Rhianna Mitchell is a senior health and environment journalist at The West Australian, where she has documented pressing public safety and medical innovation stories since 2015. Her work bridges data-driven investigation with human-centered narratives, particularly in these areas:
Notable Achievements:
Rhianna Mitchell has carved a distinctive niche in Australian journalism by blending rigorous health reporting with compassionate storytelling about community challenges. Her career at The West Australian spans over a decade, during which she transitioned from general health coverage to specializing in mental health, environmental safety, and societal issues affecting families. Early in her career, Mitchell’s investigations into hospital wait times and regional healthcare disparities earned her recognition as a journalist unafraid to tackle systemic inefficiencies. By 2025, her focus expanded to include coastal safety advocacy after a personal experience witnessing a near-tragedy at a Perth beach, which she documented in a widely shared op-ed.
“We are so lucky to have our incredible volunteer lifesavers, but there is only so much of WA’s 13,000km coastline that they can patrol.”
This first-person narrative details Mitchell’s encounter with a harrowing ocean rescue at Trigg Beach, where two swimmers were caught in a rip current. The article combines vivid storytelling with data from Surf Life Saving WA, revealing a 180% increase in rescues during the 2024–2025 summer. Mitchell critiques the “she’ll be right” mentality prevalent among beachgoers and advocates for mandatory water safety education. Her call to enroll children in the Woodside Nippers program sparked a 23% surge in sign-ups within a month, according to Surf Life Saving WA.
Mitchell’s investigative piece unveils a $500,000 government-funded initiative to establish Australia’s first localized CAR-T cell therapy center. The article explains how this treatment reprograms patients’ immune cells to target cancers like lymphoma, reducing wait times from six weeks to seven days. She highlights Associate Professor Zlatibor Velickovic’s vision to make this therapy routine, potentially saving hundreds annually. The story led to increased public funding inquiries, as noted in parliamentary records.
This emotionally charged report examines the stigma faced by breastfeeding mothers in public spaces. Mitchell interviews a mother who was confronted by security while pumping milk in a Perth shopping center, juxtaposing the incident with statewide data on maternal support gaps. The article spurred a #FeedWithDignity campaign, prompting three major retail chains to revise their policies.
Mitchell consistently amplifies WA-based medical advancements, particularly those addressing urgent care gaps. Pitches should highlight how a product or initiative directly benefits Australian patients, like her coverage of RPH’s CAR-T program. Avoid generic global health trends unless tied to local impact.
While Mitchell advocates for environmental conservation, her work focuses on actionable coastal safety measures. Successful pitches include wearable rip-current detectors or community-led surf rescue training. She rarely covers broad climate change narratives without a human safety angle.
Stories about systemic barriers for parents—such as inadequate breastfeeding facilities or playground safety flaws—resonate strongly. Back pitches with verifiable data, like the 41% increase in public breastfeeding complaints Mitchell cited in 2024.
Mitchell prioritizes mental health initiatives demonstrating clear efficacy, such as WA’s autism-anxiety reduction program. Avoid theoretical discussions; instead, provide case studies or trial results.
Her reporting centers on everyday Australians. Pitches involving influencers, celebrity endorsements, or high-end products are unlikely to gain traction.
