This episode of the SBS Podcast series 'History's First Draft' explores the emotional impact of covering major historical events. Allan Lee shares his experience reporting on the 2011 Christchurch earthquake, and Lara Coffey reflects on her early days as a journalist during the devastating 2019-2020 Australian bushfires.
Journalism has been described as the first rough draft of history, with reporters often bearing witness to the world’s most awful and awe-inspiring events. But what is the emotional toll after being on the front lines of history? In this episode, Allan Lee shares his experience covering the devastating 2011 Christchurch earthquake. “It's been a harrowing night and day for this community.
They're scared for their families, scared for their friends and uncertain when they can return to their homes.” 33 people were killed directly, and almost 450 more lost their lives from the effects of smoke inhalation.Lara Coffey was there. “There have been frantic scenes here at Harrington after the wind drove the Bills Crossing Crowdy fire towards the outskirts of the village. Smoke filled the air as flames crept closer to nearby homes. Residents grabbed pets and valuables before leaving their properties behind.” Lara fell into journalism after googling “jobs for good writers” while considering which course to apply for at university. After graduating, she says she was one of the only students in her year to get a job as a TV reporter straight away.She was 22-years-old at the time. “The first lot of the fires that I had experienced, because it all did start on the mid north coast. Before this point, I'd been a reporter for not even 18 months, but close to 18 months at that point. Heard on the radio there was a fire up in Harrington, which is where I was staying during the week. I drove straight to Harrington to this fire and driving in to Harrington, there is only one way in and one way out and the bush was alight. And I just thought, what have I got myself into here? What is going on? It was like a horror movie, and that was the easiest and best day I had had in the bushfire crisis. What we now know as the black summer bushfires, it just got worse from ther
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