HOW TO ENTER | HOW TO SUBMIT A VIDEO OR AUDIO FILE | ENTRY CHECKLIST | CLOSING DATE | ENTRY FORM
The annual online media internship program, offered by Jesuit Communications which publishes Australian Catholics, gives Years 10 and 11 students across the country an introduction to a career in media.
The week-long online program delivered via the Zoom platfrom (6 to 10 May 2024, 9am-3-30pm) is a valuable opportunity to build a greater understanding of the media and produce an edition of the largest circulating Catholic print publication in the country. This year there will be a two-hour introductory session on Monday, 29 April (3.30-5.30pm).
Australian Catholics editor Michele Frankeni said the introductory session was a chance for the participants to get to know each other before the week begins.
‘We’ve found the students value the feedback they receive from each other, but often are not comfortable expressing ther opinions until they know each other better.’
As part of the application process, prospective interns are asked to provide samples of work. ‘This helps students identify what they want to get from the internship, as well as allowing Jesuit Communications staff to select interns in an equitable way,’ Ms Frankeni said.
Applications for this year’s program close (AEDT) 5pm on Friday, 15 March 2024. All documents will be submitted via the online form provided.
HOW TO ENTER
Students are asked to provide: a cover letter; formal reference from their school and three pieces of work.
Cover letter
Follow the format for writing a business letter.
It is the type of letter that would accompany a resume and portfolio when applying for a position.
Provide information on why you are interested in the program, what you hope to get out of it, and any skills or talents that you bring to the program.
Reference
This formal letter from the school (RE, English, media studies teacher) should include:
- The relationship of the referee to the candidate
- A brief description of the referee’s background.
- How long the reference has known the candidate.
- Positive personal qualities of the applicant, including specific examples.
- A statement of recommendation.
- The referee's contact information.
Article #1 – World Youth Day brief (rewrite)
There are two articles about the World Youth Day from the Summer 2023-24 edition of Australian Catholics – World Youth Day: Rhythm of the masses and World Youth Day: A pilgrimage worth taking.
Using information from either World Youth Day article, write an article of 200-250 words.
This article should be entertaining or informative, or both. It should be written in journalistic style – that is, direct and snappy. It does not have to re-create the wheel.
We’re looking for comprehension of the original article’s points and then an ability to highlight one or two of those in an interesting manner.
A good method to follow in writing would be to highlight or underline the main points in the original article, and transfer these to a table with three columns: Main point, supporting points, and quotes.
Article #2 – Interview and justification
One of the tasks for the interns will be to interview people. For practice, applicants need to ‘interview’ (that is, ask questions) of someone to elicit interesting information. For this task, the interviewee can be a member of the family, friend or it can be someone in the community.
In 250 words, tell us who you interviewed, why, and if you were writing the story what would be your main points about your interviewee.
FYI: Journalists use interviews to gather information. Interviews are conducted for many reasons, including gathering information, sharing information, and revealing an interviewee’s state of mind.
There are many types of interviews, including hard news, information, investigation adversarial, interpretive, vox pop and multiple, personal, emotional and entertainment.
Interviews can be conducted in person in front of a camera or recording device, over the phone, or online. Always as permission before recording an interview, even for personal use. Recording someone without their knowledge is illegal.
Article #3 – Own choice
Information and stories can be conveyed in a variety of ways. Students may like to provide a picture with a 50-word caption, a video or podcast of an interview, a piece of creative writing or a formal article containing at least one quote.
HOW TO SUBMIT A VIDEO OR AUDIO FILE
• Render out your package to MP4 or MP3 to submit
• Use a file-sharing system like Google Drive or Drop box
• Consider sharing permissions: Make sure you give the judges a link that allows them to access your work easily. Share a link that grants access to anyone who has the link.
INFORMATION VIDEO
ENTRY CHECKLIST
1. Cover letter
2. Teacher’s recommendation
3. Article 1 – Brief rewrite of provided article (250 words)
4. Article 2 – Information about interview (250 words)
5. Article 3 – Own choice. Photograph/Digital/Creative writing/Article.
CLOSING DATE: 15 MARCH 2024