Our trusted, experienced journalists take on the issues that matter to you. Our first priority is always our community.
Region is local everywhere. Original, locally sourced editorial content is our priority and all our stories come from Canberra and the surrounding region.
Strong, ethical and independent editorial policies drive Region Group. Our key commitment is to providing balanced, relevant local content, produced by professional journalists.
Our reader interaction creates vibrant, entertaining, on-topic conversations, curated to ensure vigorous but fair discussion. Our commercial partners align with our view that community comes first.
Region Group is a Canberra region news organisation. Our priority is local stories and people. Our current readership comprises over 687,000 monthly unique website visitors and over 348,000 direct social media followers across our publications.
Since founding in August 2016, Region Group’s website visitors, social reach and engagement have grown month-over-month to become one of the largest digital platforms to communicate with the people of the region.
In a turbulent media landscape, serial business builders Tim White and Michael McGoogan have teamed up to disrupt digital media in their hometown Canberra region.
Our experienced team of local journalists are creating a trove of quality local content, focusing on telling the stories and covering the issues that matter to the people of the region. Genevieve Jacobs is our group editor, with responsibility across our mastheads.
Our editorial team is supported by more than 35 local leaders from politics, local business, not-for-profit organisations, and the community sector spanning the Chief Minister, a balanced cross-section of our local MPs and MLAs, local thought leaders, opinion makers, domain experts, and community members.
Canberra-born tech entrepreneur Tim White was one of the driving forces behind real estate platform Allhomes.
Tim was CEO of Allhomes from 2007-2016. While Tim was at the helm, the number of listings on the site grew from 5,000 to 430,000. Page views rose from 10,000 per day to 2 million per day, and revenue grew at an annual rate of 35 per cent. Allhomes became one of the most trusted and iconic brands in the Canberra region.
Allhomes was acquired by Fairfax Media in 2014 for $50 million.
Inspired by his young family, Tim is a passionate advocate for life in the capital.
Michael founded one of Australia’s largest cloud service providers, UberGlobal, in his Rivett bedroom when he was just 14. By the time Michael was 27, UberGlobal’s customer base had reached 130,000+. Melbourne IT acquired the business for $15.5 million in April 2015.
Michael was also the Chairman of Crucial Cloud Hosting, which was acquired by Digital Pacific for $6.5 million in June 2015.
Michael is a business builder and investor who helps online companies manage growth, drive revenue and stay profitable.
Genevieve Jacobs is the Group Editor for Region Media, Australia’s fastest growing digital news platform. Her long career as a regional journalist includes more than a decade broadcasting with ABC Canberra, encompassing a passion for telling the stories of our community from a deeply local perspective.
Genevieve chairs the ACT arts minister’s Creative Advisory Council and co-chairs the ACT Reconciliation Council.
She sits on the boards of the Cultural Facilities Corporation, the National Folk Festival and Canberra International Music Festival, and the ANU School of Music Advisory Board. She is a director of the Conflict Resolution Service and the Australian Centre for Christianity and Culture. Genevieve has an enduring interest in building and strengthening community engagement, and a strong belief in the importance of public interest journalism.
Genevieve has an enduring interest in building community, and creating discussions that include us all. And she still loves nothing better than a good yarn.
Kim Treasure has been a journalist for more than 35 years, working across regional NSW and Canberra in print, radio and online. She began her career at the Newcastle Herald with Fairfax Media and managed almost 40 mastheads across Southern NSW before leaving the company in 2019. She was the voice of ABC Radio in the Eurobodalla for more than two decades and has written for national magazines and newspapers. Kim has been a judge on the NSW Australian of the Year Panel, a board member of the Ronald McDonald Holiday Retreat, and an active member of sporting and community organisations on the NSW South Coast. She has a passion for public interest journalism and a drive to foster community connections and conversation. Kim lives on small acreage near Batemans Bay and loves nothing more than spending time with family and friends - both two and four-legged.
Michelle Rowe has worked for publications including the Bangkok Post, the UK’s Daily and Sunday Mirror newspapers and Australia’s Woman’s Day magazine during her 25-year journalism career. Her roles as a food columnist and travel editor with The Weekend Australian newspaper, WISH magazine and Australian Gourmet Traveller mean she’s always on the lookout for the hidden gems in hospitality, and the movers and shakers behind them. After several years leading corporate communications teams in the tourism, energy and property sectors, Michelle now runs Canberra-based communications consultancy PitchPerfect Media. Her biggest surprise on moving to Canberra two years ago? “The food and wine scene here is amazing!”
