Introduction: My internship at Fishing Monthly Group

My internship at Fishing Monthly Group lasted roughly four weeks, and started on 20 July, 2018. Straight off the bat I was very busy, as my internship coincided with one of the busiest times of the year in fishing media.

My first week, consisted of a variety of fieldwork. On the Monday, I visited a potential client wanting to advertise their boat hire business in Deagon. I went out to the Deagon with one of the sales reps, and did a tour of the marina. I then conducted an interview with the owner, before heading back to the office to prepare a half page of editorial to go with the full-page advert they had bought.

The next two days saw me head down to the Gold Coast Convention Centre for the annual Australia Fishing Trade Association show. For two days, I compiled material about new products by conducting interviews, taking notes and collecting media releases, before turning them into 140-160 word write ups about each product for the magazines.

At the show I also had the opportunity to conduct some interviews about certain products in front of a camera, and the videos were posted on social media.

The second week was slightly more relaxed, but still very busy. For the three days I spent in the office, my roles included sub-editing, proofing, and laying out editorial for the magazines, creating small pieces of content for social media and the magazine, and I also found time to review a product I had been testing in the weeks leading up to the internship.

The third week was a busy week in the production cycle, where there was a lot of proofing, however I managed to write up an advertorial for a major client, the material for which I collected by conducting an interview over the phone.

The fourth week was the turnaround week in the production cycle, which saw me archiving the content we had been working on for the month, and creating and scheduling material for our social media handles. This material consisted of small news pieces, previews for the magazines, a newsletter, and anything else sales reps wanted shared on social media.

The four weeks I spent interning at Fishing Monthly Group made me aware of much I do for the company, and how working there is fantastic preparation for the real world of journalism.

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Critical Reflection: Fishing Monthly Group

My internship at Fishing Monthly Group, which is my current place or work, allowed me to consider how my work there is a good primer for the real world of journalism. The timing of this internship was convenient, because it coincided with the launch of a new publication under the Fishing Monthly Group banner, West Australia Fishing Monthly, and I was there to help prepare the first edition. With the internship requiring me to compile all of my published work, it made me realise how much content I create for the company. I was also able to appreciate the diversity of the content I create, and the multiple platforms it operated on. The internship also allowed me to consider where the company sits in the industry, and how its future is uncertain, given the undeniable changes in effect in the journalism world.

 

Fishing Monthly Group is only a small company, and operates independently, however it puts out multiple publications across a range of platforms, and I have been involved with most of them in my time there as a paid employee, and as an intern. During my internship, the fishing tackle industry had its annual trade show, the Australia Fishing Tackle Association Trade Show, on the Gold Coast. The editorial staff of the four monthly fishing magazines were required to talk to tackle manufacturers, importers and distributers about their new products, and create content to be released in the next edition of the mag. It was a big job, and three days continuously talking to people, taking notes, and finally organising notes about each product into 140-160 word write ups was extremely tiring, however we managed to get the most anticipated products into the September editions of the monthly magazine.

At the show, I also did some interviews in front of a camera for social media about some of the new products, which was exciting for me, because it allowed me to utilise some of the other skills I have learnt at university.

Through this process, I realised that the Fishing Monthly Group office was divided into editorial, design, and sales, with very little overlap – apart from editorial occasionally helping to layout pages of the magazines. Higgins-Dobney & Sussman (2013) argue when discrete news production professionals and functions have been radically integrated, resulting in multitasked news staff forced to provide fast-turnaround for multiple platforms, investigative reporting, the quality of news production, and the utility of local news for the community is weakened. This is very true for the case in Fishing Monthly Group, as they keep their writers and editorial staff confined to that capacity, and they have always kept up a good standard of content. Despite the separation of departments, the constant communication between them helps to sustain a healthy workplace, and streamlines the process of producing magazines each month.

