Media and Public Appearances
2023
This is their life
Appearance at Sydney Writers Festival alongside Paddy Manning, Niki Savva and Laura Tingle
Who is Tanya Plibersek?
Interview for Late Night Live with Philip Adams, ABC RN
Margaret Simons on Tanya Plibersek
Fourth Estate, 2SER
Margaret Simons on ‘Tanya Plibersek’
Good Reading Podcast
The war on drugs’ worst slaughter is going underground
7AM Podcast
2022
Rethinking journalism with Margaret Simons
Interview for Late Night Live with Philip Adams, ABC RN
The outsiders who could dominate the election
7AM Podcast
2021
Should journalists stay away from social media?
The Minefield, ABC Radio National
How the death of local news is destroying democracy
ABC Rear Vision
Dry arguments: the trouble with almonds
InDaily
2020
Adam Bandt’s green capitalism
7AM Podcast
The real reason supermarket shelves were empty
7AM Podcast
The Cult of Penny Wong
Late Night Live – Separate stories podcast
Margaret Simons on the woes of the Murray-Darling Basin
Interview for Late Night Live with Philip Adams
Fact or Fiction?
What happens next? Podcast
2019
James Murdoch ‘disappointed’ with News Corp’s ‘climate denial’
Segment on ABC AM Radio
Penny Wong, Unauthorised
Book review by Jane Goodall
Penny Wong biographer’s tale of tenacity
Profile by Jessica Bassano
Is Julian Assange a Journalist?
Interview on 60 minutes with Tara Brown
What happens when regional media disappears?
Guest on ABC Radio National.
2018
ABC board sacks Managing Director Michelle Guthrie
Interview for RN Drive with Patricia Karvelas
Media Files: ABC boss Michelle Guthrie sacked, but the board won’t say why
A discussion between Margaret Simons and Matthew Ricketson, hosted by Andrew Dodd for The Conversation.
What next for Sky News?
Interview for Late Night Live with Philip Adams.
The South Sudanese community under the media spotlight
Interview for Late Night Live with Philip Adams.
What does the Nine/Fairfax merger mean for regional media and communities?
Interview for AM on ABC Radio.
Reporting on murder suicides
Expert comment for Media Watch following a mass shooting in Margaret River
2017
Victim-blaming still occurring in Australian reporting of domestic violence
Coverage of research into violence against women.
Fairfax media announces further job losses
Comment provided to ABC in wake of Fairfax job cuts.
2016
Margaret Simons on Spoke
Discussion about ‘Violence Against Women: A Media Intervention’, an ARC Linkage Project led by the Centre for Advancing Journalism.
Election 2016: The uncomfortable truth is the media got it wrong. How did we do it?
Simons quoted on the political reporting that took place in the aftermath of the 2016 Federal Election.
2015
The Whitlam dismissal: three issues that still divide historians after 40 years
Discussion about the Whitlam dismissal with Jenny Hocking on ABC Radio National.
Malcolm Fraser’s long debate and being true to his ideals
Commentary on the legacy that Malcolm Fraser left behind following his death.
February 2012
From Mining to Media: Reinhart and Fairfax
Interview with Jonathan Green on ABC Radio National Sunday Extra (5 February 2012)
December 2011
Leading Journalism
Write-up by the University of Melbourne Faculty of Arts media team on Margaret Simons’ appointment as Director of the Centre for Advanced Journalism (now the Centre for Advancing Journalism).
Journalism and Public Debate
Interview with Philip Adams and David Marr ABC Radio National Late Night Live.
Australia Network Decision a fait accompli: commentators
Interview on ABC Radio National AM program.
November 2011
Appearance before the The Australian Government’s independent inquiry into the Australian media
- Simons’ submission to the inquiry can be found here.
- The unredacted submission, and background story, can be found here.
- Opinion column in The Sunday Age, 13 November 2011, covering the Australian Government’s independent inquiry into the Australian media.
- Interview on ABC News.
October 2011
The Fourth Estate Under Scrutiny
- Debate with Tim Dunlop and Peter Clarke. Inside Story podcast.
Look Both Ways Before Crossing the Line
- A (favourable) mention on the ABC’s Media Watch program.
