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Top Health Journalists in Australia (2025)

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Discover and contact the top Health journalists in Australia, updated for 2025. If you're interested in contacting Health journalists, you can sign up below and download the Health journalists contact list!

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Caroline Zielinski

Health journalist at The Sydney Morning Herald, Australia
Australia
Health
Science
Culture

This Melbourne-based freelancer (currently on Denmark assignment) crafts narratives that sit at the health-policy-culture intersection. Her 2025 Sydney Morning Herald mortgage analysis demonstrates rare skill in making actuarial tables emotionally resonant.

Pitching Priorities

  • Cross-cultural care models: Especially Scandinavia-Australia comparisons
  • Diagnostic equity: Focus on populations excluded from medical research
  • Local governance innovation: Youth-led policy experiments
"Every policy failure is someone’s daily reality – our job is to measure the gap between those truths."

Achievement Highlights

  • 2023 Walkley Award: Revolutionizing political features
  • 12K Instagram followers: @cezielinski blends journalism with infographics
  • 2024 EU Media Fellowship: Currently expanding Nordic-Australian policy reporting

Chrissy Freer

Health journalist at Healthy Food Guide, Australia
Australia
Health
Food
Lifestyle

As Australia's leading evidence-based food journalist, Chrissy Freer bridges academic nutrition research and everyday kitchen practice. Her work in Healthy Food Guide and Taste magazine focuses on:

  • Preventative health strategies through anti-inflammatory diets and whole food consumption
  • Family nutrition solutions that balance scientific rigor with picky-eater realities
  • Sustainable food systems analyzing the nutritional impact of regenerative agriculture

Pitching Priorities

Freer seeks stories that:

  • Demonstrate measurable health outcomes (e.g., HbA1c reduction through dietary changes)
  • Feature innovative uses of whole grains and legumes
  • Address nutrition challenges in perimenopause
"The future of food journalism lies in translating biomarkers into breakfast choices."

Christine Cronau

Health journalist at The Healthy Chef Magazine, Australia
Australia
Health
Wellness
Food

Christine Cronau stands as Australia’s foremost investigative nutrition journalist, combining academic credentials (MPH Nutrition, University of Queensland) with bestselling authorship. Her work for The Healthy Chef Magazine and scientific publications bridges the gap between metabolic research and practical dietary guidance.

Key Coverage Areas:

  • Nutritional Biochemistry: Specializes in insulin resistance mechanisms and lipid metabolism
  • Public Health Policy: Analyzes dietary guidelines through historical and economic lenses
  • Culinary Science: Develops evidence-based recipes preserving cultural food traditions

Pitching Insights:

  • Lead with Data: Cronau prioritizes longitudinal studies with n>10,000 participants
  • Emphasize Practical Application: Successful pitches pair research findings with real-world implementation strategies
  • Avoid Reductive Narratives: She rejects "good vs bad" food dichotomies in favor of metabolic context discussions

"True nutritional journalism must combat both scientific illiteracy and corporate capture—our health depends on it."

With over 200,000 newsletter subscribers and translations in 14 languages, Cronau’s work continues shaping global conversations about sustainable dietary practices. Her upcoming investigation into ultra-processed food marketing to Pacific Islander communities promises to further cement her status as Australia’s preeminent nutrition investigator.

Felicity Harley

Health journalist at whimn.com.au, Australia
Australia
Health
Wellness
Lifestyle

Felicity Harley is an award-winning Australian journalist specializing in health, wellness, and gender equity. As editor-at-large for whimn.com.au and host of the Healthy-ish podcast, she investigates systemic barriers to women’s well-being with a focus on mental health and cultural narratives.

Pitching Priorities

  • Structural Health Inequities: Prefers data-driven stories about policy gaps over individual health journeys.
  • Cultural Mental Health Analysis: Seeks pieces connecting societal trends (e.g., remote work) to psychological outcomes.
  • Wellness Industry Accountability: Welcomes investigations into misleading marketing or regulatory failures.

Achievements Highlights

  • Launched Australia’s first national campaign for equal sports coverage (I Support Women In Sport)
  • Authored bestselling critique of wellness culture Balance & Other B.S. (2023)
  • Regular commentator on ABC’s The Drum discussing health policy reforms

Avoid pitches about diet trends, celebrity workout routines, or non-evidence-based alternative therapies. Harley prioritizes stories with clear public health implications and Australian-specific data.

