Top Crime Journalists in Australia (2025)

Danielle O'Neal is a Brisbane-based journalist for ABC News, specializing in crime, science, and sports intersections. With a background in health science and postgraduate journalism training, she brings analytical rigor to systemic issues.

Key Coverage Areas

• Institutional Accountability: Exposes bureaucratic inefficiencies in justice and healthcare systems
• Climate Adaptation: Reports on how industries like sports and law enforcement respond to environmental shifts
• Rural Health-Crime Links: Maps correlations between medical access and illicit drug markets

Pitching Preferences

• Do: Lead with verifiable data, Queensland-specific angles, tech solutions to systemic problems
• Avoid: Celebrity-focused crime stories, theoretical scientific concepts without prototypes

Notable Impact: Her 2023 parole system investigation triggered a 22% budget increase for Queensland's parole officer recruitment.

Elizabeth Henson operates at the nexus of civic journalism and entrepreneurial community building. As a senior reporter for The Advertiser in Adelaide, she specializes in political accountability reporting and crime analysis, while her parallel work as founder of the Messy Success Podcast Platform supports creatives in business development.

Key Coverage Areas

• Policy Impact Reporting: Tracks legislation from parliamentary debate to Main Street consequences
• Creative Microbusiness Ecosystems: Documents Australia's shifting landscape for artisan entrepreneurs
• Community-Driven Solutions: Highlights citizen-led initiatives addressing systemic challenges

Pitching Insights

• Lead with localized data - hyperlocal Adelaide angles preferred
• Emphasize measurable community impact over theoretical solutions
• Highlight diverse voices - 63% of her 2024 sources were first-time interviewees

technology reviews, celebrity culture

Joanne McCarthy is an award-winning Australian investigative journalist renowned for her work on institutional accountability and public health crises. Currently contributing to The Newcastle Herald, her reporting has driven national policy reforms, including the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.

Key Focus Areas

• Crime & Law: McCarthy exposes systemic abuse and institutional cover-ups, particularly within religious and healthcare systems.
• Public Health Advocacy: Her investigations into medical scandals, like the vaginal mesh crisis, blend technical rigor with patient advocacy.

Pitching Tips

• Evidence-Based Angles: Provide documented proof of institutional negligence or policy gaps.
• Survivor Voices: Highlight personal stories that illustrate broader systemic failures.

With a career spanning 40+ years, McCarthy’s work exemplifies the power of journalism to catalyze societal change. Her accolades include the Gold Walkley and Order of Australia, underscoring her unparalleled impact on Australian media and public policy.

Mark Morri is the crime editor at Australia’s Daily Telegraph, where he has investigated high-profile cases for over four decades. A Kennedy Award winner and Walkley nominee, he specializes in gangland crime, law enforcement dynamics, and true crime literature.

Pitching Focus

• Gangland Crime: Prefers stories with institutional angles (e.g., police corruption, legal loopholes).
• Law Enforcement: Seeks profiles that balance professional rigor with personal narratives.
• True Crime Books: Interested in cases highlighting societal issues like gender violence or judicial reform.

Avoid

• White-collar crime without violent elements.
• Fiction or non-crime genres.

For collaboration, contact Morri via his Daily Telegraph profile or Penguin Books for literary projects.

Matthew Condon OAM is a multi-award-winning journalist and author specializing in Australian true crime, historical corruption, and literary nonfiction. Based in Byron Bay, he writes primarily for The Australian while maintaining a robust independent podcast and book career.

Key Coverage Areas

• Police Corruption: From 1940s Queensland to modern accountability mechanisms
• Cold Case Investigations: Particularly those with unresolved institutional dimensions
• Narrative Nonfiction: Books and long-form articles blending rigorous research with novelistic storytelling

Achievements

• 2019 Order of Australia Medal for services to literature/journalism
• Author of 18+ books, including the Three Crooked Kings trilogy (250,000+ copies sold)
• Creator of the groundbreaking true crime podcast Ghost Gate Road

Pitching Insights

• Do: Lead with primary documents (court transcripts, archival photos) and survivor/victim family perspectives
• Avoid: Celebrity-focused crime or isolated incidents without systemic implications
• Unique Angle: Stories revealing how historical corruption patterns recur in modern institutions

As News Director at the Geelong Advertiser, Olivia Shying has redefined regional crime reporting through:

• Investigative Depth: Uncovering systemic failures in rural support systems
• Community Focus: Amplifying grassroots solutions to complex social issues
• Ethical Leadership: Mentoring junior staff in sensitive source handling

Pitching Priorities

• Seeking: Data-driven stories about crime prevention efficacy
• Seeking: Innovative cross-sector partnerships addressing homelessness
• Avoiding: Celebrity-focused true crime or speculative legal analysis

"Her work exemplifies how regional journalism can drive tangible policy changes while maintaining human compassion." - Local Government Insider

BIO: [Full HTML biography as above] SHORTBIO: [Concise HTML profile as above]

Based in Perth, Sarah Steger produces impactful journalism for The West Australian, with particular focus on:

• Crime & Courts: Drug operations, sexual violence cases, migrant worker exploitation
• Community Safety: Outdoor preparedness, regional policing challenges
• Philanthropy: Programs addressing crime root causes

Pitching Preferences

• Preferred Angles: Human-centered legal stories, data-driven crime trends, prevention-focused philanthropy
• Avoid: Celebrity true-crime sensationalism, unverified activist claims

Recent accolades include recognition from the Society of Professional Journalists for investigative rigor. Her work consistently drives policy debate while maintaining ethical reporting standards.

Shayla Bulloch is a senior crime and courts reporter for The Courier-Mail, specializing in high-profile legal cases, sports-related misconduct, and rural law enforcement challenges. Based in Brisbane, her work combines investigative rigor with a focus on systemic accountability.

Pitching Insights

• Do pitch: Stories linking sports figures to legal issues, domestic violence policy reforms, or regional policing hurdles.
• Avoid: White-collar crime or international law angles, which fall outside her beat.

“Her reporting on the Broncos investigation set a benchmark for balancing factual precision with empathy for survivors.” — Regional Editor, News Corp Australia

With a career rooted in community-focused journalism, Bulloch remains a pivotal voice in Queensland’s crime reporting landscape.

This award-winning journalist currently writes for The Age and Sydney Morning Herald, focusing on:

• Organized Crime Trends: Follows money laundering networks and policing challenges
• Education Equity: Particularly impacts on rural and disadvantaged communities

Pitching Preferences

• Data-Driven Investigations: Seeks stories with court documents or financial records
• Human Impact Angles: Looks for systemic issues affecting vulnerable populations

Simone Fox Koob brings surgical precision to investigating Australia's justice system through her work at The Age. Her reporting arsenal includes:

• Crime & Justice: Specializes in sexual violence cases and alternative dispute resolution models
• Business Investigations: Exposes financial crimes impacting vulnerable workers

When pitching:

• Provide access to survivors willing to discuss long-term recovery processes
• Highlight data sources that reveal systemic patterns rather than isolated incidents

Tara Miko is a senior reporter at The Advertiser (Adelaide, Australia), specializing in crime, business, and health. With a career spanning regional and national newsrooms, she combines investigative depth with community-focused storytelling.

Pitching Insights

• Aviation Challenges: Focus on labor trends or corporate accountability, as seen in her Qantas coverage.
• Public Health: Prioritize preventive strategies, like her meningococcal outbreak report.
• Community Safety: Highlight collaborative solutions, such as her missing persons investigations.

Avoid pitches on white-collar crime or startup ecosystems, which fall outside her documented work. For timely outreach, reference her award-winning health reporting or recent crime analyses.