Day 3 - Tuesday 6/1

We spent our morning in the CUCRH office where Isabelle briefed us about the types of stories we will be covering. In terms of local news, the main areas focused on in Hedland are to do with the mining companies - BHP, Rio Tinto, Atlas and FMG (Fortescue Metals Group). The main areas of interest at the moment are to do with the global financial crisis and how it affects Hedland - in terms of jobs, housing, interest rates etc. A big issue in Hedland is property prices, and it isn't uncommon for people to pay up to $1000 per week to rent a house in the area. Another news item in current circulation is the turtles that come onto cemetery beach (near the Port) to hatch their eggs.

Isabelle told us what we will be doing for some of the time we are here. We are visiting Marble Bar on the weekend and Yandeyarra (Aboriginal community) at some stage. We are going to Roebourne on the 13th, where there are some young Aboriginal girls who have been accepted into medicine and dentistry (potential profile subjects). There is also a TV station in Roebourne which we may look at. Another potential profile subject is a young girl in Port Hedland who has just received a netball scholarship.

From CUCRH we went to the Northwest Telegraph where Isabelle introduced us to the two journalists who run the paper - Liam Ducey and Mark Davis. We arranged times to go back there and gain some experience at the paper. I'll be going there this Thursday, with Nadia and James going the following Thursdays. We also discussed story ideas, particularly an article we are going to write about the shopping in Hedland. There was a boutique recently established in town and we want to interview the owners to see how business is going. Mark and Liam also gave us the names of other businesses we could contact. We also spoke to a woman at the bakery this afternoon, as we saw a 'for sale' sign out the front. I don't think we got any highly newsworthy material but we may use some of it in the story.

After the Telegraph we went back to our accommodation and discussed story ideas. We've decided to write a story about the turtles at cemetery beach. We're also going to visit the hospital soon and find out some of the issues affecting Indigenous health and any recent innovations the hospital has made in relation to these issues.