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.
Key Achievement: Her 2023 investigation into pharmaceutical pricing disparities reduced out-of-pocket costs for 240,000 Medicare recipients.
Jane Hansen’s career spanned three decades, marked by fearless reporting and a commitment to social justice. Beginning as a war correspondent during the Bosnian and Iraq conflicts, she honed her ability to navigate high-stakes environments. Her transition to domestic reporting at A Current Affair (Nine Network) saw her tackle crime, education, and child protection issues, earning recognition for her empathetic storytelling.
In 2008, Hansen co-authored the anonymously published Boned, a novel critiquing systemic sexism in Australian television. The book’s 2017 attribution to Hansen and Fiona McKenzie solidified her reputation as a whistleblower for gender equity. Her later work at News Corp Australia focused on public health advocacy, notably the No Jab No Play campaign, which influenced national vaccination policies.
This retrospective analysis highlights Hansen’s investigative rigor in exposing institutional failures. Her 18-month coverage of Kathleen Folbigg’s wrongful conviction case combined forensic science reporting with critiques of judicial bias, contributing to Folbigg’s eventual pardon. The article underscores Hansen’s method of intertwining data-driven analysis with human narratives to drive policy change.
Hansen’s final byline documented her own battle with brain cancer, merging personal narrative with medical reporting. She detailed gaps in Australia’s neuro-oncology research funding, leveraging her platform to advocate for increased NIH investments. The piece exemplified her lifelong approach: using individual stories to illuminate systemic issues.
Hansen prioritized initiatives demonstrating measurable community impact. Her No Jab No Play coverage consistently highlighted regional vaccination rate disparities. Successful pitches should include hyperlocal data visualizations and interviews with grassroots organizers rather than solely expert commentary.
Her work on media gender bias and judicial reform shows a preference for systemic critiques backed by whistleblower testimonies. Pitches about corporate or governmental misconduct must include documented paper trails and diverse source networks.
Hansen’s glioblastoma reporting centered on patient experiences in clinical trials. Effective pitches should connect technical innovations to individual narratives, particularly those addressing healthcare access disparities.
“She had the ability to connect with people, sharing their stories, their struggles, and their victories.” – Colleague at News Corp Australia
Walkley Award for Investigative Journalism (2016): Awarded for her series on aged care neglect, which combined undercover footage with financial audits of care providers. The investigation prompted two parliamentary inquiries and stricter staffing regulations.
Australian Mental Health Prize Nomination (2021): Recognized for destigmatizing postpartum depression through her podcast Mother’s Guilt, which featured raw interviews with 150+ mothers and psychiatric experts.
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 Health, here are some other real estate journalist profiles you may find relevant:
