Watch the episode here
On Wednesday, 12 February, I had the opportunity to spend a day behind the scenes of the ABC’s Planet America – a weekly television program where two presenters explore and comment on American politics, often using humour, satire, and sharp political commentary. The show is hosted by John Barron, a journalist and researcher known for his insightful analysis of U.S. politics, and Chas Licciardello, a comedian from The Chaser team who brings a sharp satirical edge to the program.
Photo credit: Planet America
This experience was made possible thanks to my friend’s mum, Sarah, who is a journalist and the Supervising Producer on the show. It was an incredibly insightful and exciting day that gave me a much deeper understanding of how television is produced and what goes into creating a topical, entertaining program.
I arrived at the ABC building at 10:30am and was immediately in awe of the place. I had never been inside the ABC headquarters before, and seeing the interior felt surreal – like stepping into a whole new world. The scale and buzz of the newsroom were electric. Sarah gave me a tour of the news level, and I got to see the workspaces for several other ABC programs. One of the highlights of the tour was catching a glimpse of the live news being filmed – it was amazing to witness how smoothly everything ran in real time.
After the tour, Sarah introduced me to the Planet America team, who were all warm and welcoming. I was lucky enough to sit in on the editing of one of the show’s comedic segments – the DOGE skit. Watching how it was put together gave me a huge appreciation for the attention to detail that goes into even the shorter, funnier parts of the show. Seeing how the jokes were timed and edited was fascinating.
Then came one of the most memorable moments of the day: being taken into the control room during filming. It was my first time in a control room, and I was absolutely blown away by the amount of screens, audio panels, and live feeds. I sat at the back, completely astounded, watching as the team switched between cameras, queued graphics, and coordinated the entire shoot in real time. It was like watching an intense, high-speed performance – and everything had to be spot-on.
After a quick lunch break, I returned to sit in on the editing of the full episode. This was one of the most educational parts of the day. I learnt so much about editing software, time-saving hacks, and how important it is to work efficiently under pressure. I also got a clearer understanding of how scripting, visuals, and last-minute news changes are brought together to form a cohesive and engaging episode. Every small detail matters.
Overall, this day of work experience left me with a newfound appreciation for the effort, teamwork, and creativity that go into making a show like Planet America. I learnt about the many different roles on a production team – from writing and filming to editing and directing – and how they all come together to create something entertaining and insightful. It was a valuable experience that gave me insight not only into media production but also into the importance of collaboration and timing in the creative process.
What is CAS in the IB Programme?
This experience was undertaken as part of my IB Programme for school. CAS stands for Creativity, Activity, Service and is a core component of the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme. It encourages students to engage in a range of experiences outside the classroom to develop personal and interpersonal skills. Through CAS, students are expected to reflect on their learning and growth in areas such as collaboration, ethics, and global engagement. This reflection on Planet America is one example of how CAS allows students to connect real-world experiences with meaningful learning outcomes.