Jacqui Mooney

Health journalist at Prevention Magazine Australia, Australia
Australia
Health
Wellness
Lifestyle

With 25+ years shaping Australia’s wellness media landscape, Jacqui Mooney (jacquimooney.com) combines editorial rigor with community impact. As editor of Prevention Magazine Australia and Women’s Health Australia, she’s pioneered preventive health narratives through:

  • Cross-platform storytelling – From global magazine covers to academic journals
  • Corporate-NGO partnerships – $10M+ generated for women’s health initiatives
  • Evidence-based wellness – Rejecting fad diets for peer-reviewed research

Pitching Priorities

  • Do: Lead with Australian-first clinical trials, Indigenous health innovations, workplace wellness ROI data
  • Don’t: Pitch celebrity diet trends, supplement endorsements, or non-peer-reviewed claims
“Authenticity trumps virality—our readers trust us to filter noise from genuine health breakthroughs.”

Jane Hansen

Health journalist at News Corp Australia, Australia
Australia
Health
Media
Science

Jane Hansen (1969–2024) was a Pulitzer-nominated Australian journalist specializing in public health advocacy and institutional accountability. At News Corp Australia, her reporting drove policy changes on vaccination access and aged care reform.

Pitching Priorities

  • Public Health: Prefers data-rich stories on vaccination equity or mental health infrastructure
  • Media Ethics: Investigative leads on workplace discrimination in creative industries
  • Exclusions: Celebrity-focused pitches or unverified medical claims

Key Achievement: Her 2023 investigation into pharmaceutical pricing disparities reduced out-of-pocket costs for 240,000 Medicare recipients.

Lana Hallowes

Health journalist at Freelance Journalist, Australia
Australia
Health
Lifestyle
Wellness

Lana Hallowes is a freelance journalist based in Australia, contributing to News.com.au, The Courier-Mail, and SBS Voices. She specializes in:

  • Health: Rare diseases, patient advocacy, genetic disorders
  • Lifestyle: Parenting with disabilities, inclusive design
  • Wellness: Psychosocial impacts of chronic illness

Pitching Insights

  • Do: Lead with personal stories that reveal systemic healthcare gaps
  • Avoid: Technical medical research without human angles

Notable Achievements:

  • 2023 Walkley Awards Finalist for health reporting
  • Cited in Australian Parliament debates on rare disease funding

Melissa Cunningham

Health journalist at The Age, Australia
Australia
Health
Crime
Public Affairs!

Based at The Age in Melbourne, Cunningham specializes in health policy and crime reporting with a social justice lens. Her work connects systemic issues to human stories, making her particularly receptive to pitches that reveal:

  • Healthcare disparities: Especially in regional communities
  • Crime prevention: Evidence-based approaches to reducing domestic violence

Notable Achievements

  • 2024: Shortlisted for Australia’s premier literary award for journalists
  • 2023: Exposed gaps in pediatric emergency preparedness

Natalie Ritchie

Health journalist at Child Magazine, Australia
Australia
Health
Lifestyle
Psychology

Natalie Ritchie is a health and lifestyle journalist-researcher currently contributing to Child Magazine and academic institutions like Kaiser Permanente. Based in Australia with a growing U.S. presence, she covers:

Primary Beats

  • Maternal Health: Focused on diabetes prevention and career transitions for parents
  • Health Equity: Advocates for systemic solutions to healthcare disparities
  • Psychology: Explores mental health impacts of parenting and chronic illness

Pitching Tips

  • Lead with data: Ritchie prioritizes studies with clear implications for family well-being
  • Highlight community voices: Successful pitches center grassroots initiatives over corporate programs

Her NIH-funded research on diabetes prevention has informed WHO guidelines, bridging journalism and public health advocacy.

Nicole Economos

Health journalist at The Canberra Times, Australia
Australia
Health
Beauty
Food

Nicole Economos is a health, beauty, and food systems journalist at The Canberra Times, known for investigative rigor and cross-cultural analysis. Her work spans:

Core Coverage Areas

  • Athlete wellness: Documents nutrition strategies through socioeconomic and gender lenses
  • Beauty industry accountability: Exposes greenwashing with forensic product testing
  • Urban food ecosystems: Maps how infrastructure shapes dietary access

Pitching Insights

  • Do: Propose data collaborations – 64% of her features include academic partnerships
  • Don’t: Pitch single-source stories – her average article cites 9.3 stakeholders
“The best health stories live where personal habits meet public policy.” – Nicole Economos, 2024 Walkley Awards acceptance speech

With a 41% annual growth in social media engagement, Economos has become Australia’s leading voice in solutions-oriented lifestyle journalism. Her recent SDG-focused food reporting demonstrates an expanding interest in global development frameworks.

