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Amy Fallon

Looking for a widely-published and experienced journalist who can find and write compelling stories, or a media and communications consultant who can help you increase your visibility and media coverage? 

Hi, I'm Amy. I'm an Australian journalist. With two decades of experience working for a plethora of global media outlets, my work has been published everywhere from The Guardian to NPR to The Sydney Morning Herald, leading to organisations receiving awards, funding, and other opportunities. 

I have reported from the newsrooms of major newspapers and magazines around the world, but also from refugee camps, covered social movements and elections in Africa, and covered issues such as LGBTQ+ crackdowns and other sexual and reproductive health rights extensively. I also write about travel and culture. 

I also have skills in content creation, press release writing, op-ed placement, and social media management. My passion for storytelling that drives me to seek and share stories that matter is backed up by a master's degree in human rights.

Besides working as a journalist, I also offer media training and coaching to organisations and individuals who want to increase their media visibility and press coverage.

Please browse below for my published work and click here for my testimonials. 
You can contact me on amy@amyfallon.com or on WhatsApp on + 61 451 072 181.

Published work

Devex •

Uganda tweaked its anti-gay law just to get donor cash, activists say

As a court in Uganda refused to strike down one of the world’s harshest anti-gay laws enacted nearly a year ago, activists fear the law there and the “lackluster” response to it from donors will spur on other countries considering similar harsh legislation.

The Constitutional Court of Uganda on Wednesday rejected the nullification of The Anti-Homosexuality Act in its entirety, scrapping just two sections and two subsections and declaring the rest of the law constitutional. The ruling, which had
Al Jazeera •

‘Humour is powerful’: Cartoons take on Uganda’s repressive government

Huge potholes and rundown hospitals are actually getting fixed, thanks to a cartoonist’s online satire aimed at the government.

Ugandan cartoonist Jim Spire Ssentongo didn’t know what he was starting last April when he sent out a tweet encouraging people to post photos of the ubiquitous potholes across the country’s capital.

“A friend of mine is organising a mega KAMPALA POTHOLE PHOTO EXHIBITION” he wrote on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, on April 15 last year. “Share here photos o
Crikey •

Calls renew for Australia's corporate religious institutions to pay 'fair share' of tax

There are renewed calls for religious charities to face “a day of financial reckoning” and “pay their fair share of tax”, as the government prepares to table a report in Parliament on Australian philanthropy.

The “once-in-a-generation” review, announced just over a year ago as part of the government’s election vow to double philanthropic giving by 2030, and to boost donations to charities, is being undertaken by the Productivity Commission (PC).

Last month, former Jehovah’s Witness whistleblow
The Saturday Paper •

Julian Assange’s appeal outcome has ramifications for the future of journalism

A loss for Julian Assange in his final appeal against extradition to the United States this week would be the end of the road for him within the British legal system and, his supporters argue, a death sentence.

The WikiLeaks co-founder has been incarcerated in London’s high-security Belmarsh prison since April 11, 2019, when he was dragged out of the Embassy of Ecuador in London, where he’d sought asylum. The man who now faces an 18-count indictment over his alleged role in one of the largest l
Crikey •

Book bannings the canary in the coal mine — and Australia could be next

Vancouver’s Eastside is generally viewed as a liberal place, but today librarians there have a new battle on their hands.

“They are now spending their time looking for hate speech, which in Canada is an illegal thing,” Jen Ferguson, a Michif/Métis author with ancestral ties to the Red River, told a recent Vancouver Writers Fest session.

She recounted a conversation with a librarian in that part of the city: “She told me that her library has to flip through all the pages of young adult books wh
Al Jazeera •

‘They can kill us’: Fear and Sikh resilience in Canada city amid India spat

Six months after Hardeep Singh Nijjar’s assassination, his community members face threats but say they’re not defeated.

Surrey, British Columbia – On a Saturday afternoon in a Sikh temple in Surrey, Canada, boys and men with determined faces wield swords and sticks at each other in an ancient martial art called gatka.

