How many of you are Journalists?

[OnlyOneShaneCrawford]

Edit.

 

[m0nty]

I finished the RMIT Journalism course in 1995 and co-edited the student newspaper Catalyst in '96. The course is invaluable in teaching you about the techniques to make you a professional journalist, and don't pooh-pooh the features and documentary stuff either because you learn the importance of research and putting thought behind your copy. If you can get in, do it.

While I was editing Catalyst we set aside a sports page every issue for Scott Spits, who was a year below me in the journo course. The page wasn't particularly awe-inspiring or anything, it just gave him experience in writing on his favoured subject for a real publication. He went on to work at Sportal, appearing on SEN every now and again, and has spent time at the Age sports desk IIRC. There is definitely a career path open to people who have the right stuff to get into the course to specialise by writing on their pet topic for Catalyst. I did the same with tech journalism, and it led to five years in Sydney covering the first tech boom.

If/when my business gets to the stage where I'm hiring sports journos, I'd definitely want to see a university education on the resume. Not from Melbourne Uni though, they're a bunch of stuck-up pricks.

 

[OnlyOneShaneCrawford]

Speaking of journalism courses at uni, which uni in Melbourne would you recommend for a journalism/communications course?

 

[purplepavlich_29]

Great thread guys.

I'm going into year 10 in 2006. I am an aspiring sports journo from Sydney.
I write for SportsAustralia and I also write occasional opinion articles for the Hawthorn Footy Club.

i was the SEN Rugby League Tri-nations correspondent for 2005, and on top of that I also reviewed both the 2005 Rugby League and Union seasons on World Sport Overnight about a week ago.

Every Sunday on 3SER Casey FM Radio's show - The Sunday Roast - I have my own 20 minute segment where I talk about Rugby League, Rugby Union, the Swans and NSW Cricket.

In 2006 I am about to undertake a writing role with the Trendwest Sydney Kings and LeagueUnlimited.

My sport of choice is AFL, and I also love cricket.

Once I finish my HSC I'm hoping to move to Melbourne and attend uni there.

Wow, your folio is taking shape quickly and includes an impressive line-up. Both you and Johnson#26 appear to have been blessed with the ability to write well and often.

Your sport of choice is AFL, as it should be, must be hard living in a Rugby dominated state. At least you have Cricket to keep you sane!

Good luck.

 

[m0nty]

RMIT is better for an all-round technical and practical education of what it's like to be a real journalist. Melbourne Uni is better if you have to impress someone with your knowledge of Latin and the works of Foucault (like the Age's features editor).

 

[Johnson#26]

While I was editing Catalyst we set aside a sports page every issue for Scott Spits, who was a year below me in the journo course.

The same Scott Spits from AFL.com.au?

Just a question, does anyone know what the average pay amount of a journalist is?

 

[RogerRabbit69]

Just a question, does anyone know what the average pay amount of a journalist is?

Just like most jobs, there's a huge range.

When you start off you might be on $25-30K, but if you hang around for long enough with one of the metropolitan dailies for example, you could eventually earn around $70K. As I said in a previous post, check out the Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance website. There are plenty of examples of pay rates on there if you look hard enough.

 

[Johnson#26]

Ok. Thanks very much for the information, RR69.

 

[Punter_22]

Well personally I am a drug dealer and people smuggler which has far more integrity and dignity than a bootom feeding, gutter crawling hack journo.

Have you ever done it? Have you written for a paper? well if you havent, then give it a try yourself before speaking such crap!

 

[Baby Blue]

Just like most jobs, there's a huge range.

When you start off you might be on $25-30K, but if you hang around for long enough with one of the metropolitan dailies for example, you could eventually earn around $70K. As I said in a previous post, check out the Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance website. There are plenty of examples of pay rates on there if you look hard enough.

The pay is pretty bad. Guess if you are doing a job you really love then its ok. But its a really low rate of income even if you eventually make it to a major paper and are there for ages.

 

[Baby Blue]

Have you ever done it? Have you written for a paper? well if you havent, then give it a try yourself before speaking such crap!

Gee stop being so precious, if you want to succeed in life then a sense of humour is useful.

I've worked in the media but not as a jouralist for almost three years and it is no glamour game. Lots of people leave to do other things because the pay is so much better elsewhere.

 

[Vinnie Vegas]

I'm a media student, and while I have to take a lot of journalism subjects, I'm not sure that's the career path I'm going to take.

I'm thinking about majoring in radio production, because while Digital Radio coming up, I'm thinking that it will be a boom area for jobs, and it's something I'm very interested in anyway.

 

[OnlyOneShaneCrawford]

I'm a media student, and while I have to take a lot of journalism subjects, I'm not sure that's the career path I'm going to take.

I'm thinking about majoring in radio production, because while Digital Radio coming up, I'm thinking that it will be a boom area for jobs, and it's something I'm very interested in anyway.

