newsChat: Gen Z panel share their experiences of, and opinions on the modern world

newsChat is an exciting new initiative where Aussie Gen Zers will share their experiences — no topic will be off limit. Meet our panellists.

A lot has changed in the last couple of decades, and the priorities of one generation to the next has changed too.

Gen Z have a lot to deal with: from trying to save the planet, to fighting for equality, to managing their money in an increasingly more expensive world. So how do they feel about it?

We know there’s not a one-size-fits-all answer, so we’ve asked Aussie Gen Zers from all walks of life — uni students, tradies, immigrants, LGBTQI+ and more — to join our newsChat and share their experiences of, and opinions on the modern world.

In a series of videos and articles, nothing will be off-limits — whether they’re discussing Invasion Day, the impact of Covid-19, the federal election, mental health, or current fashions and gaming platforms.

This is part of a news.com.au project with the Judith Nielson Institute, which supports and celebrates quality journalism and storytelling around the world.

With the institute’s invaluable support, we will be able to help educate and inform all our readers about the changing face of Australia.

news.com.au want to reach more young Australians in regional and remote areas and understand how opinions differ depending on location, beliefs and backgrounds.

Get to know our impressive panellists below.

Angus French.

Nich Richie.

Angus French (aka. Goose)
Age: 22
Pronouns: he/him
Location: Bathurst
Favourite quote: “And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who couldn’t hear the music.” — Frederich Nietzsche

Working full time as a manager at a local bottle shop while completing his studies, Angus has spent his life in Central Western NSW. In his down time, he likes to play his guitar as well as writing and playing tabletop games — but issues facing the LGBTQIA+ and rural communities really ignite his passions. In fact, he’s joining our panel with the hopes of giving a “voice to queer people in rural and semi-rural areas and to at least make one viewer feel seen”. He wishes that older generations would realise that “being queer is nothing new, but people are becoming more and more comfortable coming out and being their authentic selves” and that this can only be a good thing. He also sees “the increasing inevitability of climate catastrophe and the struggle that comes with late-stage capitalism” as the biggest issue facing Gen Z today.

Gareth Nicholas Richie (aka. Nich)
Age: 25
Pronouns: they/them
Location: Brisbane
Favourite quote: “Some people without brains do an awful lot of talking, don’t you think?” — The Scarecrow, Wizard of Oz

Nich grew up in the outer Brisbane suburb, where they now work on a casual basis as a journalist and content creator while finishing their studies — although you can often catch them in Sydney’s northern beaches. They love to relax with gaming and streaming, the latest pop culture news or a trip to the beach, but issues of Indigenous and Queer activism, as well as political news that’s near to their heart. They just wish that older generations would get on board. “I really wish they would realise that the world is in change, that it’s different to how they grew up and how they constructed it. I want them to understand that Gen Z is literally in a fight for our survival right now, and that means they have to abolish those old structures. Older Generations need to understand that we aren’t lazy, we are empowered to change the world to a state that we want to function and work in”.

Amaani Siddeek.

Jahin Tanvir.

Amaani Siddeek
Age: 22
Pronouns: she/her
Location: Sydney
Favourite quote: “With every hardship there will be ease.” — The Quran

Amaani was born in Sri Lanka, but grew up between Melbourne and Sydney, moving often between the two cities in her primary school years before settling in Western Sydney. Her love of investigative journalism and long feature stories led her to complete a Bachelor of Communications and she just started work as cadet journalist at NewsCorp. Her interests range from social justice issues and politics, to bingeing Netflix and F1 and doing DIY projects. She’s also passionate about the environment, believing “that government policy inaction is not only compromising us environmentally but also exposing deep flaws in our infrastructure and economy”. She’s joining newsChat to get “a better sense of diverse opinions and perspectives that exist within my generation. Most of my friends look like me and think like me, it would be great to get to know better people from many walks of life”.

Jahin Tanvir
Age: 21
Pronouns: he/him
Location: Canberra/ Sydney
Favourite quote: “Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become.” — James Clear

Jahin was born in Dhaka, Bangladesh, moving to Australia with his family in 2002. He grew up in Sydney’s Western suburbs, and now spends his time between his family home in Sydney and studying in Canberra. His resume is full and varied, studying Optometry full time, while also working in health policy, being an active youth advocate and keynote speaker — and won several awards for it. He’s even given a Ted X talk. His passions include healthcare, education, sports, and social justice for people of colour — the latter coming from personal experience. “Being a young person of colour had its turmoils — experiences of racism, discrimination, and the absence of a sense of belonging based on what I looked like and the colour of my skin”. In his words, the biggest issue currently facing Gen Z is that they’re “not given the platform or opportunity to speak about issues that are affecting them …. [we need to have] meaningful engagement and participation in conversations around the country. Young people are eager to contribute and not just sit on the sidelines”.

Eelemarni Close-Brown (aka. Marni)

Age: 23

Pronouns: she/her

Location: Sydney

Favourite quote: “What you put into the world is what you will receive in return” — Eelemarni’s mum

Eelemarni is a Sydney born and bred local, who is currently in her second year of a Bachelor of Arts degree, majoring in Journalism and minoring in Sociology.

She’s joined newsChat in the hopes she can “encourage other young Indigenous People to share their voices”.

Her interests and hobbies range from politics and social justice, to literature, photography and exploring nature. However, as an Indigenous Person, her main concern is a growing performative allyship - specifically virtue signalling by many non-Indigenous young people on social media, without putting in any real work towards equality.

“The one thing I wish the older generations would realise is that racism stems from the colonisation of so-called Australia,” she explains. “In order to address it we must first acknowledge settler-colonialism as a structure, not a one-time event that occurred in the past - then we can move forward as a country built on mateship”.