Behind the Media

Michael Ware became the voice of the Iraq war when he was based in Baghdad for Time magazine and CNN for six years from 2003. Here he details why such war reporting faces extinction, what motivated him to face incredible danger in both Afghanistan and Iraq, the painful price reporting took on his mental health and why Wikileaks founder Julian Assange doesn't deserve to be called a journalist. ​

Ita Buttrose is a media figure who needs no introduction. She founded Cleo magazine in the 1970s, then became editor in chief of the Australian Women's Weekly and later the Daily and Sunday Telegraph newspapers. She has been a magazine founder, media executive, Australian of the Year and now appears on Studio 10.

Janet Albrechtsen is an opinion columnist with The Australian who came to the paper after a career in law. She sat down with Stephen Brook to talk about the #metoo movement going too far, writing her centre right column but turning against liberal party prime ministers and the time she was called a "shanky ho" by Mark Latham. ​

Russel Howcroft, an industry veteran who this year celebrates a decade on The Gruen Transfer, the hit ABC advertising panel show, says the dynamic has shifted among business clients coming to consultancy firm PwC to seek insights from its CMO advisory consultancy. Howcroft, who is also PwC chief creative officer, tells The Australian's Stephen Brook that the digital media business is maturing. He also lifts the lid on how the Gruen program changed his life.

The Chaser has been a unique part of the media landscape and at its centre has been Julian Morrow, who trained as a lawyer, negotiated the contracts with the ABC and took the frantic phone calls from management during the many crisis prompted by their infamous stunts, which included a tasteless Make A Wish Foundation sketch, the APEC security breach and infamous Chris Kenny dog sex sketch.Julian Morrow tells Stephen Brook about Andrew Denton making it all possible, creating the satirical consumer affairs genre with The Checkout, getting arrested, getting sued, suing and if the gang will ever get back together for another TV show.

The MamaMia founder sits down for her first extensive interview after her annus horribilis, and discusses why she continues to put herself out there, how she's learned to be a better boss, and why she thinks she's been able to stay ahead of rapidly shifting media trends.

The Australian's Chris Kenny today talks about why he is leaving Sky News for radio, whether Kevin Rudd really tried to block him getting a job on the Oz, why he sued the Chaser boys and the necessity of being an arse in print.

Foreign correspondent Peter Greste explains how to survive in an Egyptian prison for 400 days, watching a colleague die in Somalia, fighting for press freedom and why he can never roam the globe reporting from world trouble spots ever again.

Controversial News Corp columnist Miranda Devine explains why she said no to same-sex marriage, how column writing is a performance, and reflects on becoming a mother instead of an editor.

Amanda Keller talks about how she tackles early mornings as the host of WSFM's breakfast radio show, being the first female presenter to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, how Nine disrespectfully handled Lisa Wilkinson's departure and fighting with her co-host.

Veteran foreign correspondent and Network Ten journalist Hugh Riminton sits down at the network's headquarters for a lengthy chat about how he learned to get extremely heavy stories to air, why he was driven to put himself in the line of fire, and his own mental health struggles.

ABC journalist and multi-platform phenomenon Annabel Crabb invites us into her home for a discussion on salary disclosures a the public broadcaster, her approach to political interviews, how she got Tony Abbott to open up about drinking at parliament.