In a rapidly evolving media landscape, we’ve got the expertise and the agility to hit the right audience with the right message.
We tailor specific strategies to each client by developing a deep understanding of their issues and applying our combined 100 years+ worth of media experience.
In an industry where jargon is too often used as a substitute for hard work, our frank and transparent approach allows our results to speak for themselves.
We work closely with our clients to deliver focused and nimble communications strategies and execution. We have extensive experience in crisis management, profile management and enhancement, and applying pressure to decision makers. We tailor your campaign media around your specific objectives.
Mountain Media houses decades of experience within print, radio and television. Additionally, within a rapidly changing media landscape, we can develop and execute tailored media campaigns including social media and digital communications plans.
We have impeccable contacts across television, radio and print across the eastern seaboard of Australia, and in the Federal Parliamentary Press Gallery. Our team understands how to work with the media to get traction or alternatively, keep an issue under wraps in a fast paced media landscape.
We’re skilled at developing high impact media materials, and work hard to maintain excellent relationships to ensure our clients are linked with the right journalists, producers and editors.
Threats to your reputation can strike quickly and without warning, so it’s vital your public image is confidently and sensitively managed under heavy scrutiny. We work with you to identify and mitigate risks before they eventuate, and to help plan and train for crises so you can perform confidently under pressure.
We’re known for our straight talking and practical approach at the best and the worst of times.
In a crowded news space, good copy gets attention.
All Mountain Media consultants have extensive writing skills and experience, and some of our consultants specialise in this area. We can assist with drafting, editing and placing a range of written pieces from speeches, media releases, opinion pieces, key messaging documents, annual reports, website copy and analysis.
Mountain Media offers expert media and presentation training to help your key spokespeople fluidly and confidently engage with the media and other important stakeholders.
From media interviews to press conferences and public speaking, our tailored and highly practical training sessions are run by Walkley nominated former journalists from the most senior levels of Australian print and broadcast media.
We work closely with our clients to deliver focused and nimble communications strategies and execution. We have extensive experience in crisis management, profile management and enhancement, and applying pressure to decision makers. We tailor your campaign media around your specific objectives.
Mountain Media houses decades of experience within print, radio and television. Additionally, within a rapidly changing media landscape, we can develop and execute tailored media campaigns including social media and digital communications plans.
We have impeccable contacts across television, radio and print across the eastern seaboard of Australia, and in the Federal Parliamentary Press Gallery. Our team understands how to work with the media to get traction or alternatively, keep an issue under wraps in a fast paced media landscape.
We’re skilled at developing high impact media materials, and work hard to maintain excellent relationships to ensure our clients are linked with the right journalists, producers and editors.
Threats to your reputation can strike quickly and without warning, so it’s vital your public image is confidently and sensitively managed under heavy scrutiny. We work with you to identify and mitigate risks before they eventuate, and to help plan and train for crises so you can perform confidently under pressure.
We’re known for our straight talking and practical approach at the best and the worst of times.
In a crowded news space, good copy gets attention.
All Mountain Media consultants have extensive writing skills and experience, and some of our consultants specialise in this area. We can assist with drafting, editing and placing a range of written pieces from speeches, media releases, opinion pieces, key messaging documents, annual reports, website copy and analysis.
Mountain Media offers expert media and presentation training to help your key spokespeople fluidly and confidently engage with the media and other important stakeholders.
From media interviews to press conferences and public speaking, our tailored and highly practical training sessions are run by Walkley nominated former journalists from the most senior levels of Australian print and broadcast media.
Mountain Media worked hard over 2020 to help the Australian and International Pilots Association with their communications, as the aviation industry was severely impacted nationally and globally by the Coronavirus shutdown. The Pilots Association advocacy for their members and industry was strong and consistent during the darkest days of the pandemic, gaining sustained national attention.
Mountain Media is assisting the NSW Teachers Federation with publicity for the Valuing the teaching profession – an independent inquiry hearings running through 2020 and into 2021. The inquiry, chaired by former WA Premier Geoff Gallup, is examining the changing work of teachers. The inquiries deliberations are attracting significant media coverage across metropolitan and regional NSW.
In 2019 Mountain Media assisted former ACCC Chairman and consumer champion Professor Allan Fels raise awareness of insurance companies’ practice of offering discounts to attract new customers while charging more to their existing customers. The coverage resulted in legislative changes to ensure that previous year’s premium prices are shown on renewal notices.
Mountain Media was engaged to manage media for the announcement of the winners of the 2019 Sydney Peace Prize; Tarana Burke, Tracey Spicer and the global “Me too” movement. The announcement gained significant national and international press coverage in May 2019.
Issues management challenges don’t come bigger than Royal Commissions. Mountain Media consultants have achieved optimal reputational outcomes for clients appearing in the Cole Royal Commission (2003) the Heydon Royal Commission (2014/15), the Hayne Royal Commission into Financial Services (2018/19) and the Aged Care Royal Commission (2018/20). This extensive experience across several decades give our consultants unparalleled expertise and insights.
