The Yarn

The Labubu craze might be baffling to some, but their relentless popularity has led to a thriving black market for counterfeits, or “Lafufus”.  This week on The Yarn, reporter Ashleigh Wyss explains how these low-quality fakes could be putting kids in danger. Her investigation on this issue was copublished by The Citizen and CHOICE. Show Notes Ashleig...

From bread tag collecting to rocket building, the first episode of The Yarn’s Passion Project series delves into the world of immersive hobbies. Across five stories, our reporters investigate interests that blur the line between leisure and purpose, and question why women are treated differently in certain fan communities.   This episode features work by Jamille Jayoma, Shaid...

Pacific  newsrooms are in crisis. US funding cuts, the rise of artificial intelligence, and constraints on press freedom are just some of the threats to the region’s journalists.    On this week's episode of News Bites, Louisa Lim discusses the future of Pacific media with Solomon Islands journalist Dorothy Wickham and Fijian journalist Shayal Devi. See omnystud...

Who gets to shape the story? That’s what journalist Nour Haydar has been asking in relation to Australian coverage of Israel’s bombardment of Gaza.   On this week’s episode of The Yarn, we’re sharing her AN Smith lecture from December 2024. It’s a searing critique of the Australian media’s double standards, and its failure to “meet the moment”.&...

First, Artificial Intelligence took our jobs. Now, it's deciding how we're recruited into the ones that are left.  For today's episode, Sarah Jensz discusses her reporting on this new—and barely regulated—industry practice. She also speaks with legal experts, including Human Rights Commissioner Lorraine Finlay, who is pushing for urgent reforms to curb algorithmic discriminat...

Thousands of Little Penguins nest along the southwest coast of Victoria, but their colonies are constantly threatened by energy companies pushing to conduct seismic surveys. Fearing these shockwaves could devastate local marine life, citizen scientist Carli Reeve rallied her community to protect them. Her grassroots campaign ultimately forced the plans to be scrapped, if only for now.  Our re...

Nature is like a time capsule. The cyclical rhythm of healthy ecosystems can outlast entire civilisations. This week on The Yarn, two environmental stories take us back to postwar Germany and prehistoric Australia. We hear how fragile ecosystems have stood the test of time — and what’s at stake if we lose them forever.   These audio documentaries were originally produced by T...

In the final episode of Distraction, we explore how a well‑timed distraction, often thought of as a mindless time sink, can become tools for mindfulness, connection, and creativity. Featuring stories by Guilia Scenna, Ying Wan, and Georgie Preston. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Whether powered by pixels or pure imagination, gaming offers players a way to forget the outside world. But when the stakes become real, is it really just a game? This week on The Yarn, we’re bringing you stories about the comforts and consequences of gaming, how it helps some players cope, and how it can leave others more drained than when they logged in. Featuring stories by Dylan Claringb...

For the third episode of Distraction, we explore the psychological benefits of hobbies — and investigate whether leisure time is divided equally.   Featuring stories produced by Elliot Rodriguez, Molly Frew, James Worsfold, and Sarah Jensz.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

They say that if something is free online, then you’re the product. So are we controlling technology, or is it controlling us?  This week on The Yarn, we’re bringing you stories from both sides of the spectrum. From the dangers of social media addiction, to harnessing technology as a tool for good.  Featuring stories by Brandon Kearns, Ellen Cutler, Yuqi Zhao, and Yang Li. Se...

The first episode of our Distraction series is about wayward attention and the struggle to focus. This week, our producers navigate ADHD, limit screentime, and question whether the solution to distracting technology can come from technology itself.  This series was made in collaboration with the Science Gallery for their new exhibition, which is open now. Today's stories were produced by Rick...

Exiled Russian journalist Mikhail Zygar says the Russia-Ukraine war is far from over. He believes Vladimir Putin is prolonging the conflict to fuel propaganda and silence critics.  This week on The Yarn, we’re sharing Zygar’s 2025 AN Smith Lecture—Journalism Against Autocracy. Addressing a sold-out audience at Melbourne University, Zygar recounts covering Putin’s Russi...

