The Economic Media Centre connects journalists with a talent pool of economic spokespeople.

Diversify your economic and social content to stand out from the crowd.

Tap into a fresh range of capable talents with original viewpoints and new ideas.

 

Now, more than ever: harness
original economic thinking.

Audiences are hungry for reliable information to make sense of unprecedented times.
They’re looking for information that builds capability, stories that inspire hope and that offers real solutions grounded in lived expertise.

Journalists and producers are under immense pressure to meet new and changing audience needs. Finding the right talent can be a challenge. 

The Economic Media Centre has a network of over 1100 trained spokespeople. Additionally the EMC can draw on thousands of other spokespeople across civil society through the Australian Progress fellowships alumni.

How it works:

The Economic Media Centre identifies and equips spokespeople on economic issues.

We offer interesting people with broad economic expertise and knowledge, alongside people with lived experience and inspiring ideas on issues from government spending to social security, housing and economic equality.

Spokespeople come from a wide range of organisations, locations and social backgrounds. They’re media trained and capable talent for one-off stories, as regular go-to talent, and as recurring contributors.

The Economic Media Centre is a project of Australian Progress and the Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS).

Meet the Team

  • Image of Alex Kelly. She has short blonde hair and is standing in front of a bush.

    Alex Kelly

    Director

    Alex joins Australian Progress to lead the Economic Media Centre and Australian Progress’ communications strategy. Alex has a background in arts, strategic communications, organising and documentary filmmaking with expertise in impact producing. Alex was impact producer on The Dreamlife of Georgie Stone, In My Blood it Runs and Avi Lewis and Naomi Klein’s This Changes Everything. Alex is on the board of Original Power and is a founding member of the Unquiet Collective.

  • Image of Nick. Nick is wearing a grey shirt. He has short hair and is in front of a white wall.

    Nick Cassella

    Strategic Communications Manager

    Nick is a political communications professional who has worked for progressive campaigns and organisations in the US and Australia. Nick is in charge of managing the development of the Economic Media Centre's Spokesperson Network and creating messaging guidance on economic policy issues. Nick specialises in digital campaigning and holds an International Relations degree from the University of St Andrews, Scotland.

  • A smiling Asian person with short black hair and wire-framed glasses looks into the camera. Ey wears a black t-shirt and a black denim jacket, and ey has eir hands in the pockets of the jacket.

    Jinghua Qian

    Senior Media Advisor

    Jinghua (ey/eir/em) joins the Economic Media Centre after two decades in media, arts, and activism. As head of news at Sixth Tone in Shanghai, Jinghua shaped the publication’s influential coverage of contemporary China, in particular its reporting on trans and feminist movements. Since returning to Australia, Jinghua has written for The Guardian, Sydney Morning Herald, Overland, Meanjin, and ABC TV's China Tonight. Jinghua is passionate about foregrounding decolonial and anti-border perspectives in economic discourse and class analysis.

FAQs

 

What kind of stories can the Economic Media Centre help me with?

We can book spokespeople to give comment and opinion across a range of economic issues, from social security to housing, healthcare, workers rights and more.

If your story is about government spending, investment in people, public services or good industries, and you’re after a trusted community or expert voice, then we can help.

What's the process for booking a spokesperson?

Need a spokesperson for a down the line interview this morning, or a live TV spot tonight? Our spokespeople are available on an as-needs basis, so let us know what you need and we’ll do our very best to connect you. Call or email Nick Cassella on 0423 471 996‬ or nick@economicmediacentre.org.

You can read more about our spokespeople here.

How can the media make best use of the spokesperson network?

Our trusted network of spokespeople are trained and well briefed to ensure delivery of quality commentary and insight.

Spokespeople have a thorough understanding of the Australian media landscape and have the skills to deliver high quality content in a variety of mediums, from down the line radio grabs to longer form TV or print interviews, live crosses, and panel appearances.

Because our spokespeople are more than just academics or economists, they tap into real-life experiences of real Australians. This makes them ideal as recurring guests and regular panellists.

Can you help me find spokespeople who aren’t listed in the network?

The Economic Media Centre is available to connect you with our growing talent pool of spokespeople who represent grassroots communities and inspiring, new ways of thinking about the economy.

We have strong connections with grassroots advocates and civil society organisations and are committed to finding the right voice for your story.

Can’t find the right person? Get in touch and we’ll see what we can do.

Who runs the Economic Media Centre and how is it funded?

The Economic Media Centre is a project of Australian Progress and the Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS).

We thank the Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation and our philanthropic partners for their support.