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60 Minutes’ boy’s club had no time for Jana

60 Minutes originals Ray, George and Ian were furious at the idea of hiring Jana Wendt, according to executive producer Gerald Stone.

60 Minutes originals George Negus, Ray Martin and Ian Leslie were all hostile at the idea of Jana Wendt being added as a fourth reporter in 1982, according to a new book by executive producer Gerald Stone.

The idea of hiring Wendt, then a presenter on TEN’s Eyewitness News, had first been floated by Peter Meakin (now Seven’s Director of News and Current Affairs), but initially declined.

“Negus, Leslie and Martin were furious – there’s no other word for it – coming to me one by one to condemn my decision as a slap in the face to them and a terrible blow to 60 Minutes’ hard-won reputation,” he writes.

“What did a 20-something newsreader have to contribute to a program recognised for its world-class journalism? The only thing I could do was ask them to trust me enough to wait and see, and to give Jana a fair chance to prove herself. Meanwhile, I encouraged them to check her out for themselves.”

Each took a closer look at Wendt’s work and eventually changed their views. The rest is history.

But Wendt was not the first choice as a female reporter.

Kerry Packer insisted on A Current Affair journalist, Kate Baillieu, becoming part of the debut team.

“Over the next few months she tried to do her best but the amount of travel didn’t suit her and she wasn’t at all happy with some of the stories I gave her. Finally, there was an incident that served as the climax to this little-known part of 60 Minutes history,” he writes.

“Kate was sent out to do a report on the dangers of asbestos that were just beginning to be recognised at that time. During an interview with a spokesman for the industry, he brought out a small packet of white asbestos to explain to her that it was far less hazardous than the blue because of its larger fibres.

“Then he reached into his desk to show her a tiny sample of the real killer – the blue. Kate jumped from her chair in a panic and ran from the room, resigning soon afterwards. George Negus finished the story for her. So it was that 60 Minutes returned to its three-reporter format, though not without further crises to follow.”

You can read more on Stone’s excerpt in today’s Australian.

13 Responses

  1. Yeah, I thought the title was very misleading as well, because there is no indication that their initial reluctance was based on her gender.

    But I guess an ‘old boys club’ doesn’t necessarily mean they are sexist (though they usually are), just that they are exclusive to others, so I suppose it is still suitable.

  2. When I read the story on the main page I was shocked, but when I read on and realised it was more an ageism / experience thing, I could perfectly understand their apprehension. Jana turned out to be an excellent addition to 60 Mins.

  3. All that stuff doesn’t worry me, it’s just the way things were back in the day, women weren’t seen as credible for serious journalism, at least they changed their minds.

  4. @T-Mac – Kate is the older sister of Ted Bailleu, but I’m not sure how close they are. Apparently Baillieu has refused to support her brother publicly and answered the question whether she congratulated him on his promotion to Victorian Liberal Party Leader with: “Has anyone congratulated him on being my brother?” Sibling rivalry much?

  5. @Woody & Donald. Yeah, me too! Very similar story.
    And if you photoshopped Ron Burgundy into the above photo he wouldn’t look at all out of place !

  6. @Woody, same. As soon as I saw that pic, that movie popped into my head. I was glad to read on and discover their resistance was ageism and not sexism… allegedly…

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