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| Koori Mail | |
|---|---|
| Name | Koori Mail |
| Type | fortnightly newspaper |
| Format | tabloid |
| Foundation | 1991 |
| Headquarters | Lismore, New South Wales |
| Language | English |
| Circulation | community and subscription |
| Website | (omitted) |
Koori Mail
Koori Mail is an Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-owned fortnightly newspaper established in 1991 to serve Indigenous communities across New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria and beyond. The newspaper emerged from community media initiatives and alliances among Indigenous organisations, drawing contributors from networks linked to Aboriginal Legal Service, National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation, and arts and cultural institutions. Its editorial partnerships and distribution channels intersect with regional councils, peak bodies, Aboriginal Land Councils, and Indigenous broadcasters.
The newspaper was founded amid debates following the Barunga Statement, the Mabo decision, and the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody, and was influenced by activists associated with the Aboriginal Tent Embassy, the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies, and the North Australian Workers Union. Early supporters included figures from the New South Wales Aboriginal Land Council, the Torres Strait Regional Authority, the National Congress of Australia's First Peoples, and community organisations in Lismore, Redfern, Bourke, and Moree. The title’s production drew on resources and training from TAFE NSW, the University of Sydney's Centre for Indigenous History, Charles Darwin University media courses, and partnerships with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and Community Broadcasting Association of Australia. Coverage reflected events such as the 1992 Mabo judgment, the 2008 National Apology, the 2017 Uluru Statement from the Heart, and regional land rights campaigns involving the Yorta Yorta, Noongar, Anangu, and Torres Strait Islander communities.
The paper asserts an editorial focus on Indigenous rights, cultural revival, community health, legal advocacy, and arts, linking topics to institutions such as the Lowitja Institute, Reconciliation Australia, Amnesty International, Human Rights Commission, and the Aboriginal Medical Service. Editorial priorities often engage with cases involving the High Court of Australia, state parliaments in New South Wales and Queensland, the Commonwealth Parliament, and inquiries like the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. Opinion pieces connect to the work of activists associated with the Indigenous Social Justice Association, the Aboriginal Legal Service, the Australian Human Rights Commission, and international bodies like the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues and Amnesty. The newsroom has featured reporting that intersects with environmental campaigns led by the Australian Conservation Foundation, Wilderness Society, Lock the Gate Alliance, and community-managed ranger programs.
Published fortnightly from Lismore, the paper uses distribution networks encompassing community centres, Aboriginal Medical Services, universities such as the University of New South Wales and University of Melbourne, legal clinics, and councils including the Aboriginal Land Council, Cairns Regional Council, and Torres Strait Regional Authority. Subscriptions are taken nationally and internationally with readers in Canberra, Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, Darwin, Hobart, Alice Springs, and regional towns like Grafton, Coffs Harbour, and Ingham. The title partners with suppliers and printers linked to organisations in Byron Bay, Brisbane, and Newcastle, and is stocked by independent bookstores, libraries such as the State Library of New South Wales, and cultural centres like Bangarra Dance Theatre and Bangarra-associated festivals.
The tabloid-format paper combines news reporting, features, opinion, arts reviews, and community notices, with contributions from journalists, Elders, academics, artists, and legal advocates. Content includes coverage of arts events like the Biennale of Sydney, Vivid Sydney, Adelaide Festival, Garma Festival, and Tarnanthi; profiles of artists associated with the Art Gallery of New South Wales, National Gallery of Australia, Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, and National Museum of Australia; and reporting on sports tied to the Australian Football League, National Rugby League, and local community carnivals. Health reporting draws on research from Flinders University, James Cook University, and the Menzies School of Health Research, while education stories reference initiatives at Australian National University, Macquarie University, and the University of Queensland.
The newspaper has been cited by national outlets including the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, The Sydney Morning Herald, The Guardian Australia, and national policy discussions involving federal Ministers, state premiers, and commissions such as the Productivity Commission. Its reporting has informed submissions to inquiries from bodies like the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee, the Joint Select Committee on Constitutional Recognition, and the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody. Community leaders, Elders, academics from the Australian National University, University of Melbourne, University of Sydney, and advocates from Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have referenced its stories in campaigns and academic work. Coverage has influenced public debate on policies linked to the Closing the Gap framework, the Indigenous Advancement Strategy, native title determinations, and heritage site protections.
Journalists and contributors have received recognition from media and arts bodies including the Walkley Foundation, the Australian Press Council, the Indigenous Remote Communications Association, the Australian Human Rights Commission, the Australia Council for the Arts, and state arts awards. Stories have been shortlisted or acknowledged alongside entrants from publications such as The Australian, The Age, The Conversation, Crikey, and Guardian Australia, and contributors have been invited to speak at conferences hosted by the Centre for Independent Studies, Lowitja Institute, and various university symposiums.
The organisation operates as an Indigenous-owned cooperative and public company with boards and advisory panels including community Elders, legal advisors from Aboriginal Legal Service, and representatives from peak bodies such as the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation and Reconciliation Australia. Funding streams include subscriptions, advertising revenue from community businesses, grants from bodies such as the Australia Council for the Arts, state arts funding agencies, philanthropic trusts, and occasional project support from federal cultural programs. Partnerships have been maintained with community media organisations, community radio stations, TAFE NSW training programs, and university journalism schools.
Category:Indigenous Australian newspapers Category:Newspapers published in New South Wales Category:Fortnightly newspapers