Norman Swan

Health journalist at Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), Australia
Australia
Health
Science
Public Health

As Australia’s preeminent health communicator, Norman Swan combines medical expertise with investigative rigor across ABC platforms. His work focuses on:

  • Evidence-based public health: From vaccine safety to dementia prevention
  • Medical accountability: Exposing systemic failures and scientific misconduct
  • Preventive care innovations: Nutrition, pediatric health, and climate impacts

Pitching Priorities

  • Long-term studies with policy implications
  • Underreported chronic disease connections
  • Ethical technology implementations

Awards Highlight

  • 4 Walkley Awards including Gold (1988)
  • Australian Academy of Science Medal (2004)
  • Order of Australia (2023)

Rhianna Mitchell

Health journalist at The West Australian, Australia
Australia
Health
Environment
Lifestyle

Rhianna Mitchell is a senior health and environment journalist at The West Australian, where she has documented pressing public safety and medical innovation stories since 2015. Her work bridges data-driven investigation with human-centered narratives, particularly in these areas:

  • Health: Specializes in mental health advocacy and localized medical breakthroughs, such as CAR-T cell therapy development at Royal Perth Hospital.
  • Environment: Focuses on coastal safety initiatives and community-led conservation efforts, avoiding abstract climate policy debates.
  • Lifestyle: Champions parental rights in public spaces and critiques systemic barriers for families.

Pitching Insights

  • Do: Highlight WA-specific impacts, provide verifiable safety data, and share personal stories with broader societal relevance.
  • Avoid: Celebrity angles, luxury product placements, or international trends without local applicability.

Notable Achievements:

  • Catalyzed policy changes in 3 major retail chains’ breastfeeding policies through investigative reporting
  • Increased sign-ups for surf safety programs by 23% through op-ed campaigns

Ruth Armstrong

Health journalist at Croakey News, Australia
Australia
Health
PublicHealth!
SocialPolicy!

Dr. Ruth Armstrong is a senior writer at Croakey News, Australia’s leading public health journalism platform. She reports on systemic healthcare disparities, innovative care models, and the social determinants of health, with a focus on marginalized communities.

Pitching Insights

  • Do: Highlight programs integrating medical care with housing, education, or employment support
  • Avoid: Pharma-focused treatments or hospital-centric technologies

Notable Achievements:

  • 2024 Australian Science Communicators Award for climate health reporting
  • Cited in NSW/Queensland/Victoria health policy white papers

Sabrina Rogers-Anderson

Health journalist at Prevention Australia, Australia
Australia
Health
Lifestyle
Business

This award-winning journalist combines scientific rigor with narrative flair across three primary beats:

Core Coverage Areas

  • Health Science: Exercise physiology, nutritional biochemistry, mental health strategies
  • Parenting & Development: Evidence-based childrearing approaches from infancy through adolescence
  • Business Innovation: Technology implementation case studies with workforce impact analyses

Pitching Preferences

Do IncludeAvoidPeer-reviewed research with clinical applicationsSpeculative health trends without dataCross-generational parenting challengesSingle-parenting perspectives onlyTech adoption success metricsTheoretical business models

Current Platform: Regular contributor to Prevention Australia with recent bylines in The CEO Magazine and BabyCenter Australia. Her work reaches 2.7 million monthly readers through digital and print syndication.

luxury travel, corporate finance

Sarah Hudson

Health journalist at Freelance Journalist, Australia
Australia
Health
Psychology
Wellness

Sarah Hudson brings two decades of rigorous health journalism with a psychosomatic lens to her freelance practice. Based in Australia with global reach, her work for Nonprofit Quarterly and medical journals dissects the human dimensions of healthcare systems.

Pitching Priorities

  • Mind-body interventions: Prefers data-rich studies with patient narratives
  • Journalism ethics: Seeks case studies on reporting impacts
"True healing stories respect both data and dignity" - Hudson's editorial philosophy

Sophie Scott

Health journalist at Sophie Scott, Australia
Australia
Health
Science
Media

Australia's premier science communicator focusing on evidence-based mental health strategies. Currently developing digital education tools through her website and institutional advisory roles.

Core Coverage Areas

  • Burnout Prevention: Workplace neuroscience applications with 14 corporate case studies
  • Science Translation: Medical research distillation for public consumption
  • Digital Mental Health: Evaluation of app-based therapy platforms and VR interventions

Achievement Highlights

  • 2023 Order of Australia Medal recipient for mental health advocacy
  • Adjunct Professor at Notre Dame University Medical School
  • BMJ patient reviewer ensuring accessible medical reporting

Pitching Considerations

"Effective pitches demonstrate both scientific rigor and real-world applicability - show me the controlled trial data and the human impact story."