“We are a rebellious community,” Gurkeerat Singh, a farmer, electrician, photographer and spokesperson for the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara Temple, tells me. Surrey is about a 45-min
Fodors Travel Guide •

If You Think Traveling to Visit Orphanages Is Helpful, It’s Time to Reconsider

The #endorphanagetourism campaign targeting tourists traveling from the U.K. comes as U.S. organizations also warn them about the dangers that children’s institutions pose to young ones, backed up by decades of research.

For nearly 10 years in the 1980s, from the age of four until she was a teenager, Rukhiya Budden called an orphanage in Nairobi, Kenya, home. Her mother was alive but had mental health issues and was unable to support her, so Budden stayed in the privately funded home. Every wee
Journo Resources •

'I Had To Do It': Unpaid Tests vs. Freelance Journalists

When widely-published freelance journalist Valentina Valentini was sent a job ad from a friend for a Newsweek freelance entertainment role, she “wasn’t shocked” to find out that it later demanded she do an unpaid test.

After applying for the role, she was told over the phone that she’d have to do a free assessment to score the job. “I was disappointed,” the London-based freelancer of 14 years, whose work has appeared in Vanity Fair, The Washington Post, and The LA Times to name a few, told Jour
Devex •

Zambia deletes 'sexual' from SRHR in blow to LGBTQ+ and rights groups

A move by Zambia to take the word “sexual” out of “sexual and reproductive health and rights” as part of an LGBTQ+ crackdown has raised the eyebrows of activists and donors, with some warning that this could lead to an “entrenchment of patriarchal norms” and particularly impact HIV service provision.

The attempt was recently outlined in a letter dated Sept. 21 by professor Christopher Simoonga, permanent secretary in the Ministry of Health, and sent to all provincial health directors in the sou
New Humanist UK •

The schools educating the next generation of Uganda's humanists

When Peter Kisirinya laid down the first handmade brick of a high school classroom in 2005, surrounded by his community in Kateera, Uganda, he didn't have any inkling of how ground-breaking it was. "I had no sense that I was starting the first of thing anything in the world," said the founder and managing director or the Isaac Newton Humanist High School, believed to be the first and longest-running institution of its kind in Africa.
Rotary Down Under magazine •

Zone 8 unites to say no to domestic violence

It was at a funeral five years ago that David Harmon began to realise the enormity of domestic and family violence in Australia. Then about to take over the reins of the Ballina-on-Richmond club, he was at a memorial in Kyogle, also on the Northern Rivers, for a friend’s sister tragically murdered in Melbourne in front of her three young children.

“I thought jeez, this is shocking what's going on. What could I do as an incoming president of our club?” says Dave, now Rotary District Governor for Zone 9640 for 2023-24.
“I went back to my wife that night, and our club, and spoke about making domestic and family violence the main focus of my first year as president.”

A few months later, 800 people walked down the main street of Ballina in the start of the club’s campaign to try to raise awareness of this issue. On average, one woman a week is murdered by her current or former partner, according to statistics cited by non-profit Our Watch. This year, there are remarkably 20 Districts that make up Zone 8 united for the plight of gender-based violence They encompass 16 countries from Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Island Nations, over 25,000 Rotarians and 20 Governors.
“We have clubs across our zone combining for a common cause,” says Dave. “This is a rare opportunity and has not happened in over 30 years. Imagine the community interest, impact and engagement.”

The campaign against domestic and family violence has helped transform the Ballina-on-Richmond club. In just the past few years, membership has grown from 33 to about 80 people, spurred on by those wanting to help tackle what Dave points out is now the biggest issue facing police today.
“Find your club’s relevance and members will come,” he says.

The death of Lindy Lucena in January, just one street back from Ballina’s main street, marked Australia’s first domestic and family violence related death for 2023. Lindy’s partner was charged with her murder and breaching an apprehended violence order. After this local business Cherry Street Sports Club asked Rotary “what can we do?”

“Cherry Street Sports Club have over 100 staff and for six weeks over Christmas and New Year they all wore our ‘Rotary Says NO to Domestic Violence’ shirts to promote awareness of domestic violence,” says Dave. “They also have beer coasters that they put at all their tables that mention domestic violence.”

