Ann Arnold
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ABC Radio National journalist/producer arnold.ann@abc.net.au www.abc.net.au/radionational/ Occasional print freelancer
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Articles by Ann Arnold
Program: Writer Susan Orlean on the power of the ordinary
Author of multiple books, and longstanding writer for The New Yorker magazine, Susan Orlean is passionate about telling the stories of ordinary people, and showing why they are interesting. She is in Australia this week on a speaking tour. Guest: Susan Orlean. Most recent book 'Joyride: a memoir' (Allen & Unwin) One of her better known books is The Orchid Thief, later made into the Academy Award winning film Adaptation, starring Meryl Streep as Susan.
Program: Snow gums: the treasure we are losing
A new book claims the snow gum, with its twisting form and multi-coloured bark, is the most exquisite tree in Australia. It plays many important roles – storing water, holding back snow to prevent drift and melt, food for birds, condensation which creates rain that ends up in rivers. But the trees are dying, killed by rogue beetles, fires, and climate change more broadly. Guests: Anthony Sharwood,journalist and author of several books about Australia's High Country.
MSHEF Named 2026 Charity Partner for NYC & Philly Marathons, with Mark Schonwetter’s Grandson Among Runners
Mark Schonwetter's Grandson, Jared Fiske, preparing to run his first marathon. First-time marathoner and Tribe NIL All-American and Scholar All-American Athlete Jared Fiske honors his family’s Holocaust story by running for Team MSHEF. Events like the TCS New York City Marathon and the Philadelphia Marathon Weekend are transformational for our foundation.
Program: Breakfast in India
This author ate multiple breakfasts in each of ten Indian cities, with the aim of looking at India's diversity and layered societies through its breakfast foods, makers and consumers. Guest: Priyadarshini Chatterjee, Kolkata-based travel, culture and food writer.
Program: Deep sea mining, Trump-style
Australian and Canadian-run companies, some with questionable credentials, are trying to cash in on Donald Trump's promotion of deep sea mining licences. The US licensing disregards the international regulator, the International Seabed Authority. Plus, the US Administration is moving to open up a big slab of the seabed off American Samoa and the Northern Mariana Islands, despite those territories' objections. Guest: Todd Woody, reporter, Bloomberg News.
Program: Australian doctors in Gaza
Dozens of Australian and New Zealand doctors and nurses have worked in Gaza over the past two years. They temporarily joined the local medical staff in working around the clock, sometimes on very little food, trying to help people despite limited resources, and with the constant threat of attack. Forty of those medics have contributed accounts of their experiences to a book called '‘The Weight of Witness’.
Program: Vanilla, an extraodinary bean
A new book tracks this exotic 'spice' from the 16th century, and its origins in the world's only edible orchid, found in Central America, to the widespread use of vanilla flavouring today. And it explains how this very expensive resource came to be equated with bland. 'Vanilla' is now a synonym for ho-hum, whiter-than-white. Guest: Eric Jennings, Professor of History, University of Toronto.
Program: Big food fight continues after Senator Fiona Nash controversy
A simple star rating system for processed food has kicked off a political firestorm.() The controversy surrounding a plan to put nutrition rating labels on processed foods has already claimed the job of the Assistant Minister for Health's chief of staff. The stoush has revealed the deep links between 'big food' and the government, writes Ann Arnold.
Program: Crack a baby's back
A popular Melbourne chiropractor uses spinal manipulations to treats conjunctivitis and ear infection in babies and children.
Program: Doctors as dealers: Australia's opioid habit
In the last few years prescriptions of opioids for chronic pain have skyrocketed creating a new wave of drug addicts. There's little evidence to support their long term use but doctors are facilitating addictions that can last for years. Ann Arnold investigates Australia's new drug war. Loading Australia has been warned to stand by for a new wave of heroin use. Doctors are more and more becoming de facto dealers, and I don't think any of us want that.
