Learning from the best at Channel Nine Perth
Tuesday was a very exciting day for our Year 11 Media Production and Analysis students, as they embarked on an excursion to the brand new Channel Nine News Studios in the Perth CBD.
The excursion was designed to prepare students for their upcoming studies of News & Journalism, and gave those who attended an insight into the inner-workings of a commercial network, the duties of various employees, as well as how commercial media survives and thrives in the age of immediacy.
Upon arrival, students met with Channel Nine Criminal Reporter Jerrie Demasi, who helped them develop a thorough understanding of the duties of a journalist and the level of control reporters have over the news that airs. Students were interested to learn about the controls and constraints placed on professional media producers, as well as the requirement for all news to be factual and impartial before airing.
The students later learnt about the process of selection and sensationalism that commercial news undergoes, as well as the pressures placed on commercial networks in regards to sources of information, and the censoring of certain stories.
Students were given the opportunity to visit numerous professional work-stations; from control rooms, to editing suites, and the state-of-the-art studio from which Channel Nine broadcasts its nightly news bulletin.
The excursion was a highly valuable experience for all of the Year 11s; providing tangible links to the industry for those interested in careers in the media, and allowing others to develop an understanding of the 'behind-the-scenes' work that goes into broadcasting the news.