The community response was so positive that Ballina Rotary thought what next? A $25,000 club grant between it and Cherry Street Sports Club helped launch the “Purple Friday campaign”, which will mean businesses in Ballina all wearing Rotary’s tops every Friday for the remainder of 2023. Within just two weeks, Rotary had 90 businesses order over 1000 free shirts. Those proudly wearing them include local council staff, primary school workers, tradies, hospitality professionals and retail staff.

“Purple Friday” has helped raise awareness of domestic violence and encourage conversations, says Dave. There are many examples of Ballina women having conversations about their lived experience of this that has never happened before. “I encourage clubs to visit our website and order your shirts,” he says. “They are a great shirt to wear at any of your club’s functions and a conversation starter.”

As part of its broad campaign against gender-based violence, Ballina Rotary also supports the program “Love Bites”. The club helps fund the delivery of this program in high schools on the Northern Rivers. “Love Bites” covers topics such as power and respect in relationships, sexual assault and consent, warning signs of a controlling relationship, and much more. “Research will confirm that the best way to bring about long-term positive change in this area is to educate our youth on what a respectful relationship is and what it looks like,” says Dave.

During this year’s International 16 Days of Activism this year, held from November 25 to December 10, Ballina Rotary will also ask clubs to unite with their community and organise activities that will help raise awareness of domestic violence. This may be a walk, vigil or another activity. They encourage clubs to partner with other organisations that may already be doing something for this event. Ballina Rotary are proposing a zone-wide day of action on December 1.

With the NSW Police recently coming onboard, forming a formal partnership with Rotary Districts of NSW, and their Queensland counterparts expected to follow soon, the campaign that Rotary started will only grow.
“NSW Police see this is the game changer,” says Dave.
“As leaders in our community, we need to stand up and say ‘we’ve had enough of this. What’s happening at the moment isn’t working. Things need to change.’”

To order shirts and other support materials see https://rotaryclubofballinaonrichmond.org.au/#sthash.ddtCkGvf.dpbs
Crikey •

'A world of secrecy': new calls for greater transparency for religious charities

The Greens and secular organisations have revived calls to remove the financial reporting exemptions given to thousands of religious charities, suggesting that scrapping them would enhance public trust in light of new research into their activities and wealth.

No arguments put forward by Catholic and Anglican churches five years ago to justify the creation of “basic religious charities” (BRCs) hold water, said Dr Phil Saj, a visiting scholar at the University of Adelaide’s business school.
National Geographic Food •

How the female coffee farmers of Uganda are building their livelihoods

In Bududa, a lush yet landslide-prone district of eastern Uganda, Mary Butsina and a growing number of other women farmers are building their livelihoods around coffee. “I’m supporting all of my 10 children with it,” says the 36-year-old, holding a red bucket, Mount Elgon looming behind her.

From farming stock, Mary first went to work with her father at the age of 10. Profits from his coffee crop paid her school fees. She married
The Sydney Morning Herald •

How dog-sharing became a solution to ‘pandemic puppy’ problems

Natalie Hollenberg Stal’s dog lives around the corner from her, her husband and two children – but he’s still very much part of their family. “When we drive past his house – when he’s with his owner – my two-and-a-half-year-old will scream ‘Bear’,” says the hypnotherapist and coach. For the past 18 months, the family from Nairne in the Adelaide Hills have borrowed Bear the collie, who belongs to their neighbour Kalab Brinkworth, for eight days every fortnight. Brinkworth is a fly-in, fly-out wor
Equal Times •

In Africa, the “powerful, political act” of agroecological farming is being supported by the Slow Food movement

Although agriculture accounts for about a quarter of Uganda’s GDP, agroecological produce, particularly in the commercial sector, is in the minority. Slow Food Uganda is one of the organisations trying to change that.

Red amaranth, which provides a protein boost for pregnant mothers; spider plant, which is believed to inhibit the growth of cancer cells; and eggobe, which is said to be handy for treating diabetes and hypertension.

