Journalism scholarships to support regional news

Applications for two $40 000 Regional Journalism Scholarships at the University of Melbourne will open this week to encourage more regional and remote students to undertake journalism courses.

The scholarships are part of the Commonwealth Government’s Regional and Small Publisher’s Jobs and Innovation Package designed to help small metropolitan and regional publishers adapt to the challenges facing the contemporary media environment, create employment opportunities for cadet journalists and support regional students to study journalism.

Director of the Centre for Advancing Journalism at the University of Melbourne, Associate Professor Andrew Dodd said it was a wonderful opportunity for prospective students.

“The scholarships are worth up to $40,000 each to assist journalism students with tuition fees, living costs and accommodation,” Associate Professor Dodd said.

“This opportunity opens the doors to the University of Melbourne's Master of Journalism, which is delivered by some of the nation's best practitioners and is designed to help regionally isolated students develop the skills they need to tell complex stories and produce high-quality journalism.”

Minister for Communications, Senator Mitch Fifield, said the package will open up new opportunities for students in Australia’s regional media sector and stimulate growth in smaller media organisations.

“Regional media outlets are continually challenged by today’s rapidly changing media environment,” Minister Fifield said.

The new scholarships will bring through a new generation who are passionate about their communities and will help strengthen Australia’s regional journalism sector.”

The University of Melbourne is one of a number of Victorian universities to receive the scholarships, including Monash University, RMIT University, La Trobe University and Deakin University.

For more information and to apply: http://graduate.arts.unimelb.edu.au/regional-journalism-scholarships