News

The program supports UTS journalism students to complete a one-month, paid internship placement with a small regional newspaper. The initiative responds to two complex issues: the lack of accessible media internships for students, and the pressing resourcing challenges faced by local, regional media.

Work experience is increasingly viewed as a prerequisite to employment, however paid media internships are few and far between. As a result, students without the financial means to work for free miss out. This has long-term ramifications for the diversity of Australia’s media industry, shaping what the news, and our newsrooms, look like.

The Regional Journalism Internship Program uniquely exposes students to the challenges, issues and opportunities in non-urban communities while gaining on-the-go journalistic experience.

In March 2021, Professor Monica Attard, Head of Journalism at the UTS Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, and five interns visited the VFFF Office for an invigorating panel discussion on the program. The Q&A session touched on everything from the challenges facing small, grassroots media to the changing face of rural and regional NSW. Their compelling insights and enthusiasm left the VFFF team feeling immensely excited about the next generation of journalists!

Read the work of interns in publications such as the Barrier Daily Truth, Mudgee Guardian and Byron Bay Echo.