News Academy equips journos for digital age

The first cohort of journalists to be enrolled in the world-first training initiative established by News Corp Australia and Google has completed the program.

Digital News Academy director Sonya Heydeman and Ian Harper from Melbourne Business School. Picture: Arsineh Houspian

The first cohort of journalists to be enrolled in the world-first training initiative established by News Corp Australia and Google has completed the program.

The 53 graduates of the Digital News Academy (DNA) are working journalists from seven media companies across the nation, including News Corp, Australian Community Media, Region Media, McPherson Media, The National Indigenous Times, The Royal Institute of Australia and Times News Group.

The program, which was launched in 2022 and is run by the Melbourne Business School (the University of Melbourne’s graduate school in business and economics), includes specific tutorials in data journalism, in-depth online investigative reporting, the effective operation of social media channels, multichannel and vertical storytelling, podcasting, and the targeting of specific audience segments.

Perth-based Emma Ruben was in the first cohort of journalists to be enrolled in the Digital news Academy.

Head of the DNA, News Corp’s Campbell Reid, said the program equipped journalists with the skills needed to maximise their performance in the digital age.

“The program gives journalists the tools of the trade they need right here, right now, to be better at their job,” he said. “We’re all holding in our hands a super powerful computer, camera and recording device. But if you ask most working journalists across Australia if they’re equipped to verify and publish content, and edit video on the job on the fly, almost all of them would say no. The promise that the DNA is making is that if you do our course, you’ll be able to do these things.

“When News Corp Australia and Google began discussions to develop an academy with Melbourne Business School, we wanted to change what is possible for both working journalists and publishers and in just a year, we know we are succeeding.”

More than 370 journalists, drawn from large and small newsrooms across Australia, are enrolled in the program, which is funded by Google in partnership with News Corp.

Nic Hopkins, head of Google’s news ecosystem (APAC), said the tech company was thrilled with the impact of the academy, and the partnership with News Corp (publisher of The Australian).

Academy director Sonja Heydeman said it was deeply satisfying to see journalists engage with new storytelling techniques.

“I have had so many emails and phone calls from people absolutely stunned to see a story go viral, or sharing the difference that confidence with data and ­visualisations has meant to their reporting,” Heydeman said. “But one of our greatest achievements has been forming a community of people working together, supportively and collaboratively, now drawn from 30 newsgroups across the country.”