Laurel Irving
Laurel Irving
Career
Laurel Irving, 7 News Reporter
Laurel Irving began her career as a journalist in January of 2002, when she began working for Network Ten in Adelaide, Australia as a political reporter..
Laurel worked for Network Ten as a political reporter until January 2007, and then switched to working for Network Ten as an all-purpose journalist. She stayed with Network Ten until the end of the year, and then began working for Seven Network.
Being Mugged after a Live Cross
In June 2018, Irving and her cameraman were held at gun-point and mugged of their $25,000 camera after a live cross from London. Irving had just finished her live cross on Sunrise at 7 am (10 pm local time) when she was approached by masked thieves on bikes who were armed with a gun. Two men were wearing balaclavas and demanded the pair hand over their camera, which is valued at $25,000. At the time, Irving was pre-recording material for a segment later in the day, while cameraman Jimmy Cannon was filming.[30]
“I started talking into the camera and while that was happening one of them walked up to Jimmy, our cameraman, and started talking to him,” Irving told 3AW. “All of a sudden Jimmy took the camera off the tripod and that's when I stepped in and said, 'Hey, what's going on here?' "I tried to grab the camera and Jimmy said, 'No, no, he's got a gun!' So I let it go and they took off on the bike."[30]
Major Stories
Laurel Irving has covered a number of prominent stories throughout her career.
One prominent one was the Oscar Pistorius trial in 2014, which she covered for Seven Network. Irving also wrote an opinion piece on the trial, where she shared her experience of covering the trial. She was also interviewed about the case for the news site The Citizen, where she talked about how the trial in South Africa ran differently and more spontaneously than trials do in Australia.
Irving covered the events surrounding the Bali Nine story of 2005 as well. She reported on the events and aftermath for Seven News.
She reported on the Black Saturday fires in 2009 for Seven News. In a profile about herself for Seven News, she said about the story, “It was the most harrowing story I've covered. The scale of the disaster was chilling, and I saw and heard things that week which will stay with me forever. But I'm very proud of the stories I wrote on the day and in the weeks afterward." [1]
Irving reported on the Rio de Janeiro summer Olympics Games in 2016. She was present when the Australian Women's Rugby Team won gold.
Irving also reported on bushfires that burned in South Australia in 2016.
She reported on the state of the fire and the death toll.
Affiliations
Laurel Irving is a mentor for the organization Women in Media.
Women in Media state that they are "a nationwide networking and mentoring initiative to support and nurture women working in all facets of the media – from journalism and media advising to public relations and corporate affairs."
Irving also worked on the Gender Equality Strategy for the state of Victoria, Australia in 2016.
She was a panelist at the strategy's meetings and worked in order to ensure women have accurate representation in the media.
Laurel is also an Ambassador for the Warwick Cancer Foundation, an Australia based advocacy and support group for adults under 40 years of age who have cancer.
However, the foundation is currently not maintaining its regular services due to lack of funds.
The foundation is currently deciding how to move forward.
Awards
Laurel was on a team that won a Walkley Award for their coverage of the Black Saturday bushfires.
In 2011, Irving won a Quill Award for Best TV News Report for her television coverage of the Occupy Melbourne Protest in Melbourne, Australia. The judges said that she " demonstrated a mastery of the art of combining narrative and stunning images. She provided a clear timeline of the events that unfolded during the day and enhanced the report with a live update of the continuing protests."
Education and Family
Irving in Melbourne
Laurel Irving attended the University of Southern Queensland and earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree.
Laurel Irving is married to Nicholas Talbot, who is the media advisor for the Australian Department of the Environment and Heritage. They have two daughters.
Interests
Besides journalism, Laurel is interested in baking and fitness.
[1] She enjoys running along the Merri Creek River Path and working out at Goodlife Health Clubs. She likes True North coffee shop, a coffee shop in Melbourne, Australia, and Joe's Pizza, a pizza shop in Melbourne, Australia, along with Lebanese food.
Notable Quotes about Journalism
"My job is hard work, but it's an industry full of wonderfully vibrant, loud, and passionate people, and I absolutely love it.
I get to travel the world, and meet people from the most disadvantaged backgrounds, to the most powerful people on Earth.
Everyday is different, and I've witnessed incredible things."
Laurel Irving, Interview with The Gift Kit Company, 2017
"I'm passionate about women achieving equality.
We've come so far, but there are still so many areas where sexism, conscious or otherwise, holds women back.
Our communities could be much stronger if everyone reaches their potential based on merit, not sex."
-Laurel Irving, Interview with The Gift Kit Company, 2017
"The most important element is contacts.
Do lots of work experience and keep in contact, reminding the bosses you would like a job eventually.
And especially in news, aim for the regional stations first.
Not only is it much more realistic to get your first job there, it's a fantastic training ground - you have to learn to develop your own contacts, generate your own stories and work very quickly - all excellent skills you'll have for the rest of your career.”
-Laurel Irving, Interview with Seven News, 2016
"I love the variety – I have no idea what I'll be doing at the start of a day."
-Laurel Irving, Interview with Seven News, 2016