Stefan Armbruster
Award-winning correspondentStefan Armbruster is an award-winning correspondent with more than 30 years of reporting experience in Australia and overseas. His coverage of Aboriginal and Torres Strait, multicultural, and Pacific affairs has been recognised with numerous journalism awards including from the Australian Human Rights Commission, UNAA , Queensland Clarions. He is a Colombia University Dart Centre Asia-Pacific fellow and a Walkley Sean Dorney Grant for Pacific Journalism recipient in 2023.
A delegate with Australian journalists’ union MEAA for more than a decade, he advocates for media freedom and media workers' rights. Stefan mentors and trains students and journalists, including in the Pacific with ABC Pacmas, and produces and delivers regional journalism workshops and forums.
He began as a broadcaster at Brisbane public radio 4ZZZ-FM in 1988. A DFAT -funded journalism attachment in 1994 at the Fiji Broadcasting Commission ( FBC ) established his ongoing connections with the Pacific region.
During almost a decade based in London he was a journalist and senior producer at BBC Radio 4’s flagship ‘Today’ current affairs program, the World Service and then ground-breaking News Online platform, as well as reporting and producing for Dow Jones and CNBC .
Returning to Australia in 2003, he was a senior producer at ABC News Online before becoming SBS World News’ Brisbane-based correspondent, covering Queensland and the Pacific region.
Leah Lowonbu
JournalistLeah Lowonbu is a journalist from Vanuatu who works with the National Broadcasting and Television Corporation. In addition to her reporting, she contributes to Benar News and ABC Wantok. Leah is also pursuing a degree in journalism and communication at Griffith University.
Dr Tess Newton Cain
Principal Consultant at Sustineo P/LTess is Principal Consultant at Sustineo P/L where she leads on their law, governance, and security work. She is also an adjunct Associate Professor at the Griffith Asia Institute and former lead for their Pacific Hub. Tess is a dual UK/Vanuatu citizen and has worked in the Pacific islands region for more than 25 years. She provides regular commentary pieces for Benar News and other outlets.