a story. Further, in a sports story, you might spend some time focusing on one or more individuals, or on how the team morale is doing, or how the supporters are feeling.

Ask yourself:

• What can I tell people about this subject that hasn’t already been written about?

• What’s my specific angle?

This will involve extensive reading in order to separate original ideas from non-original.

Drugs, lies and Power

On a day of revelations, the defamation hearing between Mercedes Corby and Channel Seven had it all: sex, drugs, lies and protests.

Ms Corby was a trafficker and possessor of marijuana, cocaine and speed who publicly lied on occasions about her and her family’s involvement in the drug trade, a jury was told yesterday.

Giving evidence in the NSW Supreme Court on behalf of the Seven Network, Jodi Power, 35, told about the two women’s drug-hazed exploits in Australia, Japan and Indonesia during the 1990s.

Tom Hughes QC, representing Channel Seven, said the evidence would show Ms Corby had been involved in the cultivation and selling of marijuana and had also used and supplied speed, ecstasy and “shabu” – a type of methamphetamine.

He also said Ms Corby had lied to the public about her and her family’s involvement with drugs.

“Not only was Mercedes Corby involved in this vile trade – and it is vile – but so is her brother, Michael Corby,” he said.

Ms Corby has taken defamation action against Channel Seven Sydney, the Seven Network, the producers of Sky News, the presenter of Seven’s Today Tonight, Anna Coren, a Today Tonight reporter, Bryan Seymour, and Ms Power over three Today Tonight programs and a news report broadcast in February last year.

Among other claims, she says she was falsely portrayed as a drug smuggler.

Two photographs, taken by Ms Power in Bali in September 1998 of Ms Corby smoking marijuana from a “penis pipe”, were tendered into evidence by Mr Hughes.

Ms Power said one was taken after Ms Corby had “just had a puff”, while the other showed her with the pipe in her mouth and “lighting it”.

Also tendered into evidence were letters Ms Corby had sent to Ms Power.

In one of the letters, Ms Corby wrote she wanted to lose weight and she was about to go on a “speed diet”, which Ms Power said was a reference to taking the drug speed as an appetite suppressant.

Ms Power also said she had been given a substance in Bali from Ms Corby which she said was “shabu” and which was “really good, you can f*** all day.”

When Mr Hughes asked the effect “shabu” had on Ms Powers, she revealed she had “sex all day” with her partner.

“It worked?” Stuart Littlemore QC, appearing for Ms Corby, interjected.

Ms Power replied: “It did work.”

Proceedings were further enlivened when a woman in the public gallery started screaming about Schapelle Corby’s innocence, saying she was in a “sewer pit” while the only thing people in the court were talking about was money. Justice Carolyn Simpson sent the jury out and the woman was removed by security.

Ms Power will continue her evidence on Friday.

Week Nine: “Order!”, “Order!” My big day in court

Going into court was a huge learning experience. I had decided to take the day off uni to go into court (committed student) and was lucky enough to catch the tail end of a news bulletin of Mercedes Corby taking Channel Seven to court for a defamation hearing. I jumped on Google and found out that the case was taking place in the Supreme Court and would continue tomorrow. I’d struck gold.

Once I had made my way into the city I had to find the court. Sounds easy enough. Turning around from heading in the wrong direction, I saw a man dressed in the full black robe and white wig and thought he’d be a safe bet to follow. Having located courtroom 10E and experiencing catching a lift with judges, journalists and lawyers, I learned all about bowing to the Judge whenever you enter and leave the courtroom. I realised immediately that my notebook was all wrong and felt like it was written all across my face that I was a student and was totally out of my element. The journalists all had small notepads and I made a mental note to buy one the same.

It was such a surreal experience. Mercedes Corby was sitting to my left and Anna Coren was in front of me. There was a real life judge and jury and the stenographers fascinated me. I learnt that you can only report what is said in court in front of the jury, and that once a photo is tendered as evidence it is made available to the media in the press gallery which can be used to compliment your story.

