UQ & Walkley Journalism Masterclass: GNI Fundamentals
Technology is revolutionising the way news is produced, distributed and consumed. In this introductory course with Google News Initiative Training lead John Bergin, you’ll learn a broad range of practical tools and services you can use immediately to enhance your digital journalism.
You’ll discover how to get more out of your online searches, how to spot emerging trends, and how to use data to tell compelling stories about the world. You’ll also learn how digital journalism is on the front line in the fight against misinformation, and how you can use your new skills to fact-check and verify information online.
John Bergin joined the Walkley Foundation in February 2019 as Project Manager of the Google News Initiative Training Program. The program, developed by Google and managed by the Walkley Foundation, is dedicated to equipping journalists with digital skills and helping newsrooms thrive in the digital age. He has previously held senior editorial roles with Sky News Australia and SBS News, consulted to NewsCorp Australia and taught journalism at the University of Western Australia. Before working in the media, John cut his teeth at a digital creative agency. He is a graduate of the University of New South Wales.
UQ & Walkley Journalism Masterclass: Right to Information for Journalists with Alison Sandy
Learn how to use Right to Information requests to underpin your journalism with award-winning journalist and Seven News FOI editor, Alison Sandy. Alison will talk through what kind of information is available and all the tricks and traps for getting hold of it.
Right to Information legislation exists to help citizens access information in the public interest. It’s becoming an increasingly essential tool for journalists, to uncover records and data that might otherwise go unseen. It should be a simple process, but it can be tricky; learn from an expert about how to avoid the obstacles and make the most of this integral research tool for reporting.
Alison will explain what kind of stories can benefit from Right to Information, what kind of information you can request, costs and fees, and variations in legislation from state to state and federally.
Alison Sandy is a multi-award winning journalist who has been lodging Freedom of Information applications since starting her career 20 years ago. Alison joined the Seven Network in 2014 to become the nation’s first female FOI Editor. Last year, she lodged almost 800 applications nationwide. On average, the Seven Network puts to air three FOI-related stories a week. Alison is a fierce advocate of the media’s role in holding governments and its representatives to account. She has successfully fought and won several appeals for access to documents under FOI laws and uncovered details that have contributed to positive changes in legislation.
Some of Alison’s more successful investigations include revealing the extent of Child Brides in Australia where children are regularly being forced to marry much older men, and a year-long FOI investigation into the extent of sexual assaults across the nation’s 39 universities. For the latter, she won an award from the United Nations Association of Australia for the Promotion of Gender Equality – Empowerment of Women and Girls. Most recently, she has taken on the role of executive producer of the global hit podcast The Lady Vanishes.
UQ & Walkley Journalism Masterclass: Data Journalism with Nick Evershed
What kind of reporting can you do with data, and where do you start? Guardian Australia’s data and interactives editor, Nick Evershed, talks about the tools, technology and techniques behind data-driven journalism, with examples from his own work. What skills do you need to be a good data journalist, and where could this take you in your career?
Supported by UQ
