Her commentary covers areas including the Middle East, national security, AUKUS, China and the failings of mainstream media.
Kostakidis attended Fort Street Girls' High School, and the University of Sydney, where she studied Modern Greek, philosophy, French, German and Italian.
[1] Before joining SBS, Kostakidis worked as a tutor at the University of Sydney, as a research officer for the Departments of Health and Youth and Community Services in New South Wales and as a court interpreter and a translations editor.
Kostakidis was a member of the management team that set up and developed SBS Television in 1980 and presented its flagship World News for 20 years, resigning in 2007.
The Committee inquired into the adequacy of the protection and promotion of human rights in Australia, holding consultations in metropolitan, rural and remote areas across the country, and receiving over 35,000 written submissions.
[3] Kostakidis joined SBS as part of the original management team in September 1980 and worked on the development of the Subtitling Unit, its policy, recruitment and training programme.
Her guests included Paul Keating, John Laws, Cheryl Kernot, Imran Khan, Betty Friedan and Don Dunstan.
[2] According to authors Ien Ang, Gay Hawkins and Lamia Dabboussy, Kostakidis was unhappy with "the introduction of advertisements within [news] programs," and her departure "was clearly a big blow to SBS, and signalled for many that the multicultural broadcaster had lost its way.
"[4] On 5 October 2007, Kostakidis lodged a statement of claim in the Federal Court of Australia, alleging a breach of contract and contravention of the Trade Practices Act 1975 on the part of SBS.
[10] In July 2024, the Zionist Federation of Australia said it would lodge a complaint with the Australian Human Rights Commission alleging that Kostakidis breached racial discrimination laws by posting on X a link to a speech by Hezbollah secretary-general Hassan Nasrallah.