Meet Jamelle Wells, author of The Outback Court Reporter. Both a newsreader and senior court reporter for ABC, Jamelle reveals the intricate and sometimes unexpected dynamics witnessed during her time covering diverse cases in city and rural courts. She chats about the cultural differences, compelling cases, struggles of court reporting, and the importance of accuracy and fairness. Jamelle also reflects on the writing process of her latest book, sharing personal experiences that intertwined her journey.
02:18 Writing tip: Understanding the first draft 07:11 Weekly competition: WIN The Tipping Point by Dinuka McKenzie 09:04 Word of the week: Inglenook 09:43 Course highlight: Creative nonfiction 11:15 Writer in residence: Jamelle Wells 25:31 Personal journey through the regional health system 26:58 The fight for justice in regional health 27:44 The link between health and the court system 27:55 Curating experiences for the book 30:33 The dark side of country towns 32:20 The unexpected defamation case against the CWA 35:54 The role of tip-offs in court reporting 39:58 The challenges and rewards of court reporting 42:22 The importance of accuracy and fairness in court reporting 48:50 The future of court reporting 52:55 Fun fact: The use of antimetaboles
Jamelle Wells is an ABC television and radio newsreader and the senior court reporter for New South Wales. Over almost two decades she has covered some of Australia’s highest profile cases including the criminal trials of schoolteacher Chris Dawson, the inquiries into the convictions of Kathleen Folbigg for killing her four children, the criminal trials of former Labor Ministers Eddie Obeid and Ian Macdonald, the murder trials Keli Lane and Gordon Wood, Australia’s longest running terrorism trial, the Sydney Siege inquest, and inquest into the disappearance of William Tyrrell.
Jamelle is a television and radio commentator on courts and legal affairs for programs including Australian Story for ABC Television. Her first ABC book about her career covering city courts, The Court Reporter (2018) was longlisted for the prestigious Ned Kelly Australian Crime Writing Award and the Davitt Australian Women Writers Award.