Program: At the end of the road
NSW is currently the only state that requires drivers over the age of 85 to undertake an annual test.() When are we too old to drive safely? It’s an emotional debate that will intensify with an ageing population of drivers. NSW has compulsory on-road testing for the elderly, which is regarded as unnecessary and discriminatory in the rest of the country. Ann Arnold looks at the evidence for compulsory testing and the social impact of forcing older drivers off the road.
Program: Deep sea riches could spark Pacific mining boom
A project to dig minerals from the seabed off Papua New Guinea could signal a new era of mining in the world’s most remote and least understood environment, the deep sea. Mining companies are excited, ecologists are worried, and struggling island nations are watching with interest, as Ann Arnold writes. Loading One and a half kilometres below the sea, on the flank of an active volcano, hundreds of tonnes of machinery will carve up mineral-laden rock, and pump it to a ship on the surface.
Program: The battle for the City of Sydney
Embattled Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore shows Mr Monopoly the sights of Sydney. Has she had her last roll of the dice?() New legislation that gives businesses two votes in Sydney City Council elections is under attack for being undemocratic and an attempt to oust long serving Lord Mayor Clover Moore, but proponents say businesses are denied a voice under the current voting system. Ann Arnold reports on the players behind the contentious bill. Loading The fox with a bird in its mouth stands alone.
Program: Pigs in the middle
Animal welfare activists are at war with pig farmers, targeting and secretly filming piggeries across the country. They say it’s the only way to force changes to farming and slaughtering practices, but farmers say their livelihoods and families are being threatened and they’re fighting back. Ann Arnold investigates. Loading For my entire life I’ve managed to avoid seeing an animal slaughtered—even as the daughter of a farmer.
Program: The sand mining mayor who loves a deal
Sand mining baron and council mayor, Bruce Mackenzie.() A divisive, sand mining mayor has clashed with locals over an unusual sand mine tender. Ann Arnold heads to the Port Stephens region, north of Newcastle, where there's a longstanding network of developers and local politicians with a strong development agenda.
Program: The explosive risk of fuel tankers
Fuel tankers are among the most dangerous vehicles on the road, carrying loads that make them vulnerable to rollover and explosions. Two recent, fatal accidents involved tanker rollovers, but recommended safety measures specifically designed to reduce rollovers haven’t been followed through. Ann Arnold investigates.
Program: Doctors in distress
The sudden deaths of four junior doctors in Victoria have focused national attention on the issue of doctors’ workloads and wellbeing. Yet mandatory reporting laws may be forcing doctors who treat other doctors for mental health issues to report them to regulators, writes Ann Arnold. Loading Doctors are travelling to Western Australia to seek treatment for their own mental health issues to avoid a mandatory reporting law which applies in other states. There's a calling to be a doctor.
Program: Should you trust your pharmacist?
The rules around the sale of pills and potions that promise energised blood and cleaner livers are fast and loose. No proof of actual health benefit is necessary as long as manufacturers keep the promises vague. So why are trusted health professionals giving credibility to these supplements with little or no proven health benefit? Ann Arnold asks can you still trust your pharmacist? Health, Diet and Nutrition, Pharmaceuticals, Pseudoscience, Vitamins : Looking to lose weight this year?
Program: Selling the stem cell promise
Clinics across the country are offering stem cell therapy for everything from Alzheimer's to arthritis, but some patients are coming to harm, with little evidence to support the procedures they're undergoing. Ann Arnold reports. Ann Arnold: I'm in a suburban cosmetic surgery clinic in Adelaide. The patient is getting stem cell treatment for a bad knee and it starts with liposuction. Mario Marzola: As he's settling we will prepare the tummy here with betadine.
Fair game - ABC listen
Virtual pokie games are available anytime to any age group() Gambling techniques are permeating free online and mobile app games. Social casino games that mimic real slot machines are among the most popular, with no restrictions on children playing. Ann Arnold investigates the convergence of gambling and gaming, which is rendering Australia’s interactive gambling laws obsolete. Loading This article represents part of a larger Background Briefing investigation.
