Kitty Flanagan Headlines an Unforgettable Women in Media Oration

It’s not every day an event lands both a gut-punch and a gut-laugh – but that’s exactly what happened at the 2025 Women in Media Oration.

This year’s Oration honoured the legacy of Caroline Jones AO with a night that was thoughtful, funny, and unapologetically honest – much like the woman at its centre.

The evening opened with a Welcome to Country from Binowee Bayles, who shared a powerful teaching passed down from her grandmother:
“Our actions today determine the kind of ancestors we will be to the children of the future. Is it up to all of us to be honourable in our intentions.”

Women in Media MC Dee Madigan welcomed guests with a message that hit home: solidarity matters, and we’re stronger when we show up, for ourselves and each other. Yes, even when the industry makes it really hard:

“Sometimes it’s downright f**king exhausting.”

And Chair Anita Jacoby AM was there to remind us what the night is all about:

“Our industry shapes society and culture. So when we improve gender equity, we positively influence Australia way beyond media.”

Enter Kitty Flanagan: who’s comedic genius unsurprisingly stole the show and proved that tributes don’t have to be solemn to be sincere:

“Bit of a change of pace this year guys. I want to tribute my longevity to a bit of talent and a lot of being in the right place at the right time. I’m a little bit obsessive, some might say annoying to work with. I’m always unhappy with what I’ve done.”

Talking about finally landing her own show Fisk, she joked:

“I think it was optics that got me across the line. It was starting to look bad that they weren’t giving a woman a crack.”

In true Kitty style, she didn’t sugarcoat hard truths either:
“Writers rooms were very male dominated. Majority of the sketches that came out were written for men. We need to put more women in the room.”

If you felt your spine straighten, you weren’t alone.  This night was about carrying the torch forward and remembering that legacy doesn’t live in plaques or polite bios, it lives in the people who keep pushing forward, keep challenging the system, and keep lifting others as they go.

As Kitty Flanagan said in her closing:
“My advice to young women is stick around. Work harder than you think you should have to, and try not to get angry or disappointed when things fall over because things fall over a lot in this industry. Basically, you just have to keep at it. Nothing is wasted. And when your ducks finally line up, and they will, enjoy it.”