Another part of my role at at Fishing Monthly Group is helping to manage the stream of online content across various social media platforms. The Internet has had a profound impact on journalism, and this impact is still being felt by various publications which, like Fishing Monthly, started out solely as print publications. Deuze & Bardoel (2001) foresaw the effect the Internet would have on the future of journalism when they asserted that the Internet was changing the profession. They argued that the profession was changing in three ways. Firstly, that the Internet has the potential to make the journalist as an intermediary force in democracy superfluous (Bardoel, 1996). Secondly, it offers the media professional a vast array of resources and sheer endless technological possibilities to work with (Quinn, 1998; Pavlik, 1999). Finally, it creates its own type of journalism (Singer, 1998; Deuze, 1999).

With the integration of online material to their output, Fishing Monthly Group has moved away from being just a magazine, and more of a content creator. Eventually, I believe they will be entirely digital, but operating across a number of different medias.

One role that I was given, and found to be particularly enjoyable and beneficial to my journalism career, was testing and reviewing products. I was able to test one product during my internship, and this gave me the opportunity to use the skills I learnt at university to write the review, take the necessary photographs, and lay out the pages on Adobe InDesign.

By and large though, the majority of my work consisted of sub-editing raw articles, proofing, laying out pages on InDesign, and conducting short interviews over the phone, all of which I believe are vital skills for working in a newsroom, particularly when there are deadlines to meet.

As with my last internship at News Corp, I found it beneficial to save the contacts I made, should I need them later in my career.

 

Overall, doing an internship at my current place at work gave me opportunity to consider my role in the company and how it is preparing me for my career as a journalist. It has also made me realise that niche media is a great stepping-stone for any up-and-coming journalists looking to get a foot in the door. While the future for Fishing Monthly Group is uncertain, I believe the company owner, Steve Morgan, is savvy enough to keep putting out quality content and remain a one of Australia’s foremost fishing media outlets.

 

References:

 

Bardoel, J & M, Deuz, 2001. Network Journalism: Converging Competences of Media Professionals and Professionalism. Australian Journalism Review, Vol. 23, No. 2, pp. 91-103.

 

Bardoel, J.L.H. (1996) `Beyond Journalism: A Profession between Information Society and Civil Society’, European Journal of Communication 11: 283-302.

 

Deuze, M, 1999. Journalism and the Web: an analysis of skills and standards in an online environment. Gazette 61, No. 5, pp. 373-390

 

Higgins-Dobney, CL & G, Sussman, 2013. The growth of TV news, the demise of the journalism profession. Media, Culture & Society, Vol 35, No. 7

 

Pavlik, J. (1999). New media and news: implications for the future of journalism, New Media & Society, Vol. 1, No. 1, pp. 54-59

 

Quinn, S, 1998. Newsgathering and the Internet. In: Breen, M. (red.). Journalism: theory and practice. Paddington: Macleay Press: pp. 239-255

 

 

Singer, J, 1998. Online Journalists: Foundations for Research Into Their Changing Roles, The Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication. Vol. 4, No. 1

 

Tested: Sunline Siglon PE braided line

This product review was published in September edition of all four the Monthly magazines, and allowed me a little more creative license with my writing, which made it enjoyable to write. The whole process of putting this article together involved collecting the product from the wholesaler (one of our clients) spending time on the water testing it, and then reflecting on my experiences with the product and writing all about it.

Techniques like jerkbaiting can be a nightmare when using substandard braids, with the potential for looping and uneven wrapping on the spool between jerks –there’s none of that with Siglon PE!

 

The purchase of braided line should be seen as an investment. It might not be quite as long-term as a rod and reel set-up, but usually longer than a many lures, and certainly any terminal tackle.

            It’s for this reason that, despite my not being particularly moneyed at this stage in my life, I always look for the best quality braid I can get my hands on. Lesser braids, while cheap and affordable after a standard tertiary study-laden week, won’t give the same mileage, often rubbing through and breaking only weeks after installation. As a result, an angler will often end up spending more in the long-term if they want to keep fishing, but there are steps available to minimise unnecessary spending and maximise catching!

