Communication in crisis, the value of deep work, dealing with trauma and other lessons from the newsroom with Melissa Clarke.

In S2 E13 I am delighted to welcome Melissa Clarke to the podcast. Melissa is a political reporter with the ABC, working at Parliament House in Canberra. It’s a job she has had, with a few interludes, for more than a decade. She reports on politics, parliament and national affairs across a range of radio and television programs, as well as ABC digital news site. Melissa’s reporting experience spans beyond politics though, having been a foreign correspondent based at the ABC London bureau, reporting from Pacific nations, and reporting in-depth on issues including the environment, national security and justice - and the occasional bushfire. Away from the work, Melissa is a dedicated runner who has experienced a brief period of success at the high performance level, but has had a lifelong passion for running, endurance challenges and the great outdoors.
In this conversation we discuss and explore Melissa's work as a reporter and I draw some parallels with my own profession and day-to-day work in the emergency department, particularly with respect to the need to respond to ever-changing circumstances and crises.
As both doctor and amateur podcaster, I was keen to glean some tips from an expert on interview skills and communicating under pressure.
Indeed through this conversation I found some additional parallels but also broadened the lens and perspective through which I viewed her role and indeed modern media more generally.
Melissa is an avid reader and we explore how she navigates the need to read widely and consume all forms of media as part of her work with both a professional and personal yearning to cultivate deeper work and reading.
Naturally as fellow runner and lover of endurance pursuits and the outdoors, we discuss her why of adventure racing and how she cultivates time and space for self-care outside a job which could be 24/7, if she let it.

Links/ references:
Melissa Clarke
Twitter @Clarke_Melissa

Dart Center for Journalism an Trauma
https://dartcenter.org

Melissa's recommenced reads:
We Were Not Men Campbell Mattinson
https://www.harpercollins.com.au/9781460713150/we-were-not-men/

Power without Glory Frank Hary
https://www.penguin.com.au/books/power-without-glory-9781741667615
Why Die? The extraordinary Percy Cerutty maker of champions
https://www.percy-cerutty.com

Sky Runner Emelie Forsberg
https://www.emelieforsberg.com

The Secret Race Tyler Hamilton
https://www.penguin.com.au/books/the-secret-race-9780552169172

What I talk about when I talk about running Haruki Murakami https://www.harukimurakami.com/book/what-i-talk-about-when-i-talk-about-running-a-memoir

Endure Alex Hutchison

The Mind Full Medic Podcast is proudly sponsored by the MBA NSW-ACT Find out more about their service or donate today at www.mbansw.org.au
Disclaimer: The content in this podcast is not intended to constitute or be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified health care professional. Moreover views expressed here are our own and do not necessarily reflect those of our employers or other official organisations.