Influencing Insider

From one side of the Tasman to the other, as Influencing Insider makes the jump to the West, we welcome award-winning journalist and The West Australian’s Business Reporter, Ryan Johnson next Thursday 1st October 2026 at 2 pm AEST/12 AWST to discuss:

• What business reporting looks like within a major newspaper masthead?

• What type of stories resonate with the masthead and its readers?

• What topics are Ryan and The West Australian interested in?

• Ryan’s pitching do’s and don’ts

About Ryan Johnson

Ryan Johnson is an award-winning journalist who, during his career, has covered various B2B, finance, and food topics and trends. Since beginning his career in 2020, Johnson has written for the The West Australian, Money Magazine Australia, Australian Broker and BizCover.

About The West Australian

The West Australian is the leading Perth-based newspaper in the country, having been published regularly since its founding in 1833. The West Australian covers a range of current affairs, politics, sport and business topics in its papers.

Our next Influencing Insider sees us cross the ditch over to New Zealand, where we welcome the NZ Herald’s Managing Editor for Lifestyle, Jasper Fulcher, to the show to discuss all things Lifestyle at the masthead. 

So be sure to join Fulcher on Insider next Thursday, 17th September at 12:30 AEST/ 2:30 NZST to discuss: 

• What lifestyle topics and angles is a leading masthead in NZ interested in?

• What type of stories resonate with the masthead and its readers?

• The importance of video within NZ Herald’s content?

• Jasper’s pitching preferences. 

About Jasper Fulcher 

Jasper Fulcher is currently NZ Herald’s Managing Editor of Lifestyle - a role he began in August 2025. Fulcher has previously worked at The Telegraph and Daily Mail whilst in the UK, working across various social media and visual content production roles. 

About NZ Herald

The NZ Herald is one of the leading mastheads in New Zealand, having operated daily since its foundation in 1863. The masthead covers a range of current affairs, business, entertainment, sport and national issues

Every day we see the latest and quirkiest gadgets and consumer technology previewed and reviewed, and at the forefront of that is I’mTech’s Ray Shaw, who joins Influencing Insider next Thursday, 10th of September 2026 at 1 pm AEST to discuss: 

• How the six months since I'mTech's launch have gone 

• I'mTech's review process

• What topics I'mTech is particularly interested in covering

• What some of Shaw’s pitching preferences are

About Ray Shaw 

A fan of unique stories, Ray Shaw is a veteran journo with over 45 years of experience in the media industry, where he has primarily covered technology topics such as gadgets, software and PCs, with a strong focus on deep-dive reviews. More recently, Shaw has worked for GadgetGuy, iTWire, and CyberShack, as well as launching I’mTech in March 2026. 

About I’mTech

I’mTech is the new home for Ray Shaw’s deep-dive reviews, with the journo launching the new masthead in March 2026. I’mTech covers a range of technology topics, including telecommunications, gadgets, consumer technology and much more. 

It’s time to turn up the volume on Influencing Insider and paint it black as Influencing Insider welcomes Rolling Stone’s ANZ’s editor-in-chief Neil Griffiths to the show on Wednesday 12th August at 2 pm AEST to discuss:

• What music, film and pop-culture topics he is covering the most at Rolling Stone
• How Rolling Stone leverages multimedia and creates engaging content
• Griffiths and Rolling Stone’s PR pitching do's and don'ts?

About Neil Griffiths

A long-time media and music journo, Griffiths has been involved in the industry for well over 15 years. During that time he’s worked both in Australia and in the US, hosted his own radio show, and worked for the likes of The Music, Mumbrella, Looper.com and The Daily Mail.

About Rolling Stone

Rolling Stone is one of the most recognisable media brands across the world, having first been founded in the US in 1967. Launched in 1972 in Australia, the publication produces a monthly print magazine, as well as a digital site covering a range of various Australian, New Zealand music, film and popular culture news.

Food, Resturants and retail- that’s the bread-and-butter topics for CrumbWire’s Editor Pallavi Mathur as she joins Influencing Insider on Friday 7th August, 2026 at 2 pm AEST to discuss: 

• The CrumbWire journey

• What Food topics particularly interest the CrumbWire team? 

• Pallavi’s Pitching Preferences (Her Do’s and Don’ts)

About Pallavi Mathur

A former PR practitioner herself and Publicist, Pallavi Mathur has been in the media industry for over a decade, working across various industries including Food. Mathur launched Crumbwire in 2025, turning a passion for food into her job. 

About Crumbwire

Founded in June 2025, Crumbwire is a food publication looking at various social media Food trends, restaurants, and the business behind the dishes we love. Crumbwire also publishes a variety of Food news items and long in-depth features. 

