Tracey Spicer
Tracey Spicer
Mum, journalist and media commentator
Tracey, how many children do you have and what ages/sex are they?
I have a boy and a girl, 6-year-old Taj and 4-year-old Grace.
You seem to be so busy these days, writing, radio etc – tell us what you’re up to and is it what you expected you’d be doing?
It’s a crazy juggle, but it all works thanks to a wonderful husband (thought I’d better give him a plug!) and a schedule which is timed down to the second. Oh – and the occasional glass of wine, of course! I’m working as an anchor on Sky News, broadcaster for Radio 2ue, columnist for the Daily Telegraph, Sunday Telegraph, The Punch website and TV Week magazine, and travel ambassador for Holidays with Kids magazine. I also conduct media and presentation training courses for my company, spicercommunications. When I finished up at Network Ten, I hoped to be able to work across all mediums. I feel extremely fortunate to be able to do this, in an ever-changing media environment.
On a daily basis how do you manage the logistics of work and childcare?
I get up at 6am to write while hubby takes the kids to school. I then drive in to 2ue, Sky, or my city office, depending on what work is booked in that day. Then I pick up the kids at 3pm. I devote the late afternoons/early evenings to bike rides, soccer training, homework, and dinner preparation. One or two nights a week I need to do some more writing after I put the kids to bed, but I try to keep that time free for hubby.
How do you think your children view your work?
The kids think my work is quite hilarious. “You look weird on the TV, Mummy,” Grace said one day. When I asked Taj whether he might like to be a journalist like Mum or a cameraman like Dad he said, “No, when I grow up I want to be Ben 10”. The bottom line is, they’re not terribly impressed with my work!
What would you say is the most challenging element of being a working mother?
The tiredness, without a doubt. Even if I get eight hours sleep, I still feel like a truck has run over me in the middle of the night.
How do you relax?
I go to the gym very early in the morning, three days a week, to clear my head. I also enjoy reading, but I find it difficult to concentrate on a book after a long day of working and parenting. I just finished The Book Thief, which I loved. Cooking is the way I wind down at the end of the day. There’s nothing more relaxing than vigorously chopping veggies. I do a fair bit of lunch-time MC work these days. Afterwards I relish coming home, changing from the fancy frock into the trackie dacks, and getting my hands dirty in the vegetable garden.
What websites do you like to visit? Who do you think is influential or doing a great job in the online media space?
Wow, there are so many. I’m a bit of a nerd. If I had the time, I’d sit at the desk all day trawling websites. My favourites are the New York Times and The Guardian. In Australia, The Drum, The National Times and The Punch are always interesting. I also like an irreverent site called Fark, which collates oddball stories from around the world.
I notice you’ve started tweeting – what are your thoughts of that as a channel?
Tweeting has been a revelation for a Luddite like me. As a medium, it is immensely powerful. Unfortunately it has a dark side, which I recently discovered after one of my tweets was taken out of context. I became addicted to twitter after an immunisation interview I did on 2ue went viral, exposing a dangerous anti-vaccination campaigner. In the past, it would have only been heard by the audience of one Sydney radio station. As it turned out, I received thousands of emails, phone calls and tweets from scientists, doctors and researchers around the world. Richard Dawkins put me on his ‘Heroes’ page, which I found amusing.
As a journalist, it is a vital tool during a breaking story. During the Queensland floods, I was broadcasting live twitter feeds from the emergency services while on the set at Sky News. It was much quicker than waiting for the official press conference, or phone interview. There was a lot of anecdotal information from people in the streets of Brisbane as well. When I finished for the day, my boss called up and said, “Where were you getting all that information from?” It proved the value of social media in a traditional media environment.
You’ve recently become very vocal on your pro-vaccination stance. Tell us why you’ve chosen to take up this cause?
I have watched several children wracked with whooping cough. One of them vomited, turned blue and almost died. I think that refusing to vaccinate your children endangers the lives of all those around them. Furthermore, the now-debunked theory that the MMR vaccine cuses autism diverted valuable research money away from finding the real cause. Frankly, it’s criminal. What upsets me most is that some people still believe this myth.
As a woman, who inspires you?
Ah, my mum was always my greatest inspiration, may she rest in peace. She was sassy, feisty and bolshie, while still managing to be a ‘lady’. My sister is also an inspiration. She is the loveliest person you could ever meet. In the public realm I deeply admire Aung San Suu Kyi, the Burmese freedom fighter.
As a mother, what do you think you're pretty good at?
I’ve become very organised. I used to be one of those people who couldn’t organise a piss-up in a brewery, as they say. Now I run a tight ship. I really love cooking, so the kids are always well fed. And I try to make homework fun.
...and what are you terrible at?
Most other things! The kids’ clothes never match. I rarely brush their hair. We’re always running out of milk and bread.
What do you love the most about being a mum?
Actually, everything. I love being a mother much more than I expected. Frankly, I thought it would be diabolical. I adore watching them learn, hearing the funny things that come out of their mouths, and sharing their unconditional love. I guess what I love most of all is putting them to bed each night. It’s such a special, quiet time.
Tracey, finally a question all mums must face - what are you feeding your children for dinner tonight?
Our favourite: Cheesy tuna pasta! It’s basically a tin of tuna, a packet of pasta, and as many veggies as I can squeeze into the saucepan. Voila!
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