Strategic communications, media training and editorial support

Stonefruit Media is a communications consultancy working with organisations across Canberra, Sydney and Melbourne. We help them communicate tough ideas — from national security and public policy to health, education and international development.

From media interviews and podcasts to flagship publications and communications strategies, we help subject matter experts communicate their ideas with clarity and confidence.

We’re often called in when the work is important, complex or high stakes. Our team has worked across journalism, government and strategic communications, giving us a deep understanding of how organisations communicate. We combine newsroom discipline with policy experience and practical communications expertise to deliver work that’s thoughtful, practical and ready to use.

What we do

Media training — be clear, calm and confident

Media interviews can be daunting, but they don’t have to be. We give spokespeople the confidence to handle interviews calmly, communicate their message effectively and respond to difficult questions without losing their composure. Drawing on decades of newsroom experience, our training goes beyond interview technique. We explain how journalists work, what they’re looking for and why interviews unfold the way they do. Through practical exercises and realistic scenarios, you’ll learn how to prepare, stay on message and make the most of every media opportunity.

Podcast training — communicate like a broadcaster

Launching a podcast is easy. Creating one that people want to listen to takes practice. We turn subject matter experts into confident podcast hosts who communicate naturally, engage listeners and make complex ideas easy to follow.

Our practical workshops combine recording exercises with tailored feedback, using your own podcast concepts, scripts and interview topics wherever possible. We cover hosting, interviewing, writing for listening, vocal delivery and audience engagement, giving your team the skills and confidence to create podcasts people genuinely want to hear.

From launching your first podcast to refining an established series, we’ll help you sound professional, connect with your audience and keep them listening.

Publication services — from first draft to finished publication

Great ideas deserve a polished presentation. Whether you’re producing a research report, policy paper, submission or major publication, we take care of everything needed to turn your material into a professional, publication-ready document. You don’t need to manage editors, designers and printers. We’ll do that for you.

We refine the writing, improve structure, manage editing and proofreading, oversee design and production, and coordinate the final publication process. From a light editorial touch to end-to-end publication management, we’ll make sure the finished product is something you can share with confidence.

Communications strategy — practical plans that get used

Good communication doesn’t happen by accident. The right communications strategy helps you win over sceptical stakeholders, build support for change and engage your community.

We work with leaders to define clear objectives, sharpen messaging and develop practical communications strategies that reflect your goals, your audience and your resources. The result is a strategy that’s realistic, focused and designed to be used, helping your organisation communicate with greater consistency, confidence and impact.

Case studies

We assist teams in turning complex material into clear, usable communications — often under pressure. Here are a few examples of how we support delivery across strategy, editorial work and media training.

Media training for the Social Research Centre

The Social Research Centre engaged us to prepare its CEO, senior leaders, and subject matter experts for media engagement — most for the first time. We delivered tailored training combining practical, on-camera interview simulations with insight into how journalists work and how stories are shaped. The result was more confident spokespeople, clearer messaging, and a stronger ability to handle interviews and difficult questions.

Editorial support for the National Security College

We support the National Security College at ANU in delivering major publications, from multi-author books to flagship reports on national security. Working with complex, policy-facing material — often under time pressure — we bring consistency, clarity, and structure to long-form documents, ensuring they are ready for publication.

Strategic communications for ActionAid Australia

ActionAid had a strong story to tell — they just needed a sharper way to tell it. Through collaborative workshops and one-on-one consultations, we helped them define their messaging, identify key audiences, and develop a practical strategy that reflects their values and voice. The result is a plan the whole team can use to guide campaigns, strengthen advocacy, and build public connection.

White-label writing and editorial support

We provide white-label writing and editorial support to a government relations firm, working as an extension of their team across white papers, submissions, briefing notes, and market assessments. Often starting from rough inputs — notes, early drafts, or meeting summaries — we shape complex material into clear, client-ready documents. The result is high-quality outputs delivered on time, with minimal revision required, and additional capacity when internal teams are stretched.

Why choose Stonefruit Media?

We understand your world

Our backgrounds span journalism, government, and strategic communications, giving us a deep understanding of how complex organisations operate. We quickly understand the context, ask the right questions and get to work.

We become part of your team

We’re often brought in to support communications teams, not replace them. Need extra capacity? Specialist expertise? We work alongside your team as experienced colleagues who can hit the ground running.

If we’re not early, we’re late

We don’t see deadlines as serving suggestions and our philosophy is simple: if we’re not early, we’re late. If your publication is heading to print, your spokesperson has an interview tomorrow or your strategy is due at the next board meeting, we’ll deliver on time.

We understand cultural nuance

Good communication isn’t one-size-fits-all. We understand how culture, background and lived experience can shape the way people engage — especially in training or high-stakes messaging. We bring empathy, sensitivity and care to everything we do, helping clients communicate with clarity and respect.

Who we are

We’re a senior team with deep experience across journalism, government and strategic communications. That means you won’t be handed off to junior staff — when you work with us, you work with us.

Jason Staines — Editorial Director

Jason specialises in helping organisations communicate complex ideas through reports, publications, speeches and communications strategies. Drawing on careers in journalism, government, and strategic communications, he works with clients across national security, public policy, research and international development.

Before founding Stonefruit Media, Jason worked as a journalist with AAP, Dow Jones, The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, before moving into senior communications and policy roles in government and government relations. He brings sharp editorial judgement, strategic thinking and a practical approach to every project.

Aarti Betigeri — Creative Director

Aarti helps organisations communicate with confidence through media training, podcast training and message development. With a background spanning television, radio, print and international reporting, she brings the instincts of an experienced broadcaster to every workshop and client engagement.

A former ABC and SBS journalist, Aarti spent almost a decade as a foreign correspondent in South Asia before moving into strategic communications and international development. She combines broadcast expertise with deep experience across policy, NGOs and public engagement, helping clients connect with audiences naturally and authentically.

Our extended team

Stonefruit is deliberately small. It means every client works directly with us, not a revolving cast of account managers and junior staff.

When projects call for additional expertise or capacity, we bring in trusted designers, editors, trainers and digital specialists we know and trust. That lets us scale up for larger or more complex projects while maintaining the same hands-on approach and high standards.

You still deal with us. We simply make sure the right people are involved at the right time.

Let’s talk

If you’ve got a comms problem — or just want to sharpen what you’re already doing — we’d love to help.

Email us at and we’ll set up a time to talk.

Strategic communications, media training and editorial support | Stonefruit Media

Stuck for words? We can help with that.