Why subscribe?
The Pulse Illawarra will give you business and industry news you can’t get anywhere else.
Subscribers will be supporting local journalism and will get access to:
Illawarra business news and analysis.
The region’s most comprehensive list of business networking events.
Analysis and constructive journalism on the topics affecting Illawarra business leaders.
Be part of the conversation and comment in our Pulse Community
Listen to our content while on the move.
You can visit our website directly at www.illawarrapulse.com.au or you can download the Substack app and find us there.
Why now?
The Illawarra is in a growth phase, and we want to be part of that. We want to tell the success stories, find out about the unique challenges facing our business owners and connect them to people who are solving problems.
We don’t see ourselves as direct competitors to other media players like the Illawarra Mercury, ABC Illawarra or Region Illawarra, but we understand the constraints faced by those organisations in a challenging media environment. We hope to tell the stories traditional local media are unable to tell.
Who is behind Pulse Illawarra?
I’m Gayle Tomlinson, the former editor of the Illawarra Mercury and a journalist with 30 years of experience working with the largest publishers in the UK and Australia. If you dig into the depths of my LinkedIn profile you’ll find I was industry reporter for the Newcastle Chronicle and business reporter for The Journal.
Think shipyards, coal mines, trade unions, Northern Rock, Newcastle Brown Ale, and a city that transformed itself from an industrial powerhouse to an innovative European City of Culture. You might recognise some themes.
Janine Graham is a former Deputy Editor of the Illawarra Mercury, who also has worked in the UK and numerous publications domestically. Her links to the Illawarra go back decades - to the extent she recalls farmland in Figtree and Gordie McLeod at the Snakepit.
What can we expect
Once subscribed to The Pulse Illawarra we send every story we write direct to your inbox, or if you’d prefer you can browse our ad-free website.
Our aim is to publish two to four times a week, but we’re not focused on volume. This is a quality play. We won’t be spamming your inbox. When you get something from us, it’s because we genuinely think it’ll be of interest to you.
This all sounds great. How do I support The Pulse?
If you like the sound of what we’re doing, then subscribe to support our journalism. You can choose to pay $20 a month or pay for a $200 annual subscription.
With your subscription, you’ll be given three gift subscriptions to give to someone you think could benefit from reading The Pulse.
Alternatively, you can partner with us: invite us to your events, tell us your stories, sponsor a newsletter, or help us hire a full-time writer. Contact us at gayle@pulseillawarra.com.au or Janine@pulseillawarra.com.au to discuss.
Keep scrolling if you want to read our Editorial Standards Policy and Complaints Policy.
Editorial Standards Policy
Purpose
The Pulse Illawarra is committed to producing accurate, fair, independent and responsible journalism that serves our local community.
This Editorial Standards Policy sets out the principles that guide our reporting, publishing and editorial decision-making.
All staff, contributors, contractors and volunteers involved in producing editorial content are expected to comply with these standards.
Accuracy
We will take reasonable steps to ensure that published material is accurate, factual and not misleading.
This includes:
Verifying information before publication where practicable.
Using reliable sources.
Distinguishing clearly between verified facts, allegations and opinion.
Ensuring headlines, photographs, captions and graphics accurately reflect the content they accompany.
Avoiding material omissions that may substantially mislead readers.
Where facts cannot be independently verified, this will be made clear to readers.
Fairness and Balance
We strive to report fairly and honestly.
Where a person, organisation or business is the subject of significant criticism, allegations or adverse comment, we will seek a response before publication where reasonable and practicable.
We will:
Represent differing viewpoints fairly.
Avoid selective quotation that distorts meaning.
Provide relevant context.
Give individuals an opportunity to respond to serious allegations.
We recognise that balance does not always require equal coverage of all viewpoints, particularly where facts are established or evidence overwhelmingly supports one position.
Independence
Editorial decisions are made independently.
Advertisers, sponsors, donors and other external parties do not control editorial content.
Editorial content will not be influenced by:
Commercial interests
Political interests
Personal relationships
Financial incentives
Any sponsored, paid or promotional content will be clearly identified.
Conflicts of Interest
Staff and contributors must avoid conflicts of interest that may compromise, or appear to compromise, editorial independence.
Contributors should disclose any personal, financial or professional interests relevant to a story.
Where a conflict exists, the Editor may:
Require disclosure to readers;
Reassign the story; or
Decline publication.
Opinion and Commentary
Opinion, analysis and commentary are important parts of public discussion.
Opinion content must:
Be clearly identified as opinion, commentary or analysis;
Be based on facts that are accurately represented;
Not knowingly contain false or misleading information.
Contributors are entitled to express views, but opinion pieces remain subject to these Editorial Standards.
Privacy
We respect personal privacy.
We will consider the public interest before publishing private information.
When assessing privacy matters we will consider:
The public significance of the information;
Whether publication is justified in the public interest;
The potential harm caused by publication.