Program: The battle over Sydney's heart
The eviction of social housing tenants from Sydney's CBD is nearly complete. The NSW government says it will build over a thousand houses elsewhere with the $500 million raised. But the sell-off has come at a social cost, and at the loss of an architecturally significant Sydney apartment block. Ann Arnold investigates. Social Policy, Government and Politics, Community and Society Ann Arnold: It's one of the world's most picturesque city scenes; Sydney Harbour, the Opera House, the Harbour Bridge.
Program: Battle of the brewery
Skilled workers at the Carlton and United Breweries Melbourne plant are refusing to work under an inferior wages deal struck with 3 casuals in Perth two years ago. The ACTU says bosses are gaming the Fair Work Act. Ann Arnold investigates. Abbotsford, Alcohol Education, Alcohol, Business, Economics and Finance, Industrial Relations, Work, Unions [Victoria Bitter ad] Steve Diston: The beer's running out. The beer is running out.
Program: Deep sea riches could spark Pacific mining boom
A project to dig minerals from the seabed off Papua New Guinea could signal a new era of mining in the world’s most remote and least understood environment, the deep sea. Mining companies are excited, ecologists are worried, and struggling island nations are watching with interest, as Ann Arnold writes. Loading One and a half kilometres below the sea, on the flank of an active volcano, hundreds of tonnes of machinery will carve up mineral-laden rock, and pump it to a ship on the surface.
Program: Educating Jake and Cooper
Autistic twins Jake and Cooper in their school uniforms() Many children are being let down by the education system as the rise in autism and behavioural disorders strains the resources of mainstream and special schools. Ann Arnold follows the story of 11-year-old twins Jake and Cooper, and finds serious shortfalls in the schooling options for children with disabilities. Loading This article represents part of a larger Background Briefing investigation.
Program: Back to prison
More than half the people in prison will re-offend and return, creating a huge cost burden on the public purse. But governments driven by law and order politics are unwilling to invest in reducing recidivism and in NSW a respected service that’s worked with prisoners on release for 50 years is being dropped. Ann Arnold investigates. Loading John* doesn’t recall what happened between 7.30 pm and dawn. He only remembers the start of another long night of drinking in Redfern.
Program: Why did Fazel Chegeni Nejad have to die?
Late last year Iranian refugee Fazel Chegeni was found dead outside the perimeter fence of the Christmas Island detention facility. Chegeni, whose claim for refugee status had been accepted by Australian authorities, had been brutally tortured by the Iranian regime, and was mentally ill. So why did he spend his last thousand days in detention? Reporter Ann Arnold presents an explosive story exposing the brutality of the Australian detention system.
Program: Taken to the cleaners
The exploitation of vulnerable workers goes far beyond the 7-Eleven scandal. There's a huge labour black market in cleaning and hospitality ripping off international students. Ann Arnold follows the trail of international students just trying to get paid.
Program: Clive's Territory tilt
Away from the Canberra spotlight, the Palmer United Party made an audacious play for power in the NT. Three parliamentarians joined with PUP and in doing so shook up the political status quo locally. In June Ann Arnold travelled north to investigate the new force in Territory politics. (This program was originally broadcast on 13 July 2014.) Loading Darwin is being reconstructed. Again.
Program: Odds on you lose
Watching sport with money on the outcome is exciting for some, but reports are emerging of tragic consequences as well.() Young men have taken to sports betting apps like ducks to water, and this addictive and easy way of betting is fuelling a whole new group of problem gamblers who are now being offered free bets, giveaways and tickets to keep losing.
Program: The trouble with quad bikes
They’re called the farmer’s friend, but research indicates that 15 to 20 people are killed and more than 1,000 are seriously injured each year in quad bike accidents. The industry blames rider behaviour, while safety experts say the bikes are inherently unstable and want increased safety measures. Ann Arnold investigates. Loading This article represents part of a largerBackground Briefinginvestigation.
