Croakey Health Media operates across multiple platforms and spheres. While it is difficult to fully measure and understand the wide-ranging impacts of our work, we provide a range of measures below.
These include:
- Readership figures, via our website and Apple News. Full details are here.
- Social media analytics using Buffer. The figures below are for total impressions across X/Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.
- Regular impact reports, showing the diversity and influence of individuals and organisations engaging with our work. Contact info@croakey.org if you’d like to receive these reports.
See our comprehensive list of X/Twitter lists to follow for news on Indigenous health, climate and health, COVID, public health and more.
Total visitors and page views at Croakey.org and our Apple News channel for 2024
192,307 Visitors
331,595 Page views
Total social media impressions for 2024
3,061,996 Impressions
Total visitors and page views at Croakey.org and our Apple News channel
222,077 Visitors
427,550 Page views
5,964,006 Impressions
Impact Reports
February 2025
Heating up
Week ending 6 February: Keeping up with the news exploding from the Trump Administration is “like drinking from a firehose” – Dr Lesley Russell puts it best.
Our bulletin this week covers a flood of destruction arising from the first two weeks of Trump’s regime and what it might all mean for health and healthcare – see detailed analysis in The Health Wrap, ICYMIand The Zap columns.
Meanwhile, an alarm has been sounded about moves against gender-affirming care in Queensland, while tough on crime measures are straight from the ideological playbook. Vulnerable children and young people are paying the price, Alison Barrett reports.
As local communities and healthcare services deal with fires, floods and extreme heat, and the federal and Western Australian elections approach, we report on the urgency of calls for climate health action.
The Aboriginal Health Council of Western Australia has released priorities for the next WA Government, including free dental care for Aboriginal people.
We also spotlight mental health reform issues, and the importance of Indigenous knowledges in responding to bird flu.
Don’t miss Charles Maskell-Knight’s deep dive into the latest political donations data.
We are delighted to launch a new column, Pacific Islands focus, by Isabelle Zhu-Maguire, PhD Candidate at Australian National University, who will cover public health matters in the Pacific Islands region.
January 2025
Anniversaries matter
Week ending 30 January: This week marks five years since the World Health Organization declared the novel coronavirus a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, on 30 January 2020.
We are also marking the five-year anniversary of Croakey’s first article on what we were then calling the novel coronavirus, #2019nCoV.
See Alison Barrett’s investigation of what’s been learnt, her interview with former Chief Medical Officer Professor Paul Kelly, and our detailed survey of health leaders.
Our #COVIDfiveyears series highlights the importance of listening to diverse perspectives and experiences.
This theme threads through many of our stories. Don’t miss Dr Louis Peachey’s illuminating essay about the importance of Welcome to Country ceremony.
Also see snapshots from 26 January events honouring the cultures, survival and resistance of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, while protesting the ongoing strategies of colonisation.
Meanwhile, our lead story urges readers not to tune out from the ‘shock and awe’ of the Trump Administration’s assault on health and science. The Zap also investigates the impacts of the US plan to withdraw from the World Health Organization.
On related themes, leading scientists have sounded the alarm about the spread of misinformation, disinformation, and conspiracy theories, and the corruption of the information ecosystem. Read more in the #ICYMI column.
With efforts to improve diversity, equity and inclusion under attack globally, a new report by the Australian Human Rights Commission reveals the entrenched nature of structural racism in Australian universities.
Our bulletin also has a strong focus on workforce issues, from the ongoing impacts of the pandemic on clinical education, to calls for strengthening the GP and nursing workforces.
Don’t miss Charles Maskell-Knight’s analysis of proposed private health insurance reforms. As usual, he cuts through.
On the social determinants of health, contributors examine how gentrification of urban neighbourhoodsundermines many determinants of health, including access to cultural foods.
Please register to join us for an open planning session next Tuesday.
On power and health
Week ending 24 January: Among the images from this week’s United States presidential inauguration that we will not forget in a hurry: the front row seats for media and Big Tech power; the theatrical signing of Presidential orders; the Elon Musk salute hailed by far-right extremists and white supremacists; and the courageous Bishop who spoke up for those at risk.
