LIVE EVENT REPORTING

Since the age of 11, Lisa Martin has wanted nothing more than to be a Journalist. Her journey to get where she is now, a four-time Walkley finalist, has not been without its challenges though.

According to the Committee to Protect Journalist, 14 journalists have been killed this year when working on assignments.

“In 2015, I was close to becoming another statistic,” she said to a room full of first year journalism students, all who were attending the What Price Would You Pay event at RMIT University on Thursday night.

Dressed in a floral silky dress and brown ankle boots, Lisa sat comfortably in her chair as she talked about her personal near-death experience.

Working on an assignment in Papua New Guinea, Lisa was in a car with three Canberra Press Gallery members when a Raskol criminal gang attempted to carjack them.

“I knew that we were in serious danger,” she said.

Using her hands as she spoke, she frantically described the “extraordinary” moment they managed to get away. Thanks to Lisa’s photographer-colleague who “drove like a stunt man in a movie” and an off-duty cop she calls “their guardian angel”.

They finally arrived safely at their hotel two hours after the incident. But the stress over the event did not go away, “I was just shaking like a leaf”, she said.

This event resulted in Lisa dealing with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder symptoms for a good six months.

“That event will stay with me for the rest of my life,” she said.

According to SANE Australia, about 25% of people exposed to traumatic events will develop PTSD and 12% of people living in Australia experience it in their lifetime.

“I was ready to pull the plug on journalism and even considered opening a chocolate shop,” she said lightheartedly to the audience.

The decision to leave journalism is one Lisa is glad she didn’t make.

When the Moderator of the event, Lauren Molan, questioned if it was worth it, Lisa did not hesitate to say “Absolutely!”.

“A lot of good things have come out of it,” she said.

Lisa used her stories from the women shelters she visited and the traumatic incident to raise money for domestic violence victims in Papua New Guinea.

“I now have this extra special relationship with the place,” she said proudly.

It is through experiences like this that have encouraged Lisa to continue to write on stories that deserve to be heard.

To work in journalism at her level is a “privilege”, she said.

And despite being aware of the impact her bold career decisions have on her family, what keeps Lisa going is her “thirst for adventure”.

“I can’t imagine doing anything else and yes, 2015 was a difficult year but I am so much stronger and more resilient than I ever imagined I could be,” she said.