A week at the Northern Advocate
by Andre Hueber
Seven students from the Auckland University of Technology sharpened their journalistic skills on a weeklong internship at the Northern Advocate last week.
All aspiring journalists from the AUT’s School of Communication Studies, they were on a quest to discover what it’s like working in a real newsroom.
Most of the students had already written for smaller community newspapers within Auckland, and say the energy of working for a daily regional newspaper makes it a more powerful beast.
Student Amy Campbell wrote about the “Outstanding in the field” farm day and the Tauraroa bridge closure, and said she had a ball.
“Meeting daily deadlines, covering great stories and getting out and about in a good news patch was a fantastic experience for our future careers,”
Each student arrived with ten ideas and a brief to get at least five published by the end of the week, so the pressure was on.
Student Angela Norton wondered what life would have been like before the internet.
“The sheer size of Northland has been daunting and the power of the net has helped us get up to speed,” she said.
Chief Reporter at the Advocate, Peter De Graaf, said the addition of students at the paper was an annual ritual. “It’s a bit of a buzz having seven extra people in the newsroom, all full of enthusiasm. We’ve now got a backlog of stories to work through which is brilliant.”
The students’ tutor, Helen Sissons, said the week was a success: “This is a serious newsroom in a newsy area and I’m delighted that all the students have risen to the challenge. They’ve been hardworking and good humored, and it’s been a pleasure.”
Students are assessed on variety of stories, which Amy Williams found refreshing.
“I found myself being a sports reporter one day and an arts correspondent the next. Scary, but challenging!”