Independent Journalism in Today’s Political Climate

Soaliha Iqbal is the social media editor for Ette Media. She has worked in Australian media for seven years and was nominated for Young Writer of the Year at the 2023 Mumbrella Publish Awards. She’s written for SBS, Missing Perspectives, PEDESTRIAN.TV, Junkee, and others. She’s also appeared as a guest on BBC Radio, ABC Sydney Radio, Triple J, FBi Radio and more. You also might’ve heard her on the Book Smart podcast, the Big Small Talk podcast, Flex Mami’s Semi Factual History Lessons podcast, Abbie Chatfield’s It’s A Lot podcast, and her own podcast Here’s The Thing, Tho.

Monique Hurley (she/her) is a human rights lawyer and writer. Based on Wadawurrung Country, Monique is committed to working alongside people with lived experience of incarceration to hold governments to account for the mistreatment of people behind bars. She is widely published, with her written work including law reform submissions, reports, academic articles and opinion pieces. She has worked as a lawyer at the Human Rights Law Centre, WEstjustice and the North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency, and as a lecturer at Melbourne Law School.

Antoun Issa is a Lebanese-Australian journalist and co-founder of Deepcut News.

Evelyn Araluen is a Goorie and Koori poet, editor and researcher.