Sports commentator with ABC Grandstand since 1988, calling a range of sports including NRL, Super Rugby, Wallabies, Rowing World Cups, Rugby World Cups, Socceroos, Matildas, Opals, Boomers, WNBL, NBL, International Netball, Men’s and Women’s one day international cricket, Big Bash, World Volleyball League for Fox Sports, Rowing World Cup and National Championships for Fox Sports and the 2000 Paralympics. Tim is an icon in the ACT region's sporting community and brings an unrivalled insight to the games we play, big and small.
Karyn Starmer is a second career journalist working freelance in print, radio and online media after completing a Masters in Journalism. Karyn began her working life as a financial markets trader for an international bank but wandered away from Sydney to set up an idyllic family life on the South Coast. While immersed in the local South Coast community, she has made Canberra a virtual second home and spends a lot of time on the Kings Highway.
Ian “Bushy” Bushnell is a career journalist and a former News Editor and Chief of Reporting staff at The Canberra Times, where he was at the centre of some of the capital’s biggest stories.
A Canberra resident since 1995, he and his partner have raised three children here and takes a keen interest in politics, urban development, health, education and sustainability issues.
He enjoys the ACT’s bush environment and its rich cultural offerings including music, theatre and sport, and a good bottle of red.
John Thistleton’s 30-plus years in the print media began at Cowra, and includes stints in Young, Wellington, Leeton, Crookwell, Queanbeyan, Goulburn, and, over 12 years, the Canberra Times.
As a reporter and managing editor John has watched the media fragment into numerous new opportunities.
A highlight for him at Goulburn was switching off a national wire service and relying on local staff and news to refresh content and see the paper flourish.
Moving to property and planning rounds in Canberra, John covered battles east and west of the city when retailing, residential and rural landscapes swiftly changed to accommodate a fast-growing population.
After leaving for a brief stint at the National Capital Authority as media manager he returned to the Canberra Times as the business editor, then a reporter covering the broader ACT region.
Michael Weaver is a journalist of more than 25 years. He hails from the NSW north coast, and after studying in Canberra and working as a sports journalist on the NSW south coast, he now proudly calls Queanbeyan home.
Michael has worked for several Federal Government agencies as a journalist, media liaison officer and web content writer. He also runs a freelance writing service for businesses who want to be worthy of their words. Michael is passionate about the local community and can also be found playing bass with bands in local venues. As a proud lefty, he also thinks Paul McCartney is still cool.
Hannah Sparks is a regional journalist based in the Southern Tablelands of NSW. She has eight years of experience reporting stories for print and broadcast media including Fairfax Media and ABC Canberra. Home was originally a farm in Devon, UK, where she studied a Bachelor of Journalism. Today, she writes from a wool farm in the Tablelands where she lives with her partner and their many dogs. Hannah is passionate about providing regional communities with a voice and always has time for a cuppa and a yarn.
Dominic Giannini is a journalist who first started working as a newsreader on community radio in Sydney. Originating from the Harbour City, Dominic studied politics and international relations before moving to Canberra to cover local stories.
With a background in radio, from presenting drive shows to producing news stories, Dominic loves to spin a yarn and probably needs to be cut off more often than not.
Dominic is passionate about mental health advocacy, politics and pasta, but prefers to keep all three separate.
The love of telling a good story took me into journalism in 2014 and I've been writing ever since. Raised on the NSW South Coast, I spent seven years working as a reporter in the region covering a multitude of issues and topics, from politics and police to court and community, after studying a degree in psychology. As a strong believer in transparent justice I look forward to focusing on covering court matters in the Canberra region, looking at crimes but also the impact they have on people in the community. My spare time is spent on books, the beach, music and travelling the globe.
Edwina Mason has worked as a journalist and editor in regional and metropolitan media for over 30 years. Her loop of NSW regional newspapers includes Young, Griffith, Armidale, Singleton, Camden and Queanbeyan before she joined Eric Beecher's Text Media Group. There she transitioned from print to online journalism firstly in content strategy, then as an editor at News Ltd and over to ninemsn where she was head of News, Current Affairs, Technology and the network home page.
