Tracey Spicer
Journalist, newsreader, media trainer, MC and keynote speaker with The Fordham Company.
Articles by Tracey Spicer
If you really want to help the sisters, keep your gear on
Next week New Idea will feature a half-naked George Calombaris on the cover. “I want to be a role model…... Read more
Txt n drive, yr a bloody idiot
It was a performance worthy of a Guinness World Record. Barreling along Sydney Road Fairlight, the truck driver was texting…... Read more
We all need to tune in, turn off and chill out
Ah, the holidays. How good is it to relax on the couch to watch the cricket and – hang on,…... Read more
Meet the Ugly Australian
The ugly Australian is alive and well and holidaying in South East Asia. Right now he or she is probably…... Read more
What’s wrong with a little Christmas spirit?
The principal of a school in Sydney’s west is the Grinch who stole Christmas. Imagine the confusion on the faces…... Read more
Christmas takings are more important than giving
Well, ho, ho, ho. Talk about Christmas spirit. The big department stores are accused of exploiting Christmas by charging more…... Read more
Warring tribes mean moderates are left right out
One potato per family: First come, first served. That was the instruction to volunteers distributing food in dirt-poor Arizona last…... Read more
Aisle be damned if I’ll cop this not so super marketing
Forget about the 3 Rs. In schools these days it’s all about the 3Cs: Consumerism, Capitalism, and Coles. Store managers…... Read more
My confession: I kissed the boss! ;-) xoxoxo
I kissed my boss yesterday. It felt weird. I regretted it immediately. But I’d already clicked “Send”. There was no…... Read more
Modern mums are racing back to work too soon
Babies have a nasty habit of getting in the way of your career. Just ask Shelley Craft. The host of…... Read more
And now, a word from Tracey Spicer’s sockpuppet
I’m thinking about making a sockpuppet. Not like the one on the Telstra ad – although that is kinda cute.…... Read more
Quit leveraging your dialogue
“OK before we get going, I’d like to unpack some issues. What I want from you is blue sky thinking,…... Read more
Japan’s tragedy reveals the true cost of nuclear energy
The image of a child surrendering to be tested for radiation poisoning in Japan is heartbreaking. It reminds me of…... Read more
Dear God: Get the hell out of our schools!
Whatever happened to the separation of church and state? I know, it’s actually the “principle of state neutrality” but let’s…... Read more
A fine line between reporting and milking a family’s grief
The dramatic return of 60 Minutes on the weekend raises new questions about so-called “death knocks”. In the first story,…... Read more
Dropping the C-bomb is no longer a cunning stunt
Are you offended by the C-word? Had I asked that question a decade ago, the answer would probably have been…... Read more
Saved by the social network
I woke last Thursday morning wondering whether my sister was dead or alive. That day, the Brisbane River was expected…... Read more
New Year’s resolutions we’d all like to see…
What’s your New Year’s Resolution? Do you even subscribe to that sort of thing? Mine was to stop drinking so…... Read more
Throwing away the chance to be the centre of the universe
Australia could lose its bid to host the World Cup of science, accused of being “cheap” and “arrogant”. Although it’s…... Read more
Schoolyard Star Wars: nerds versus bullies
In the battle between the nerds and the bullies, a seven-year-old girl is striking back. Katie wears glasses and likes…... Read more
Boat people bashing has become a national sport
It seems boatpeople bashing has once again become a national sport. Pauline Hanson must be proud of the continuing work…... Read more
Wonder Woman meets a babe in a burqa
Wham bam! Islam! DC Comics is about to publish a series in which the Justice League of America fights crime…... Read more
I like to watch
If the Commonwealth Games doesn’t go ahead, we have a substitute in our own backyard. And it doesn’t cost a…... Read more
Tracey L Spicer reflects on the rise of the middle initial
I don’t know whether you’ve noticed, but there’s a dangerous outbreak of M.I.S. in Australia at the moment. It first…... Read more
The indies should be asking about the WeetBix
I don’t know about you, but I feel beaten over the head by the demands of the four Independents. What…... Read more
Embittered Latham takes our democracy for granted
There are some things that can’t be measured. Like one vote one value; a government of the people, by the…... Read more
Julia Gillard and the problem with women
It’s like waking up after a one-night stand and wanting to chew your arm off. Twice. Our flirtations with Kevin…... Read more
Editorial content should not be up for sale
This column is proudly brought to you by BMW. Or Mercedes Benz. Or Holden (if I’m desperate). Advertising and editorial…... Read more
Baby Zoe: why can’t a foetus be a victim of crime?