Mountain Media has provided pro bono public relations advice and services for over a decade to the Asbestos Diseases Foundation of Australia (ADFA), Australia’s main asbestos victims rights and advocacy group. Mountain Media consultants campaigned alongside Australian hero the late Bernie Banton AM and were heavily involved in publicity for victims during the 2004 Jackson Special Commission of Inquiry into James Hardie and subsequent high profile campaign against the company.
Mountain Media has managed the public relations for some of the biggest financial transactions in the history of Australia. These include developing and executing strategy for the purchase announcement, as well as press conference management for the new owners of Port Botany and Port Kembla, the 2013 A$5.07b “global deal of the year.” Also media in Australia for the new Australian owners purchasing the 252km long Indiana Toll Road in 2015 for $US5.725b, all aspects of the announcement publicity for the buyers of 50% of Ausgrid in 2016, a A$16b transaction and media in Australia for the A$10b “take private” of midstream energy firm Buckeye Partners in 2019.
Mountain Media ran the public relations for the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union’s (AMWU) national campaign to maintain submarine building in South Australia. This comprehensive and highly successful campaign involved a firestorm of media and political pressure. It culminated in the announcement in 2017 by the Federal Government that they would build Australia’s next submarines in Australia using Australian shipbuilders as well as move to a continuous build policy for all future RAN vessels. Tens of thousands of skilled jobs were retained for Australia.
In 2017 Mountain Media assisted the Cathy Freeman Foundation with the promotion of its 10th Anniversary.
Mountain Media assisted Cathy Freeman in ensuring that the issue of closing the gap in Indigenous education remained the focus of coverage of the 10th Anniversary in national print and television media.
Mountain Media also promoted a charity vintage car drive around Australia by the Foundation’s founding Chair, resulting in coast to coast local media coverage and a boost to fundraising for the Foundation.
Mountain Media worked over 2016 and 2017 to publicise the plight of tiny Norfolk Island, an external territory of Australia that recently suffered a take over of much of its autonomy. We delivered multiple front-page national newspaper focus and significant influential electronic media coverage over an extended period of time. The coverage forced concessions from the Federal Government and ensured ongoing international scrutiny on the issues, which may yet prove decisive in restoring the Islanders rights.
Mountain Media assisted Steve Johnson with media management associated with the findings of the unprecedented third coronial inquiry into the murder of his brother Scott, in a gay hate crime in Sydney in 1989. The Coroner’s murder finding made national headlines in December 2017.
Mountain Media managed publicity for a federal parliamentary delegations visit to Myanmar in 2011 with the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation. This resulted in highly successful national television media.
The firm also managed similar delegations to Jakarta in 2013 and Laos in October 2014.
More recently our consultants worked in Tokyo and elsewhere in North Asia a number of times throughout 2019.
Mountain Media managed the media for The Australian Federation of AIDS Organisations (AFAO) during the Asia Pacific AIDS Conference in Bali in 2009.
Mountain Media managed public relations for ISA for over a decade, including for its transformational campaign to develop what is now known as the Future of Financial Advice (FOFA) consumer protection reform package.
The initial reforms were passed by the Rudd Government after a highly successful PR campaign managed by Mountain Media for ISA. The Abbott Government, after introducing proposals to wind back the FOFA reforms, backed down after a further PR campaign by ISA/Mountain Media. The issue jumped from the financial pages to the mainstream daily news, ultimately culminating in the Hayne Royal Commission.
In 2017, Mountain Media worked with the Good Weekend on an extensive feature to highlight the ongoing and present dangers of exposure to asbestos for home renovators and tradespeople.
This culminated in a powerful, 5000 word article in the Good Weekend in November 2017.
This prestigious, multimedia story reached a huge national audience and was realised through Mountain Media’s persistence and tenacity.
Youth Action engaged Mountain for PR activity around a proposal for a new model of homesharing, with the aim to put it on the radar of key government figures ahead of ministerial meetings. The initiative proposed a unique model where young people would live with, and assist older people in exchange for more affordable accommodation to tackle rising living costs within Australia.
The campaign resulted in widespread national coverage across print, radio, and news and breakfast TV.
In a major step toward self-determination for Victoria’s Aboriginal community, the Victorian Government in 2016 transferred ownership of over 1500 properties to Aboriginal Housing Victoria – an Aboriginal controlled community housing organisation.
It was and remains the largest single hand back of freehold title to Aboriginal ownership anywhere in Australia.
Mountain Media’s careful handling of the announcement ensured overwhelmingly positive media outcomes.
Mountain Media conceptualised and pitched all of the publicity aspects of this whirlwind visit, including the highly successful appearance at the National Press Club, Mr. Gates interview on 7.30, and his one-on-one appearance with Tony Jones on a special edition of Q&A.
Mountain Media delivered the PR support for World AIDS Day in Australia over a number of years. Mountain Media managed all PR aspects of the event in Sydney in 2011, which featured band members of U2, the Governor General, the Prime Minister and the Premier of NSW and achieved global coverage . With Melbourne the host city for the World AIDS Conference in July 2014, the global spotlight was on the event in Melbourne in December 2013.
