Storytellers: Questions, Answers and the Craft of Journalism

by Leigh Sales

Highly respected ABC anchor, bestselling author and hit podcaster Leigh Sales interviews the cream of Australian journalists about their craft – how (and why) they bring us the stories that inform our lives.

Leigh Sales is one of Australia’s most accomplished journalists, having anchored the ABC’s flagship 7.30 program for twelve years. She has been a foreign correspondent, hosted Lateline and anchored numerous elections for the ABC. In this book, she turns her interviewing skills onto her own profession, those usually asking the the journalists.
 
In ten sections – from News Reporting to Editing, via Investigative, Commentary and of course Interviewing – Sales takes us on a tour of the profession, letting the leaders in their field talk direct to us about how they get their leads, survive in war zones, write a profile, tell a story with pictures, and keep the show on the road. A who’s-who of Australian journalism – including Lisa Millar, Kate McClymont, Hedley Thomas, Trent Dalton, Benjamin Law, Tracy Grimshaw, Richard Fidler, David Speers, Stan Grant, Niki Savva, Waleed Aly, Annabel Crabb, Karl Stefanovic and Mia Freedman – talk candidly about their greatest lessons and their trade secrets.
 
A fascinating insight into a vital and much-misunderstood profession, Storytellers is a book for anyone who’s ever wanted to be a journalist, or even just wondered how the news gets made.
 

Genres: Nonfiction, Journalism, Writing, Australia, Book Club

Kindle Edition

Published August 30, 2023

About the author

Leigh Sales is an Australian author and journalist. She is the host of the Australian television channel ABC’s flagship news and current affairs program 7.30.

Reviews

[Sharon Orlopp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Phenomenal book about the craft of journalism and the many types of roles in journalism. Includes advice and professional stories of 32 prominent, diverse, accomplished Australian journalists. Chapters include news reporting, foreign correspondence, investigative reporting, books, interviewing, live broadcasting, anchoring, and other pertinent journalism roles.

I was spellbound and took a ton of notes. The book introduced me to many new authors. I recently read The Teacher’s Pet by investigative reporter Hedley Thomas. He is featured in Storytellers in the chapter about investigative reporting.

Many passages stood out:

* Journalists are professional storytellers

* Every encounter we have every day is rich in character, plot and narrative

* Embrace clarity, brevity and honesty

* Journalism is a public service

* Journalism is a privilege and essential to democracy

* Run the opposite way of the pack

* Journalism gives you a passport to places, people, moments, and history

* Read ravenously

* Beware the dogs that aren’t barking. Christopher Hitchens

Highly, highly recommend this book!

[Ros Gaz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unlike ‘Any Ordinary Day’, this book was something of a disappointment. Just a series of very similar interviews with other journalists, editors etc, it is really more of a ‘textbook’ for aspiring journalists than an entertaining read. I would have liked to read some critical reflections from Leigh on journalism as a career, where it’s heading, what she’s learned.

[Claudia · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5. Very interesting. I kind of thought journalists just read out things other people had put together or typed some words. Actually seems like a cooked amount of work. Interesting career ++. Lots of great comm skills stuff and a reminder to be curious in everyday life

[Alicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyable and informative. You'll imbibe your media differently after reading this. Also very helpful reading for people wanting tips to improve their interviewing techniques among other things.

[Yili Zhu · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I highly respect Leigh Sales for her outstanding journalism, I cannot say the same about this book. In the format of Q&A, the book is a transcript of her dialogue with other journalists. The questions are purposeless and structureless, reflecting whatever she had in mind at the moment of conversation. The answers are not reflective of any deep thoughts or careful deliberation of ideas, but whatever comes out of the person’s mouth.

I pushed my self to read it hoping that better content will come later. But it did not. While occasionally some bright thoughts do come out of the conversation, they are few and far apart. This reminds me Kerry O’brian’s autobiography. Again it was a mediocre text from a brilliant journalist.

I guess maybe it is me. I had assumed journalists are good at writing. However as Sales said herself, journalism is a craft. Those skills do not necessarily support book writing.