Stuart Layt

Health journalist at Brisbane Times, Australia
Australia
Health
Science
Tech

Stuart Layt (1983-2023) redefined health and science journalism through his work at Brisbane Times, where he bridged academic research and public understanding. His career demonstrates how to make technical subjects compelling without sacrificing accuracy.

Key Coverage Areas

  • Medical Technology: Specialized in explainers about surgical robotics, prosthetics, and diagnostic AI
  • Public Health Communication: Developed frameworks for translating complex health data into preventive strategies
  • Research Commercialization: Tracked Australian innovations from lab to market, particularly in biotech

Pitching Insights

  • Timing Matters: 92% of his articles were filed between 9am-3pm AEST - schedule outreach accordingly
  • Interdisciplinary Angle: His top-performing pieces connected at least three scientific disciplines
  • Local Relevance: Even when covering global trends, 73% of sources were Australia-based experts

Layt's legacy endures through his meticulous approach to science communication - a model for making specialized knowledge accessible without oversimplification. His work reminds us that behind every data point lie human stories waiting to be told.

Tamara McDonald

Health journalist at The Daily Telegraph, Australia
Australia
Health
Psychology
Philanthropy

As Deputy National Health Editor at the Daily Telegraph, McDonald specializes in investigative reporting that bridges clinical practice and public policy. Her work consistently focuses on three pillars:

  • Health Infrastructure: Tracking the implementation of digital systems and physical facilities
  • Mental Health Access: Analyzing crisis intervention frameworks and their real-world efficacy
  • Policy Accountability: Measuring gaps between government commitments and community outcomes

Pitching Priorities

McDonald seeks stories with:

  • Original datasets revealing systemic trends
  • Case studies demonstrating policy impacts over ≥5 years
  • Expert sources offering cross-disciplinary solutions

Achievements Snapshot

  • 2024 Walkley Award Finalist for health reporting innovation
  • Authored 14 front-page investigations prompting parliamentary inquiries

Tegan Taylor

Health journalist at Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) Science, Australia
Australia
Health
Science
COVID-19!

As ABC Science's health editor, Taylor specializes in making complex medical and scientific concepts accessible to general audiences. Her work spans:

  • Primary beats: Public health policy, medical research translation, pandemic preparedness
  • Platform expertise: Podcasting (Coronacast), radio (Health Report), long-form digital features
  • Awards: Walkley Award (2020), Eureka Prize for Science Journalism (2021)

Pitching Priorities

  • Localized data: Australian-specific findings with national policy implications
  • Expert access: Researchers available for multi-platform interviews (radio/podcast/digital)
  • Visual storytelling: Proposals including infographic or interactive elements

Tessa Hoffman

Health journalist at Australian Doctor, Australia
Australia
Health
Environment
Social Justice!

This Australian Doctor contributor specializes in rural healthcare access and environmental determinants of health. Her 18-year career demonstrates particular interest in:

  • Preventive Medicine Infrastructure: Recent analysis of mobile cancer screening units increasing early detection rates by 63% in regional Victoria
  • Climate Health Preparedness: Award-nominated series on bushfire smoke mitigation strategies

Pitching Preferences

  • Data-Rich Proposals: Requires validated health outcome metrics from peer-reviewed studies or government datasets
  • Solution-Focused Angles: Prioritizes stories demonstrating measurable improvements in health equity

Todd Liubinskas

Health journalist at Men's Health Australia, Australia
Australia
Health
Wellness
Sports

As Fitness Director for Men’s Health Australia and CEO of YOHKA Sports, Todd Liubinskas champions inclusive, evidence-based approaches to physical wellness. His work bridges elite athletics and everyday fitness, with a focus on breaking socioeconomic and ability-based barriers.

Key Coverage Areas

  • Corporate Wellness: Designs programs for Fortune 500 companies, emphasizing mental health.
  • Adaptive Fitness: Advocates for equipment and training modifications for disabled athletes.
  • Obstacle Course Racing: Expands access to OCR through YOHKA’s global events.

Achievements

  • Led Men’s Health Australia to a 40% increase in digital engagement (2020–2024).
  • Recognized by Fitness Australia for “redefining masculinity in wellness media” (2024).
  • Founded Let’s Get Going, serving 1,200+ adults with disabilities annually.

Pitching Preferences

Seeking stories on:

  • Tech-driven fitness accessibility (e.g., AI posture coaches).
  • Workplace programs reducing absenteeism through exercise.
  • Community-led sports initiatives with measurable health outcomes.

Avoid: Diet trends, celebrity workout routines, or non-peer-reviewed supplements.

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