Memories can be slippery, particularly as you get older. Some things linger, many more fade, and there appears to be no rhyme or reason to what sticks and what disappears.
When I think back to the lessons from my journalism traineeship, some are cemented in my cerebral cortex. When you leave a voice message, always repeat your number in case they don’t get it all down the first time (still handy advice, even in this era of text). Use “more than” rather than “over” when talking about quantities. And never forget the “rule of three” (use three examples, as per this paragraph), which gives writing a stronger cadence.
Other lessons from that time have been built on and developed – and some forgotten, probably to my detriment – but that early training laid the foundation for everything I’ve done since, and I could not be more grateful for it.
This week, the Herald put out a call for smart, curious, talented aspiring journalists to join our 2027 trainee program. The announcement generated great excitement here, because we love the enthusiasm and talent trainees bring to the newsroom, and we love watching them grow as journalists.
I remember when Natassia Chrysanthos joined the newsroom in the trainee class of 2018. I knew she’d flourish, not only because she was a strong writer with a great news instinct, but because she was empathetic and curious, and enjoyed interacting with people. Reporters must be able to pick up the phone, rather than text; they need to be able to have real-life conversations – to listen, ask questions and empathise. Natassia did this from day one.
This week, the we announced that Natassia would be the Herald’s next South-East Asia correspondent. She will head to Jakarta early next year. She believes the traineeship was crucial to her development as a journalist. “Your writing gets cleaner, your questions get sharper, your contact list expands, your confidence builds,” she told me.
Traineeships are a great way to learn, but they’re also great fun. “Some nights were spent at the Sydney Theatre Company after interviewing the country’s best playwrights, others learning the rules of AFL from the media box at Blacktown Stadium while profiling the league’s female players,” Natassia says. “I covered my first HSC as a cadet, driving to schools across the city and sharing students’ pre-exam jitters, before becoming an education reporter. One month after ending the program, we were racing down the Princes Highway to cover the Black Summer bushfires.”
Michael Koziol was a trainee in the class of 2014; now, he’s the Herald’s North America correspondent. He recalled his trainee experience en route to Mexico this week, where he covered the tragic story of two Australian brothers who were murdered in Baja California during a surfing trip.
The most memorable moment of his traineeship was the Lindt Cafe siege, which began while he was doing a shorthand lesson. “That was basically it for training that day – a bunch of us were called on to help out with coverage,” he recalls. “It was our first experience of a truly major news event – one of those massive, all-hands-on-deck affairs, where you’ll always remember where you were and what you were doing that day. It was certainly clarifying: as a journalist, you want to be involved in those kinds of stories and moments.”
Billie Eder, who was in the class of 2022, is now a deputy sport editor. She’s a great writer and a fantastic team player who makes our online sports coverage sing. She has covered the Australian Open, the Winter Olympics and the Commonwealth Games.
Her first overseas trip for the Herald was in her trainee year, when the culture editor called her on a Friday afternoon and asked if she wanted to go to Los Angeles. “Two days later I was staying at a boutique hotel in West Hollywood, and stopping by Venice Beach, Santa Monica Pier and the Observatory. It was a good lesson in the best ability being availability, and a good reminder to always have an in-date passport.”
Many of the Herald’s best-known names were trainees. Peter Hartcher, Ross Gittins, Jacqueline Maley, Matt Wade, Clancy Yeates, Harriet Alexander, Eryk Bagshaw, Anthony Segaert, Tom Decent, Millie Muroi, Cindy Yin, Melanie Kembrey, Lisa Visentin, Patrick Begley … I could go on. We’re looking forward to meeting the class of 2027, and watching them grow into the voices of the future.
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