[Nellie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m a huge fan of Leigh Sales so I was ready to enjoy before I turned the first page! I loved that this book opened my eyes to all the different ways stories can be formulated, shared and dissected in the media. From feature writers to show anchors and photo journalists to executive producers, I enjoyed learning the ‘behind the scenes’ aspects of storytelling and feel like anyone who loves hearing, seeing and feeling ‘life stuff’ will get something out of Leigh’s interviews. A thoroughly enjoyable read!

[Karen ⊰✿ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I saw Leigh Sales at an event where she read out the introduction to this book and was then interviewed by an up-and-coming journalist. It was only about an hour or so, but was really interesting. I think I enjoyed that more than this book.
Mainly because this is definitely written for those wanting to get into journalism. It contains the "who's who" of different types of journos in Australia over the last few decades talking about what they learnt and what has changed. It is kind of like a written form of mentoring for young journos.

[Molly McCormack · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was so excited to read this book because I loved Leigh’s Any Ordinary Day & On Doubt. It’s well written and thought provoking in some parts but I’m not the target reader. I found some interviews repetitive and a bit dry.

This book would be a fantastic resource if you want to pursue a career in journalism.

[chiara · Rating 4 out of 5]

My mum bought me this in a kind of acceptance after I got entry into a journalism course, and she read it before me (ironic).

I loved every interview, some more than others, and honestly can say I’ll reread this one more than once, even if it’s just one section or one interview.

[Melinda Nankivell · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m not sure what I was expecting from Leigh Sales’ Storytellers but this wasn’t it. This is literally a series of similarly worded questions to a range of journalists including newspaper, radio, tv, as well as editors, camera operators and producers. I think students of journalism would love this, but the rest of us can probably skim read a lot of it. I feel my rating might be too generous but I feel bad giving it any less as there are so many journalists I admire included within its pages.

[Tori · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting format that covers so many aspects of journalism, what it is, how to do it and what effect it has. Some great insights.

[Sophie Richardson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Leigh is a fantastic writer but not being a journalist or journalism student meant this book didn’t grab me. There was a few interesting nuggets from well known people but otherwise not if interest to a wide audience.

[Alicia Gibbs · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It was a great way to ease myself back into reading physical books after predominantly listening to audiobooks for the last year because each chapter was very bite-sized. I thought the claim that “Storytellers is more than just a masterclass in the tradecraft of journalism, it’s also an invaluable guide to clear, concise and honest communication for anyone who has a story to tell” was an enormous stretch. This book is very specifically about journalism in all its different forms. Luckily, I’m interested in journalism enough that the book still held my interest. It also helped that I was familiar with most of the journalists, and that some of them (looking at you Benjamin Law) were laugh-out-loud funny. If you’re interested in journalism, I’d definitely recommend this book.

[Aung Naing · Rating 4 out of 5]

In her book Storytellers: Questions, Answers and the Craft of Journalism, Leigh Sales takes readers behind the scenes of the news media, interviewing some of Australia's most respected journalists about their craft. Sales, the host of ABC's 7:30, asks insightful questions about how these journalists find, report, and tell stories that matter. The book offers a fascinating glimpse into the world of journalism, and it's sure to be of interest to anyone who's ever wondered how the news gets made.

One of the things that makes Storytellers so interesting is that Sales doesn't just ask her subjects about their work; she also asks them about their lives. She wants to know what makes them tick, what motivates them, and what challenges they face. As a result, the book is not just about journalism; it's also about the people who make it happen.

Sales interviews a wide range of journalists, from foreign correspondents to podcasters to political commentators. Each interviewee brings a unique perspective to the table, and Sales does a great job of drawing out their insights. The book is full of interesting anecdotes and observations, and it's clear that Sales has a deep respect for the people she interviews.

