About – Karen Percy Ink

About Karen

Trusted journalist and media advocate.

Professional, warm and engaging speaker and presenter.

Experienced director committed to good governance and oversight.

Takes a trauma-informed approach to work and life.

Available for:

Writing/reporting/investigative/research projects

Consulting/training on media and trauma

Board director opportunities

Public speaking, MCing, moderating

Mentoring

From Karen

I am a freelance journalist, investigator, researcher, and board director, skilled in trauma training and media literacy, with a passion for ethics and societal good.

After a long career in day-to-day news, I’ve shifted a little.

With a lot of different skills gained over decades as a journalist, I want to share my experiences and pass on knowledge.

My freelance writing and research these days includes corporate work conducting due diligence investigations.

I’m currently undertaking an academic research project looking at workplace practices for workers dealing directly or indirectly with traumatic events, to understand the best ways to monitor, measure and mitigate trauma exposure.

I also regularly work with women’s groups, migrant groups, schools and others to discuss trends and issues and advise on how we can all be more informed and more effective citizens. This is crucial at a time of growing mistrust in institutions, as well as a time of increased misinformation and disinformation.

Hosting, presenting and mc-ing is loads of fun and I’ve had some great opportunities to facilitate and guide discussions in health, financial counselling, the law and more.

Since I left the ABC in 2020, I have completed the Australian Institute of Company Directors course (GAICD 2021). I have also taught media law and social media subjects at La Trobe University.

In recent years, I have become a proselytiser for trauma-informed best-practice, which focusses on understanding what a person has gone through, why they might be behaving as they are, and how empathy and understanding can make a difference.

Destigmatising mental health issues and normalising conversations about improved well-being are crucial – particularly when it comes to the way we deal with people who’ve experienced trauma in their lives. So many of us come across this in our work and our personal lives, but lack the skills and understanding to respond effectively. I know there’s a better way and I want you all to know it.

I remain committed to a strong media sector in Australia underpinned by ethical, public interest journalism. A sustainable, accountable media – that Australians trust – is crucial to our democracy. It’s important that we have high levels of media literacy – that media consumers understand how the media works, hold it accountable, and feel comfortable playing their part.

From 2022 to 2025 I was the elected Federal Media President of the Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance, representing 5000+ journalists and media workers. It was a voluntary position where I worked with our union’s members and MEAA staff to protect the rights of journalists in Australia – advocating on media freedom, pay and conditions, the right to a safe workplace. I appeared at public hearings to advocate for an end to secrecy and over-reaching national security laws which effectively criminalised journalism and undermined the public’s right to know. I helped draft policy submissions related to the News Media Bargaining Code, Media Diversity and Gender Equality. In February 2023 I represented MEAA at the Press Freedom Roundtable hosted by the Federal Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus. From 2017 to 2025 I sat on the MEAA board and the Finance, Audit and Risk Management Committee.

From 2017 to 2025 I was a director of the Walkley Foundation which celebrates excellence in Australian journalism, serving as Deputy Chair from 2021. The work the Walkleys does is so important, in rewarding the best journalists in the country, offering professional development opportunities, and administering programs that fund and support journalists and their work.

I am proud to be part of the Advisory Board of the Australian Intercultural Society, which promotes societal harmony and multi-culturalism. I have hosted events and panels and been part of the AIS community for a number of years now. It does great work.

I am also proud to be the Vice Chair of Sexual Health Victoria, one of the state’s leading and longest-serving organisations dedicated to reproductive and sexual health.

A lifelong feminist, I champion diversity and equality in my work and my life – through mentoring, elevating the work of women and under-represented communities including our First Nations people, and ensuring diversity is front and centre of discussions and actions.

From 2016 to 2019 I was Treasurer with Women In Media Victoria, a volunteer group which provides support, discussion forums and networking events for working journalists and others in the media sector.

From 2020-2022 I was Chair of the Dart Centre Asia Pacific which focuses on trauma and journalism. It followed 7 years as a Peer Supporter in the ABC’s world-class trauma program, which provides support to colleagues exposed to vicarious trauma in their work. I was also a Dart fellow in 2018 and senior fellow in 2018, attending programs in New York with other journalists dedicated to improving mental health in the media and promoting trauma awareness.

I am passionate about public broadcasting having worked in the ABC regions (Alice Springs and Darwin), the cities (Adelaide, Sydney and Melbourne), and overseas – running the ABC’s Bangkok bureau 2006-2009.

I’ve also worked for Channel 10 as a journalist (1994-95), the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (1995-2001) and as a freelance correspondent in Moscow (2010-2013), filing for Deutsche Welle, Radio France International, SBS, ORF in Austria, Radio New Zealand and more.

During my time in Moscow I also undertook charity work through the Cold Plunge for the Homeless – a mid-winter polar bear swim to raise money for homeless organisations. I also co-directed and performed in the first English-language version of The VagIna MonoLogues in Moscow.

In my spare time I do Taekwondo!