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Melissa Sweet

@melissasweetdr.bsky.social

5K followers 1.7K following 3.7K posts

Journalist sharing news on health in all policies, First Nations health, health equity, social determinants of health and climate justice. Based in Australia, and providing local, national and global coverage. Editor in Chief, Croakey Health Media (NFP) .. more

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Melissa Sweet is an Australian journalist and nonfiction writer. Formerly employed by The Sydney Morning Herald, The Bulletin magazine, and Australian Associated Press, she specialises in writing about human health and medicine. .. more

Public Health 31%

Medicine 20%

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Melissa Sweet @melissasweetdr.bsky.social · Sep 1

Ten years ago today...

croakey.org/your-cheats-...

A massive thanks to everyone who's been part of making #CroakeyTenYears

#PublicInterestJournalismMatters

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Melissa Sweet @melissasweetdr.bsky.social · 2h

An interesting open research project: The Trump Action Tracker:
www.trumpactiontracker.info?
It would be good to see a standalone category on media issues....

www.trumpactiontracker.info

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Melissa Sweet @melissasweetdr.bsky.social · 2h

Navigating conflicts of interest with commercial actors: a #Publichealth webinar
preventioncentre.org.au/event/naviga...

Navigating conflicts of interest with commercial actors

Join the PHAA for a webinar exploring the overlooked relationship between health organisations and commercial entities in shaping population health.

preventioncentre.org.au

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Melissa Sweet @melissasweetdr.bsky.social · 2h

Save UTS Public Health School and strengthen health education intouchpublichealth.net.au/save-uts-pub...
cc @croakeynews.bsky.social

Save UTS Public Health School and strengthen health education : Intouch Public Health

Public health education is not an optional extra.

intouchpublichealth.net.au

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Melissa Sweet @melissasweetdr.bsky.social · 2h

Postal Service delays in the US are making the already tight newspaper business even harder. www.cjr.org/analysis/pos...

Postal Service delays are making the already tight newspaper business even harder.

Subscribers report delays of as long as two months.

www.cjr.org

Melissa Sweet @melissasweetdr.bsky.social · 2h

Please don't talk about AI & healthcare with at least considering some of these issues: mailchi.mp/coveringclim...

Locally Sourced: AI and Data Centers

mailchi.mp

Melissa Sweet @melissasweetdr.bsky.social · 2h

Global Health NOW: ICE Hinders U.S. Care; A WWII ‘Ghost Fleet’ Poses a Current Threat; and Reporting Beyond the Crash: mailchi.mp/4c42237cacbf...

Global Health NOW 10.14.25

ICE Hinders U.S. Care; A WWII ‘Ghost Fleet’ Poses a Current Threat; and Reporting Beyond the Crash.

mailchi.mp

Melissa Sweet @melissasweetdr.bsky.social · 2h

theconversation.com/blocked-bays...

Blocked bays and failed handshakes: many public EV chargers are unusable – despite being ‘online’

To boost the slow uptake of EVs in Australia, authorities have focused on expanding the charger network and ensuring chargers are online. But this won’t be enough.

theconversation.com

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Melissa Sweet @melissasweetdr.bsky.social · 2h

Recent publication: What we know about screen time and social media in early adolescence: a review of findings from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40172268/

What we know about screen time and social media in early adolescence: a review of findings from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study - PubMed

Analyses of current ABCD Study data reveal increasing use of screens and social media across early adolescence, with sociodemographic disparities in screen use as well as numerous associations between...

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Melissa Sweet @melissasweetdr.bsky.social · 2h

theconversation.com/william-bara...

William Barak’s missing art: Wurundjeri Elders lead the search to reclaim lost cultural treasures

Barak was an Aboriginal leader who witnessed the signing of the controversial 1835 Batman Treaty. He made many works during his life, but many are unaccounted for.

theconversation.com

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Melissa Sweet @melissasweetdr.bsky.social · 3h

Ian McAuley on the perils of "survivor bias" in the LNP Coalition
johnmenadue.com/post/2025/10...
#AusPol

How the Coalition’s right read the opinion polls

A superficial reading of the polls suggests the Liberal Party should move to the Trumpian right. This is a stupid and dangerous idea.

johnmenadue.com

Melissa Sweet @melissasweetdr.bsky.social · 3h

Ceasefire sparks fresh calls for global media access to Gaza johnmenadue.com/post/2025/10...

johnmenadue.com

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Melissa Sweet @melissasweetdr.bsky.social · 9h

www.abc.net.au/news/science...

'It's pretty brutal': Inside the businesses being strangled by AI search

Darren Woolley spent years sharing his expert knowledge of marketing on the web for free. Almost overnight, the world mostly stopped listening to businesses like his.

www.abc.net.au

Melissa Sweet @melissasweetdr.bsky.social · 9h

Instagram restricts what teenagers can see weeks before Australia’s under-16s social media ban begins

www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

Instagram restricts what teenagers can see weeks before Australia’s under-16s social media ban begins

The restrictions come as many of the companies expected to be included in the ban announce changes or express opposition

www.theguardian.com

Melissa Sweet @melissasweetdr.bsky.social · 20h

theconversation.com/for-the-firs...