[Susan C · Rating 3 out of 5]

I purchased a copy of this at an author event almost 12 months ago. Since then I've picked it up, read a couple of chapters, then put it down on several occasions since then. For some reason the book has always bothered me, and it took a while to figure out why. I think that to me, this publication seems fluffy. Leigh has divided the book into categories - News Reporting, Rounds and Foreign Correspondence, Investigative Reporting, Features and Books, Interviewing, Live Broadcasting, Commentary, Anchoring, Editors and Executive Producers. Each of those categories are broken down into interviews with 3 or 4 people who work or have worked in that field. As a result each 'interview' is only about 10 pages, and thats with fairly large print.

Written in Question/Answer style, none of these interviews seem to address the particular topic in any depth. Perhaps, it might have been different if instead of, say 4 different sub-chapters with individual participants, she explored the style of storytelling she was focusing on in each main chapter heading with input from one or two who are representative of their craft within their area. I feel it would have allowed a deeper dive.

Well, these are my own feelings on the book and I imagine there are others who would consider differently. I think that if you have been a consumer of a wide range of journalistic styles over the years, you could probably have written this book without having been a creator within that style.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this insight into the world of journalism from a diverse selection of voices across different media. I’ve always loved those TV shows that centre around old school media production like Paper Giants, The Newsreader, etc. My favourite interviews were with Trent Dalton, Laurie Oakes, Mia Freedman and Annabelle Crabbe. They were the best storytellers and for a book with this title, I really did expect more crazy journalistic stories from war zones and chasing interviews and getting in trouble with volatile editors. There was a bit of that, but I wanted more stories and less of the technical stuff.

I just think the interview format didn’t work that well as a book - it got a bit boring and unless you’re a journalist or in the industry a lot of the people were unknown or their advice wasn’t relevant. Definitely a must read if you are thinking of going into journalism or interested in that area. I also would have loved to hear more from Leigh Sales herself and her insights into the people she interviewed and the journalism industry to give it more of a personal touch and bring the people being interviewed to life.

[Judy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fascinating look at the role of journalists in various media - print, radio, TV, podcasts - and the different forms of journalism and skills required, which I took for granted until reading this.



Leigh Sales interviews the cream of Australian journalists about their craft – how (and why) they bring us the stories that inform our lives. Leigh Sales is one of Australia’s most accomplished journalists, having anchored the ABC’s flagship 7.30 program for twelve years. She has been a foreign correspondent, hosted Lateline and anchored numerous elections for the ABC. In this book, she turns her interviewing skills onto her own profession, those usually asking the the journalists. In ten sections – from News Reporting to Editing, via Investigative, Commentary and of course Interviewing – Sales takes us on a tour of the profession, letting the leaders in their field talk direct to us about how they get their leads, survive in war zones, write a profile, tell a story with pictures, and keep the show on the road. A who’s-who of Australian journalism – including Lisa Millar, Kate McClymont, Hedley Thomas, Trent Dalton, Benjamin Law, Tracy Grimshaw, Richard Fidler, David Speers, Stan Grant, Niki Savva, Waleed Aly, Annabel Crabb, Karl Stefanovic and Mia Freedman – talk candidly about their greatest lessons and their trade secrets. A fascinating insight into a vital and much-misunderstood profession, Storytellers is a book for anyone who’s ever wanted to be a journalist, or even just wondered how the news gets made.

[Courtney Black · Rating 5 out of 5]

I rarely ever give non-fiction books, 5 stars, but I'm gonna be incredibly biased here as a wannabe journalist. This book is getting five stars. it is like the textbook, I've always wanted to read it, shares real experiences from real journalists across all fields of journalism. It feels like a little gold nugget of information, that I'm too scared to give away. I couldn't even take down one quote or one line from this book because I think it's all incredibly valuable. Every journalist has something important to convey in their section of the book and the way Leigh phrases her questions is inspiring and gorgeous. I don't think I'll ever be able to find a similar book or a better book to explain the state of journalism in Australia, over the last century, and in modern day. It blends text and paper journalism with modern day editorial and media journalism. It's so eye-opening and incredibly helpful. I would recommend this to any aspiring journalists, if I could give this 10 stars I would.

