In an era where the 24/7 news cycle and social media dominate the way we consume information, the role of trusted journalism has never been more vital. In this edition of The Company We Keep, we speak with Nadia Mitsopoulos, Presenter of Mornings on ABC Radio Perth. We talk about the evolving craft of storytelling, the power of talkback radio in shaping public opinion and the challenges, and opportunities facing Western Australia in the decade ahead.
Meet Nadia Mitsopoulos
Nadia Mitsopoulos is one of Western Australia’s most respected journalists and broadcasters, with more than 30 years of experience across television and radio. As host of Mornings on ABC Radio Perth, she is known for combining rigorous interviews with empathy and humour, whether moderating policy debates, amplifying community voices or holding leaders to account.
Her program has become a daily forum where politicians, industry figures and everyday Western Australians share the microphone, reflecting her belief that journalism is at its best when it sparks dialogue and drives change. Mornings with Nadia Mitsopoulos continues ABC Radio Perth’s legacy of independent, trusted journalism – live, unedited and unfiltered.
Q&A with Nadia Mitsopoulos
Q1) As a journalist with decades of experience across TV and radio, how has your approach to storytelling evolved in the age of 24/7 news and social media, and what does quality journalism look like in that environment?
The fundamentals of good journalism haven’t changed, you still need to fact-check, source responsibly and tell stories that matter. What has evolved is how we deliver them. The 24/7 news cycle and social media platforms create huge pressure to be first, but at ABC Radio Perth, our focus remains on accuracy. Live radio allows us to slow down, properly research issues, allow for talkback and ensure stories are thoroughly verified before they go to air. That discipline is non-negotiable, especially when so many platforms claim to be news but aren’t.
At the same time, we’ve embraced the opportunities social media brings. We now clip key moments from interviews and share them online, often reaching tens of thousands of people who may never have tuned in live. Studio cameras also let us package a single conversation across radio, TV, digital articles and short video snippets, giving stories a much longer life after the microphone is turned off. This approach works for both major issues and lighter topics, like a recent segment on coeliac disease and gluten intolerance that proved hugely popular online.
But quality still comes back to the basics: accuracy, fairness and trust. The temptation to publish quickly is ever-present but speed can’t come at the cost of truth. At ABC, every story goes through rigorous fact-checking, supported by ABC NEWS Verify, a team dedicated to confirming whether photos, videos and information are genuine in an era of AI-generated content.
Finally, there’s no substitute for direct human contact. Picking up the phone or meeting people face-to-face reveals truths you’ll never find in a press release or social media feed. In many ways, it’s those “old-fashioned” methods that remain the foundation of credible journalism.
“The fundamentals of good journalism haven’t changed, you still need to fact-check, source responsibly and tell stories that matter. The temptation to publish quickly is ever-present, but speed can’t come at the cost of truth.”
Q2) What role do you believe talkback radio still plays in shaping public opinion and giving people a voice, particularly here in Western Australia?
Talkback radio remains one of the most powerful platforms for giving people a genuine voice. It’s live, unedited and direct, which means listeners aren’t just sharing opinions for the sake of it, they’re often providing first-hand insight or lived experience that you won’t find anywhere else. That authenticity makes it incredibly valuable.
We’ve seen it lead to real outcomes. A single call from a listener waiting months for their pension sparked dozens more, which in turn pushed the government to hire thousands of extra staff to fix the backlog. An elderly woman who rang in after being evicted and forced to live in her car was offered accommodation within hours thanks to listeners who stepped in. And when issues like Alcoa’s mining expansions or Coca-Cola’s decades-long use of groundwater come to light, the community response can put enormous pressure on companies and decision-makers.
Politicians, departments and businesses listen closely because talkback reflects the concerns of everyday Western Australians, and that influence is profound. It can expose injustices, humanise complex issues like housing or health care, and even spur immediate government or community action. That’s why I believe talkback radio continues to play such a vital role in shaping public opinion and driving change.
Q3) With your deep connection to WA and its people, what changes or challenges do you think will most define the state over the next decade – and how can the media help drive meaningful dialogue around them?
Aged care and health will be among the biggest challenges as Western Australia’s population ages. We already see the cracks, not enough home-care packages, a shortage of affordable residential facilities and difficulty finding qualified staff to meet demand. The same workforce pressures are affecting the disability and broader care sectors, and they will only intensify over the next decade.
Economic reform is another issue that governments keep kicking down the road. There is a growing appetite for serious conversations around negative gearing, capital gains tax and the sustainability of the tax system more broadly. Without meaningful reform, it’s hard to see how we fund the services people rely on.
The third challenge is the transition to renewable energy. Ambitious targets like moving off coal by 2030 and sourcing 80% of the country’s power from renewables are not far away, but progress has been mixed. We’ve seen hydrogen projects collapse, offshore wind developments abandoned, and big questions remain about transmission infrastructure—how to actually get clean power to communities. Meeting those deadlines will require enormous focus, investment and public support.
This is where the media has a responsibility to go beyond the headlines and explain these issues in depth, to put real stories behind the numbers and to create space for informed, long-term dialogue. Western Australians deserve clear, honest conversations about the choices ahead and the trade-offs involved.
“Western Australians deserve clear, honest conversations about the choices ahead and the trade-offs involved.”
Q4) You’ve had to balance being an interviewer, moderator and sometimes even a mediator on live radio. What have been some of your most memorable on-air moments – whether surprising, difficult or rewarding?
Live radio is unpredictable, that’s its power and its challenge. I’ll never forget the story of Moss, a listener who called in about her homelessness. The anguish in her voice was unforgettable, yet the community response was immediate and overwhelming. Within hours, people had rallied to find her a home. Those moments show the very best of what radio can achieve.
Some interviews have been incredibly raw. I once spoke with a mother whose daughter had taken her own life, live on air while the Health Minister was in the studio. Her courage in sharing such a personal tragedy left him speechless, and it highlighted the very real gaps in our mental health system. Those conversations are powerful reminders of why this platform matters.
At other times, the challenge has come from managing confrontational guests, like a fiery Barnaby Joyce interview where he spent much of the time yelling at me. In those situations, you have to stay calm, hold your ground and protect the integrity of the broadcast.
Then there are the lighter moments, like the day music legend Johnny Young accidentally dropped an F-bomb on air. Normally that would have caused outrage, but because it was Johnny, the audience laughed it off. Moments like that remind us that live radio is human, unpredictable and very real.
Q5) Is journalism an evolving or dying profession? Would you or have you recommended a career in journalism to your children?
I believe journalism is evolving, not dying. Print may be in decline, and I do dread the day physical newspapers disappear, but the need for independent, trustworthy journalism has never been greater. Radio still has a strong future because of its immediacy but like all media, it must continue to adapt and use the online space wisely.
Younger generations don’t have the same connection to newspapers or radio as my generation did, but that doesn’t mean they’re disengaged. They still want to know what’s happening and why it matters, it’s just delivered differently. The bigger challenge is cutting through the noise of misinformation and disinformation, which has become so pervasive.
As for my children, I’ve told them journalism is tough but deeply rewarding. Their experience of the profession would be very different to mine, but if you have curiosity, resilience and a commitment to holding people to account and giving others a voice, then it’s a career that still offers enormous purpose.
Nadia Mitsopoulos offers a rare perspective: deeply grounded in Western Australia yet attuned to the global forces reshaping media. Her reflections remind us that while platforms evolve, the principles of good journalism remain constant.
It’s a sentiment that cuts through beyond media, into leadership, business and community life. Stay tuned for more from The Company We Keep as we spotlight the leaders and ideas shaping the future of resilience, progress and meaningful change.
