Melbourne Uni students’ digital newspaper to be a “serious publication”
University of Melbourne Centre for Advancing Journalism is launching a “serious publication in its own right” in an effort to fill the gap in under reported news and encourage interaction with other new media enterprises.
The Citizen aims to fill the gap in journalism
The publication, “The Citizen”, will be edited by former long-time Fairfax correspondent and editor Simon Mann.
“The Citizen will fulfil three purposes. Firstly, it will be a teaching tool, providing students with real publication deadlines and imperatives; secondly, it will be a flagship for the Centre; and lastly, it will be a serious publication in its own right, focusing on under reported issues,” the University said, announcing the launch.
“The Citizen will encourage interaction with other new media enterprises and will be, by its very nature, a research-in-action project, exploring innovative journalistic methodology.”
The University said the launch was a response to mainstream media battling deep cuts to newsrooms and editorial resources, and the rise of new media filling the gap.
Contributors to The Citizen have publishing credentials across titles as diverse as The Jakarta Post, Asian Correspondent, Asia Sentinel and the Herald Sun.