Coming home on the train that evening I felt so proud of myself. Writing the story however was a whole other issue. Overwhelmed with information and details, pulling out the most important parts was challenging, yet the controversial allegations against Ms Corby seemed to leap off the page immediately. I had my lead. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. I liked not having to think of a story idea, or chasing up interviews and momentarily considered court reporting as a career path. I came to the conclusion that it would be a very solitary existence, but one hell of a day out.

Out of the Blue

Government funding and community initiatives have brought anxiety and depression out of the blue and into the public arena.

Federal Health Minister Nicola Roxon is today expected to announce a $15 million measure to fund workshops that will train 24,000 mental health clinicians.

The announcement follows the annual National Mental Health Report named NSW, Queensland and Tasmania as the biggest underperformers in mental health funding.

“Tackling these challenges requires a long-term, co-ordinated effort from all governments to ensure better mental health services across the country,” Ms Roxon told The Australian.

The impact of mental illness within the Australian population has become increasingly apparent. According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW), one in five adults will experience a mental illness at some stage in their lives.

‘Making Life Work 2008’ is an initiative of Urban Life church aimed at preparing and equipping the community to face the challenges of everyday.

Throughout April, clinical psychologist Susan Tanner will lead a panel of experts in a series of seminars and courses on anxiety and depression.

Co-ordinator and General Practitioner Dr Gary Franks described depression as the “disease of the 21^st century” and acknowledged our society’s habit of throwing the illness into the “too hard basket.”

“It seemed as though every second person I came across knew somebody with anxiety or depression, had an eating disorder, or was grieving the loss of a loved one. I thought we better take the opportunity to offer people information and care,” he said.

For more information, or to register call Urban Life church on 9532 1611.

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Finding a story

A journalist is always gathering news, “hungry” and curious about pursuing stories. I’m totally aware of my small appetite.

This semester I’ve learnt that good contacts are the best source of news, and this was emphasized by Illawarra Mercury’s Paul McInerney who encouraged us to take care of our contacts, continually messaging them by keeping in touch.

Tiffen (1989, p. 31) cites four main channels of news:
1. ‘tip-offs’ from social agencies and the public about ‘spot news’ (accidents, fires, natural occurring events)

2. the promotional activities of sources

3. pre-scheduled public events (from sport, court hearings, demonstrations)

4. following up stories that have already appeared in media, especially by gathering reactions through interviews

However 64% of stories are said to originate from media releases and PR activity.

Sniffing out stories was difficult. I quickly learnt that the ability to be able to write a story doesn’t count for much if you haven’t got anything to write about. In able to find stories I had to be well read and on top of current affairs. Shawn made a point of this by quizzing us on the week’s headlines. My contribution was woeful.

Memo to self: start watching the ‘7.30 Report’.

Writing the lead

A story’s intro is the reporter’s handshake with the reader. The lead, or the first sentence of the story, is arguably the most important part of the article. Based on the content of that first sentence, a reader will either look deeper into the story, or move on to the next one. As Jervis (1989, p. 73) advises: ‘The prime function of the newspaper intro is to “spill the beans” quickly’, getting to the point of the story in 20-25 words. According to Leiter (2000, p. 93): “Good leads look deceptively simple because they flow effortlessly; they don’t strain. Good leads have a strong sense of rhythm, unity and pace. They don’t overwhelm the reader. They reach out and touch the reader with excitement or drama or humour and make him or her face a critical decision: should I go on?”

Leads can be hard or soft. In a hard news story, the lead should be a full summary of what is to follow, sticking to the facts and covering the 5 W’s and H. In a soft news story, the lead should present the subject of the story by allusion. This type of opening is somewhat literary. Like a novelist, the role of the writer is to grab the attention of the reader. (e.g. “Until four years ago, Jason W. slept in alleyways…”) Once the reader is drawn in, the 5 “W’s” should be incorporated into the body of the story, but not necessarily at the very top.