Who do you think of when you think of an Australian pioneer?  Maybe Fanny Finch, the first woman to vote in Australia, who was also a woman of colour.  Or perhaps Rosaleen Norton, also known as the Witch of King's Cross. These are the trailblazers whose stories Dr Corey Martin is telling in her podcast, Maiden Australia. In this episode of News Bites, she discusses feminist approaches to...

It’s been called “a win for the ages”. Anthony Albanese is Australia’s first prime minster to win consecutive terms in more than two decades. His landslide victory has left the Coalition reeling, especially in major cities like Melbourne.  For the final episode of Voters’ Voices, we’re focusing on Melbourne’s swing towards Labor. We’re also...

Ahead of Australia's federal election on May 3rd, we’re bringing you another episode of Voters’ Voices.  This week we're focusing on Marginal Melbourne — the city’s most tightly-contested electorates. Our reporters investigated the seats on a knife’s-edge this year and the hot-button issues that could decide their futures.   Featuring pieces by Ruby Perryman...

Last week, we focused on young, disaffected voters ahead of the federal election on May 3rd. For episode two of Voter’s Voices, our reporters zoomed out. They went to a broader mix of voters, from retirees to small business owners. They found values were front of mind this year – like political honesty and social and environmental concerns.    Featuring reporting by...

Ahead of Australia's federal election on May 3rd, we're launching a new series — Voters’ Voices. Episode one is all about what young voters really care about.   Gen Z and millennial voters will outnumber baby boomers for the first time this year. It’s being called a cost-of-living election and our reporters investigated whether that’s true. They learned that young Aust...

After more than a decade apart, a disabled 14 year old in Indonesia will be reunited with his parents in Australia. Despite being born in Melbourne, Jonathan Lumintang was later denied residency due to his cerebral palsy. A ministerial intervention has allowed him to stay — but other families aren’t as lucky.    Our student Kristian Oka Prasetyadi reported on this issue for T...

Australia's first ever Christian terrorist attack — that's how Queensland police classified the 2022 mass shooting in the rural township of Wieambilla. This week, producer Kirralee Nicolle revisits the incident in detail. She explores how Christian fundamentalism can turn deadly, especially in tandem with online conspiracies and mental illness. This episode contains a high degree of violence...

Today we're focusing on the ties between the University of Melbourne and weapons manufacturers. While the University has downplayed these ties, our reporter James Costa has found it’s still pursuing new defence partnerships. In particular, the university is spruiking its forthcoming inner-city campus at Fisherman's Bend. The University’s behaviour during student protests last year has...

We’re continuing our centenary celebrations by revisiting highlights from our News Bites series. Over the last three years, we’ve featured more than 40 of Australia’s top journalism experts.  These include newspaper editors, podcasters, war journalists, and our very own staff. Today you’ll hear some of their top tips for aspiring journalists, from making your first pit...

Today marks the 100th episode of our award-winning student podcast, The Yarn. In the three years since we started, we’ve featured work from 151 emerging journalists and won the Climate Award at the Australian Podcast Awards.  To celebrate our centenary, we’re revisiting the highlights from our environmental reporting. From the centre of a bee swam to a trip along the Murray River,...

Intimidated, lucky, chaotic: this is the emotional rollercoaster of the first days working in a newsroom. This episode is our survival guide to starting out in journalism, as delivered by three of our graduates. Gwen Liu from the Ballarat Courier, Harry Sekulich from the Daily Aus, and freelancer Wing Kuang speak to Senior Tutor Bernadette Nunn about how to survive and thrive when starting out in...

The Baillieu Library is the largest library here at the University of Melbourne. Walking through the library, the shelves are filled with books on everything from philosophy and history, to science and computing, all from a Western Eurocentric perspective. But the library also holds one of the largest collections of Rare East Asian books and materials in the Southern Hemisphere.  Throughout this e...