Recently, The Courier launched its Emerging program for Ballarat schools, giving students an insight into the work we do in our newsroom and a platform to publish their own stories.
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Currently, the latest crop of students from Damascus College are going through the program, and we hope to welcome more schools on board.
The benefits are multi-faceted.
As an industry, trust in news has been at an all time low. With an abundance of information readily available on social media and across a range of platforms, it's imperative for news organisations to reach our youngest audiences and help build their media literacy.
They need to understand how news works, how it's gathered, and how to identify credible sources of information.
The recent feedback on the Voice to Parliament highlighted this, with many young people saying they didn't know where to find credible information.
Through the Emerging program, students are exposed to a series of conversations with The Courier's news team, learning about the key roles in our newsroom and the types of stories we cover on a daily basis.
We have also had our sales team visit Damascus College, to explain how we gain revenue to fund our storytelling, through local advertising. Students had an opportunity to look at examples of advertising and discuss what makes an effective ad.
Students then go away and spend time crafting their pieces, that are published on the Emerging portal on The Courier website.
We hope the opportunity to have their work published and share it with their friends and peers, gives these students a taste of what a career in journalism can offer them.
Here are my top tips for budding journos:
- Seek out work experience - and plenty of it.
Work experience is the best way to gain an insight into an industry and whether it's the career for you. The Courier offers placements and it's an opportunity for you to shadow journalists and photographers, learn some new skills and get your own stories published. It's also a great way for you to build a rapport with the newsroom and position yourself for a potential role one day.
- Get a journalism degree.
Many Victorian universities offer this qualification and we commonly see applicants from RMIT and Deakin University. But don't forget to seek as much work experience as you can while you're studying. You will often get a foot in the door before you finish your degree. Then, on-the-job learning can be invaluable to finishing your studies.
- Publish!
Whether it's starting an Insta account, posting to Tik Tok, Linked in or YouTube - publishing content of any form on those platforms will help you build a portfolio of work (and skills).
- Be open to new ideas and ways of thinking.
We are in the information generation, at the intersection of social media and search engines, so the media industry is constantly evolving. Be on the lookout for new tools and platforms and find ways to get yourself using and publishing to them.
- Connect with journalists and editors on LinkedIn.
There are loads of journalism jobs advertised on LinkedIn, and it's a great way to showcase the work you're doing.
If you're interested in a career in journalism, or know someone who is, reach out. I'd love to hear from you.
Emily Sweet
Emily Sweet is the managing editor of The Courier. Previously Head of Engagement for ACM, Australia's largest independent regional news organisation. emily.sweet@austcommunitymedia.com.au
Emily Sweet is the managing editor of The Courier. Previously Head of Engagement for ACM, Australia's largest independent regional news organisation. emily.sweet@austcommunitymedia.com.au
