Australia’s home of independent news, 7am, welcomes foreign correspondent Nicole Johnston as host and executive producer, with Ruby Jones on secondment at the ABC’s premier investigative news programme, Four Corners.
Johnston joins 7am after almost two decades as a foreign correspondent, working across the Middle East, Asia, Europe, Africa and the US. She spent a decade with Al Jazeera, covering two Gaza wars and Egypt’s military coup. She holds a masters degree in Middle East Studies from the University of London, SOAS. Last year, she returned to Australia after spending a year in Beijing as China correspondent for Sky News UK.
Last week, Johnston kicked off her hosting duties with a special series of episodes about American intervention in Venezuela, Iran and Greenland. She’s also looking forward to working on domestic stories of national significance, like her coverage last week of the implosion and cancellation at Adelaide Writers’ Week. Listeners can learn more about Nicole in this special episode of 7am.
Nicole Johnston will share hosting duties with Yorta Yorta man and award-winning writer and broadcaster Daniel James. Since July 2024, James has served as co-host and executive producer of 7am. In that time, he has led our coverage of federal politics and Indigenous affairs and reported the award-winning series This Is Alice Springs.
For more than five years, Ruby Jones has been the host and executive producer of 7am, helping to embed the podcast in the daily news cycle and take it to number one in the news podcast charts. She will return to the show at the end of March.
Krystal Keller joins as commissioning editor and executive producer
The team also welcomes Krystal Keller as commissioning editor and executive producer, filling a maternity-leave backfill role.
Keller is a highly accomplished producer with more than 15 years’ experience across TV and radio. Most recently, she served as Senior Supervising Producer and Acting Executive Producer at The Project. She brings extensive experience producing narrative news, managing a team of around a dozen journalists and leading teams of up to 100 staff.
“We are delighted that a person of Krystal Keller’s experience and skill will lead 7am,” Solstice Media’s head of audio Sarah McVeigh says. “Krystal will work with the 7am team to further embed its position as Australia’s home of independent news, especially as we expand our reach on social media and video”.
“7am is such a powerhouse of daily news podcasting in Australia, and I’m so excited to be joining the team,” says Keller.
“To be able to unpack stories that matter, at a time when it’s so important to dig beyond the headlines, is a thrill and a privilege.”
Krystal Keller will be with 7am, until at least September, when Sarah McVeigh plans to return from maternity leave.
7am has been a part of Solstice Media since July 2025. Founder and managing director of Solstice Media Paul Hamra says, “7am has added to Solstice Media’s journalism gravitas. These experienced appointments are reflective of 7am’s quality, and I’m excited to see the work they deliver”.