Leonardo Puglisi
A teenage journalist from Melbourne who built a nationally recognized digital news channel before he could legally drive.
Born 2007 (age 19)·Australian journalist·Birthday: November 12·Generation Z
Biography
Leonardo Puglisi represents a new generation of media, one that bypasses traditional gatekeepers by launching a broadcast desk from a suburban bedroom. He founded 6 News Australia at the age of 12, initially as a YouTube channel focused on politics and current events. What began as a schoolboy's project evolved into a serious digital news operation, covering federal elections, conducting interviews with politicians, and building a substantial online following. Based in Melbourne, Puglisi operates as a one-person band—reporter, editor, and anchor—demonstrating a preternatural grasp of media law and journalistic ethics for his age. His work has drawn attention from major Australian media, sparking conversations about youth engagement in news and the changing face of broadcast. He navigates the dual life of a high school student and a managing editor, proving that a compelling voice needs only an internet connection to find an audience.
Generation Z
1997–2012
Born into smartphones, social media, and school shootings. The most diverse generation in history. Pragmatic about money, fluid about identity, anxious about the climate. They do not remember a world before the internet.
Leonardo was born in 2007, placing them squarely in the Generation Z. The events that shaped this generation — social media, climate anxiety, and a pandemic — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Leonardo Was Born
The biggest hits of 2007
#1 Movie
Spider-Man 3
Best Picture
No Country for Old Men
#1 TV Show
American Idol
Leonardo's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
2007Born
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2012Started school
Curiosity rover lands on Mars; Sandy Hook shooting
Gas: $3.64/galHome: $143,200Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Somebody That I Used to Know" — GotyeBest Picture: Argo
2020Became a teenager
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2023Could drive
ChatGPT goes mainstream; Israel-Hamas war begins
Gas: $3.52/galHome: $361,600Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Flowers" — Miley CyrusBest Picture: Oppenheimer
2025Could vote
AI agents go mainstream
Gas: $3.10/galHome: $385,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"APT." — Rose & Bruno Mars
2026Age 19 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Founded and runs 6 News Australia, a digital news channel with a significant YouTube and social media presence.
- Has conducted exclusive interviews with sitting Australian politicians, including members of parliament.
- His channel's election coverage has been cited by mainstream Australian media outlets for its reach and analysis.
Did You Know?
He started the channel in 2019, initially reporting on Australian federal politics.
Puglisi has stated that his journalistic inspiration came from watching the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) as a child.
He manages all aspects of 6 News, from research and scripting to filming and editing, entirely independently.
“We report the news directly, without the filter of a traditional studio.”