Our bulletin reports on some of the global health reverberations of the second Trump Administration, while The Health Wrap discusses concerns for human rights, health and wellbeing on a variety of fronts.
The ICYMI column examines “the alarming convergence of media, corporate and political power that has been on display in the US”, as well as the societal threat posed by misinformation and disinformation.
With human rights under attack in the US, our stories this week document harmful violations of children’s rights in Australia, as well as the “bad policy choices” that drive expansion of prisons.
On the Australian election front, Charles Maskell-Knight has some advice for the Opposition Leader and colleagues if the Coalition wants to head off a Mediscare campaign.
In the lead-up to the federal and Western Australian elections, an Australian youth-driven organisation, Foundations for Tomorrow, is calling for intergenerational fairness and long-term thinking to be embedded into our governance.
The Zap unpicks the latest news on bulk billing and safety and quality in aged care, and underscores the adage that every crisis presents an opportunity for someone or other.
Mental health inequities are highlighted by Giancarlo de Vera, CEO of BEING Mental Health Consumers, who reports on the mass resignation of public psychiatrists in New South Wales.
And we share a proposal for a mobile application to improve access to oral healthcare.
In the lead-up to 26 January, we report that this is not a date to celebrate, but to march, rally and advocate, and also link readers to social and emotional wellbeing resources.
As we publish an analysis of media coverage of the Los Angeles fires, please join us for a #CroakeyLIVEfrom 5pm AEDT on Tuesday 4 February to plan the year ahead. You can register here.
Looking to the future
Week ending 16 January: As another year begins, we look to the future in this week’s bulletin.
The World Economic Forum’s latest global risks assessment urges action on inequality, pollution and environmental degradation, misinformation and disinformation, and declining levels of global collaboration and social cohesion.
A new book examines the likely health consequences of “Trumpism” following the inauguration of Donald J Trump as President of the United States on 20 January.
And we also bring a timely review of Tim Winton’s futuristic book, Juice, examined in the context of climate communications and the Los Angeles fires.
While welcoming long overdue news of ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, global health leaders call for urgent action in addressing the immense humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
As 26 January approaches, Dr Louis Peachey provides an antidote to historical amnesia and ignorance.
Our bulletin this week also has a strong focus on the need to address critical health workforce issues, social determinants of health, and invest in preventive health measures.
Ahead of the federal budget and election, Dr Tim Senior urges the health sector to advocate for policies that improve outcomes for those most in need, and Alison Barrett reviews some of the health sector’s pre-budget submissions.
Don’t miss the first edition of The Zap for 2025, which covers developments in mental health, awards recognising “the worst examples of profiteering and dysfunction in healthcare”, and a list of consultations and inquiries to kickstart your year.
Our first ICYMI column for the year links readers into new publications on obesity, harmful marketing and an open access book on decolonising legal education.
Join us at an open planning meeting, by Zoom from 5pm AEDT on Tuesday 5 February. As we face the year ahead, we need to put our heads together to make a difference. Register here.
Please note: the annual subscription to the weekly Croakey News bulletin increases to $100 from Monday, 20 January. Thanks for supporting independent media!
During our summer break, we republished articles from 2024, for the bulletins from 26 December-9 January, 2025.
December 2024
During our summer break, we republished articles from 2024, for the bulletins from 26 December-9 January, 2025.
Seasons greetings
Week ending 19 December: We wrap up 2024 with a bulletin packed with gifts – not one, but two editions of The Zap (see here and here) and several reports to inspire wellbeing.
There’s our wrap from the #CroakeyGO Kandos, where two days of walking journalism brought enriching opportunities to connect with stories of Country.
There’s our final report from the recent Healthy Lives and Environment (HEAL) Network conference, sharing strategies and resources for those experiencing anxiety, grief, rage and other climate-related emotions.
In other articles from the HEAL conference, Alison Barrett reports on wide-ranging solutions for climate adaptation and mitigation, and how researchers are supporting policymakers and communities in responding to extreme weather conditions.