EJ Todd Fishing Solutions have a history of bringing in high-quality fishing products from all over the world. Basically, if you take fishing more seriously than just about anything else in life, you’ll have brought EJ Todd products. Everything under the Todd’s banner comes with unmistakable quality identified by Australian anglers for Australian anglers, and the new Siglon PE from Sunline is no exception!

SPOOLING UP

Having been sent two spools for testing, the PEx4 and PEx8 (both in 16lb), I decided I would do a comparison of the two. The two 150m (165yds) spools were in the ‘light green’ colour, perfect for my planned testing site that features a lot of aquatic weed. The PEx8 is available in light green, orange and multi colour, and the PEx4 just in light green.

As the name suggests, the PEx8 is an 8-carrier braid, and the PEx4 a 4-carrier.

From experimentation in the past, I’ve learned that braids with less strands tend to operate better on a baitcasting set up, because they flatten much easier and often end up slightly stiffer. This stiffness helps line to run off the spool during a cast, where softer braids often can’t keep up with the rotation and end up overrunning.

Braids with more strands on the other hand, usually end up being rounder in configuration but softer and more flexible, and definitely better suited to a spinning set-up. With no risk of overrunning, spinning set-ups can get away using comparatively soft braids.

With this in mind, I decided that the PEx8 would go onto my Daiwa BG 2500 spin reel, and the PEx4 onto my 13 Fishing Concept A baitcaster.

As with all re-spooling of braid on my reels, I made sure to pack it down as tightly as I could onto about 20-30m of squishy monofilament, which I use as backing.

ON THE WATER

Soon enough I was on the water, and the end of autumn saw me getting stuck into one of my favourite forms of fishing – jerkbaiting for impoundment bass!

With the constant jerking of the rod and potential for uneven wrapping on the spool, I thought this was a perfect test for the braid. For a bit of fun, I decided to fish jerkbaits on both the spinning and baitcasting setups loaded up with the Siglon PE.

Like with all braids, it took a few casts for it to warm up and cast properly, but within 2 minutes I was belting out long casts with a 4.5g jerkbait, and within 5 minutes, I was hooked up on the spin gear!

This fish started a fantastic few months of top-class jerkbaiting in South East Queensland for me, and I got plenty of use out of the PEx4 and the PEx8. On the 8 I was able to deliver good casts comfortably with jerkbaits as light at 3.5g, while with the 4 on the baitcast set-up, I used baits as light at 4.9g without any trouble at all.

I also got some use out of the braids fishing for flathead, bream and squid without any loops, wind knots or troubles associated with lesser braids. They’ve even retained their original colour better than other braids I’ve used! As a bonus, I found it to be extremely thin for its poundage, which aided in casting distance and overall stealth.

As for the comparison of the two models, I found that my decision to put the braids on their respective reels was a good choice, and feel that anyone interested in using this line should follow the same principal – PEx4 for baitcasters and PEx8 for spin reels.

QUALITY THE BEST SOLUTION

Some of us might not think too hard about what braid we use, but we should – it’s what keeps us connected to the fish!

If you want a braid that will last more than a few months, retaining its strength and abrasion-resistance, Siglon PE is a great choice. Being as trouble-free as it is, you’ll be able to spend more time fishing and less time stressing about retying, untangling wind knots and re-packing the spool.

Siglon PEx8 comes in poundages from 5-130, while the PEx4 in 3-50, so there’s a PE for literally every fishing scenario.

Coming in at a pretty incredible price for a high-quality braid, this is the perfect option for anyone looking for peace of mind with braids, where you can spool it up and not worry about it for over a year. Coming in at around $24.95 for 150m spools of PEx4 and around $40 for 150m spools of PEx8 (more for 300m spools), it’s a product that marries up supreme quality and affordability.

Choosing a braid when spooling up new reels and re-spooling old ones can require a bit of thought. EJ Todd have made that decision much easier for me! For more information, and to find an outlet near you that stocks Sunline Siglon PE Braided Fishing Line, visit http://www.ejtodd.com.au.

