Two journalism students have taken a step towards their future careers by becoming interns for the Western Plains App. 

The students are from Macleay College’s Sydney and Melbourne campuses and are already interviewing and writing articles about the western region and its residents. 

Two of the students, Olivia Babb and Abby Seaman, are in their final months of study and hope to secure an ongoing position with local independent newspapers across the Western Plains area.  

"It's a great opportunity to learn about rural communities and become a part of them, especially during a time when local news publications are so scarce," said Ms Babb.  

Students are required to complete 120 hours of interning as part of their bachelor’s degree. 

The college's head of journalism, Sue Stephenson started as regional reporter and understands the importance of local news.   

"Local news is the bedrock of all journalism. We saw this clearly during the bushfires of 2019 and 2020 and now during the pandemic," said Ms Stephenson.  

"I'm thrilled that our journalism students have been invited to share local stories, and if it inspires regional students to pursue this rewarding career, potentially by studying and interning in their own communities, that would be a bonus."  

The interns are working remotely for now but hope to travel to the Western Region soon to gain-first-hand-experience. 

Editor of the Western Plains App and Deputy President of the Country Press Association of NSW, Lee O'Connor sees the potential in having interns 'on the ground in small local papers. 

"Having the student … see the places and people they are reporting on will add a whole different perspective to things. I think that has the potential to benefit so many communities," said Mrs O'Connor.  

“It just came about through conversations with Sue Stephenson and Macleay Academic Board Member, Fiona Martin." 

“Like any small independent publisher, we are under all sorts of time constraints. We don’t have a very big newsroom, so [it’s a] really busy place. A lot happens in this region, so it’s going to be great to have more hands on-deck who have fresh perspectives and can ask different questions. Hopefully, they’ll reveal some interesting stories," Mrs O'Connor said. 

Mrs O'Connor says that interns will particularly benefit from producing news for a regional publication that locals value.  

"It's a different environment, when you’re reporting on things that the people standing next to you in the supermarket are close to. They don't care about it in a theoretical way, it's about knowing what's happening in your own backyard," said Mrs O'Connor.  

Macleay College is well-known for its journalism program because it prioritises work placements, and its Lecturers are all industry leaders. As well, students write original stories for the College’s publication HATCH. Some of these stories have won national awards and been picked up by major news publishers. 

Macleay College new owner, Sarah Stavrow is the founder of Sydney's successful The Fashion Institute.  

Ms Stavrow, who grew up in Leeton, believes internships are critical to student success and is looking forward to an ongoing partnership between the College and regional publishers.  

 Mrs O’Connor agrees: “Hopefully this is something that can continue. I feel like it’s a real win-win situation.”