We also bring “a story of resistance, reclamation and empowerment” from a successful breastfeeding program on Wiradjuri Country – Yalbilinya Miya, meaning ‘learn together’.
In other positive news, we hear about how a council in southern lutruwita/Tasmania is working for climate action.
Meanwhile, the ICYMI column brings wide-ranging global health updates, and Médecins Sans Frontières has released a new report, ‘Gaza: life in a death trap’.
The bulletin also brings suggestions for improving healthcare through storytelling, and through young people’s participation, as well as a cautionary tale from the UK about alcohol industry marketing dressed up as a water safety campaign.
Making waves, restoring balance
Week ending 12 December: This week our bulletin profiles the work of diverse communities in achieving health-promoting changes across many areas – through advocacy, action, passion, persistence and purpose.
Our #CroakeyLIVE webinar highlighted the achievements of collective leadership across a range of issues, with a focus on Waminda, which provides a culturally safe, holistic service to women and their Aboriginal families on the NSW south coast.
The much-heralded launch of Australia’s first National Action Plan for the Health and Wellbeing of LGBTIQA+ People 2025-2035 follows decades of collective advocacy and action.
In Western Australia, public health advocates are gearing up for the state election, due on 8 March.
The health and research sector’s important roles in advocating for climate health and equity are evident in recent actions in Victoria by Health Futures, and by Rising Tide in Newcastle and Canberra.
Reporting from the recent Healthy Environments and Lives (HEAL) Network conference, Danielle Manton describes how Indigenous ways of connecting to Country and each other are key to restoring much needed balance to our world.
Participants in the recent #CroakeyGO in Kandos, NSW, on Dabee Wiradjuri Country, enjoyed the connections forged by walking journalism – including with walking art.
The importance of collective action was also highlighted at the inaugural Commerce, Economy, Trade and Public Health Conference, hosted by the Public Health Association of Australia and supported by VicHealth.
In The Health Wrap, Dr Lesley Russell underscores the urgency for health action on a number of fronts, describing the likely impact of the Trump Administration.
The Zap details national recommendations for improving healthcare for First Nations people in prison, and Charles Maskell-Knight also investigates the private health insurance industry’s use of “product phoenixing”.
We launch the publication of essays from the 2024 National Public Health Student Think Tank Competition with an article advocating for senior health leadership to boost health interpreter services.
The ICYMI column brings new research about where Australians get their news, which will be of use for health communicators and advocates.
Don’t miss the 69-page report compiling Croakey Conference News Service coverage of the 15th National Conference for Rural and Remote Allied Health.
Croakey will close from Friday 20 December for a three-week summer break. During this time, we will auto-publish a selection of articles from 2024 including some sponsored content and Croakey Conference News Service articles.
Leadership matters
Week to 5 December: We invite readers to join us for a #CroakeyLIVE webinar on leadership this coming Monday, 9 December. It’s from 4-5pm AEDT and you can register here.
Enjoy a sneak preview from two panel members, Adjunct Associate Professor Learne Durrington, CEO of the WA Primary Health Alliance, and Dr Elizabeth Deveny, CEO of the Consumers Health Forum of Australia.
The importance of leadership is highlighted across our stories this week, from health services stepping up for sustainability, to the role of Indigenous women and girls in leading for climate justice.
With International Day of People with Disability putting a focus on ‘amplifying the leadership of persons with disabilities for an inclusive and sustainable future’, we examine how universal design helps to create inclusive neighbourhoods.
As the NSW Drug Summit wraps up, the NSW Government is under pressure to show leadership.
The Croakey Conference News Service has been busy. Our final report from the National Conference for Rural and Remote Allied Health examines the potential of an allied health rural generalist pathway.
Meanwhile, Alison Barrett reports from #HEAL2024 on how the National Health and Climate Strategy is progressing.
Climate health initiatives also feature in the ICYMI column, which brings news on global food systems, the lucrative business of being anti-vax, and compromised media.
While COP29 has been widely critiqued, Fiji demonstrated leadership with the launch of its Health and Climate Adaptation Plan.
