After 40 years talking Queenslanders through rain, wind and shine, ABC News Queensland weather presenter Jenny Woodward has been given the state's Most Outstanding Contribution to Journalism award.
asserted
Woodward → talk → award
The prize honours what has been a remarkable career in broadcast journalism, which has built Woodward into one of the country's most trusted and respected voices.
asserted
which → honour → voices
Woodward was presented with the award at the Queensland Clarion Awards in Brisbane last night.
asserted
Woodward → present → Brisbane
A Brisbane native, Woodward's career in journalism began at commercial TV station Channel 10/4/5a in Toowoomba in the 1970s, where she worked on kids' and special event television.
asserted
she → begin → television
Presenting came early, with news and weather reading part of her responsibilities at the regional station.
asserted
news → come → station
"As humans we all love stories and I am taking scientific data, lots of specific weather terms which can be a little dry," Woodward said.
"
asserted
Woodward → love → terms
So I want the audience to understand what's happening, but not overwhelm them with the detail."
asserted
what → want → detail
After a brief stint at Channel 7 in Brisbane, Woodward brought her burgeoning ability to the national broadcaster in 1986.
asserted
Woodward → bring → 1986
By 1987, she was presenting the ABC News weather alongside news presenter Rod Young and sports presenter David Mackay.
asserted
she → present → Young
In those days, the job would require a dash into the city to pick up charts from the Bureau of Meteorology and a chat with a forecaster, before racing back to the studio to go to air.
"There were three camera operators in the studio and a floor manager to give us our cues," Woodward said.
asserted
Woodward → require → cues
The fax machine soon made things easier, and the technological advancements did not stop there.
asserted
advancements → make → ?
"Now the cameras are robotic, and we take our cues through an earpiece," she said.
"But what hasn't changed … I still talk to someone at the bureau every day and I still head into the studio and report the day's weather as best I can."
asserted
I → take → weather
Along the way, it has become standard to send weather presenters to all sorts of locations — a development that has seen Woodward become the queen of the Ekka.
asserted
Woodward → become → Ekka
I know the audience is just waiting to see if the animal is going to bite me or pee on me," she said.
asserted
she → know → me
Nowadays, Woodward stands by a graphical map developed by a company and projected with a green screen, walking audiences through forecasts that have widened in scope and tightened in accuracy.
asserted
that → stand → accuracy
Her curation of audience-submitted photographs of stunning weather formations and beautiful Queensland landscapes has become a staple of her presentation.
asserted
curation → submit → presentation
"I look at every photo that comes in and I love seeing what takes people's interest," she said.
"Often they send me a little story about it, and that makes me feel like I am part of their day."
It's storytelling, as Woodward says, not statistics — and "weather is a constantly changing, evolving story".
"
asserted
weather → look → day
I really believe that as a reporter, if you are not engaged with your material then you can't expect the audience to be either.
asserted
audience → believe → material
Although in this story, we all have a personal interest," she said.
asserted
she → have → interest
Woodward is no stranger to awards, having been handed a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in 2024 for her service to broadcast media.
asserted
Woodward → hand → media
Meanwhile, the ABC's Scott Kyle received The John Bean Memorial Award for Television Camerawork.
asserted
Kyle → receive → Camerawork
Antonia O'Flaherty was recognised for her radio reporting on the Caboolture Hospital medical scan bungle.
asserted
O'Flaherty → recognise → bungle
Angelica Silva took the gong in multicultural reporting for I Feel Scared Like Never Before: Inside the Moments That Reshaped Fear Among Indian Australians, and Grace Tobin and Kirsten Robb were recognised for their reporting on the IVF mix-up.
asserted
Tobin → take → up
Grace Nakamura from the ABC's Toowoomba bureau was recognised for her regional and community coverage.
asserted
Nakamura → recognise → coverage
Owen Jaques from the Sunshine Coast bureau took out the gong in sports journalism.
asserted
Jaques → take → journalism
Dark Reality of Australia’s AI Dream Factory, by Josh Robertson, Justine Landis-Hanley and the Background Briefing team came out top in the business and podcast categories.
asserted
Hanley → come → categories
Josh Robertson, Maddison Connaughton and the Background Briefing team were also recognised for The Road to Bondi.
asserted
Robertson → recognise → Bondi
The ABC's Story Lab team won the award for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Issues Reporting for Deep Time: Tell Me a Story and a second for Innovation for Deep Time: Time, Place and Topic Views.
asserted
team → win → Time
The Aporia