I’m currently study at Charles Sturt University in Bathurst and for my summer semester, I had to do 140 hours of workplace. 

So I decided, why not do it at The Young Witness, being fairly close to parents, who have recently moved to Harden from the Hawkesbury.

The three weeks I’ve spent at The Witness have been an enjoyable learning experience. 

When I came in for my first day I was sent off to Monteagle to start work on my first story (covering the storm that affected the area before Christmas). 

Over the next three weeks I found myself taking photos of graffiti, new-born babies and kids at the pool, skatepark and PCYC; doing stories on 99-year-old twins, the Young Squash Club and a bowler representing his state; and driving around and recording petrol prices and delivering papers.

I didn’t expect to do so much or even have a story published. But I didn’t really know what to expect.  

My only real previous experience in the journalism industry was a week at the radio station on campus in Bathurst.

Both are very different. At the radio we go through the newspapers of Bathurst, Orange, Mudgee and Dubbo and simply use the same newspaper stories and condensed them so they can be read out on air. 

Here at The Witness, I’ve found the work I do is more rewarding, as we are collecting, preparing, publishing and breaking the news.

We are a witness to Young. 

I’d like to thank all in the community for being welcoming, helpful and friendly. 

To all those I interviewed, rang-up, vox popped, I’d like to say thanks for the assistance and for giving-up your time. 

Finally I’d like thank the ladies in the office, who have always been friendly, helpful and encouraging to work with.

After my time here, experiencing the journalism industry, it has given me confidence to continue with journalism in the future.