AFTA Trade Show on-camera interviews

This video features some interviews conducted at the AFTA trade show on the Gold Coast, where members of the Fishing Monthly team (which included me) got some of our major clients to talk about their most anticipated products. These videos were posted on the Fishing Monthly and Tacklejunkie Facebook pages, and shared by the respective clients. My first interview can be found at around the 5-minute mark of the video.

 

Store in a store?

This short piece of editorial I put together from a phone interview with the store owner of Davo’s Tackle World on the Sunshine Coast, and was published in Queensland Fishing Monthly’s September edition.

 

Davo’s Tackle World Noosa has served its customers well for many years, providing a huge range of quality products to people who are serious about fishing.

Now this famous establishment is stepping it up a gear – they’re opening a store within a store! A Costa Del Mar sunglasses store to be precise. This idea has already been praised down in Victoria, and now it’s made its way up to Queensland!

Davo’s has stocked Costas for around two years now, but they felt the timing was right to open up a specialised and focused display cabinet that will allow potential buyers to cruise through, try them on, and have a chat to someone who can help.

Costa has undergone several big updates and improvements over the last few years, including a frame that is made from recycled fishing nets that looks as stylish as the rest of the range!

Costa have lenses in their range that will suit fresh and saltwater anglers, and they pride themselves on being able to provide a lens and a frame for any fishing situation, and any head shape.

Costa lenses are available in glass and poly-carbonate, and there’s 7 different finishes, including blue mirror, green mirror, grey silver mirror, copper silver, grey, copper and sunrise silver.

In the cabinet there’s currently 106 pairs of Costas, and this is Queensland’s biggest display of Costa sunglasses!

Because of this, the store in a store will allow buyers to find a frame and lens to suit their fishing needs. In the cabinet is just about every frame and lens, and here customers can decide which combination they want, and if they don’t have it, they can order it in. Davo’s has stocked all the most popular combinations, so most anglers will be catered for immediately.

Additionally, there’s also a full range of Costa accessories available, including hats, clothing, sunny savers, cleaning products, and more!

So next time you’re in the market for a new set of sunglasses, be sure to head to the only place in South East Queensland that stocks just a out all the Costa frames and lenses, Davo’s Tackle World Noosa!

Davo’s Tackle Wold is at Shop 6 Noosa Homemaker Centre, Mary St, Noosaville, and you can call them up at (07) 5449 8099 if you have any further questions.

Trade Show write ups

These eight pieces of editorial are a just a selection of many, which I put together from interviews I conducted at the Australian Fishing Trade Association show on the Gold Coast. Each write up went into the September editions of each of the monthly magazines (which Included West Australia Fishing Monthly, the first ever edition).

 

Daiwa Tactical Tackle Box

Daiwa have come up with a tackle storage solution to allow you to keep you’re your different accessories in one place.

Daiwa’s series of Tactical Tackle Boxes have tons of storage, and the large top pocket will hold five 3600 sized trays (medium) or five 3700 sized trays (large).

It also features a molded sunglasses holder, two zippered side pockets on the back, mobile phone/GPS holder on the front and pliers holder on both side pockets, so you don’t have to leave anything behind to save on space.

Large carry handles, padded shoulder strap and great tackle organization will allow the angler to take the Tactical Tackle Boxes everywhere.

Each box comes with five Modular Storage Trays, which are perfect for lures, jigs, terminal tackle, sunblock and tools.

The DTTB-60 (Medium) is 9” x 13” x 14”, while the DTTB-70 (Large) is 12” x 14” x 12”.

http://www.daiwafishing.com.au

 

 

Rapala Xtreme 160 HDFFU

When fishing offshore, anglers often like to troll between spots to maximise their chances of catching a feed, and now Rapala has come up with the perfect bait for this application.

As we know, Rapala makes lures that perform well, and look absolutely fantastic, and the Xtreme 160 is no exception to that, and with the new High Definition colours, they’re sure to see hungry fish launching themselves at it coming over the side.

