One week ago today, Deniliquin Pastoral Times content manager and senior journalist Zoe McMaugh marked her 20th anniversary as a member of the PT’s editorial team.
Over her two decades, Zoe has had many significant and memorable experiences in her career.
She said she has found the impact of her role particularly fulfilling.
“I’ve really enjoyed sharing people’s stories, celebrating their achievements and telling their personal stories in hopes of prompting change.
“There’s been a lot of fun stuff but also important things as well, such as being a voice for the local community.
“It’s something the Pastoral Times prides itself on, and so do I personally.”
In reporting the news and raising what is going on locally, Zoe said she has taken pride in being involved in covering several political issues alongside important personal feature stories.
“While people stories are my favourite, political stories are just as important and enjoyable in that they are the vehicle with which the community can speak to the change makers, ensure voices are heard and get things done.”
“Early on I did a lot of work and spent a lot of time with Lindsay Renwick and Bill Hetherington on really pushing for the kidney renal dialysis unit for the Deniliquin hospital, and I was really pleased when it came to fruition.
“I’ve also experienced a lot in the water sphere.
“Very early in my career here, farmers had their water compulsorily acquired by the government without compensation, and we worked with the impacted irrigators to fight for that compensation.
“This was before the Murray-Darling Basin Plan was even talked about, which is another political issue I have been reporting on since the very beginning. And some of those concerns raised in 2010 are still being talked about today.
“I was also here during campaigning for a new police and ambulance station. To see both of those built has been great.”
The Deni Ute Muster has been a highlight of Zoe’s time with the PT, and the former Deniliquin Blues Festival also held at the Muster site.
Through these, she has met and interviewed a large number of popular Australian and international acts.
Some have inspired real fan-girl moments.
“The international acts have been highlights, including a face-to-face interview with Newton Faulkiner for Bluesfest.
“I’ve also interviewed the likes of Suzi Quatro and Jimmy Barnes over the phone.
“When I was growing up, my Dad loved John Williamson so interviewing him was pretty special, and I have always been a big fan of Kasey Chambers. Meeting her was amazing.
“It became a bit of a running joke with friends and contacts that I was a celebrity stalker, as I would always take a ‘selfie’ with the famous people I would interview.”
Other memorable career moments for Zoe have included interviewing some of the nation's highest-ranking politicians she said.
But one still eludes her.
“I’m yet to interview the actual prime minister, but I have interviewed a few deputies and interviewed Michael McCormack when he was acting prime minister.
“I came close. Kevin Rudd brought his full cabinet to Deni, but I was on leave.
“Who knows, that might have been my only real chance.”
Another interesting career moment came when Zoe interviewed Chinese politicians via translator when a touring party from Guizhou province visited about investments in Murray Valley Industrial Park in 2017.
Other professional highlights for Zoe include some of the awards the PT team has won in the last 20 years.
The PT editorial team has won the Country Press NSW EC Sommerlad Memorial Award for Editorial Leadership and Community Involvement on three occasions.
And earlier this year a feature story Zoe wrote on one of Brenda Norman’s marathon swim attempts was runner-up award in Best Sports Story.
Also this year, the PT team won a runner-up award in ‘Best Special Publication’ for Southern Riverina What’s On magazine and its ‘Think B4 U Click’ campaign won ‘Best New Advertising Product’ for 2023-24.
The PT team has also won the Top Team award within the McPherson Media Group on multiple occasions.
Twenty years as a journalist has been the culmination of a long held dream to work in the media industry for Zoe.
“I’m not sure what it was that inspired me to be a journalist, but I was in Year 6 when I told my parents that’s what I wanted to be.
“I worked to that goal ever since that moment.
“While at Deniliquin High School, I actually did my work experience with the Pastoral Times in 1997.
“I also wrote for the school newsletter, which was entirely student written then.”
Zoe worked towards her dream throughout her education due to her passion for English and storytelling, despite any trials and tribulations she faced.
While she could have gone down the cadetship role, university was another life goal she wanted to tick off.
“I could have have come here straight after high school, but I wanted to gain that life experience and theoretical experience, as well as independence.”
“I did four years of university, one year at La Trobe in Wodonga before transferring to Western Sydney University and did a communications degree for three years.
“As I was finishing my final year in Sydney, a job came up at the Pastoral Times.
“I applied, and Garry Baker - who was the editor at the time and still provides me with professional guidance - was really accommodating.
“You couldn’t do Zoom interviews then, so I had to come all the way from Sydney before the school year was up.
“Garry allowed me to do my interview on a Saturday morning. By the Monday, as I was travelling back to Sydney, I got the call that I’d got the job.
“It was nice to come home, I was missing Deni.”
Zoe started with the PT on November 29, 2004, and jumped in head first.
Under the guidance of Mr Baker and then senior journalist Mel Beer she quickly learned the ropes.
Looking back on her career, Zoe said “sometimes it feels like 20 years, sometimes it doesn’t”.
But she has never regretted choosing to begin her career, and then stay, with regional media.
“I did once consider getting a start in regional media then moving to the city, but one of the benefits of a paper and community like Deni’s is that you get to know the people.
“Being invested in the people you’re interviewing and having connections with them not only helps with doing stories into the future, it also helps tell their story.
“Another thing is that people not only know me, but I’ve ben able to interview people who worked with and had associations with my Dad - people who recognise my last name and say ‘Oh yes I knew Deryk’.
“I’m a part of this community, and what’s important to this community is also important to me.”
Zoe continues to provide great impact with her reporting, representing local people and telling the stories that need to be told.