Meet your Daily Mercury team covering Mackay news
It is a privilege to be part of the community and report on the news that matters to you.
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The Daily Mercury team bears a heavy responsibility on its shoulders by upholding the 155 years of reporting Mackay news.
It is a responsibility we take seriously as Mackay residents ourselves — proud to live here as members of a wonderful community stretching from the seaside to the mountains.
As we prepare in the coming days to move to our new stand-alone section of the Courier Mail, we’d like to take this opportunity to reintroduce ourselves.
RAE WILSON
Rae Wilson is an award-winning journalist and editor of the Daily Mercury.
She got her start as a journalist after graduating with a Bachelor of Communication (Journalism) and Bachelor of Tourism from Monash University, where she was awarded Best Double Degree Student in her second year.
Her career began in 2000 at the Gippsland Times and Maffra Spectator in Sale, Victoria.
Over the past 21 years, Rae has predominantly covered crime, courts, politics and travel as a reporter but is an all-rounder.
She has been a trainer for court and feature writing.
She also worked as a reporter at the Colac Herald and Sunshine Coast Daily before helping set up a regional wire service.
Rae managed a team across Brisbane, Sydney and Canberra, providing regional news to APN’s suite of papers across Queensland and New South Wales for about seven years.
She is a three-time Clarions winner at the Queensland State Media awards; nine times a finalist.
She has won four APN journalism awards and was a finalist 10 times.
Rae has been the Daily Mercury editor since January 2019, after a stint in Mexico working as a digital reporter manning the regional websites overnight.
She loves to travel, enjoys a fine wine and soft cheesy goodness.
Broccoli is her favourite vegetable and she does not like coffee or cucumber.
Rae has travelled all over the world, having lived in Mexico before moving to Mackay.
But she now calls this region home – having bought a house and a puppy.
She raves about this region to anyone who will listen.
TARA MIKO
Tara Miko is the deputy editor at the Daily Mercury in Mackay.
She graduated from Griffith University with a Bachelor of Journalism.
She began her career at the Central Queensland News in Emerald, covering the December 2010 floods in the early months of her career and then taking a keen interest in the mines across the Bowen and Galilee basins.
She has a background in reporting on crime and breaking news.
Before moving to Mackay, Tara was a senior journalist at The Chronicle newspaper in Toowoomba where she also reported on local, state and federal politics.
Tara also had a stint at the Rural Weekly while she was based in Toowoomba covering regional affairs, agriculture and development.
She loves beer, good company and campaigning for the local community.
JANESSA EKERT
Janessa Ekert is the Daily Mercury’s senior reporter and resident court expert.
She has worked as a journalist for 13 years after cutting her teeth as a corporate lifestyle magazine journalist before making the jump to daily news.
She has been a newspaper journalist for 10 years. In that time Janessa has covered sport, business, council, politics, entertainment, community news stories and now specialises in court and crime reporting.
In 2020, a road safety campaign and a crime feature earned Janessa two finalist nominations in the Clarions, the Queensland State Media Awards.
And in 2021, Janessa earned a highly commended at the Queensland Country Press Awards.
She loves reading, travel, cooking, exploring and spending time with family.
HEIDI PETITH
Journalist Heidi Petith is a Mackay mother of two who is passionate about her local community.
She was born in Mackay and likes to joke she has lived everywhere except for Sarina, Midge Point and Finch Hatton.
She graduated from the University of Southern Queensland in 2019 with a Bachelor of Communication (Journalism).
She also has a Graduate Certificate of Arts.
Heidi covers council affairs, development, business and community.
She enjoys learning about exciting developments in her hometown as well as quality family time.
MELANIE WHITING
Melanie Whiting is a senior journalist at the Daily Mercury, covering mining and politics.
She has worked in the industry for the past five years after graduating from Griffith University with a Bachelor of Journalism degree, specialising in politics and historical studies.
Melanie reports on state and federal politics as well as the mining industry for the Mackay region.
She previously reported in Mildura at the Sunraysia Daily, covering Mildura Rural City Council, Wentworth Shire Council, state politics and social affairs.
In 2020 she was selected as a finalist for the Association of Mining and Exploration Companies Print Media Award.
LILLIAN WATKINS
Lillian Watkins is the Daily Mercury’s resident crime reporter.
Lillian graduated from the University of Wollongong in 2020 with a double degree — a Bachelor of Law and a Bachelor of Journalism.
She has already acclimatised to Mackay weather and now needs beanies in winter.
Along with crime and breaking news, Lillian covers community news and is an advocate for social change.
She enjoys music, the beach, reading and finding Mackay’s best kept secrets.
MATTHEW FORREST
Matthew Forrest is the Daily Mercury’s sports reporter.
Matthew graduated from Swinburne University of Technology in 2020 with a Bachelor of Media and Communications majoring in journalism.
He moved to Mackay from Victoria and is a diehard Aussie Rules fan who is adjusting to life in Rugby League heartland.
Matthew enjoys all things sport and beers. Unlike Lillian, he’s still trying to adjust to the humidity in Mackay during winter. Send him your tips for getting through summer.
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