With the ability to handle trolling speeds of 15-20 knots, you can rest assured that this bait will stay in the water, and won’t come to the surface.

This bait is perfect for tuna, mackerel wahoo, mahimahi and many, many more.

Fitted with quality VMC trebles and built tough to handle the riggers of pelagic teeth, this is an absolute winner for anyone wanting to troll at high speeds offshore.

http://www.rapala.com.au

 

 

Costa Untangled Pescador

Costa have absolutely pushed the envelope this year at the AFTA show, with a completely new concept to the world of fishing accessories.

            Introducing the Untangled range, which has taken a positive step towards cleaning up our environment.

What makes the Untangled series so unique, is that the frames are actually made from discarded fishing nets! Every year, thousands of tonnes of fishing nets are left in the ocean to rot and be hazardous to marine life.

Taking out the prestigious John Dunphy Award for Innovation this year is a member of the Untangled family, the Pescador, which is available in for lens colours.

On top of all this, the cases are made from recycled material as well, and in this case, they are made from old Patagonia clothing.

They look as good as the other frames in the Costa range, and by wearing them you’ll be saving the environment as the same time!

http://www.rapala.com.au

 

 

 

Costa Untangled Baffin

Costa Del Mar were very prominent at this year’s AFTA show on the Gold Coast, and their new Untangled Series, was the talk of the show! They’re sure to make shockwaves all around the world.

            With the Pescador taking out the John Dunphy Award for Innovation, they were going to stop there! The voters wanted another member of the family, the Baffin, to be recognised as well.

Just like the Pescador, it comes in 4 lens colours, and the lens is made from discarded fishing nets, and despite this, it still looks fantastic!

Like with all the frames in the series, the case is made from old Patagonia clothing.

So whether it’s the Pescador, the Baffin, or any of the other members of the Untangled Series, you’ll know that just by buying and using them, you’ll be doing your bit to clean up the environment.

http://www.rapala.com.au

 

 

 

Daiwa Exist LT 3000 DC

Celebrating 60 years of innovation isn’t easy, and that’s why Daiwa held nothing back in creating the new 18Exist LT.

The flagship model, the Exist, has personified excellence throughout Daiwa’s history, and now the new 18Exist LT, which stands for Light and Tough, introduces even more ground-breaking technology.

Monocoque body also debuts in the 18Exist LT for the first time through the entire size range. Monocoque bosy is a truly one-piece frame with no side plate. Instead, the side plate is replaced by the main drive gear housing, which screws into the body allowing for maximum gear diameter and ultimate rigidity.

By increasing the main gear diameter, monocoque reels exhibit improved winding power and torque. In fact, you will find the brand-new Machine Cut Tough Digigear inside the new 18Exist LT is up to 109% larger than non-monocoque reels.

The 18Exist LT’s monocoque body is Daiwa’s most advanced body they’ve ever developed, and they’re available from 1000 to 4000 sizes.

http://www.daiwafishing.com.au

 

 

 

Sage Igniter

The most demanding conditions require a different kind of tool, whether it’s a strong head wind, a fish at a distance, bulky rigs, or a heavy sink tip.

            The new Igniter from Sage is tuned to handle the most technical of conditions. This is not a rod for the everyday angler, the Igniter is equipped with a high line speed taper to carry large amounts of line at distance with wind cutting performance.

This rod is absolutely perfect for streamer fishing with heavy sink tips or covering big water when conditions turn south.

Made form quality materials, like Fuji ceramic stripper guides, hard chromed snake guides, KonneticHD technology, laser etched line weight on slide band, Sage retains its reputation for being some of the best fly gear available anywhere.

The rod also comes with a black powder coated aluminium rod tube with a Sage medallion.

If you bring the will, the Igniter will supply the way.

http://www.jmgillies.com.au

 

 

 

Rio DirectCore Jungle Series

Much of the best fly fishing in our amazing country exists in the tropical regions of the north, and now Rio have provided the perfect fly line for tropical climates.