Program: Why we're not all eating lab-grown meat
The quest to create enjoyable, successful lab-grown meat has been pursued over the past decade or two, by entrepreneurs around the globe who can see the potential for big rewards. But they have not, so far, been able to create the desired product. A reporter dives into the world of meat cells and venture capitalists. Guest: Erin Somers, writer, essayist, critic and novelist. Author of 'Where's the beef', the cover story of the September edition of Harper's Magazine.
Program: Gerontocracy - how the dominance of the old is holding America back
The wealth and power of American elders was epitomised in the US 2024 election, with Joe Biden vs Donald Trump. But elder power spreads beyond political leadership, and is preventing the US from becoming as forward thinking and economically successful as it could be, our guest argues. Guest: Samuel Moyn, the Kent Professor of Law and History at Yale University.
Program: Bruce Shapiro's USA: has Trump betrayed American beef farmers?
Our regular commentator on US politics explains why American cattle producers have a beef with President Trump. Many of them Trump supporters, they feel betrayed after he announced on Friday that he was lifting tariffs on imported ground beef. • Guest: Bruce Shapiro, contributing editor for the Nation; executive director of the Global Centre for Journalism and Trauma
Program: Wyndham Native Hospital - apartheid in Australia
Until the mid-20th century the Wyndham Native Hospital, on the far north coast of Western Australia, was an apartheid institution where Indigenous men, women and children were imprisoned, left untreated and subjected to experimental treatments without their knowledge and against their will.
Program: KPMG's trouble and strife
An expert guide to the commercial sins that have put the big consultancy under the spotlight, after more information emerged in a parliamentary hearing last week. Guest: Tom Ravlic, journalist, author and academic who has been writing about the KPMG saga for Crikey, and The Mandarin. He has previously been involved in the setting of ethical standards and accounting regulation. Exchanges of client information between divisions is one of the practices that KPMG is being criticised for.
Program: Jordan's difficult position in US-Iran war
Jordan has been trying to maintain neutrality in the Middle East war, but with a pre-existing military agreement with the US, that is proving increasingly difficult. After Iran sent missile strikes into Jordan recently, prominent Jordanian citzens have been urging the government to shore up sovereignty and neutrality. Guest: Nabih Bulos, Middle East bureau chief for the Los Angeles Times Producer: Ann Arnold Jordan's tourism has also been severely impacted by the war.
Program: Nocturnes - the magic of night music
The popularity of calming 'night' music to help people sleep is the latest iteration of compositions that reflect the coming of the night. It was composer John Field at the end of the 19th century, followed by Chopin and others, who first brought us the musical concept of 'nocturnes'. Guest: Susan Tomes is an award-winning pianist and writer, renowned as a soloist and chamber musician. She is the author of numerous highly acclaimed books, including The Piano and Women and the Piano.
Program: Blackbirding: the Australian slavery that nobody stopped
Decades after Britain abolished slavery in its colonies, an industry built on indentured labour from the Pacific quietly grew in Queensland. Workers were often duped into coming to Australia, and effectively held captive under poor conditions. Many died. A new book argues that Australian authorities turned a blind eye to this new form of slavery.
Program: Odyssey filming controversy on indigenous land in Moroccan region
The Odyssey blockbuster makes clear the colonisation and exploitation of Homer's time, but it was partly filmed in an indigenous area which Morocco occupies, but does not, according to international law, own. No consent was sought from the Sahrawi people, whose region it is, and they have received no material benefit. Guest: Sarah Yerkes, North Africa specialist, Senior Fellow, Middle East Program, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
Program: Butterfly collecting is no longer allowed
Butterfly populations have been declining since the 1960s. Butterfly collectors are also declining in number, because the practice is discouraged and in some countries illegal. Guest: Emil Leth Beiter, Danish writer and critic. Author of an essay about butterfly collecting for the Los Angeles Review of Books. Forthcoming book about collectors of various things Producer: Ann Arnold Two swallowtail butterflies. There are over 550 species of swallowtails.