Note: Originally Aired 31/07/26

EVs have been receiving increasing coverage in the Australian media in recent years. A supercharged episode of Influencing Insider next week sees Electrifying Everything’s Neerav Bhatt join the show on Friday, July 3rd at 1 pm AEST to discuss

• The rise of EVs and what makes a great EV review
• What topics is Neerav most interested in? (EVs, Energy)
• Neerav’s focus on independent journalism?
• Neerav’s pitching do’s and don’ts

About Neerav Bhatt

Neerav Bhatt is a long-time technology and energy journalist, having helmed his Electrifying Everything masthead and associated YouTube channel since 2004, where he covers a range of subjects from EVs to batteries. Currently, he’s also freelancing for consumer technology masthead techAU, Zecar and, more recently, Fleet EV News. He’s also previously written for the ABC, iTnews, SBS, CRN and Geare Magazine.

About Electrifying Everything

Electrifying Everything is Bhatt’s EV and Energy-focused masthead that sees Bhatt and contributors provide insight into the latest electricity topics. Items range from executive interviews to EV and battery reviews.

Note: Originally Aired 23/07/26

Want to know how to stand out in the inbox of News Corp’s National Technology Reporter? Then don’t miss out on Influencing Insider Thursday, 23rd July at 2 pm AEST when News Corp’s Eilidh Sproul-Mellis joins to discuss:

• Eilidh’s transition from Education to Technology reporting

• What technology topics are critical to her reporting?

• What Eilidh’s pitching do’s and don’ts 

About Eilidh Sproul-Mellis

Eilidh Sproul-Mellis is News Corp’s newly minted National Technology Reporter, who joined the masthead in April 2026, having previously been at its Sydney metro masthead - The Daily Telegraph, where she was a Digital Producer before covering the Education beat. 

About News Corp

News Corp is one of Australia’s oldest and leading media organisations, nationally producing The Australian, news.com and many metro and regional mastheads that include The Daily Telegraph, Herald Sun and Courier Mail across NSW, Victoria and Queensland

Note: Originally aired 16/07/26.

AI is now dominating the media world, so there’s no better time for Influencing Insider to delve deep and discuss the biggest AI topics and issues. And joining us to do so is Georgie Healy – the host of the In The Blink of AI podcast, who stops by Insider on Thursday, 16th July at 2 pm AEST to discuss: 

• What AI topics and issues is Georgie is most interested in

• How AI is dissected on The Blink of AI podcast 

• Georgie’s PR pitching do’s and don’ts 

About Georgie Healy 

Georgie Healy is a former engineer who has hosted In The Blink of AI since 2024, having focused exclusively on the topic since launching in October 2024. Additionally, she has helmed the Attention is All I Need Substack since the beginning of 2026. She’s previously spent time at both Google and Accenture. 

About The Blink of AI

In the Blink of AI is the weekly podcast hosted by Georgie Healy, where she interviews AI founders and adopters on their use of AI, how AI is being consumed and how it’s affecting the human race.

Want to know how news is spread across social media? We’ll join us next Thursday, 18th June at 2 pm AEST when we delve inside the inner sanctum of The Daily Aus, with News Editor Adella Beaini joining us to discuss: 

• How does The Daily Aus craft and tailor news items for social media

• What topics beyond the current newscycle does The Daily Aus cover?

• How has Adella found the masthead since joining? 

• How PR practitioners can best pitch to The Daily Aus? 

About Adella Beaini 

Adella Beaini is The Daily Aus’ News Editor who joined the publication earlier this year after working for News as a National News Reporter and the Daily Telegraph prior covering breaking news, court, crime and lifestyle beats. 

About The Daily Aus 

Founded in 2017, The Daily Aus is a predominantly social media-based current affairs publication, designed for the 18-35 audience. The masthead has built a strong reputation and following since its first founded wth over 640 thousand followers on Instagram. 

Want to know how the reigning Best Technology Reviewer at the Lizzies goes about his work? Then don’t miss out on Influencing Insider next Thursday, 11th June at 2 pm AEST when GadgetGuy Editor Chris Button joins the show to discuss: 

• How does Button craft his award-winning reviews?

• What Consumer Tech topics are most likely to resonate with Button and his colleagues 

• Chris’ pitching preferences and bugbears. 

About Chris Button 

Christopher Button is the Adelaide-based Managing Editor at GadgetGuy, having held the role since October 2022. There, he provides his reviews on a range of Consumer Tech gadgets and Gaming titles, while also filing daily news items. Button has also recently won Best Technology Reviewer at the 24th Annual Samsung Australian IT Journalism Awards. 

About GadgetGuy 

GadgetGuy is one of the leading Consumer Technology publications first founded in the mid 1990s by Peter Blasina. Currently, the title is run by Theory of Invention’s Valens Quinn, with Button helming the news desk. There are more contributions from Adam Turner, Angus Jones, Jay Marshall and Alice Clarke.