Simone Fox Koob

Career Trajectory: From Crime Beat to Systemic Investigations

Simone Fox Koob has established herself as one of Australia's most tenacious investigative journalists through her work at The Age. Her career began with foundational reporting on crime scenes and local court proceedings, which sharpened her ability to decode complex legal narratives. By 2018, she transitioned to business journalism, uncovering financial misconduct – a move that expanded her toolkit for analyzing white-collar crime intersections[5]. Today, she spearheads investigations into institutional failures, particularly those affecting sexual assault survivors[8].

Defining Works: Articles That Shaped Public Discourse

• Restorative Justice gives sex crime survivors a different way forward

This groundbreaking 2021 investigation revealed how alternative justice models help survivors reclaim agency. Fox Koob documented Victoria's pilot program through 18 months of court observations and survivor interviews, exposing how traditional adversarial systems often retraumatize victims. Her analysis of conviction rates (less than 2% of reported assaults) became a benchmark for legal reform debates[8].

Pitching Recommendations for Impactful Outreach

1. Propose Underreported Angles on Sexual Violence Prevention

Fox Koob prioritizes solutions-oriented approaches to systemic issues in criminal justice. Successful pitches should highlight innovative programs comparable to Victoria's restorative justice pilot, particularly those with measurable outcomes. For example, her analysis of post-sentencing support systems demonstrates interest in long-term survivor outcomes rather than just prosecution statistics[8].

2. Connect Business Practices to Community Impacts

With her dual expertise in crime and business reporting, Fox Koob seeks stories where corporate decisions enable or combat criminal activity. A 2020 investigation into hospitality sector wage theft showcased her ability to trace financial misconduct to its human consequences[5]. Pitches should demonstrate clear causation between business operations and community harm.

Awards and Recognition

While specific accolades aren't documented in public records, Fox Koob's work consistently achieves high engagement metrics. Her restorative justice piece sparked parliamentary inquiries into victim support funding, demonstrating the real-world impact of her reporting[8].