Local weather presenter Jenny Woodward honoured for 40 years of forecasting

After four decades of guiding Queenslanders through the state's ever-changing weather, a respected local journalist has been recognised for her outstanding contribution to the field.

A well-known weather presenter has been awarded the state's Most Outstanding Contribution to Journalism prize at the Queensland Clarion Awards in Brisbane.

A remarkable career

The award acknowledges a remarkable career in broadcast journalism that has made her one of the country's most trusted and respected voices.

A Brisbane native, her career in journalism began at a commercial TV station in Toowoomba in the 1970s, where she worked on kids' and special event television.

She began presenting the weather in 1975 at a Toowoomba local TV station.

“As humans we all love stories and I am taking scientific data, lots of specific weather terms which can be a little dry,” she said.

“So I want the audience to understand what's happening, but not overwhelm them with the detail.”

Early days of weather presenting

By 1987, she was presenting the news weather alongside a news presenter and a sports presenter.

In those days, the job would require a dash into the city to pick up charts from the Bureau of Meteorology and a chat with a forecaster, before racing back to the studio to go to air.

“There were three camera operators in the studio and a floor manager to give us our cues,” she said.

The fax machine soon made things easier, and the technological advancements did not stop there.

“Now the cameras are robotic, and we take our cues through an earpiece,” she said.

“But what hasn't changed … I still talk to someone at the bureau every day and I still head into the studio and report the day's weather as best I can.”

Becoming a household name

Along the way, it has become standard to send weather presenters to all sorts of locations — a development that has seen her become a familiar face at the Brisbane Ekka.

“It's chaotic, unpredictable, very noisy and fun. I know the audience is just waiting to see if the animal is going to bite me or pee on me,” she said.

“Often they do both.”

Nowadays, she stands by a graphical map developed by a company and projected with a green screen, walking audiences through forecasts that have widened in scope and tightened in accuracy.

Her curation of audience-submitted photographs of stunning weather formations and beautiful Queensland landscapes has become a staple of her presentation.

“I look at every photo that comes in and I love seeing what takes people's interest,” she said.

“Often they send me a little story about it, and that makes me feel like I am part of their day.”

She said it's storytelling, not statistics — and “weather is a constantly changing, evolving story”.

“I really believe that as a reporter, if you are not engaged with your material then you can't expect the audience to be either. Although in this story, we all have a personal interest,” she said.

“And it's always about the audience. We are nothing without them.”

Awards and recognition

She is no stranger to awards, having been handed a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for her service to broadcast media.