Jake Sturmer

Career Trajectory: From Regional Reporting to International Impact

Jake Sturmer has built a distinguished career as a multimedia journalist specializing in environmental, scientific, and technological stories with societal impact. His trajectory spans:

• Early Career Foundations (2008-2013): Began at ABC Perth covering Western Australian politics and breaking the Katanning Hostel child abuse scandal
• National Science & Technology Correspondent (2013-2017): Reported on Australia’s climate policies and tech innovation
• Tokyo Bureau Chief (2017-2023): Investigated Fukushima’s nuclear legacy and Japan’s social crises
• Perth-Based Correspondent (2023-Present): Focuses on political accountability and environmental challenges in the Indo-Pacific region

Defining Works

• Tracking WA’s Political Donations (2025) This investigative piece created Australia’s first live dashboard tracking real-time political donations, combining data journalism with policy analysis. Sturmer collaborated with data engineers to process complex financial disclosures, revealing corporate influence patterns in Western Australian politics. The project’s interactive design set a new standard for electoral transparency reporting, cited by 12+ media outlets during the election cycle.
• Flying Solo: Japan’s Loneliness Epidemic (2023) Sturmer’s 30-minute documentary examined Japan’s declining marriage rates through intimate profiles of single residents and government demographic data. By contrasting traditional family structures with modern urban isolation, the piece contextualized population decline as both cultural shift and economic crisis. Its viral success (4.3M YouTube views) demonstrated his ability to humanize complex sociological trends.
• Cross-Border Custody Battle (2024) This exclusive investigation revealed systemic flaws in international child custody agreements through the case of an Australian journalist detained in Japan. Sturmer obtained court documents from three jurisdictions and conducted interviews with diplomatic sources, highlighting legal conflicts between Western individual rights and Japanese family law traditions.

Pitching Recommendations

1. Environmental Policy in Asian Industrialization

Sturmer consistently examines how Pacific Rim nations balance economic growth with ecological preservation. His Fukushima coverage [ABC, 2021] analyzed radiation monitoring tech, while recent WA election reporting [ABC, 2025] connected mining donations to environmental deregulation. Pitches should focus on policy conflicts between industry and sustainability, particularly in Australia-Japan resource partnerships.

2. Technology in Crisis Response Systems

With 8+ years documenting disaster management systems, Sturmer seeks innovations that address specific regional challenges. His analysis of Japan’s earthquake early-warning tech [Foreign Correspondent, 2020] demonstrated this focus. Relevant angles include AI for bushfire prediction or robotics in nuclear decommissioning.

3. Demographic Shifts in Developed Economies

The journalist’s award-winning work on Japan’s aging population [ABC, 2023] established him as a leading analyst of demographic economics. Pitches should connect population trends to labor markets or urban planning, particularly comparing Australian and Asian approaches.

Awards and Recognition

Walkley Young Australian Journalist of the Year (2012)

Sturmer received this prestigious honor for his investigation into systemic abuse at Western Australia’s Katanning Hostel. The Walkley Foundation noted his “relentless sourcing of survivor testimonies” that prompted a state inquiry. This award recognizes Australia’s most promising journalists under 30, with previous winners including Pulitzer finalists.

WA Media Award for Best Current Affairs (2011)

His early coverage of WA’s mental health system reforms earned this regional accolade. Judges praised Sturmer’s ability to “translate bureaucratic decisions into human impact stories,” a skill that remains central to his reporting on complex policy issues.