Why Alan Jones gave this 24-year old a weekly segment on his program

24-year-old Jessica Rouse is no ordinary young woman, she’s an up and coming radio broadcaster from the NSW Hunter Valley who’s been sharing the devastation of the drought with her listeners.
 
Already a two-time ACRA nominee, Jess is a graduate of the University of Newcastle and these days hosts Hunter Valley Today on 2NM in Muswellbrook.
 
And now she has a weekly spot on Australia’s most successful breakfast program with Alan Jones on 2GB where she’ll be sharing first hand observations of the drought facing farmers and townships in her broadcasting backyard.
 
Alan received a call from “broadcasting legend” Caroline Jones, recommending he speak with Jess, and he did just that, with Jess describing to Alan’s listeners just how bad the drought is out there.

“It’s crippling Alan, it is just heartbreaking.
 
“The farmers that I have met are just hurting so much. These people are breaking.
 
“They just want a voice and they want to know that people care. Farmers are the backbone of this country Alan and we need them.”
 
Alan was so impressed with the young broadcaster that he’s now given her a weekly segment on his program, saying, “I tell you what we’re going to do…I’m going to talk to you every week because this is the epicentre, the Hunter Valley, of the crisis that’s overtaken us.”


 
 
Jess travelled out to five farms in the Upper Hunter to interview five different families on their experiences in the drought, how it’s affecting them, and at the same time showing the faces of the real people stuck in this horrible drought. 
 
The first interview was with Jacqui and Jason from a town called Bunnan, and since being interviewed Jess says,”… they have left their property – they had no choice, the drought beat them.”


 

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