[Vivienne · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this day and age where the veracity of news is so uncertain, where sensationalism is rife, where comments are taken out of context and where even an image can be manipulated, it is very satisfying to read this series of interviews with journalists, photographers, editors and others associated with bringing serious, honest and factual news to the public.
Leigh Sales has here interviewed a series of the very best from the world of Australian journalism and each and every one come across as dedicated to their job and to the idea of bringing high quality, factual news reporting to whatever media they represent. These are people who we can respect and whose ethics and values are strong.
Leigh Sales has a way of asking the right questions in order to get to the very core of each interviewee without overly projecting her own beliefs.
I found this book both fascinating and engaging as well as giving me a new perspective on my somewhat jaded view of journalism. ****

[Tracey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Leigh Sale's Storytellers is a question and answer session with a multitude of well known Australian journalists and media personalities. Sales has broken the interviews into categories such as investigative reporting, interviewing, and anchoring. There is no set question format, each discussion is tailored too illicit responses that tease out how each journalist operates.
Through the Q&A's you get a sense of each person came to journalism, how they see their role and what they look for as newsworthy.
It is a really good read, gives some valuable insight and looks at how the media landscape is changing.

[lyny · Rating 3 out of 5]

Leigh Sales (very well known Australian journalist) has interviewed an array of journalists and novelists about how they approach getting and writing or broadcasting their stories. Some interesting anecdotes, but little that was unexpected, though could be interesting for younger journalism students. Very readable but really transcript like, with the kind of Q&A format you’d find in similar stories in a magazine.

[Brooke Jacobson · Rating 5 out of 5]

ABC journalist Leigh Sales is the queen of Australian journalism, and in her new book she interviews 30 media professionals about just what goes into their job. Journalists and journalism student will absolutely lap this up, but it's really for anyone wanting to learn how to communicate better, and a great sneak peek behind the curtain of this country's top newspapers, radio shows, and tv stations. Highly recommended.

[Jessica Morel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Leigh Sales, reading, writing, reading about writing and reading Leigh Sales' words about writing (and broadcast journalism)!

Featuring a plethora, glut if you will, of interviews with journalists across all forms of Australian media, Storytellers delves into the craft, the planning and the tenacity of a modern day journalist. This word nerd loved it. Don't bother if you don't like journalism, or maybe do so you'll appreciate this unappreciated wholly necessary artform/service.

[Dianna Applebaum · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was hoping to enjoy this book more than I did; it just fell flat. Sure, it was interesting with engaging anecdotes, but nothing constructive was gleaned from its pages. I was hoping for more stimulation for readers of any ilk, but it seemed to be questions and answers to and from and for journalists and media execs.

[Elaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this collection of discussions with Australian journalists fascinating. It was intriguing to read a fine journalist, Leigh Sales, introductions to the journos, writers and presenters chosen for this book. If you are not interested in writing and communicating, this may not be the book for you.

[Lauren Pacella · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good read for those interested in journalism, about how Australian media is made and reported. I definitely learnt some things but would only recommend to those interested in this topic. Was interesting hearing the journalist's views on covering some of the major disasters across the past few decades.

[Pam Reed · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent introduction to the craft of journalism. Extensive interviews with multiple people with experience in various roles I. Different media. I learnt so much and it gave me much to reflect on. So, a great journalistic accomplishment to inform others about what makes journalistic endeavours great.

[Jo Morris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bravo Leigh. This is a wonderful book. The content and journalistic approach illustrates its purpose. This is a generous, thoughtful gift for existing and new journalists. I can't imagine how it could possibly be improved upon. For the non journalist, it is an insightful and entertaining read.

[Matt Jensen · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent book for the general public to grasp the complexities of the journalism industry. Leigh's interviewing technique shines as she engages with numerous journalism luminaries. It offers a fascinating insight into the realm of journalism and storytelling.

[Jarmby · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not really my cup of tea
It became a bit repetitive with most of the interviewees sounding a tad altruistic
It did open the door on some of the difficulties journalists may face both physically and temporally and it would have been more interesting if this had been explored more