Annika Smethurst is a multi-award-winning journalist and the State Political Editor at The Age newspaper in Melbourne.

Annika commenced her print career in Bendigo in 2009 and upon graduating she was selected as the winner of a cadetship with the Herald and Weekly Times, marking the beginning of her successful rise with News Corp which lasted almost 10 years.

Annika was promoted within six months of her cadetship to State Political Reporter for the popular masthead.

She later joined the Canberra bureau in 2015 as Federal Political Reporter. In 2017 she became the National Political Editor for the Sunday News Corp mastheads writing for papers including the Sunday Telegraph, Sunday Herald Sun and Sunday Mail. In 2021, she began her current role with The Age.

Annika is the author of two books; On Secrets, which recounts her experience being raided by the AFP and subsequent impacts on her life and press freedom, and The Accidental Prime Minister, which details the personal and political life of Scott Morrison.