Professor Stephen Duckett highlights the importance of interrogating political leadership in a critical analysis of the recent COVID-19 Response Inquiry.
The impacts of harmful leadership are also in frame; Tabitha Lean and Debbie Kilroy put a spotlight on human rights violations experienced by women in Australian prisons.
Australian Healthcare Workers for Palestine call on healthcare and research organisations to review their collaborations with Israeli organisations.
A failure of logic in aged care reform, a call for submissions for the 2025–26 Federal Budget, and a proposal for advancing preventative health agendas are among topics covered in The Zap.
And don’t miss this probing analysis of philanthropy’s potential pitfalls.
Pathways to wellbeing
Weekend to 28 November: For many Croakey members and supporters, all roads lead to Kandos in New South Wales this weekend.
We know from experience that a #CroakeyGO – or walking journalism – supports our individual and collective wellbeing.
If you can’t join in person, then follow online for discussions about rural health and the arts and wellbeing, as well as glimpses of the beautiful Country of the Dabee people of the Wiradjuri Nation.
Find out more about Kandos and the opportunities for health in this small rural community. Professor Megan Williams has assembled her “top five do-it-yourself Kandos cultural determinants of health on offer”.
Several timely new reports provide important insights for those working to support wellbeing through the prevention of illness and suffering. Topics range from anti-racism, to poverty, preventative healthcare for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and the many benefits of home-grown produce.
Meanwhile, Dr Matthew Fisher discusses his new book, How to Create Societies for Human Wellbeing: Through Public Policy and Social Change. He advocates for a comprehensive public health approach to help improve wellbeing.
Whether we look to our toxic virtual environments, our polluted and besieged physical world, or the stressed and often harmful systems within which we live, work and play, it is clear that the wellbeing of people and planet is under attack from multiple directions – including governments.
The Queensland Government is pushing ahead with its ‘tough on crime’ agenda which has been described as “a calculated, racially motivated attack on Aboriginal children and other vulnerable young people”.
Our wellbeing is also at stake when powerful commercial interests undermine the integrity of policy-making – from COP29 to Parliamentary processes in Australia.
The Health Wrap details attacks on public health in Aotearoa/New Zealand and the United States, as well as concerns about the long-term impact of COVID-19 infection – and also brings beautiful views from Flinders Island.
Health inequalities, the threat of antimicrobial resistance, disappointments in aged care reform, and global trends in health workforce shortages are among topics covered in The Zap.
The Croakey Conference News Service has been in action this week; check #HEAL2024 for live posts from the Healthy Environment and Lives (HEAL) Network annual conference, and also see this wrap from the 2024 Greening the Healthcare Sector Forum.
Marie McInerney brings ten amazing takeaways from the recent National Conference for Rural and Remote Allied Health.
Don’t miss Alison Barrett’s tips for navigating Bluesky.
Register here to join a special #CroakeyLIVE webinar on leadership, from 4-5pm AEDT on 9 December. Find out more here.
The heat is on
Week ending 21 November: Summer is only days away, reminding us of the urgency for action on climate mitigation AND adaptation.
Our bulletin this week has a strong focus on the intersections between the impacts of climate inaction and populations most at-risk from extreme weather events.
Whether it be young people, people experiencing homelessness or people in prisons, governments are being urged to step up climate adaptation efforts.
In previewing the HEAL Network’s upcoming conference, Alison Barrett reports on citizen science projects that are documenting some shocking temperatures in the Northern Territory.
The heat is also on for academics to “embrace activism” in the face of rising disinformation and anti-science sentiment, according to Dr Aletha Ward, climate and health researcher.
Meanwhile, public health and human rights experts explain why they are migrating from X to Bluesky.
The ICYMI column highlights two processes that provide a study in contrasts – treaty negotiations in Victoria that have involved extended, participatory processes; and an outrageously short deadline of one day for submissions on the Federal Government’s bill to ban social media for young people.
As the Albanese Government gears up for a pre-election advertising campaign highlighting its healthcare initiatives, The Zap highlights a lack of action in addressing the costs of medical specialists.
