Editors of the University of Sydney’s student publication Honi Soit are currently preparing for their inaugural Student Journalism Conference, which will take place this weekend on the 27th, 28th and 29th of September, 2024.
The three day conference boasts a staggering timetable of events, which have been organised according to genre and skillset. From various workshops, to seminars led by industry leaders, to Q&A’s with fellow student journalists, to trivia and everything in between… truly no facet of the incredibly wide industry that is journalism has been left out. No matter who you are, or what you’re interested in, I can promise that at least one of these events will pique your interest.
When catching up with Vertigo, Honi Soit editor Ariana Haghighi explained that due to COVID-19 and other restrictions, having a face-to-face conference such as this was previously not feasible. This conference is therefore the first of its kind post-covid.
When asked for advice to readers on what events would be best to attend, Ariana revealed that:
“I couldn't pick. I am super excited for the Student Journalism Across the Ages panel, which features Wendy Bacon who edited Tharunka in the 1970s, Pat Lane who edited Honi Soit in the 1970s and Cam Wilson who edited Woroni in the early 2000s. I love the concept and institution of student media so much and can't wait to hear about how it has grown and changed.”
Ariana continued to explain that Honi’s motive behind the Student Journalism Conference, was to provide a space where budding young journalists could meet like-minded people face-to-face, in an industry which so often operates online. Ariana also noted that forging a stronger sense of community between journalists from differing universities was a major motive behind the conference.
“Student journalism can feel like a bubble, and it can feel isolated to the student community of which you are part. However, student media does not occur in a silo. We are all joined by a common goal — to hold university institutions to account and uplift student voices.
“So many similar austerity measures take place across the university sector as a whole — we need to address some of these issues as a pattern, not isolated incidents. Why not share what we have learnt with each other and pool our resources?” Ariana stated.
This is an interesting and very valid point, and one that has been discussed amongst the Vertigo Editorial team time and time again. Student journalists – in fact, let’s face it… students in general – are subjected to immense amounts of work, which must be completed according to rigid terms, and often under strenuous conditions. In a world where everyone is ‘connected’ via social media, universities continue to report declining rates of student engagement in face-to-face activities.
To put it simply, in this digitalised, post-covid society, we are simply more comfortable behind a screen. As a result of this, those who do partake in extracurricular activities within the sphere of their universities, often leave overworked and overtired. In this environment, it's easy to lose sight of the love for your craft.
Events such as the Student Journalism Conference serve as important reminders that there is a wider community around you, who are fighting similar battles. It is an important reminder that a whole room of people share your love for design, or poetry, or climate activism, or zine-making, or comic illustrations or investigative journalism!
Like you, there are plenty others who are frantically trying to submit four assignments and proofread an entire magazine. And guess what… they’re probably also frustrated at where their university is allocating money right now, and they’re probably also losing sleep over paying tuition fees to an institution who continues to uphold their ties with those arming the genocide in Gaza.
We are united with one another by our shared grievances, and the fact that we use the same skill sets to confront them. So, take this opportunity to get to know one another, because as Ariana says, we’ll be a whole lot more effective if we pool our resources.
A full list of the events that are part of the conference can be found via this link. Tickets are readily available for free, or via a donation to the Olive Foundation – an initiative providing educational and medical resources to Palestinian children.
If you want to see events such as this one given the funding to continue, grab your friends and make your way to USyd this weekend.
Vertigo hopes to see you there.