the South east regional media conference
South East Regional Media Professionals Development Day
The Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance has organised a professional development day for regional and rural media members on Saturday April 17 2010 at the Visual Arts Centre, La Trobe University, Bendigo Campus, 121 View Street, Bendigo.
Alliance members in rural and regional areas have consistently identified a number of areas of training that they believe would benefit them in doing their work.
Reporting on mental health; a problem for journalists, a problem for our communities
This seminar will be conducted by Marc Bryant, Project Manager with Mindframe.
Marc joined the Hunter Institute of Mental Health in February 2009 as projects manager on the Mindframe National Media Initiative. Marc has many years' experience working in and with the media, both as a journalist in the UK and in media and communications for the National Health Service (UK) and the South Australian Health Department. For the Institute, Marc plays a leading role on several projects funded under the Mindframe National Media Initiative, including Mindframe Media and Mental Health Project; Mindframe for Police and Courts; and Response Ability (Public Relations). At a national level he has also worked with almost all of the national media employers on the way that we as journalists and as community members respond to the issues of mental health.
Court reporting without being caught; avoiding the pitfalls but getting the story
The second seminar will see the bringing together of two of the greatest court reporters that we have seen in Victoria, Peter Gregory, now at Monash University but formerly of The Age and Norrie Ross, of the Herald Sun. These two, as a teaching tag team with many decades of experience around the courts and police can show you how far you can go and importantly how to know when you get there.
Peter Gregory
Peter Gregory became a court reporter almost by default, when a colleague left the Brisbane Telegraph, an afternoon daily newspaper, he began covering the Queensland legal system with little experience or training. Today, more than 25 years later, he has joined Monash University as one of Australia's most experienced legal rounds journalists. He has worked as a court reporter in three states, and covered many of Victoria's major criminal cases after joining The Age newspaper in 1988.
They include the Walsh Street and Silk/Miller police murder trials, the manslaughter trial resulting from the death of former test cricketer David Hookes. In addition, Gregory reported on civil cases, ranging from the royal commission into Aboriginal deaths in custody and native title claims, to defamation, terror and freedom of speech applications, personal injuries claims and top-level sporting disputes.
During his journalistic career, Gregory was regarded as a mentor for young reporters. He co-ordinated their training as court reporters while working at The News, in Adelaide, from 1985 to 1988. He was also an informal tutor, with other senior journalists, at the Victorian Supreme Court press room for almost 20 years.
He is the author of Court Reporting in Australia, a text book aimed at giving students and young journalists a guide to the craft.
Norrie Ross.
Norrie Ross has been a journalist for over 30 years, always working as a news reporter.
He graduated with a diploma in journalism and worked in a number of weekly newspapers in Scotland before he became a partner in a successful news agency which acted as a feeder for all of the national and regional newspapers in the UK and for television and radio. He later moved to work in a daily newspaper in Aberdeen before migrating to Australia at the end of 1988. Norrie worked at the Geelong Advertiser, then the Sun newspaper, and later the Herald Sun, where he was Supreme Court reporter for 12 years and then a law reporter. He has covered the Bushfires Royal Commission and recently returned to court reporting for Herald Sun online and the print edition. He is a past court reporter of the year winner and News Award winner for campaigning journalism.
The Future of Journalism
Branch Secretary Louise Connor will also lead a discussion on the Future of Journalism. At a time of massive restructure of our industry and the introduction of new technologies, new consumer demands and changed work opportunities for journalists we all need to consider what the media world is today and what it might be tomorrow. We also need to consider the impact on our communities and our profession. What will the role of a journalist be in ten or twenty years?
The Alliance has produced a number of publications over the past three years detailing the impact to date and the potential for worse or better to come. Louise, as a senior elected official of the union, is in a unique position to lead such a discussion.
**Attendance to this event is free of charge however, bookings are essential**
**The conference begins at10 am and concludes at 5.30 pm**
**morning & afternoon tea and lunch will be provided **
If you would like to attend the South East Regional Media Conference, please register by calling the Alliance Membership Centre on 1300 65 65 13.