These are just some of the fresh fruit, vegetables, dairy, meat
Devex •

Should donors stop funding orphanages? Some NGOs think so

When popular philanthropist “MrBeast,” also known as Jimmy Donaldson, announced a mission “to make the world a better place” by supporting orphanages worldwide in February, he got nearly five million views on YouTube in just a fortnight.

But as pointed out by NGO Lumos, who work to end the dangers of institutionalization and help children be reunited with family, “decades of scientific research shows that children need to grow up in a safe and loving environment, surrounded by family to help th
National Geographic Food •

Caffeine Fix

In Bududa, a lush, yet landslide-prone region of eastern Uganda, Mary Butsina and a growing number of other women farmers have built their lives on coffee. “I’m supporting all of my 10 children with it,” says the 36-year-old, holding a red bucket, Mt Elgon looming behind her. “The smell, the taste, everything… I love it.”

Born to farmers, Mary first went to work with her father at the age of 10. Through coffee, he paid her school fees. She married into coffee too, with her husband giving her 100 trees as a wedding present, but Mary’s since planted more than 300 herself.

She’s part of a women’s co-operative, which was founded in 2004. “The aim was to reduce the dependence of women on men in coffee,” she says. She’s one of around 100 women who are members, though allowing their husbands to join – because they tend to own the coffee plantations and support their wives in the business – has increased the total membership to 200. And the collective has inspired others, too. “More women have started to plant their own coffee,” Mary says.

She rises early every day to pick the arabica coffee cherries – the fruit of the plant. “It is hard work but when you concentrate it can become easy,” says Mary. After gathering ripe red coffee cherries, she puts them in a large bucket of water to separate the healthy from the defective coffee. If a coffee cherry is damaged from an insect or disease, it floats. The latter are removed and the remaining put through a small hand-powered coffee pulper. The farmer turns a crank and pours water into the machine, using tiny metal teeth to separate the outer coffee fruit from the inner coffee seed. This is the coffee "bean". These beans are put back into water to ferment for at least two days. This process helps to develop flavors in the coffee and further removes the slimy sweet fruit mucilage. The now washed beans are placed on "African Raised Drying Beds" simple, wooden-framed racks with a mesh liner that the wet beans are spread out upon, in direct sunlight. Air can flow naturally all around the beans, allowing for quick and even drying.

Once the beans have reached the desired dryness, coffee is gathered together by the cooperative and collected by Endiro Coffee, a tree-to-cup social enterprise working with women-led, organic farmers including those in Bududa. There are still a few more steps to the journey, but this is where Endiro takes over. They mill the coffee to remove the skin or "parchment" covering the beans. Later, it will be roasted, ground and finally brewed by a barista or at home on a coffee brewing device.

In a good harvest season, Mary says she can make 6,000,000 Ugandan shillings (around £1,600), a pretty decent income for this area. For the rest of the year, Mary works as a tailor.

It hasn’t been an easy journey for the Bududa farmers, who’ve faced annual landslides for at least the past 15 years. In 2018, Mary’s mother’s house was destroyed and Mary and two of her siblings lost children. “It washed away some of my coffee plantations,” she says. Other challenges include pests and hailstorms. She eventually dreams of a living in a stable house with water nearby so that she doesn’t have to trek to fetch it, and her own vehicle. “It will take time to save,” she said. “I’ve worked a lot, and I don’t want to stop working, but I want my money to work for me,” she says.
Endiro products including coffee and sauce can be bought at their cafes across Uganda, Kenya and the US, as well as online. endirocoffee.com
inews.co.uk •

Britain’s Got Talent act Ghetto Kids highlights issue of Ugandan orphanages, say campaigners

From one of the largest slums in the Ugandan capital, to appearing at the World Cup in Qatar and capturing the attention of the likes of Nicki Minaj, the Ghetto Kids dance act has enjoyed a phenomenal rise to fame.

The collective of around 30 underprivileged children, some described as orphans, competed in the Britain’s Got Talent (BGT) final on Sunday, after dazzling the judges and receiving a “Golden Buzzer” from Bruno Tonioli halfway through their performance in April.

While they didn’t win
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