Program: How British slave money flowed to colonial Australia
In 1833, slavery in the British Empire was abolished, but not without a massive compensation scheme paid out to slave owners. Some of that money flowed to colonial Australia. Two-thirds of Australia's colonial governors had links to slavery. That money helped fuel vast pastoral enterprises and build prestigious institutions. A new book examines how our supposedly 'slavery-free' nation was shaped by this money.
Program: One Nation's internal challenges
One Nation is having the most success it's ever had, but to build on that, it is having to do some rapid re-organising and skill development behind the scenes. Guest: Jordan McSwiney, Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for Deliberative Democracy at the University of Canberra. Currently a Top 5 Humanities program participant at the ABC.
Program: Did the US kill civilians in Somalia?
An investigation by The Guardian has found that a US air strike in Somalia last November, killed and injured 12 civilians, including eight children. The attack was part of the Pentagon's campaign against the Islamist militant group Al Shabaab. The US denies responsibility for the civilian casualties and has not offered compensation or medical assistance. Guest: Mohamed Gabobe, freelance reporter in Mogadishu, who worked on this story for The Guardian.
Candle shop, beauty shop, gift shop building had lots of history
A building that had housed several businesses on Isabel’s Main Street, including a candle shop, was demolished on July 1. The former Western Dakota Bank was also demolished. A new bank building on Main Street was opened earlier this year. Photo by Marie Du Preez Subscribe to continue reading Stay connected to your local news. Subscribers get full access to every story, archive, and exclusive feature — starting at just a few dollars a month. or
Program: Are Australia's new Pacific treaties built to last?
Australia has just signed new bilateral treaties with Fiji and Vanuatu, which is widely viewed as a diplomatic triumph. But what are the pros and cons of such treaties, and how do they sit with Australia's very mixed history of attempted Pacific relationships? Guest: Joanne Wallis, Professor of International Security, and director of the Stretton Institute Security in the Pacific Islands Research Program at Adelaide University.
Program: Thomas Jefferson's troubling views on race
Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the USA, drafted the words 'all men are created equal', in the US Declaration of Independence. He wanted slavery to end, but mainly because he was deeply worried about slaves revolting against the white population. He also thought the new nation would not be taken seriously if it was mixed race. He wanted to banish all black people from the US. Guest: Nicholas Guyatt, Professor of North American History at Cambridge University.
Program: From violence to manipulation: how modern tyrants wield power
Where authoritarian leaders once coerced their citizens with brute force, they increasingly employ more sophisticated forms of manipulation. Misinformation, conspiracy theories and exploiting existing fears are among the tools of trade. Guest: Assaf Sharon, Professor of Philosophy at Tel Aviv University. Co-founder and Senior Fellow at Molad: The Center for the Renewal of Israeli Democracy.
Program: Being human under the AI advance
As artificial intelligence increasingly does what humans can do, and begins to possibly rise above human capabilities, the question is 'what does being human actually mean, in this era?' Anna Goldsworthy has been thinking long and hard about this era-defining change, for the latest issue of Australian Quarterly.
Mark Schonwetter Holocaust Education Foundation Raises $180,000+ Through Journey For The Living Challenge
Founders Mark Schonwetter (center), Isabella Fiske (right of center), and Ann Arnold (far left) with Voice of Kindness recipient, Emily Loeb (far right), alongside Board Members, Claudia Oshry, Andrew & Nancy Wayne, and Sari Bochner. Co-Founder, Isabella Fiske, awarding the Voice of Kindness Award to recipient Emily Loeb, Director of the Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh MSHEF's Journey For The Living 2026 today.
Program: Spam spam spam! Why the luncheon meat is still loved in many countries
Spam may be derided in Western countries but in Asia and the Pacific it's still a beloved staple. It was created by Hormel Foods in 1937 to utilise surplus pork during the Great Depression, and became a staple of the American military diet during both the second world war and the Korean war. It's still loved in places where America had strong military bases like Hawaii, Guam, the Philippines, and South Korea, where it is considered a luxury good.
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