Matthew Knott
Matthew Knott tracks how foreign policy and national security decisions reverberate through domestic politics, focusing on the way global crises, defence choices and diplomatic disputes shape the agendas of Australian leaders. He covers foreign affairs and national security for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, giving sustained attention to the intersection of international power politics, defence strategy and the political debate at home.
Foreign policy and Australia’s place in the world
Knott’s recent coverage centres on Australia’s diplomacy and its positioning in an increasingly contested international environment. He reports closely on the government’s approach to key allies and rivals, including pieces on the prime minister’s balancing act ahead of a meeting with Donald Trump and whether leaders need to “grovel or kowtow” to secure influence with a future US administration. His work regularly examines Australia’s stance on Israel and Palestine, such as reporting on Gareth Evans rejecting claims that recognising a Palestinian state would “reward” Hamas and coverage of the prime minister’s criticism of the Netanyahu government against calls for stronger action.
He follows multilateral diplomacy as well, including the coordinated moves of Penny Wong and other foreign ministers who say they cannot support constrained aid delivery models proposed by the Israeli government.
His foreign policy reporting often highlights the political and strategic calculations behind public positions.
He has written on Australia’s reluctance to join international efforts to sanction Israeli politicians, explaining how legal, diplomatic and domestic political pressures shape the government’s options. In the Pacific, his coverage of the surprise elevation of Matthew Wale as Solomon Islands prime minister assesses why the change is considered “a win for Australia” while stressing that the strategic challenge posed by China remains.
These stories show a consistent focus on Australia’s alliances, regional relationships and the way leaders weigh values against security interests.
Defence, security and the politics of the military
Knott devotes substantial attention to defence policy and the politics surrounding Australia’s military posture. He has reported on the contest between German and Japanese firms competing for a multibillion-dollar contract to build new warships for the Australian navy, unpacking how industrial capability, alliance politics and procurement processes converge in a single decision.
His coverage engages with think-tank critiques, including reporting on the Australian Strategic Policy Institute’s warning that government choices risk creating a “paper” military and the prime minister’s angry response to that characterisation.
He also covers defence estate and asset decisions, such as reporting that historic Australian defence properties are poised to be sold to raise an estimated $1.3 billion. On national security and law enforcement, he has written about the Australian Federal Police commissioner’s view that the leaker behind Ben Roberts-Smith’s arrest should face consequences, connecting military history, defamation litigation and the politics of accountability in security agencies. His on-the-ground work extends to conflict zones; he has travelled to Israel and the West Bank as a defence correspondent to report on the region ahead of major escalations. Across these pieces, Knott treats defence and security not as isolated technical fields but as contested political arenas where strategy, budgets, industry and ideology collide.
Israel, Palestine and contentious security stories
Israel–Palestine coverage is a recurring thread in Knott’s reporting, and he often grapples with the political and media risks around contested security narratives. He has written about unlikely allies such as Gershon Baskin and Samer Sinijlawi, presenting them as speaking “as one” about prospects for peace in the Middle East and locating their efforts within broader diplomatic shifts, including the role of the US president.
His work has also been at the centre of internal and external scrutiny: a front-page story on an alleged Hamas endorsement of rallies was later dissected in detail in a timeline of The Sydney Morning Herald’s “botched Hamas scoop,” highlighting how reliance on flawed sources can give contentious claims outsized prominence. That episode underscores his proximity to high-stakes security stories and the level of public attention his reporting can attract.
Knott continues to cover how Australian leaders respond to the Gaza conflict and broader Middle East tensions, focusing on aid debates, sanctions, recognition of Palestinian statehood and the diplomatic costs of different positions. His reporting in this area blends policy detail with an awareness of how rapidly evolving events and information environments test newsroom verification and political judgment.
Political features, commentary and long-form reporting
Before specialising in foreign affairs and national security, Knott reported more broadly on politics, education and communications, building a base in policy-focused coverage. He has written reflective political features such as a piece about shared hopes for same-sex marriage with a senator, using personal narrative to illuminate how Parliament House runs on self-interest and how relationships between politicians, staffers and journalists shape outcomes.
During his time as a US correspondent for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, he covered the Trump administration, presidential campaigns and the social strains revealed by American politics, later farewelling what he described as the “madness and sadness of America” in an essay marking the end of that posting.
Knott’s interest in deeper, slower reporting is also noted in a professional profile that discusses his desire to move beyond fast daily pieces to longer, more analytical work on politics. Within the masthead, he now writes a mix of news analysis, reported features and commentary on foreign affairs and national security, often connecting discrete events into broader narratives about shifting global orders, trade policy and Australia’s strategic choices.
He occasionally steps outside hard politics and security to write essays on subjects such as punctuation and the semicolon, demonstrating a capacity for accessible explanatory writing even on lighter topics.
Across these strands, what distinguishes Knott is his sustained focus on how foreign policy, defence and security controversies feed into domestic political debates, and his willingness to work both in day-to-day coverage and longer-form narratives. His reporting is most active where high politics meets strategy: defence deals, alliance management, conflict zones and the contested stories that shape public understanding of national security.
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