ABC star Karina Carvalho talks about life as a prime-time news anchor
Kieran Gair
For the past six years Karina Carvalho has covered compelling and powerful stories for Western Australians, Sydney-siders and Melbournites alike. Now the new face of ABC Queensland’s 7pm news bulletin, Carvalho is sharing her edgy style and journalistic flair with our northern neighbours.
Her striking features and steady line of questioning show that Carvalho is a news presenter at the top of her game. Nevertheless, despite the serious posture and probing gaze she adopts for national TV, Carvalho is an avid rugby fan and theatre enthusiast who loves to soak up Sydney’s stunning coast whenever she can. Born in Sri Lanka, Carvalho grew up in Perth and graduated from the WA Academy of Performing Arts beforetaking off for London in 2004.
After a stint at the BBC, Carvalhoscoured Australia’s big cities and towns, travelled throughout Europe and the USA on assignment and explored the Middle Eastcovering some of the planet‘s most hard-hitting stories. From flood crises, to the London terrorist attacks, a war in Lebanon and the death of Pope John Paul II,Sydney Observer got the rundown of what it’s like to cover the issues that matter.
From the London bombings to a war in Lebanon, you have covered many difficult stories, what was the most challenging for you personally?
The London bombings were a real shock. When I left for work that morning by bus, the explosions were still being attributed to electrical faults, but by the time I arrived at the BBC about 30 minutes later, we knew it was a terrorist attack. Colleagues spent the day trying to reach family members who took the affected routes while working on coverage of the bombings and getting on with the job. It was remarkable and indicative of the resilience of journalists. Personally, though my family was visiting from Perth, I knew they were safe and well at my flat.
You anchored coverage from Brisbane during the latest flood crisis, what was that like?
Covering last year’s flood crisis had its challenges because there were so many areas which were affected. From the Lockyer Valley, west of Brisbane to Bundaberg which was hardest hit, there was a lot of information to get across to the audience. Throw in the fact that we were on-air at 5am local time and I was without a field producer, we were fortunate it all went smoothly. And we all breathed a sigh of relief when Brisbane avoided being flooded for a second consecutive year. But, of course, there were many families and businesses devastated by the floods and we’re still covering their stories as they rebuild.
Where are your favourite places to visit in Sydney? Do you have any favourite restaurants or events you always try to go to?
I am not alone in loving Sydney. I have to say the Writers Festival is a sensational event showcasing some of the city’s best spots. Unsurprisingly, a trip to Bondi is a must when I’m in Sydney – the walk to Bronte takes in the most incredible views and I never get tired of it. I was there most recently as part of the ABC’s New Year’s Eve program and, while I’ve seen Sydney’s fireworks before, our vantage point from the Opera House was breathtaking. A great way to start 2014!
You grew up in Perth, have visited Sydney, co-hosted ABC news breakfast in Melbourne and now you’re in Brisbane, which is your favourite Australian city?
Each city has its own personality and I’ve enjoyed living in all of them. Perth means friends and family and west coast sunsets which can’t be beaten. Sydney has everything you want in a world class city and is architecturally and topographically spectacular. Melbourne is culturally cognisant and chic. Plus it has great coffee. Brisbane is exactly where I want to be right now, there’s a sense that it’s growing and it’s a gateway to some of the world’s top tourist destinations. Australia has some of the world’s best cities.
Recently you moved to Queensland to present the 7pm news, what has that been like so far?
I’ve loved being in Brisbane, getting to know the ins and outs of a new city. And I’m very much enjoying reading the 7pm news again. I certainly don’t miss my alarm going off at 2:45am as it did when I worked on News Breakfast in Melbourne. We’ve already taken the news to Cairns, Townsville and the Gold Coast, and we would like to do that more. I love getting out of the studio, travelling to all of the wonderful corners of this state and meeting local people. In November, Brisbane will host the G20 Leaders Summit. The eyes of the world will be on the Queensland capital and I’m excited to be a part of the coverage of such a significant event.
What is the most difficult interview you have ever conducted and why?
I would have to say the interview I recorded with Bryce Courtenay at his Canberra home a few months before he died. Fairfax had questioned some of the details he’d written about his life, especially his early years in South Africa. We gave him an opportunity to reply and set the record straight. But as I discovered over the course of our 30 minute interview, the truth isn’t always black and white, especially when the person telling it is a professional storyteller. It was quite raw with emotion so we hardly edited the interview. As one of my colleagues told me after watching the interview “it made for uncomfortable viewing”. But I think those are the best interviews.
Can you run us through a normal day in the ABC newsrooms?
Each day is different, but my work day starts with a conference call at 8:30am where we talk through the day’s assignments and how we might treat particular stories. By lunchtime more stories have been added and some that seemed important in the morning seem less so and by the late afternoon they don’t make the rundown. We have an afternoon meeting with the studio director, where we run through the stories and any technical details including live crosses to a journalist or guest in the field. Of course, there’s the obligatory time in makeup but I’m usually watching the news and checking twitter and emails during that time for developments. As it gets closer to News time, the sense of urgency increases as we rush to make deadline. And once the 7pm news is over, we don’t get to leave. Instead, we have a live news update at 8:30pm. So the days are long, but fun and rewarding.
March 8 is International Women’s Day and this year’s theme is ‘inspiring change’. What does ‘inspiring change’ mean to you?
Many people have remarked to me that there is a growing sense of cynicism about the world. I feel there is a lot to celebrate, especially the expanded scope for women to contribute to public life. Australia has now had a woman Prime Minister and Governor-General. Thus it could be women inspiring further change in the coming decades. The process continues, but there are still challenges. While labour force participation for women has increased dramatically, women still tend to be underpaid relative to men. The participation of women in elite professions and universities – an overwhelmingly positive development – has generated new patterns of marriage and economic inequality, especially in the U.S. In Europe, in particular, multiculturalism has highlighted differences in values regarding sexual liberalisation and women’s rights.
