USYD's Student Journalism Conference: More than a Glorified Ted Talk

Lead Section Editor, Sophie Poredos, alongside her fellow Grapeshot colleagues, attended the University of Sydney’s (USYD) Student Journalism Conference. Here’s just a slice of the fun from the three-day affair. 

Are you a frightened journalism student, anxious of the prospects once you graduate? Fear not, over the course of three days at USYD, I’ve summarised the best advice received from seasoned journalists. 

The idea of the Student Media Conference is not a new endeavour, with a history spanning from 1993, starting with the National Young Writers’ Festival held in Newcastle. Across its iterations from the 2003’s Student Media Conference to the 2016’s News Conference held by NEWS Student Media, its purpose has always been the same: to excite and ignite passion into soon-to-be graduate students and foster a sense of camaraderie among magazines. 

During the opening ceremony, Grapeshot was certainly spoiled for choice with the student magazines present: 

Glass (Queensland University of Technology), Woroni (Australian National University), Pulp Magazine (USYD union), Farrago (Melbourne University), Empire of Times (Flinders University Adelaide), Yak (Newcastle University), Ondit (University of Adelaide), Vertigo (UTS), Lot's Wife (Monash University) and Noise (UNSW). 

However my favourite speaker present, and perhaps the most controversial in the Murdoch empire was none other than the fabulous Antoinette Lattouf, co-founder of Media Diversity Australia and perhaps most infamously known for being fired by the ABC after sharing a Human Rights Watch story on the genocide in Gaza. 

It was incredibly refreshing to hear from a renowned journalist whose experience spans across Network Ten, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, SBS, Southern Cross Austereo, Triple J, speak openly about bias: 

“We objectively put forward the truth but I think we have decided that people in power have decided the truth for too long. For too long it has been dominated by middle class white men. There's a massive truth deficit in the media and for a large part I can understand, but there is a generational decision that I've seen.”

Antoinette went on to create a new concept for journalists surrounding objectivity and impartiality, asking the question: Does our current understanding of objectivity need a transformation? Antoinette advocates particularly towards activism journalism, and suggests that we all take positions of activism in our daily lives, but these are often determined by the media as unacceptable or too pushy: 

“In recent weeks journalists have been given warnings against taking an activist view in their roles as journos. I think it's a way to diminish voices that challenge the status quo. We need more journalists who are brave. When history looks back it's going to look back and say what role did you play in covering up war crimes?” 

Dr Karl even made an appearance on day one. Although, I was surprised to see the former hippy's true colours in front of the event organisers… (in front of the audience of budding journalists I might add). However, it was certainly interesting to hear his career spanning a Jesus-muse era to a Dunning Kruger moment on a talk-show where he suggested women wanted penises. 

I must confess, I did leave early on during his riveting climate-change talk with News Editor, Beth Nicholls, to attend the most crucial and important event of the three days: a zine-making workshop. For those of you that don’t know, a zine is essentially a mini home-made magazine, where you can put whatever your heart desires. As an ode to my last semester at Macquarie University, I wanted to make a mini Grapeshot Magazine, filled with the censorship we have faced by the University but also appreciation for what I have written, and my hopes for Grapey after graduation. 

Despite the challenges, the media landscape is far from a lost cause, as Anointette points out, with emerging interest in technology making it the best time to invest in yourself and create a ‘brand’. Even though she has faced been ‘blacklisted’ from the ABC, Antointette expresses hope, particularly at the younger generation of change-makers coming through: 

“Despite all the fuckery I've witnessed, I still wouldn't change a thing. I still wouldn't have wanted to be anything else. It's such an honour to have a platform to tell stories and contribute to the national debate. Speaking truth to power is always difficult.” 

Thank you to the fabulous students at the University of Sydney for organising the conference, it was a fantastic tribute to all that journalism is and reflects in the changing mediascape for new media students. Now if only making zines was a career choice…