Excuse the ignorance, but what exactly is Digital Radio?

 

[Vinnie Vegas]

Excuse the ignorance, but what exactly is Digital Radio?

To put it bluntly, it's the radio equivalent of digital television.

Essentially, it's radio that works on digital technology which allows additional information such as images, information (think program and song titles) as well as significantly higher quality audio and many, many more channels than current analog radio.

Australia will be adopting the new Digital Audio Broadcasting standards that will be agreed upon next year as the foundation for a Digital Radio Network in Australia.

 

[Helix]

To put it bluntly, it's the radio equivalent of digital television.

Essentially, it's radio that works on digital technology which allows additional information such as images, information (think program and song titles) as well as significantly higher quality audio and many, many more channels than current analog radio.

Australia will be adopting the new Digital Audio Broadcasting standards that will be agreed upon next year as the foundation for a Digital Radio Network in Australia.

And some people think Digital TV take up is slow. Wait till they see digital radio.

 

[Johnson#26]

Any more journalistic stories?

 

[m0nty]

The same Scott Spits from AFL.com.au?

Yes, the very same. Although technically he's from Sportal, they just sell their content to Telstra to put it on AFL.com.au.

Just a question, does anyone know what the average pay amount of a journalist is?

Web journalists get very little. Newspaper journalists get a fair amount. Magazine journalists get a lot.

Sports journalists get very little. General news journalists get a fair amount. Business journalists get a lot.

 

[Johnson#26]

Ok, thanks, Monty. So are most of the AFL.com.au journalists (aside from Gough and Browne) from Sportal?

 

[purplepavlich_29]

After Uni is getting noticed hard? What other than a folio can you do to put yourself out there?

 

[m0nty]

Johnson#26, wherever it says "Sportal for afl.com.au" in grey at the start of the article, that's where it's come from. However, even when it says "Exclusive to afl.com.au" it often just means it's a Sportal journo who has written it but Sportal has a deal to provide some content through Telstra to the AFL which doesn't appear on its own site. You'd have to get someone from Sportal to tell you anything more detailed than that. Put it this way: if you snag a job on Sportal then expect a lot of your footy stories to wind up on the Telstra AFL sites.

 

[hawksfan00]

Enjoyable reading.

I have got alot of my work published and being only 15 I will continue to work hard and get as much of my stuff out there as possible.

Being involved with commercial and community radio, tv, papers, magazines and websites hopefully will hold me in good stead, but i still have a fair bit to learn in my opinion.

You might of heard me on SEN before.

Anyone know of any courses to take in improvement for writing ?

I know Melbourne Radio School run a very successful service - but you gotta be 16.

Also, I have been told some things about earning a spot at Uni.

If say a person with a stack of experience scored 88, compared to someone who scored 94 with no experience and entering the same course. Who would get in?

Keep the good work up guys, keep getting your stuff published.

Well Done Nick on your appointment - top stuff mate.

 

[ben.carbonaro]

Do something worthwhile with your life instead. You can become a football umpire, a parking inspector, a lawyer a used car salesman.....

How is being a journalist not worthwhile?

Great opportunity to write about various issues and cover events from a perspective that you otherwise might not get to do as an average sports fan in Australia.

Personally, I'm a sports journalist and write mostly about netball having covered the 2005 CBT season as well as the two Australian internationals played in Melbourne.

Am currently at Tafe studying Professional Writing and Editing with a view to completing a journalism or communications degree.

Another option is to also apply for an intership at the Herald Sun and they do take people from my Tafe course.

 

[Sexiano Ronaldo]

You are a fraud and a liar. You haven't played either game.

But continue to make a complete fool of yourself on an internet forum where you think you are an expert.

Are you a journo? You have the same ethos, like a eunuch you know how it should be done but cant do it.

Know nothing Bandwagoner.

Come back to me once you have played a game

EddieSmythe has played J Grade club cricket - if you can count that as actually playing the 'game' i'm not so sure.

 

[Sexiano Ronaldo]

I write for my local paper, the Independent, the Mail.
I write weekly cricket match reports for the Frankston Peninsula Heat and also write on the progress of Frankston Peninsula's high profile international, Kennedy Otieno Obuya (Played 63 ODIs for Kenya. 2 centuries and an 85 vs Aus in World Cup)

Stop pulling everyone's leg.

 

[ben.carbonaro]

Try pm'ing Ben_Carbanaro, is currently doing journalism and wants to get into sports journalism, think he also does some work already

I'm actually at Tafe, Eddie.

Also, do you have to done a degree to get a cadetship?

Interships at Herald Sun etc you don't, what about other media organisations?

On another note, please stop giving Edddie a hard time Sexiano because all you do is poke fun at some misfortunate or lack of ability in some areas.

I bet you are a perfect person.