University events to honour Marcia Russell, Women’s Suffrage

16 September 2013

Two University events will honour Marcia Russell and Women’s Suffrage

The University of Auckland will hold two special events this week in honour of pioneering New Zealand journalist Marcia Russell and 120 years of Women’s Suffrage.

On Women’s Suffrage Day, Thursday 19 September, Professor Bridget Griffen-Foley will present the Inaugural Marcia Russell Annual lecture.

Professor Griffen-Foley is from the Centre for Media History at Macquarie University in Sydney. Her lecture topic, (Un)happy Families: The Murdoch, Fairfax and Packer media dynasties, will outline how the traditional spectre of the family media dynasty is under threat.

In Australia over the last 25 years, the Fairfax empire has been lost to the family, and the Packer family has transformed its media interests into a gambling and entertainment business. The Murdoch family business, which became global in the 1960s, is struggling to deal with scandals and succession. This illustrated address considers the past, present and future of the Australian media industry’s first families.

Professor Griffen-Foley says she is looking forward to her first visit to New Zealand, and is especially proud to be delivering the Inaugural Marcia Russell Annual Lecture.

“Unfortunately I never had the privilege of meeting Marcia. But of course I knew of her - through her work in newspapers and magazines, on talkback radio and in television.”

“We had a shared interest in the New Zealand-born Elizabeth Riddell, whom I interviewed in Sydney in 1995.”

Marcia’s Master of Literature thesis was a study of notable poet and journalist Elizabeth Riddell (1907-98). Riddell is known mainly in Australia where she spent most of her life, but Marcia’s thesis reveals her beginnings as a poet in New Zealand.

Marcia received her MLitt at a special ceremony last November shortly before she passed away from cancer on 1 December 2012.

Marcia received four degrees from the University in total – a BA, BA(Hons), MA and MLitt – the last three with first-class honours. Her MA dissertation dealt with New Zealand poet and journalist, Robin Hyde.

Professor Griffen-Foley will talk at the Old Government House Lecture Theatre on Thursday 19 September at 6.30pm.

The second event is the 21st Century Women in Media Conference.

Reporter Paula Penfold of TV3 will MC the event which starts with a tribute to Marcia followed by a keynote address from former Labour MP and Speaker Margaret Wilson.

Afterwards a panel chaired by Sandra Coney and including Carol Hirshfield and Claudia Macdonald will discuss Power and Danger in 21st Century Media.

The conference is on Saturday 21 September from 10am to 4pm at the University’s library basement lecture theatres. For more details and to register email suffrage13@gmail.com

ENDS

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