“The Daily Miracle” provides some questions that can help formulate an intro including:
•    What is the big picture?
•    What are the implications of what has been said or done?
•    Why and how did it happen?
•    How does it affect the public?
•    What is unusual or different about what has occurred?
•    What news values, or angles, did the chief-of-staff – or you – have in mind when the story was assigned?
•    Simply, what is the most interesting thing about this story?

Personally I’ve learned how crucial a catchy lead is to your story, and the pressure associated with writing one. You have to tell the news concisely and creatively and I’d hope that my leads have improved throughout the semester. I personally like setting the reader up with an image or pun and filling in the necessary details in the subsequent paragraphs.

Gavin Leahy Gets His Name In Lights

Amongst the treadmills, dumbbells and sweaty, red-cheeked females, one man takes centre stage. Naturally.

“Who wants to get rid of their J-Lo?” the perky instructor calls out over the beat.

“I do!” he exclaims.

Yet Gavin Leahy, dressed in tight short shorts and firm-fitting tee, isn’t showing any signs of identifying with Jennifer Lopez’s curvaceous body and booty.

At 27, Leahy is tall, lean and can boast the best legs in the room.

Fitness instructor and hairdresser by day, Leahy is also Miranda Musical Society’s latest recruit by night, playing the title role in the Society’s quietly ambitious version of “The Boy From Oz”. This makes him only the third person in the world to officially portray the besequined Peter Allen in this role.

“It was a bit daunting at first to take on a real-life character,” Leahy admits.

“Especially someone like Peter who gave everything he had to whatever he did. That quality is rare in a person.”

However, you can’t help but notice that this Shire resident from Maianbar has more in common with the effervescent entertainer than he thinks.

Onstage, when Leahy picks up the maracas, swivels his hips and dons an outlandish ‘I Go To Rio’ shirt, his energy and charisma are limitless. Leahy seems to be doing a perpetual shimmy, even when he’s standing still, and he captures the insinuating sparkle that was so often in Allen’s eyes when he was performing.

Just as the introspective nature of much of Allen’s music contrasted with his bold performing style, Gavin Leahy is also a man of contradictions.

When Gavin isn’t under the stage lights, or instructing an aerobic class, he is softly spoken, gentle and without pretence.

At the close of the show, the performers come out into the hall and receive the gushing praises from proud family, friends and audience members. Gavin is found, after careful inspection, leaning against a wall near the back door, surrounded by only a small group of people, almost unnoticed.

“I do enjoy the attention that I receive when I perform. Yet even after all these years, I still don’t know what to do with it,” Leahy says.

Gavin trained at the Newton High School of the Performing Arts and completed his HSC in 1997. In 2003, Gavin commenced studies at the University of Wollongong where he gained a Bachelor of Creative Arts majoring in Theatre Performance.

As well as dance and performing arts, Gavin has an outstanding baritone/tenor voice and enjoyed travelling the world as principal singer on the MV Silver Whisper for the world’s only six- star cruise line, Silverseas, in 2004.

Gavin’s first venture into amateur theatre was in the ensemble of Rockdale Musical Society’s 1995 production of ‘Oliver!’. Later roles included ‘Florindo’ in ‘The Venetian Twins’(2001), ‘Ronnie Shaughnessy’ in ‘The House of Blue Leaves’(2002), ‘Geoffrey’ in ‘Stepping Out’(2003) and ‘Charles Kringas’ in ‘Merrily We Roll Along’ (2007).

But it is his current role that Leahy is finding the most rewarding.

“I think Peter’s life story is a very important story to tell. ‘The Boy From Oz’ is the tale of a man who was never afraid to take a risk, personally and professionally, a man who made a lasting impression on the world,” he says.

“For an Australian to make it to New York, well, like the song goes – if you can make it there, you can make it anywhere.”