For the first time, we linked a new fossil fuel project to hundreds of deaths. Here’s the impact of Woodside’s Scarborough gas project

The results challenge claims that the climate risks posed by an individual fossil fuel project are negligible or cannot be quantified.

theconversation.com

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Melissa Sweet @melissasweetdr.bsky.social · 20h

Guaranteed Māori seats on NZ councils to be slashed by more than half

www.theguardian.com/world/2025/o...

Guaranteed Māori seats on New Zealand councils to be slashed by more than half

Controversial law change that forced councils to put the fate of Māori wards to a public vote saw 25 vote to disestablish the guaranteed seats

www.theguardian.com

Reposted by Bronwyn Fredericks

Melissa Sweet @melissasweetdr.bsky.social · 22h

Warm thanks to Prof @profmdavis.bsky.social, Prof @bronfredericks.bsky.social, Pat Anderson AO & Geoff Scott for sharing insights & reflections to mark the 2nd anniversary of #TheVoice referendum today. We will report more at @croakeynews.bsky.social this week.

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Melissa Sweet @melissasweetdr.bsky.social · 1d

On the 2nd anniversary of #TheVoice referendum, the @croakeynews.bsky.social Voice portal is continuing to publish related articles; our most recent article is by Dr Louis Peachey:

www.croakey.org/the-voice-to...

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Melissa Sweet @melissasweetdr.bsky.social · 1d

“Watching from Australia while Trump targets my home of Chicago with armed troops prompts deep questions”

www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Watching from Australia while Donald Trump targets my home of Chicago with armed troops prompts deep questions | Miles Herbert

I never again want to have to look back and wonder, could I have done more?

www.theguardian.com

Melissa Sweet @melissasweetdr.bsky.social · 1d

US news outlets refuse to sign new Pentagon rules to report only official information

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

US news outlets refuse to sign new Pentagon rules to report only official information

Defense department policy requires outlets to vow not to obtain unauthorized files and restricts access to some areas

www.theguardian.com

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Melissa Sweet @melissasweetdr.bsky.social · 1d

Check this petition from an important organisation – Indigenous Allied Health Australia (IAHA) – calling on the Albanese Govt to end the funding uncertainty that is already affecting their work.
www.change.org/p/call-for-t...

#AusPol

Sign the Petition

Call for the Commonwealth to fund IAHA to sustainably create transformative change

www.change.org

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Melissa Sweet @melissasweetdr.bsky.social · 1d

Hot off the presses!
#TheZap: latest health and aged care news, plus consultations not to miss – by @charlesmk.bsky.social
www.croakey.org/the-zap-late...

#HealthMatters
#AusPol
#AgedCare

The Zap: latest health and aged care news, plus consultations not to miss

At a time of ongoing concerns about the safety and quality of aged care, Aged Care Minister Sam Rae appears

www.croakey.org

Melissa Sweet @melissasweetdr.bsky.social · 1d

Two years later – Dr Louis Peachey describes the role of fear campaigns in producing the no vote, as well as his hopes for the future.
www.croakey.org/two-years-la...
#TheVoice

Two years later

Croakey readers can register here for a webinar today at 12.30pm AEDT marking the second anniversary of the Voice referendum

www.croakey.org

Melissa Sweet @melissasweetdr.bsky.social · 1d

New articles from Australian Prescriber, covering ADHD in children & adolescents; oral anticoagulation; gestational diabetes; sun protection & more...
australianprescriber.tg.org.au

Australian Prescriber

Australian Prescriber is an independent, peer-reviewed journal providing commentary on drugs and therapeutics for health professionals.

australianprescriber.tg.org.au

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Melissa Sweet @melissasweetdr.bsky.social · 1d

The good people at @healthpolicywatch.bsky.social have launched a new newsletter, FRESH AIR, covering "The latest insights, research, and stories driving the fight for cleaner air worldwide"

mailchi.mp/a4e83aa53203...

Fresh Air | A New Health Policy Watch Newsletter

mailchi.mp

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Melissa Sweet @melissasweetdr.bsky.social · 1d

Global Life Expectancy Sees Post-COVID Rebound - But Deaths Among Youths In North America and Latin America Rise healthpolicy-watch.news/global-life-...

Global Life Expectancy Sees Post-COVID Rebound - But Deaths Among Youths In North America And Latin America Rise - Health Policy Watch

BERLIN - Global life expectancy rose again in 2023 after a decline during the COVID pandemic with overall life expectancy 20 years higher as compared to 1950.

healthpolicy-watch.news

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Melissa Sweet @melissasweetdr.bsky.social · 1d

Disarming extremism in the algorithmic age johnmenadue.com/post/2025/10...
By Amelie Szczecinski, one of six talented young Australians who will travel to the UN General Assembly in New York next week as part of the Global Voices project.

Disarming extremism in the algorithmic age

Amelie Szczecinski is one of six talented young Australians who will travel to the UN General Assembly in New York next week as part of the Global Voices project.

johnmenadue.com

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Melissa Sweet @melissasweetdr.bsky.social · 1d

If you were unable to attend the celebration yesterday of the remarkable life of Professor Kerin O’Dea AO, a recording is available at the livestream link in this article.
www.croakey.org/paying-tribu...