Australian comedian, writer and actor Kitty Flanagan has been confirmed to deliver the 2025 Women in Media Oration, which again honours Caroline Jones AO.
Jones was an Australian radio and television journalist and social commentator who had a storied media career that spanned 50-plus years. She was a Women in Media Patron for many years. The annual Women in Media Oration is held in her honour, and aims to foster ‘stimulating discourse’, inspire positive change and highlight the importance of gender equity in media.
Flanagan, best known for her TV roles in Fisk, Utopia and Have You Been Paying Attention?, as well as her live stand-up shows and best-selling books, will deliver the oration on 28 May in Sydney.
Speaking to the decision to choose Flanagan as host, the Women in Media press release explained she is ‘the perfect voice to reflect on the ever-evolving media landscape and deliver the 2025 Women in Media Oration’ due to her signature wit and incisive observations.
Women in Media General Manager Kym Middleton, as well as the co-Chairs Anita Jacoby AM and Victoria Laurie, will be present at the oration to welcome distinguished guests and supporters.
ScreenHub: Fisk Season 3 review: funny, feel-good, fab
Kitty Flanagan: why Women in Media think she’s the perfect choice
‘Kitty Flanagan’s Women in Media Oration will be immensely special because the audience will get to see and engage with her in a very different way than we’re used to,’ said Middleton. ‘She has an incredible, even enviable, ability to engage and entertain broad audiences. This will be an unmissable evening for anyone in media and entertainment, and anyone who admires great Australian creatives.’
The event was previously hosted by Emma Macdonald OAM in 2024, with notable women in media such as Ita Buttrose in attendance.
Following last year’s sold-out Oration featuring Kate McClymont AM, the organisation expects that this year’s event will fill up fast.
Women in Media Australia is a not-for-profit charity dedicated to improving gender equality across the industry. It does this by creating pathways to inclusive and stable work, pipelines to leadership and fostering a supportive national community, so women can ‘connect, learn and flourish’ in their careers.
‘We do this because media has the greatest influence on society and culture, yet is one of the poorest performing industries when assessed by national and international gender equity metrics,’ explains the organisation in its press release. ‘It is critical we support women to thrive in the industry, return to work after any kind of leave, and be well represented at all levels, including of leadership.
‘Our community includes women working in all forms of media: arts and entertainment; advertising; communications, marketing and public relations; journalism; digital, streaming, print and broadcast; technology; policy and more.’
Women in Media has 6700 members nationwide and volunteer-run branches in each state and territory.
The Women in Media Oration will take place in Sydney on 28 May, 2025. For more information head to the Women in Media website.
More about Fisk:
Fisk Season 3 review: funny, feel-good, fab by Anthony Morris
When last we saw Helen Tudor-Fisk (series co-writer/creator Kitty Flanagan), she was moving up in the world … well, just a little. The lawyer in the brown suit wasn’t pulling down the kind of success that shatters the premise of a sitcom, but it was enough of a win that, if it was the note to go out on, it was a high one.
For a long while, ABC sitcoms had two seasons (if that) and they were done; having Fisk return to our screens was not a sure thing.
Well, aside from the fact that it was one of the ABC’s rare comedy hits, pulling in over a million viewers locally (the Season 2 finale had 1,106,000 viewers, besting a World Cup match between the Socceroos and France) and scoring an international fanbase after making the jump to Netflix.
It’s so popular, it’s even available on DVD – not a claim most recent ABC sitcoms and dramedies can make. Seems the secret to success is a charming and slightly daggy sitcom with lots of jokes: who would have guessed?
Now a name partner at the newly retitled law firm of Gruber & Fisk, Fisk is tackling wills and probate alongside Ray Gruber (Marty Sheargold), while his sister Roz (Juila Zemiro) runs Conch Mediation just down the corridor. Probate clerk and self-styled webmaster George (Aaron Chen) is still manning the front desk. Basically, it’s business as usual – at least at first.
Read more of our Fisk review …