Special care will be taken when reporting on children, victims of crime and vulnerable individuals.
Discrimination and Diversity
We aim to report respectfully and inclusively.
We will avoid gratuitous references to a person’s:
Race
Ethnicity
Nationality
Religion
Gender
Sexual orientation
Disability
Age
Such characteristics will be included only where relevant to the story.
We encourage diverse voices and perspectives within our coverage.
Reporting on Crime and Legal Matters
We will report legal matters responsibly and accurately.
We will:
Respect court suppression orders and legal restrictions;
Avoid prejudicing legal proceedings;
Distinguish allegations from proven facts;
Report outcomes fairly and accurately.
Individuals are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty by a court.
Sources and Attribution
We value transparency regarding sources of information.
Where possible we will identify sources.
Anonymous sources may be used when:
The information is important to the public interest;
The source faces legitimate risk if identified; and
The information has been assessed as credible.
The Editor reserves the right not to publish material relying solely on anonymous sources.
Use of Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence tools may be used to assist with research, transcription, drafting or editing.
Editorial responsibility remains with The Pulse Illawarra.
Content generated or assisted by artificial intelligence will be reviewed by a human editor before publication.
We will not knowingly publish AI-generated material that is false, misleading or presented as genuine reporting without appropriate verification.
Corrections and Clarifications
We are committed to correcting significant factual errors promptly.
Where a correction is required, we will:
Correct the error as soon as practicable;
Clearly identify the correction;
Ensure the correction is proportionate to the significance of the error.
Clarifications may be published where additional context is necessary but no factual error exists.
Community Engagement
We encourage respectful public discussion.
Comments, submissions and reader contributions may be moderated to remove:
Defamatory content;
Hate speech;
Harassment;
Spam;
Material that breaches the law.
Moderation decisions are made at the discretion of the Editor.
Accountability
We welcome feedback and complaints from readers.
Complaints will be handled in accordance with our Complaints Policy and Procedure.
We are committed to learning from errors and continuously improving our journalism.
Review
This policy will be reviewed periodically to ensure it remains current and appropriate for our publication and community.
Complaints Policy and Procedure
The Pulse Ilawarra
Effective Date: June 2026
1. Our Commitment
The Pulse Illawarra is committed to publishing accurate, fair and responsible journalism in the public interest.
We welcome feedback from readers and take complaints seriously. We will consider complaints about our editorial content fairly, promptly and in accordance with our editorial standards.
Where errors occur, we will correct them as soon as reasonably practicable.
What Complaints We Consider
We will consider complaints relating to editorial content published by The Pulse Illawarra, including concerns about:
Accuracy or factual errors
Misleading or incomplete reporting
Fairness or balance
Failure to provide a reasonable opportunity to respond
Privacy
Discrimination or prejudicial references
Headline, image or caption accuracy
Corrections and clarifications
Compliance with our Editorial Standards
Making a Complaint
Complaints should be made in writing and include:
Your name and contact details
The title and link to the article or content
The date of publication
Details of the complaint
Any supporting information
Complaints may be submitted by email to: gayle@pulseillawarra.com.au
We encourage complaints to be made within 30 days of publication, although we may consider older complaints where appropriate.
Complaint Handling Procedure
Acknowledgement
We will acknowledge receipt of a complaint within five business days where practicable.
Assessment
The complaint will be reviewed by the Editor or a person delegated by the Editor.
The review may include:
Examination of the published material
Review of source material and records
Discussion with the journalist or contributor involved
Consideration of relevant editorial standards
Response
We aim to provide a substantive response within 20 business days.
Where additional investigation is required, we will advise the complainant of any delay.
Outcomes
Following review, we may:
Decline the complaint
Provide an explanation or clarification
Amend published content
Publish a correction
Publish a clarification
Publish an apology
Remove content where justified
The outcome will depend on the nature and seriousness of the issue identified.
Corrections and Clarifications
We are committed to correcting significant factual errors promptly.
Where a correction is required, we will:
Correct the error as soon as practicable
Clearly identify the correction
Ensure the correction is proportionate to the significance of the error
Clarifications may be published where additional context is required but no factual error is identified.
Fairness and Right of Reply
Where a person or organisation is the subject of significant criticism or adverse allegations, we will seek comment prior to publication where reasonable and practicable.
Where concerns are raised after publication, we may offer an opportunity for a response to be published where appropriate.
Privacy
We recognise the importance of privacy and will consider complaints relating to unnecessary intrusion into personal privacy.
In assessing privacy complaints, we will balance privacy interests against the public interest in publication.
Review of Complaints
If a complainant is dissatisfied with the outcome, they may request a further review by the Editor within 14 days of receiving our response.
The Editor’s decision will generally be final.
Continuous Improvement
We maintain records of complaints and outcomes and periodically review them to improve our editorial practices, accuracy and accountability.
