Rate My Professor Narelle Hopkin

Narelle Hopkin serves as Senior Lecturer in Journalism and Digital Communication and Academic Chair of Journalism in the School of Media and Communication at Murdoch University, where she also holds the position of Associate Dean for Equity and Inclusion. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Communication from Murdoch University in 2000. Possessing over two decades of professional experience in journalism, Hopkin's career commenced at Nature magazine and extended across television news, online media, and print publications. Currently, as a freelance investigative journalist, she regularly reports on Western Australian breaking news involving politics, courts, health, and police for outlets such as The Guardian. Her academic and journalistic interests center on environment, science, and social equity issues, exemplified by investigations into asbestos contamination in Wittenoom, groundwater mining, live animal exports, and state homelessness policies.

Hopkin has received a Fellowship from the Higher Education Academy and garnered nominations in two categories at the 2024 WA Media Awards for her investigative bodies of work, including coverage of the domestic violence-related murders of two women in Floreat and the sharp decline in little penguin numbers at Penguin Island. Additionally, she was nominated for the Hugh Schmitt Prize for Feature Writing at the 2022 WA Media Awards for her article titled 'As shots rang out, the battle to save Western Australia’s stranded pilot whales was over.' At Murdoch University, she oversees the journalism program delivered across two countries, contributing to the success of her students and alumni who have secured media awards. Notable publications include 'Young people hate making phone calls – could it be hurting their careers?' published in The Conversation in 2024, alongside her Guardian pieces on environmental and social issues.