Health reporter at Guardian Australia
Grad Dip Advanced Journalism 2022
For Natasha May, no two days at Guardian Australia look the same. “Some days there is breaking news in my round and I rush off to a press conference and file the story as quickly as I can,” she says. “Other days I have the luxury to work on a feature, which involves researching the topic, interviewing experts and finding case studies.” In the health beat that might mean dissecting new studies and untangling health policy or investigating “strange ‘flesh-eating’ diseases”. Recently, countering health and wellness fad mis- and disinformation in the fortnightly fact-check column Antiviral has kept Natasha busy.
One of the things I love about journalism is that it’s a job that means you never stop learning.
At UTS, Natasha studied under award-winning journalists like Paddy Manning and Monica Attard (Co-Director of the Centre for Media Transition at UTS). Through the university, Natasha landed a two-month Guardian internship. “I then continued to pitch stories and work casually for them after the internship ended.” By 2021, she was the first rural network reporter.
Natasha says starting in rural and regional news can be a good entry point for young journalists to learn essential skills. “If you’re passionate about the career, go for it!” she says. She now has sage advice for students: “Don’t be so worried if you feel like you’re not sure what you want to do – you’re younger than you think and there’s no rush to figure out what might be the right path for you.”
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