A couple of years living in Toronto, Canada found her learning the art of documentary filmmaking in the Mississipi Delta before she returned home to the family farm to live. A year of planting trees later she joined the Young Witness as its managing editor. Then it was over to learn the political ropes under Member for Cootamundra Katrina Hodgkinson before she became Senior Electorate Officer for Katrina's successor Steph Cooke.
Home is the family farm at Thuddungra where she's laid her hat, surrounded by too many four-legged critters for her brother's liking. Now breeding quarterhorses with her partner, she feeds, rides and pats cutting horses morning and evening around her About Regional work.
Alex Rea has worked in print media and the arts for three decades, including 12 years as Editor of the Braidwood Times. Born and raised in Canberra, Alex has a keen interest rural and regional communities.
Hayden is a writer, musician, and all-around Canberra enthusiast. After studying music and English at ANU, Hayden has worked with a number of Canberra-based arts and media organisations.
When he's not writing, Hayden can usually be found watching the next up-and-coming local band, or reading up on the latest music and arts happenings around town.
Ian has played a senior role in a series of successful high-growth technology businesses including Senior Platform Engineer at UberGlobal and Platform Developer at MelbourneIT.
Leading the development of Region Group’s technical platform, Ian is responsible for platform development, hosting, maintenance, and operations.
Ian contributes his technical expertise and mentorship to a number of businesses in the Canberra start-up community.
David Murtagh began his career as a journalist in Sydney working as a producer at 2GB, and sub-editor at CFO magazine and Medical Observer.
In 2003, David began work as a public servant, switching between policy roles, and media and communications, especially speechwriting.
He specialised in foreign investment, resource and energy issues, agriculture and economics.
He has a Masters of Public Policy, and Masters of National Security from the ANU.
In recent years, David has returned to journalism, hosting a podcast, writing a blog, and subbing and writing at Region.
Born and raised in the ACT, Gavin is an information management graduate from the University of Canberra who has worked as a journalist and sub-editor for magazines and online publications for 25 years.
Starting as a street press music writer, he progressed to glossy magazines, spending five years at Ralph Magazine and another five as editor of Fox Sports Magazine in Sydney. Another 10 years as a freelancer saw him work on every publication under the sun, from Foxtel and Company Director, to Australian Hotelier and AdNews, allowing him to cover his range of interests including underground music, film, street art and craft beer.
A sports tragic, Gavin refuses to retire from playing cricket until winning a grade premiership, and bleeds green as a Canberra Raiders diehard. He says this is their year (every year).
Michelle Kroll began her career as a photographer in the Air Force where she developed the discipline to capture high quality images in demanding environments; first time, every time. During her time in the military she expanded her skills to include videography, and has continued to work in the media industry for nearly 30 years. Her career has seen her shooting both nationally and worldwide, and from a variety of platforms - air, land and sea.
Having managed her own media production companies she connects with small and large businesses alike, and enjoys the challenge of working with a team to create visually engaging and effective content, all the while a focus on fun being had by all.
With a passion for experiencing different cultures and places, she is seldom seen without a camera close by. Michelle is an avid supporter of local producers and actively promotes the Canberra wine region to anyone who will listen.
Damien Larkins is a multimedia journalist with almost 20 years experience.
His first job in the media was as a paperboy, delivering the daily news by bicycle in Brisbane's hilly bayside.
From there he's worked in community and commercial radio, at WIN News Tasmania, at the ABC in Canberra, Hobart, the Gold Coast and most recently ran the national broadcaster's Longreach bureau in Outback Queensland.
He's covered bushfires, floods, droughts, protests, Royal visits, major court cases, elections and even the Logies.
Now he's returned to the capital and is ready to take on new challenges.
But his favourite stories come from the remarkable people who live in this unique and diverse region.
Canberra-born and bred office dog Mr Smiggle is a highly qualified and experienced HR manager. He brings a wealth of happiness to the role, cleans up spilt food on the floor after a team lunch and increases employee well-being.
In his spare time (or during work hours), he enjoys walks, sleeping, pats and sniffing other colleagues.
…our online activity has certainly measurably improved and we are ultimately seeing it in our sales…