September 2011
- Interview on ABC TV’s 7.30 Report.
April 2011
Is Australian Democracy Broken?
- Debate with Lindsay Tanner, Malcolm Turnbull and Malcolm Fraser.
June 2010
Police Commissioner Rejects Leak Claim
- Interview on ABC Radio National’s The World Today
May 2010
Bargains, treasures, authors and literary love at Booktown 2010
- A report of the Clunes Book Festival by ABC Ballarat reporter Jarrod Watt.
Fraser Quits the Liberal Party
- Interview on ABC TV’s The 7.30 Report
April 2010
The Subtle Art of Collaboration
- Simons talks to Peter Clarke about writing a book with Malcolm Fraser. Inside Story podcast.
Malcolm Fraser in Conversation with Margaret Simons at Melbourne University
November 2009
Social Media: Death or Salvation of Professional Journalism?
- Panel session with Jonathan Green and Robyn Williams at the Media 140 Conference, Sydney.
Roy Greenslade in Conversation with Margaret Simons from Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
October 2009
- Appearance on ABC TV’s Media Watch, talking about the future of media.
August 2009
- Interview on ABC Radio National The World Today.
March 2009
- The threats and opportunities to media and journalism. Discussion with Peter Clarke. Inside Story podcast.
2008
- ABC Radio National, The Media Report with Antony Funnell, 25 September 2008.
2007
Margaret Simons and Kathy Reichs
- ABC Melbourne, The Conversation Hour with Jon Faine 26 September 2007.
IOC Set to Approve Athlete Blogs
- ABC Radio National, PM, 4 September 2007.
A Sex Offender in the Neighbourhood – A Right to Know?
- ABC Radio National, Life Matters, 5 June 2007.
- ABC Radio National, Late Night Live 12 March 2007.
2006
- ABC Radio National, The Media Report with Antony Funnell 14 December 2006.
The Press Gallery: Insular, Intrusive or Indispensable
- Forum at The Sydney Institute with Stephen Matchett and Matt Price, 1 February 2006.
- Published in The Sydney Papers.
2005
Mark Latham in Conversation with Margaret Simons
- Given at Gleebooks on 14 December 2005.
Is the Media Failing Australia?
- ABC Radio National, The Media Report with Richard Aedy, 11 August 2005.
- ABC Radio National, The Media Report with Jackie May, 23 June 2005.
Margaret Simons: the ties that bind
- ABC Radio National the deep end with Vicki Kerrigan, 18 May 2005.
- ABC Radio National Counterpoint with Michael Duffy, 16 May 2005.
Patriotism and the Australian Way of Life
- ABC Radio National Radio Eye series “War and Peace: Program One”, 23 April 2005.
The life and times of Sir Joh Bjelke Petersen
- ABC Radio National Late Night Live with Phillip Adams, 20 April 2005.
- ABC Radio National The Media Report with Richard Aedy, 3 February 2005.
2004
The Best Australian Journalism
- ABC Radio National The Media Report with Mick O’Regan, 16 December 2004.
(Originally given at the RMIT Public Forum)
Have/Have Nots: Composters V The ‘Never Compost’ Set
- ABC Radio National Life Matters with Julie McCrossin, 3 June 2004.
2003
- ABC Radio National The Media Report with Mick O’Regan, 4 December 2003.
- Given at The Sydney Institute 30 July 2003.
- Published in The Sydney Papers vol 15 nbr 2, Autumn 2003.
- ABC Radio National Late Night Live with Phillip Adams, 29 July 2003.
- ABC Radio National Perspective, 3 July 2003.
Hindmarsh Island Affair Revisited
- ABC Radio National PM with Mark Colvin, 12 May 2003.
- ABC Radio National The National Interest with Terry Lane, 11 May 2003.
2002
- ABC Radio National Perspective, 12 April 2002.
- ABC Radio National Perspective, 5 March 2002.
2000
Facts, Projection, Politics and the Objective Journalist
- Given at The Sydney Institute 2000.
- Published in The Sydney Papers vol 12 nbr 3, Winter 2000.
1998
- ABC Radio National The Media Report with Robert Bolton, 24 September 1998.