Following in the footsteps of her father and grandfather, Karina Wells – an Aboriginal woman of Tasmanian descent – has joined the world of independent media.

Karina joins Victorian Aboriginal News (VAN) as assistant producer and social media manager.

Her proud father, VAN’s Charles Pakana, said: “Karina and I have been keen to work with each other for years. Now, with Victorian Aboriginal News growing so strongly, it’s the perfect opportunity for her to come on board.”

Interestingly, Karina never wanted a career in the media, looking instead to working with animals in some capacity.

“Even though I have certain plans for the future, I share Dad’s passion for promoting positive Aboriginal stories from across Victoria,” Karina said.

“With more and more demands being placed on V.A.N., it’s my goal to help set up a solid production infrastructure and establish an effective social media presence. It’s something Dad simply doesn’t have time to do!”

Supporting the relaunch

Karina’s joining V.A.N. coincides perfectly with the need for additional support required for the relaunch of our service.

For the past six months, Charles has been working to raise funds to ensure we’re able to continue with our work for the foreseeable future.

“We have also been setting up partnerships with some amazing organisations, such as Reconciliation Victoria and the Federation of Victorian Traditional Owner Corporations,” Charles said.

“With Karina taking control of so much of the back-end work, we are in a much better position to continue our work than ever before.”