            Rio’s Jungle Series of fly lines are designed to withstand the heat of tropical jungle destinations. Each line is built on Rio’s low-memory DirectCore that is extremely easy to anneal (stretch) and lies perfectly straight on the water, yet retains the stiffness needed to cast on hot conditions.

Each line has a short, quick-loading head that will easily cast and turnover typical large flies used in the tropics, and a range of density options ensures anglers are covered for all species, conditions and waters.

So next time you’re headed north in search of a tropical fly fishing fix, or even overseas to a typically humid fly fishing Mecca, be sure to load up your reels with something that’s up for the job – Rio’s got your back!

http://www.jmgillies.com.au

 

 

 

 

Samaki Black Marlin Sublimation Shirt

Getting plenty of looks, feels and votes at the AFTA show this year was the Black Marlin Sublimation shirt from Samaki.

Samaki have a history of providing anglers with good quality, reasonably priced and sun protective fishing apparel, and this fantastic design will fit in nicely with the rest of the range.

Just like the rest of the range, the eye-popping images on the material will let other anglers know you mean business.

As usual, Samaki have used their UPF 50+ Fish Dry fabric, which is a lightweight 100% polyester material, and will keep you incredibly cool, will dry quickly, yet still breathes.

All of Samaki’s fishing shirts are available in adult, youth and kid sizes, allowing the whole family to get in on the action and out on the water, and still say sun safe.

http://www.samaki.com.au

Facebook previews for magazines

These three pieces of editorial are the monthly previews for each magazine for Facebook. The previews contain teasers for the major features, plus a link (which I have removed for logistical reasons) to the magazines, shoulder readers wish to purchase an online copy magazines, or online subscription.The photographs in this post are the covers for each magazine.

 

V&TFM August edition Facebook preview

August’s Victoria & Tasmania Fishing Monthly is now available online, and you can read it right here:
(Link to magazine)

Spring has nearly sprung, and there’s only a few weeks of unbearable cold weather to brave before the real fun starts!

To get you into the swing of August, we’ve got a great how-to on garfish by Jarrod Day to get you out and having fun on these scrumptious scrappers!
As Fathers’ Day is coming up, we’ve compiled some of our favorite products that would be good gifts for the man of the house!
For the lure lovers, we’ve got a wrap up of the winners from the Australian Lure and Fly Expo – get the scoop on what’s hot in the luring world!

In Boats and Kayaks this month, we’re testing rigs form Stessl Boats and Bar Crusher Boats.

Don’t miss out this month! Spring is just around the corner!

 

NSWFM August edition Facebook preview

August’s New South Wales Fishing Monthly is now available online, and you can read it right here:
(Link to magazine)

August is a great month to be fishing in NSW, and with the lead up to spring, anticipation couldn’t be any higher! Get prepped for spring right here!

This month we’ve got everything you need to know about the Sydney International Boat Show. This is a huge event that only happens once a year, so get the scoop here!
Heading down toward Merimbula anytime soon? Brent Hodges has written a full guide to this beautiful part of the coast.
If you’re looking to up your estuary fishing game, Sean Thompson from Ontour Fishing Australia has a comprehensive how-to on estuary fishing – so make sure you read all about it before the weather starts to warm up!
For the lure lovers out there, we’ve got a wrap up from the Australia Lure and Fly Expo awards. Find out what’s hot in the luring world.
As Fathers’ Day is just around the corner, we’ve compiled some of our favourite products that would make good gifts for the man of the house.

In Boats and Kayaks this month, we’ve getting in and testing rigs from Quintrex, Cruise Craft Boats and Bar Crusher Boats.

It’s a big month in the fishing world, so make sure you stay up to date!

 

 

 

QFM August edition Facebook preview

August’s Queensland Fishing Monthly is now available online, and you can read it right here:
(Link to magazine)

August is usually a very pleasant month in Queensland, and it’s made all the more enjoyable by the variety of species available and a few events that happen around this time of year. Let’s take a look what’s in store!

