Karen Percy
Seasoned journalist and media advocate Karen Percy has been elected Federal Media President of the Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance. She also will continue in her role as a non-executive director of the Walkley Foundation.
The Walkley directors and management team would like to congratulate Percy on her well-deserved MEAA appointment, and also welcome two new experienced journalists as Federal Vice-Presidents who will also join the Walkleys’ independent board.
Percy was previously MEAA’s co-Vice Media President, a role that she has held since August 2017, when she first joined the Walkley Foundation board. She replaces outgoing Federal Media President Marcus Strom who is stepping down after two terms in the role.
“I am thrilled that Karen Percy is to continue working with me and the board as deputy chair given her invaluable experience and skills. I’d also like to welcome freelance writer Erin Delahunty and ABC features editor Leigh Tonkin to the board, who both bring extensive media experience and energy. I look forward to working with them as we continue to represent our industry.” Walkley Foundation Chair Adele Ferguson said.
Walkley Foundation Chief Executive Shona Martyn added: “Hearty congratulations to Karen Percy for her election as Media Federal President; her contribution to journalism is significant and she will continue to be a huge asset to the board. Welcome too to MEAA Federal Vice-Presidents Erin Delahunty and Leigh Tonkin. It will be a privilege to work alongside these experienced media professionals as they join the board of the Walkley Foundation.”
Percy has more than 35 years experience including a stint as an ABC foreign correspondent. More recently she was with ABC News in Melbourne focussing on courts and legal issues across all platforms – TV, radio, online and social media. She has been freelance since 2020.
Percy started out in Adelaide, but her career has taken her to Alice Springs, Darwin, Sydney and Melbourne and beyond. She served as the ABC’s South East Asia correspondent between 2006 and 2009. Then from 2010 to 2013 she was a freelance correspondent based in Moscow between 2010 and 2013 and reported for clients including Radio NZ, SBS, Deutsche Welle, CBC, Radio France and Ireland’s RTE.
Leigh Tonkin
Leigh Tonkin has worked in national and regional newsrooms for 15 years and is the editor of features and context for ABC News. Previously, she was comment editor at the Sydney Morning Herald, where she worked in various roles for six years, online editor at the Newcastle Herald and a sub-editor at the Cairns Post. She has been a house committee and national media section activist for nearly a decade and represents Asia-Pacific on the International Federation of Journalists’ gender steering committee.
Erin Delahunty
Erin Delahunty is a Victorian-based freelance journalist. After completing a print journalism cadetship, Delahunty spent close to 20 years as a news, sports and features writer and editor for major media groups in Australia and in the UK, before going freelance. She has established herself as one of Australia’s pre-eminent netball writers and pundits, regularly filing for Guardian Australia, which publishes her highly regarded Super Netball column, and for other leading outlets. She is currently co-writing a book about netball for a UK publisher.
On Monday the AEC verified the election of Percy, Tonkin and Delahunty to MEAA’s 95-member Federal Council. There are 43 new councillors representing all MEAA sections who will step up to the union’s governing body.