In his latest report on proposed national scope of practice reforms, Jason Staines highlights their potential for improving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities’ access to culturally safe health services.
Scope of practice was also a topic much discussed at Medicines Management 2024, Australia’s largest scientific pharmacy conference.
Meanwhile, Marie McInerney details how collaboration across sectors and services has enabled the development of an innovative suicide prevention program in regional Victoria. It’s her latest story from the recent National Conference for Rural and Remote Allied Health.
We invite you to join Croakey at two events: a #CroakeyGo, walking journalism, in rural New South Wales at the end of November; and a #CroakeyLIVE webinar discussion on leadership in primary healthcare.
Croakey is seeking a volunteer to help with our financial management and accounts. Please share with your contacts!
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Flowing and rippling
Week ending 14 November: Our bulletin this week is flowing with beautiful images of waterways, and stories about their importance for health and wellbeing.
Our latest report from the 15th National Conference for Rural and Remote Allied Health features the River Murray/Millewa as an important entity for the health of people in the Victorian regional centre of Mildura.
In an article examining the benefits of cultural camps for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, researchers share some stunning photos of Country.
We are delighted to introduce a new series of articles sponsored by Yulang Indigenous Evaluation. Introducing the series, Professor Megan Williams and Dr Mark Ragg explain that Yulang is the Wiradjuri word for ripple.
“It signifies our understanding that all we do has an impact, and that even small changes for the better can lead to changes both upstream and downstream,” they write.
As we contemplate an increasingly challenging future, this insight is relevant to many of the topics covered this week, from our toxic, unreliable news and information environment, to five ways the global health community can respond to a Trump Administration, and the climate crisis.
Don’t miss Marie McInerney’s indepth report of a recent Consumers’ Health Forum webinar that heard how power failures can be “a life or death issue”, although work is underway to address these risks.
The importance of systemic change is also highlighted in articles calling for transformative health reform, better care for people with lung disease, and greater support for the health promotion workforce.
The Northern Territory Government is under yet more criticism for punitive policies.
Jason Staines reports on the evidence of a high-profile British surgeon who volunteered in Gaza, and has described horrific scenes, including of Israeli drone attacks that targeted injured children.
We also investigate the toll of long COVID, while The Zap gives a comprehensive overview of responses to the Scope of Practice Review.
If you plan to join us at the #CroakeyGO in Kandos, we look forward to sharing some restorative time on the beautiful Country of the Dabee people of the Wiradjuri nation.
Now, more than ever
Week ending 7 November: Now, more than ever, we must work harder and smarter for a liveable climate.
Now, more than ever, we must do better at communicating evidence and science, and fighting for health and human rights.
Now, more than ever, we must learn from history.
Now, more than ever, the slaughter of children and civilians in Gaza must stop.
Now, more than ever, we must stand against racism, and for truth telling.
Now, more than ever, non-Indigenous allies must step up.
Now, more than ever, governments must support communities’ leadership in decision making, taking some lessons from Far North Queensland.
Yes, there’s a clear theme across many of the stories in our bulletin this week, as we take stock of election results in the United States and Australia.
We also bring a strong focus on primary care, hearing from frontline workers about scope of practice matters, while the ICYMI column brings news of Medicare Champions.
Don’t miss Marie McInerney’s preview of #GreenHealthForum24 – the 2024 Greening the Healthcare Sector Forum – which starts next week, as the COP29 meeting also kicks off in Azerbaijan.
If you’re concerned about children’s exposure to alcohol advertising on TV, then find out about a consultation that closes very soon – on 11 November.
As always, The Health Wrap and The Zap columns are not to be missed.
This week, we shared our latest impact reports with supporters and contributors. If you’d like to receive these updates in future, please be in touch.
Elsewhere
Croakey’s managing editor Alison Barrett published an article in the BMJ from the national inquiry into Australia’s COVID-19 response.
2023 Impact reports
Impact Report – September 2023
2022 Impact reports
Impact Report – September 2022