Nick Newling
Nick Newling connects finance, politics and the wider economy with lively, accessible reporting that traces how decisions in boardrooms and parliament translate into real-world consequences for markets and households for The Age and its sister masthead. He gravitates to inflection points where currencies, equities and businesses pivot on policy shocks or global events, then breaks down the mechanics in plain language. Across straight news and feature formats, he leans on strong narrative framing, human detail and clear explanation rather than technical jargon.
Markets, currencies and economic shocks
Newling covers market-moving events with a focus on cause and effect, tying global dynamics to local financial outcomes. In coverage of the Australian dollar falling to its lowest level in years during a trade confrontation between major economic powers, he links the currency move directly to escalating tariffs and political brinkmanship, and spells out what that means for the wider economy.
In a piece on a $100 billion surge in local equities after the pause of planned import tariffs, he charts the rapid swing from investor fear to frenzy, using clear milestones and quotes from key officials to anchor the story. His work on inheritance trusts and a policy backflip on so-called “death taxes” extends this economic lens to tax and wealth planning, explaining which structures remain exposed and how changes in law intersect with family finances.
Across these pieces, he treats markets less as abstract tickers and more as the visible output of political decisions and global power struggles.
Business stories and household finance
Alongside pure markets coverage, Newling reports on business narratives that illuminate how companies and consumers navigate shifting economic conditions. His profile of a books retailer told they were “screwed” before later steering the chain toward its 100th store uses one business leader’s story to show how a physical retail brand can grow against sector-wide consolidation, weaving in store counts, expansion plans and the broader context of shrinking chains. The inheritance trusts coverage similarly sits at the intersection of policy and household decision-making, focusing on how tax changes reshape the options for families managing estates and intergenerational wealth.
These pieces emphasise resilience, adaptation and the practical impact of regulatory and market pressures on everyday financial choices.
Federal politics and live coverage
Newling works on federal politics coverage that tracks how campaigns and policy debates feed back into economic and social outcomes. He contributes to live blogs following a national election campaign, where he steers morning coverage through developments ranging from “gotcha” questions on inflation to disputes over hate media and funding promises for housing. His professional role spans federal politics reporting across The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, placing him at the junction of parliamentary manoeuvres, economic management and public services. The live format showcases his ability to synthesise fast-moving events into crisp updates, while maintaining a line of sight to issues such as cost-of-living pressures and the fiscal commitments embedded in campaign announcements.
This political work reinforces the recurring thread in his reporting: policy choices are not abstract - they land in markets, budgets and community life.
Culture, sport and social trends
Newling also produces feature and list-driven pieces across culture, sport and social media that share the same explanatory, accessible tone as his finance and politics work. In sport coverage, he writes ranked and themed pieces such as a top 10 breakdown of racquet-smashing tantrums in tennis and an exploration of the fastest projectile in sport, drawing on statistics, historical moments and player personalities to turn rules and records into engaging stories.
A feature on schools that produce elite rugby league players traces pathways from playgrounds to professional competition, showing how particular institutions consistently funnel talent into the top tier and backing that narrative with player counts and club representation. On the culture and social media beat, he examines contentious dating-app filters and the online gender debates they trigger, as well as controversies surrounding a pop star’s album artwork, unpacking both product decisions and the reactions they spark across platforms. He is comfortable with lighter, offbeat angles too, such as ranking toilets at new metro stations, using humour and observation to explore public infrastructure, and co-reporting on what survivors of commercial plane crashes tend to share, combining expert insight with human stories.
This breadth shows a reporter who applies the same clear, narrative-first approach across desks, using data, expert voices and strong hooks to make diverse subjects readable and grounded.
4 more finance journalists.
Aaron Bell
Aaron Bell stands out for turning broker research and complex market commentary into clear stories for everyday investors. He writes about the Australian share market as a journalist for The Motley Fool Australia and also works as a freelance journalist and editor focused on financial topics and the Australian economy. His beat covers ASX-listed companies and exchange-traded funds. He writes on broker recommendations, valuation changes, price targets, upside forecasts, earnings results, guidance, and share price reactions. He also covers thematic and emerging markets ETFs, NASDAQ-focused funds, and sectors such as space-related industries. In his reporting, he uses numbers, rating changes, and target prices to explain risk, reward, and what has changed in the business.
Adam McCleery
Adam McCleery tracks the money and deals shaping advertising and media agencies. He is a journalist at AdNews, covering agency pitches, account moves, media buying decisions, budgets, contracts and settlements. His beat sits between finance, media and marketing, with a focus on advertiser confidence, commercial outcomes and the pressures facing agencies, brands and media owners. He reports on television, streaming, subscription models and platform strategies, as well as artificial intelligence, data, privacy and ad technology. His past work spans print, digital and business-to-business titles. He writes in a straightforward, deal-driven style. He follows how brands review, consolidate or shift agency relationships, and how pricing, measurement, fragmentation, policy and economic conditions affect spending, investment, risk and the value of agency services.
Adelaide Miller
Adelaide Miller is an award-winning national business reporter at the ABC who stands out for linking markets coverage with accountability reporting on how finance, regulation and corporate decisions affect workers, consumers and small businesses. She covers superannuation, small business obligations, the ASX, global indices, inflation, government debt, investor sentiment, cryptocurrency, corporate conduct, mortgage stress, and consumer impact. She reports on the gap between legislative intent and on-the-ground practice, and she often uses data, live markets context, and direct reporting from affected people. Her background includes ABC Investigations, Background Briefing, and Four Corners. She also has reported on AI-driven political campaigning, Telstra’s Senate inquiry scrutiny, family law, and a personal essay on her grandmother’s dementia. She works across TV, radio, online, and podcast formats.
Adeshola Ore
Adeshola Ore reports on finance and public policy through their effects on everyday life. They are a reporter at the Guardian, covering tax debates, public spending, institutional policy and the communities shaped by them. Their beat also includes politics, rights, social equity, climate, migration, Indigenous policy, agriculture, food safety and public health. Notable reporting has covered bird flu and egg supplies, catastrophic floods, death cap mushroom poisonings, refugee communities, university misconduct and place-naming rules in Tasmania. Earlier work included global climate conferences, international affairs and social policy. Ore reports through live political coverage, ground-level interviews, documents and hearings. They write news features and explainers that clarify complex rules, risks and rights. They also contribute to the Guardian’s daily news podcast, bringing field reporting and interviews with affected communities into wider discussions of politics and policy.