Newsreader, The - Season 3 (ATOM Study Guide)

We first met Dale Jennings and Helen Norville in 1986, when a fledgling Dale was desperate to be a star newsreader and Helen was fighting to be taken seriously as a journalist…

Now in 1989, Dale Jennings has become the most beloved name in the news. Meanwhile, Helen’s fearless international reporting has won her an opportunity to be the first woman to anchor and produce her own current affairs show.

Helen and Dale initially take pride in each other’s success, until a network move sees them pitted directly opposite each other in the cut-throat 6pm time slot. Without warning, these former allies and lovers are plunged into the most ferocious battle in commercial television, and it becomes agonisingly clear that by year’s end, only one of them will maintain their hard-earned position.

The Newsreader (2024) is an Australian television drama series created and written by Michael Lucas, directed by Emma Freeman, and produced by Joanna Werner and Michael Lucas. Season 3 continues the stories of news anchors Dale Jennings and Helen Norville as they cover era-defining local and international events in 1989 for rival networks.

Curriculum links:

The Newsreader is a recommended resource for students in Years 10–12 in the learning areas of:

• English
• History 
• Media.

Some episodes may be suitable for viewing in Year 9. The Newsreader also provides opportunities for teachers to address the Australian Curriculum General Capability of Literacy and the Cross-curriculum Priority of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Culture.