Affiliate members

Our affiliate members include academics from RMIT University and others universities in Victoria and beyond, as well as representatives from the news industry. As of 2026, our affiliate members include:

• Lilia Anderson is a PhD Candidate at Melbourne Law School and affiliate of the News, Technology and Society Network (NTS). Her research examines efforts to address anticompetitive behaviour in digital markets, including through the News Media Bargaining Code. She is supervised by Associate Professor Jake Goldenfein and Professor Andrew Godwin.
• Dr Dylan Bird is a journalism lecturer at RMIT University whose research spans podcasting, journalism, and democracy. He hosts the weekly radio show Future Perfect on Melbourne’s Triple R, and is an award-winning podcast producer. He is also Editorial Assistant with Radio Journal: International Studies in Broadcast & Audio Media.
• Nell O’Shea Carré is Head of Policy & Communications at LINA, the peak body providing capacity-building support to 170+ Australian local and independent news services. She supports newsroom sustainability, public interest journalism, and strong media policy, representing independent publishers, including those small and emerging, across government and industry forums.
• Dr Sherine Conyers is a former journalist, digital editor and newspaper editor with more than a decade of experience in Australian and UK newsrooms. Her research explores the types of digital metrics engaged by news organisations and the implications of these processes for outputs, management control and digital informational health.
• Jo Curtin is the CEO of the Community Broadcasting Foundation, where she leads a team of 14 staff and over 160 volunteers who support community broadcasters across the country. Jo’s commitment to social justice, inclusion and authentic human connection has led to a life-long passion for community media.
• Laura Gartry is the Newsroom Innovation Lead at ABC News and an award‑winning journalist specialising in digital strategy and investigative storytelling. She is undertaking a PhD at RMIT on personalised news and the public interest and is a member of the DNA Lab and the ADM+S Centre.
• Rashell Habib is head of digital news and strategy with 10 News First – Paramount and was previously deputy news editor of Network 10. A former News Corp journalist, she was at News Local for several years, beginning her career in print, before becoming the first social media editor for news.com.au and then social media editor for Netflix Australia.
• Sashka Koloff is an award-winning journalist specialising in editorial standards, AI governance and public trust. As Managing Editor, Standards & Compliance at the ABC, she guides complex screen and audio decisions and strengthens editorial oversight. In 2025, she was a Journalist Fellow at the Reuters Institute, writing on trust in the age of AI.
• Dr Joanne Kuai is a Research Fellow at the School of Media and Communication, RMIT University. Her research interests centre around digital journalism, the social implications of automation and algorithms, and data and AI governance. Prior to her academic career, she worked as a reporter, editor and news anchor in China.
• Dr. Silvia Montaña-Niño is a Lecturer at the University of Melbourne’s School of Communication and Culture, where she teaches at the Centre for Advancing Journalism. Her professional background spans over 15 years, with experience as a journalist and freelancer in Colombia’s print and digital media.
• Damian Morgan is a partner and director at Today News Group, a news publisher producing more than 45 regional newspapers and online news across regional Queensland, South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales, and the Northern Territory.
• Dr Lucy Morieson is a journalism lecturer and researcher, with a background in journalism practice. Her research focuses on the ways journalism is changing in the digital environment, and how this change impacts journalistic professional norms, values and practices.
• Sophia Phan is an award-winning digital editor, specialising in audience strategy, newsroom innovation and breaking news. She is currently Senior Audience Editor, Growth at Publishing at Nine.
• Dr Nick Richardson is CEO of the Melbourne Press Club and Adjunct Professor of Journalism at Latrobe University. He is a journalist, writer and academic, who has taught at three universities and written/edited nine books. His doctorate is in Australian history from the University of Melbourne.
• Dr Damiano Spina is a Senior Lecturer at the School of Computing Technologies at RMIT University. His research in Information Retrieval applies human-centred and responsible AI principles to build and evaluate AI-enhanced chatbots based on Retrieval-Augmented Generation, such as the award-winning Walert. Damiano is an ACM Distinguished Speaker and a former ARC DECRA Fellow (2020-2023).
• Paul Thomas is Managing Director of Star News Group and board member of Country Press Australia. He advocates for the regional media industry and is passionate about its vital democratic role. His focus is on sustainable local journalism, and community impact initiatives that strengthen local information and democracy.
• Natalie Wolfe is the Director of Digital News at 7NEWS, responsible for all things internet and the teams behind 7NEWS.com.au, 7NEWS’ social media, on and off-platform video, audio and affiliate. She was previously deputy editor at The West Australian, assistant news editor at the Daily Mail and a journalist at news.com.au.