Anglican Media is the communications department of the Diocese. Its principal role is to provide internal and external communications which support the mission of the Anglican Church in Melbourne and beyond, primarily through the monthly newspaper TMA (The Melbourne Anglican), the TMA website, social media, and media liaison, strategy and advice for the Archbishop, bishops and other Diocesan leaders. The department collaborates with and supports the Archbishop’s media advisor, former Age journalist Barney Zwartz, in all areas of external communication.

The Melbourne Anglican

TMA is a monthly publication that brings together news and views on faith from Australia and around the world. Produced by the Anglican Media Melbourne team eleven times a year (with a break over the Christmas/New Year period) TMA has established itself as one of the best religious publications in the country, with a number of its contributors winning awards in the yearly Australasian Religious Press Association awards. The paper itself has won ARPA’s premier award, The Gutenberg, four times (in 1994, 1998, 2006 and 2015), and won the Publication of the Year award in 2017. You can subscribe to TMA here.

TMA online

In September 2015 Anglican Media launched a new website separate from the diocesan website. This standalone website gives TMA a stronger online presence and also allows for a number of features that were not possible, or available only to a limited degree, on the “News and Views” section of the diocesan website. For example, the new website allows for publication of a wide range of original material, including opinion pieces responding to current issues and events, news and photographs from parishes, tributes and obituaries, and film, television and book reviews. View the website here.

e-Newsletter

Anglican Media sends out a regular free e-newsletter  featuring news and views from the TMA website, and links to items on spirituality, culture, mission, and religious news and opinion from Australia and around the world. Subscribe here.

Social media

Anglican Media maintains an active presence on social media, with regular posting to Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube of news, events and viewpoints from the Cathedral, Diocese and wider world.

Archbishop’s Conversations

Anglican Media organises the Archbishop’s public conversations in Deakin Edge, Federation Square. These conversations usually run three times a year, and feature special guests speaking with the Archbishop about prominent social issues.

This year’s public conversations will be held on Wednesday 28 August and Wednesday 2 October. Australian Living Treasure, Michael Leunig, is returning to join Archbishop Philip Freier at his final conversation on 2 October. Lock in the dates, and details to follow later in the year.

Below captures summaries from previous breakfast conversations. Click on a topic to be taken to the video. You can watch conversations from previous years on our YouTube Channel. Click on the link at the bottom of this page.

The Public Purse – June 2023

The Government has far too many demands on its resources to meet the needs of Australians as it might wish. Its budgets are stretched, from $368 billion for nuclear submarines plus long-range missiles for defence to the ballooning costs of national disability, from the problems in public housing to the separate issues in hospitals and the health system. Around half of Australian households receive some sort of government payment. The demands are near infinite, the means are decidedly finite.

Victoria Votes – Oct 2022

Public cynicism about politics has seldom been higher as Victoria heads into a state election next month. Surveys show that both the main party leaders carry polarised views about their leadership into the campaign. What will be the key issues, and what should they be? Pandemic management, the state health system and political integrity are likely to be prominent. Can the personalities of the politicians be separated from the issues, or are they interlocked?

Coping with the climate crisis

75% of young people are frightened about the future, an international study shows. But is the climate crisis inevitable? Is there still time to stop the worst effects? What can young people do? Melbourne Archbishop Philip Freier will focus on climate in a public conversation with the Forest Maker, Tony Rinaudo, AYCC activist Olivia Sutherland and Melbourne Grammar student Jack Lowman at 10.30am on August 19. This will be an online event – online link will be sent in confirmation email.

To see videos from earlier conversations please go to the Anglican Media Melbourne YouTube Channel