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Peter O'Brien
Master of Arts (Journalism) - 1993
As Editorial Training Manager for Nationwide News in Sydney, UOW graduate Peter O’Brien each year screens hundreds of would-be journalists for positions with The Australian, Daily Telegraph and other papers in the News Limited stable.
“We receive hundreds of applications a year for entry-level journalism positions,” says Peter. “My role allows me to screen the applicants and expose them to the newsrooms through a short-term internship program from which most of our cadets are selected.
“It’s very rewarding, especially when you watch a young person who you helped get into journalism go on to win a Walkley Award, as happened last year when Viva Goldner won a Walkley for her reports on Judge Marcus Einfeld.”
Peter also tutors junior and senior editorial staff on News Limited’s ground-breaking online learning courses, and facilitates training and accreditation for the company’s journalists from external organisations like the Rural Fire Service.
Peter was already a senior journalist working as Chief Sub-editor at the Illawarra Mercury when he started the MA (Journalism) degree at UOW.
“The University approached the Mercury to see if working journalists would be interested in enrolling in a start-up post-graduate journalism course,” he says. “I jumped at the chance to formalise my education as a journalist and to exchange ideas in a new forum.
” He has many fond memories of studying under the course’s founder, well-known journalist and educator the late Professor Clem Lloyd – none more than the return of a marked essay for which he had received a High Distinction. “There in the margin was a mini-scoreboard from an Ashes Test match which Clem had attended in England during semester break. I often wondered how much the setting in which the assignment was marked contributed to my HD!
“Clem loved sport and he loved journalism. His passion for the profession is something I have always tried to copy.
” From the Mercury Peter moved to Sydney, first as Deputy Editor of the medical weekly Australian Doctor, before realising his passion was in daily newspapers. “I was lucky enough to gain a position with The Australian in 1995 and have been with News Limited ever since.
” Peter loves his teaching and mentoring roles, and says his immediate career goals are to keep pace with the changing news environment and the growth of online journalism.
“If I were to leave News, I would love to move to a tertiary teaching role in media studies,” he says.