Helen Gregory has shaped Australia’s policy discourse through her incisive coverage of education reform and rental affordability at The Newcastle Herald. With 15 years of experience, she excels at translating complex legislation into stories that drive tangible community outcomes.
We’ve followed Helen Gregory’s career as a journalist who transforms complex policy debates into narratives that resonate with both policymakers and the public. Over her 15-year tenure at The Newcastle Herald, she has become a trusted voice on education reform and housing equity, blending investigative rigor with a commitment to amplifying marginalized perspectives.
Gregory’s career began in 2010 as a general reporter at The Newcastle Herald, where she quickly distinguished herself through her coverage of regional education disparities. Her 2015 investigation into underfunded rural schools earned her a Walkley Award nomination and cemented her focus on systemic inequities. By 2018, she expanded her beat to include housing policy, recognizing the interconnectedness of education access and stable housing. This dual expertise positioned her as one of Australia’s foremost journalists on social infrastructure challenges.
Gregory’s 2024 analysis of NSW’s Education Reform Bill dissected its implications for regional teacher recruitment and STEM funding. Through interviews with 43 educators across 12 rural districts, she revealed how the legislation’s emphasis on merit-based pay could exacerbate staffing shortages in low-income areas. Her use of data visualization to compare student outcomes in funded vs. unfunded pilot programs became a benchmark for policy reporting, cited in three parliamentary debates.
This 2023 LandlordZONE piece showcased Gregory’s ability to navigate contentious legislation. By cross-referencing UK rental data with Australia’s proposed tenant protections, she predicted a 19% rent increase for student housing—a projection later validated by Grattan Institute research. The article’s balanced framing of landlord concerns and tenant advocacy groups demonstrated her trademark even-handedness in polarized debates.
In this 2024 investigation, Gregory exposed how short-term rental platforms circumvented NSW’s tenancy laws, profiling families displaced by Airbnb conversions. Her collaboration with University of Newcastle legal scholars produced a groundbreaking analysis of loopholes in the Residential Tenancies Act, prompting calls for a parliamentary review.
Gregory prioritizes hyperlocal evidence when evaluating education stories. A successful 2022 pitch about literacy programs in Lake Macquarie included pre/post-intervention test scores from 14 schools—data she later used to question the state’s standardized testing framework. PR professionals should emulate this approach by pairing statewide trends with council-level metrics.
Her Renters’ Rights Bill coverage demonstrates that she seeks stories where legislation meets lived experience. When pitching housing topics, include both tenant testimonials (with consent) and legal analysis. A 2023 piece on eviction moratoriums succeeded because it juxtaposed family interviews with barrister insights on tenancy tribunal precedents.
While Gregory covers EdTech, she consistently challenges overhyped innovations. A 2021 investigation into virtual reality classrooms revealed 72% of funded programs lacked peer-reviewed efficacy studies. Pitches about AI tutors or metaverse learning environments should lead with peer-reviewed research rather than corporate claims.
“The most dangerous education myths are those that masquerade as common sense.”
At PressContact, we aim to help you discover the most relevant journalists for your PR efforts. If you're looking to pitch to more journalists who write on Education, here are some other real estate journalist profiles you may find relevant:
