Kay Nankervis
Lecturer in Journalism
BA (Communication - Journalism) CSturt, GradCert. - Writing
Kay Nankervis
Bio
Kay Nankervis has been a news and current affairs journalist for more than twenty years. She has worked in radio and television as a reporter, presenter and senior producer for ABC, SBS and commercial networks inSydney, Melbourne , Canberra and London . Kay has also trained professionally as an actor in Australia and overseas and has a particular interest in applying theatrical voice training to broadcasting and on-camera presentation.
Kay Nankervis's research interest lies in television journalism – skills needs, ethics, practice and on camera performance. She has embarked on a qualitative study of Australia ’s senior television news leaders and hirers to discover what skills they most value in today’s journalists. Those interviewed include the national news and current affairs heads at all the free-to-air networks and their Sydney news directors.
Teaching
- SUBJECT COORDINATION - ongoing:
JRN521 (DE) News Reporting (Autumn)
JRN303 (Internal) Broadcas5t Journalism 3 (Autumn)
JRN309 (Internal) Broadcast Journalism Workshop (Spring)
- SUBJECT COORDINATION - 2007 only:
JRN523 (DE) Newswriting (Spring)
JRN101 (DE) Newswriting (Spring)
JRN101 (Internal) Newswriting (Spring)
- GUEST LECTURING - ongoing:
COM119 (Internal) Media Production & Presentation 2 (Spring)
JRN101 (Internal) Newswriting (Spring)
- TUTORING - some years
JRN112 (Internal) Principles of Journalism (Autumn)
COM213 (Internal) On Camera Performance (Autumn)
Research
SKILLS NEEDS IN CONTEMPORARY NEWSROOMS
This is an ongoing project begun in 2005. The heads of news and current affairs at all Australia's free-to-air networks and at pay channel Sky News have been interviewed - along with their deputies or Sydney news directors - to ascertain the criteria by which television journalists are chosen and appointed. These interviews are updated regualrly as personnel change. The interview data has been used for publication in academic journals and to inform a recent undergraduate journalism course review conducted by the School of Communication.
In addition, following a pilot survey of senior news managers in 2005/6 an online survey is currently being sent to all TV news journalists identified at free-to-air and pay television newsrooms in Australia's capital cities. The data collection - conducted city by city is expected to be completed before the end of the year.
"THE SAND DWELLERS" - creative work
"The Sand Dwellers" is a two act play that examines a number of themes: ethical decision making by communication practitioners such as television journalists and public relations consultants, power structures within contemporary television journalism production environments and elements of fairness and ethical approaches exhibited throughout Australian society. Kay has been granted Special Study leave in Autumn 2008 to complete re-writing of the play in concert with a professional dramaturg and to carry out addional research into the subject areas and the time the play covers. It's hoped to stage a professional performance of the play in late 2008 or early 2009 in Bathurst.
MAJOR WRITING PROJECT (as part of Masters Study)
Kay Nankervis's is currently working on a screenplay, "Coast Town", set in regional coastal NSW and exploring the themes of isolation & difference, rescue, revenge & redemption and acceptance & exploitation. This is most likely to comprise the major work she will complete at the end of 2008 as part of her higher degree study.
Recent publications and Conference papers
Nankervis, K. (2005). Skill needs for today's television journalists: What Australia's TV news chiefs want most from the new generation. Proceedings of the Journalism Education Conference, Surfers Paradise , December 2005.
Nankervis, K (2006). Recruiting for television news: How the hirers decide. Australian Studies in Journalism, Issue 16, pp 129-146.
