Emily Sobey
Online Editor - The Courier
Graduated in:
2008
Course completed:
Bachelor of Arts degree, majoring in journalism and public relations
Currently working for:
The Courier, Ballarat
How long have you been working for this organisation?
6 years
Position title and short job description:
Online Editor. I am responsible for managing The Courier’s website thecourier.com.au which is part of the Fairfax network. Our website generates over 1.5 million hits a month, and is currently ranked third nationally among Fairfax’s regional sites, to the Canberra Times and Newcastle Herald. I was formerly a general news reporter, working in the water, environment, council and court rounds, as well as writing for The Advocate newspaper and Enterprise magazine.
Working highlight so far:
In my current role, it’s been fantastic to continue developing the content on our website and lift the number of page views and visitors each week. In July, we launched First @ 4, a daily video news bulletin bringing a taste of the day’s news. We were the first site in our regional Victorian group to do this. This year, we have won the Rural Press Club of Victoria’s Best Online Production, a Highly Commended award in the PANPA 2011 News Destination of the Year and a Highly Commended award at the 2011 Australia/New Zealand Internet Awards.
What are the things you enjoy most about your job?
Working in online, you are constantly working on something new – whether it be an online project or a way to tell a story via video/audio or photo galleries. I’m surrounded by a terrific team at The Courier and more widely, at Fairfax Digital who teach us the newest technologies and how we can implement them to bring better content to our audience.
An area in which you have needed assistance:
I have been very lucky working with The Courier as it has provided me with excellent training opportunities and mentoring. Fairfax Digital has also given extensive training in all aspects of online.
What do you intend to do in the future?
The Courier is no longer a newspaper but a media business. This means journalists are no longer just print-based but develop broadcast skills for regular online video reporting. Online is the way of the future, meaning journalists can have the best of print and broadcast, and it will be great to continue working in this field.
#1 tip for current students studying your course:
Don't be afraid to apply for journalism cadetships during your course. I gained mine after only a year of my degree, and combined full time work with part time study. Deakin was fantastic to accommodate me as an off-campus student and gave me their full support.