The first story I covered as a court reporter was about the point at which life begins. It was a…... Read more
Breast form of attack: the stupid war between women
I’m sick and tired of women turning on each other. Why do we do this to ourselves? I don’t expect…... Read more
Speaking of airlines: Up, up and away
Next year, airlines plan to charge passengers to breathe. It will be 36c for a short, sharp breath – the…... Read more
What does Tracey Spicer think of this column?
Is it just Tracey Spicer, or are there a lot of people referring to themselves in the third person these…... Read more
Mark Webber you are a knob
Memo Mark Webber: Go back to the Motherland. We don’t want your insensitive, ignorant and thoughtless comments here. Webber tipped…... Read more
Atheists can do better than saying believers are stupid
If there is a God, he’d be rubbing his hands with glee at the rise of radical atheism. The pompous…... Read more
Fee-paying uni students bully academics for good marks
There’s a hidden epidemic of bullying in Australia – and it’s not in the schoolyard. The corporatisation of universities has…... Read more
The threat to Aussie steak
Lost in the aftershocks of the home insulation scandal is a story with deadly implications for beef farming in Australia.…... Read more
Child protection trumps rights of divorced parents
Six-year-old Naomi wants to kill herself after being repeatedly sexually abused since the age of two. Her mother Debbie says…... Read more
Abbott’s message to migrants too incendiary by half
Tony Abbott’s incendiary comments about immigration could ignite an Australia Day tinderbox. Speaking last week at an Australia Day Council…... Read more
The cost of inaction? Babies exposed to toxins
Sometimes you wonder whether you’re living in a parallel universe. Like that South Park episode where Cartman is nice all…... Read more
Our politicians’ New Year’s resolutions
As tumbleweeds roll through the corridors of power, federal pollies are working feverishly on their New Year’s resolutions. If you…... Read more
The font of all knowledge
I have a confession to make: I’ve been having an affair. Not the Tiger Woods type. The font type. Like…... Read more
Work life balance could be Joe’s greatest battle
If Joe Hockey wins the leadership of the federal Liberal Party, the biggest loser will not be Malcolm Turnbull. Nor…... Read more
Teachers are in the mood for seeing league tables
A funny thing happened on the way from the last week’s Principals Forum with Federal Education Minister Julia Gillard. Listening…... Read more
Public figures want it both ways on privacy
It is grossly hypocritical of Paul Keating – or anyone else in the public eye – to complain about the…... Read more
Harrowing letter explodes the family law debate
The planned rollback of the controversial Shared Parenting Law is not an attack on men’s rights. Nor is it a…... Read more
Newsreading and women: we’re our own worst enemies
Once again women are proving to be their own worst enemies. With Chris Bath likely to be named the first…... Read more
We’ll let people starve to death but not go painlessly
The term ‘good death’ seems to be an oxymoron. But for those who’ve cared for a terminally ill loved one,…... Read more
As military dictators go Bainimarama ain’t that bad
If there was an award for ‘most popular military dictator’ Commodore Frank Bainimarama would win hands down. Muammar al-Gaddafi came…... Read more
Is there a quitline we can ring for telephone addiction?
Mobile phones are the new cigarettes. Not when it comes to cancer, of course. That’s still unproven, according to mobile…... Read more
At last, a voice for the latest victims of Chinese brutality
The Uyghurs need a good spin doctor. These forgotten people of northwest China are the Tibetans the world doesn’t care…... Read more
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Recent posts
The latest and greatest
The Punch is moving house
Good morning Punchers. After four years of excellent fun and great conversation, this is the final post…
Will Pope Francis have the vision to tackle this?
I have had some close calls, one that involved what looked to me like an AK47 pointed my way, followed…
Advocating risk management is not “victim blaming”
In a world in which there are still people who subscribe to the vile notion that certain victims of sexual…
Nosebleed Section
choice ringside rantings
From: Hasbro, go straight to gaol, do not pass go
Tim says:
They should update other things in the game too. Instead of a get out of jail free card, they should have a Dodgy Lawyer card that not only gets you out of jail straight away but also gives you a fat payout in compensation for daring to arrest you in the first place. Instead of getting a hotel when you… [read more]From: A guide to summer festivals especially if you wouldn’t go
Kel says:
If you want a festival for older people or for families alike, get amongst the respectable punters at Bluesfest. A truly amazing festival experience to be had of ALL AGES. And all the young "festivalgoers" usually write themselves off on the first night, only to never hear from them again the rest of… [read more]Gentle jabs to the ribs
Superman needs saving
Can somebody please save Superman? He seems to be going through a bit of a crisis. Eighteen months ago,… Read more