Mountain Media organised PR opportunities for key participants including the head of UNAIDS Michel Sidibe, other diplomats, dignitaries and medical researchers. We were instrumental in organising the only press conference where patron and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, took questions from the media, at Government House in Melbourne.
Mountain Media delivered the media strategy and national media management for the United Voice equal pay campaign for early childhood educators. Exceeding all expectations – from a weekend announcement of the ‘Big Steps Walk Off’ to the sector-wide closures taking place in September 2017 – the equal pay campaign was one of the biggest national news stories that month. Picture and interview opportunities were organised for media outlets nationwide. Mountain Media worked with educators to gain strategic placement of interviews and opinion pieces that gave voice to their growing anger and frustration about the gender pay imbalance.
The campaign continued to build momentum in 2018 and 2019.
In the lead up to the ANZAC 2015 memorial activities, North Bondi RSL engaged Mountain Media to promote their activities around the service. Due to this being a centenary celebration, this posed a significant challenge as most news coverage was well planned and locked in well before the engagement. Despite an incredibly crowded news space, Mountain Media ran a series of profiles of Modern ANZACs, independently sourcing talent, which resulted in extensive coverage running in the week leading up to, and on the day. Additionally, Mountain media engaged with the community and journalists directly via social media (Facebook and Twitter).
By attaching a Go-Pro to the dawn service bugler for a national television news outlet, Mountain Media were able to generate more than a million hits for one story alone.
Mountain Media was engaged in May 2015 to mount an intensive two week “mini campaign” in opposition to the SBS Documentary “Struggle Street” and its depictions of life in Mount Druitt. Within 36 hours of being engaged Mountain Media had achieved massive national media coverage for Blacktown Council’s point of view.
This was sustained for a fortnight and included a front-page story in The Daily Telegraph and interviews for The Mayor on Lateline, The Today Show, Sunrise and with Alan Jones, Fran Kelly, Radio New Zealand, The Daily Mail UK and media outlets in every state in the Commonwealth. The Mayor in total conducted over 100 major long form mainstream electronic media interviews over the week.
phil@mountainmedia.com.au
Phil Davey created Mountain Media in 2008, with the aim of creating a quality public relations practice that specialised in the not-for-profit sector by providing outstanding value.
Phil has been a Senior Media Advisor to a Deputy Premier of NSW, National Communications and Marketing Manager for a large plaintiff law firm, a Client Manager for a major public relations agency and an in-house Media Director for a major national industrial organisation. He has also worked as a community worker and public servant.
Phil has impeccable contacts across the media landscape and extensive experience and achievements with finance industry media strategy.
rebecca@mountainmedia.com.au
Based in Melbourne, Rebecca has communications experience at the highest levels of state government and in the private and not for profit sector. Rebecca has served as a Chief of Staff to a Victorian Cabinet Minister, Deputy Communications Director to former Premier Steve Bracks, Press Secretary to former Premier and Treasurer John Brumby, and Press Secretary to former NSW Premier Bob Carr. Rebecca is a highly skilled writer and excels in strategy development.
john@mountainmedia.com.au
John Hill is an accomplished journalist with more than 30 years experience reporting some of the biggest stories in Australia. He has reported for Australian TV news from every continent over that time.
Specialising in political reporting and covering controversy, he knows how to get a story into the media – or keep it under wraps. John spent most of his career in TV news and understands how to package information and pictures to make them appealing to television producers.
tim@mountainmedia.com.au
Tim is a former journalist who joined the Mountain Media team following a stint at Sydney’s highest selling newspaper, the Daily Telegraph, where he worked in a number of roles, including chief of staff and news editor. He brings first-class tabloid media contacts and news values to the Mountain Media team.
Tim has extensive experience working in-house with member-based organisations where he was heavily involved in major national campaigns, including the battle for justice for James Hardie asbestos victims and 2007’s Your Rights at Work campaign.
Tim holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communication (Journalism), from the University of Technology, Sydney.
elisabeth@mountainmedia.com.au
julieanne@mountainmedia.com.au
Julieanne worked as a journalist for 16 years. She started her career on suburban newspapers in Melbourne before moving to Sydney and working her way up to daily papers.
Julieanne worked in the NSW Parliament Press Gallery as political reporter for the Newcastle Herald before moving to Canberra.
She recently left The Canberra Times, where she held positions as Arts Editor and Senior Reporter on the Sunday Canberra Times.
najaaf@gmail.com
Najaaf is a graphic and web designer with a versatile skill set across different types of digital and print media. He is equally comfortable crafting a website with great user experience to working on a creative branding project, graphics or artwork.
Najaaf has over 10 years of experience in design, has previously worked in UI and UX design roles, and has experience with advocacy campaigns in the not-for-profit sector.
PO Box 550
Hazelbrook, NSW, 2779
0414 867 188