Where journalists live has implications for the public and for the health of democracy. This paper identifies in which electorates Australia’s journalists live and whether these electorates are inner-metropolitan, outer-metropolitan, provincial or rural.

In an ideal world, a fair share of journalists would live within communities that rely on the media to inform them about politics, policy and other critical issues, and thereby be well placed to understand those communities’ concerns. In the 2025 federal election where outer-metropolitan seats are purportedly vital to victory, Australian media seems inadequately prepared to cover the contest in electorates where so few of its reporters live.

Key findings

• More journalists (56%) live in electorates classified as inner-metropolitan than outer-metropolitan, provincial and rural electorates combined.
• Out of 15 electorates with the highest number of journalists, all are inner-metropolitan. All 15 are in capital cities, and almost all are held by Labor, Green and Independent MPs in the lead up to the 2025 federal election.
• The electorate with the fewest journalists, Calwell, is one of the few in the country where most people speak a language other than English at home.
• Australians need news that reflects the diversity of the country, and to achieve that it needs journalists who live in a range of locations.