By Jordan Dana, Ringwood Secondary College year 10 student
AS I am interested in journalism I decided to try and do my Year 10 work experience at the Dandenong Journal. Luckily I was accepted!
I have really enjoyed my week here and it’s been really interesting to see how stories are found to write about and to have a feel of what it’s like to be in a working environment. The staff have been really friendly to me and have helped me with any questions I have had.
During the week I have travelled with Danny Tran, one of the journalists and did a trip with Wayne Hawkins, the photographer. I went with Danny to the Springvale and Dandenong police stations on Monday and Tuesday and was able to sit in a couple briefings with the police offices. I listened as they told him information they had occurred in the last couple days that could possibly be made into stories for the paper.
On Tuesday I also went with Wayne to experience what he does for his job. I went in his car and he took a few photos of some rubbish they had been dumped for an article.
Wayne went straight into the middle of the action and snapped away and got some really good photos.
Soon after that happened, we went to a Dandenong home where a car had crashed into the bedroom at 3am. The lady escaped unhurt thankfully. As it was a unit there was another man who also lived there. The car that crashed into the house had sideswiped the man’s car and then went into the bedroom.
Wayne took photos of the lady in the bedroom and also the lady with her flat buddy out the front of the house. It was really cool to see how Wayne took the photos and to be involved in a situation where the story is fairly well know in the news.
Narelle Coulter, the editor and my supervisor at the Journal, said I could write an article up about my school. So on Wednesday I decided to write a story promoting the senior production, Hairspray. I interviewed the school’s prinicipal, performing arts director and a couple of students with lead roles.
I wrote an article at home and then sent it to Narelle so it could go on the Maroondah Weekly website.
Towards the end of the week I’ve mainly been in the news room writing a couple of articles and on Friday I went over to sub-editor John Woods’ desk and sat down with him for a while and watched what he does.
Again I have had a really good time doing my work experience at the Dandenong Journal and I would highly recommend other students interested in journalism to come down and take a look for themselves.