Up the front, Sean Thompson from Ontour Fishing Australia has written a comprehensive how-to on tackling estuaries. Make sure you check this one out before you hit the estuaries in spring!
Following on from last month’s feature, Phil james has some more 4WDing options on Fraser Island.
Heading west anytime soon? Wayne Kampe has a few tips if you’re heading to the Macintyre River in search of a late season cod.
Wanna catch bigger snapper? Paul Lennon has shared some secrets to finding bigger reds!
Finally, as Fathers’ Day is just around the corner, we’ve compiled some of our favourite products that would make good gifts for the man of the house!

In Boats and Kayaks this month, we’ve tested rigs from Stessl Boats, Sea Jay Boats, Whittley Marine and Quintrex.

There’s plenty going on this month, so why not have a flick through these pages and stay up to date?

 

Moreton Bay Holidays Afloat

This piece of editorial was published in Queensland Fishing Monthly’s September edition, and was run alongside a full page advert the client had bought. I went out to interview the client personally, and did a tour of the impressive marina, which offered a range of boats for hire.

 

Hiring a yacht for a holiday on the water can be an expensive affair. Add to this the travel usually involved to get to the places where these services are available, and you’ve spent a lot of extra money, and lost many hours as well.

With Moreton Bay Holidays Afloat, you’ll be able to tailor your own holiday on the water! Whether it be kayaking the magnificent Boondall Wetlands or sailing a 12.6m yacht in Moreton Bay’s outer islands, the team will be able to get you started – and all from Brisbane!

With a huge range of options available at the marina on the banks of Cabbage Tree Creek in Deagon, there’s something to suit all budgets. Why not get two families together and share the cost? Being based in Deagon in Brisbane’s northeast, Brisbane holidaymakers won’t lose any time traveling. Let’s take a look at what’s available!

OPTIONS

Catamarans

Starting with the biggest and grandest, there are three catamarans – a 12.6m and an 11.6m sail, which each sleep 10, and a 12m powered, which sleeps eight. All three cats have a full galley, and can be taken out independently, following a briefing and practise run (a boating license is preferred, but not required). Alternatively, the team can provide skippered charters! Skippered charters are popular for work trips and other functions. There’s also free parking at the marina – one of the many ways in which you’ll save money!

Fibreglass half cabs

In the marina, you’ll also see two marvellous 17ft fibreglass half cabs, which are also available for hire. These shaded boats are particularly good for self-drive day trips fishing in fishing areas or exploring the Boondall Wetlands.

BBQ pontoon boat

Just looking for a lazy day trip out on sheltered calm waters with some good friends? If so, you’ll be pleased to know that a 6m BBQ pontoon boat is another option! Again, a license is not required to operate this vessel.

Kayaks

Just when you thought it couldn’t get any better, there’s 14 kayaks available for hire! Whether you want paddle through calm sheltered waters, or take them out with one of the catamarans – the choice is yours! The kayaks are very easy to use, with some kitted out for fishing!

H20 MARINE SERVICES

On site and managed by the same people at the marina in Deagon is H2O Marine Services! There’s a slipway that can retrieve boats up to 16m, with dry-docking an option. There you can do work on your boat yourself, or pay for one of the team to complete any work you have in mind. H20 marine Services do engines, electrical work, general repairs, and much more.

GET A QUOTE TODAY!

If you’re looking for an affordable holiday on the water, get in touch with Craig, Bazza and Kerry at Moreton Bay Holidays Afloat and get a quote today! Call (07) 3269 3487 or 0418 988 394. You can also email them, at kerry@moretonbayholidaysafloat.com, or visit their website, at http://www.moretonbayholidaysafloat.com.

Introduction: My internship at Quest Community News Papers

My internship at Quest Community Newspapers was a two week intensive from 14-28 May, 2018. The nature of the internship was such that I had to go in there with some story ideas so I could hit the ground running, as there was very little time for training once I was there.

I arrived on the Monday, which is at the end of their production cycle (which is weekly), and for the first two days I just read copies papers while also taking notes, to gain an understanding of the house styles. Once the production cycle started again on Wednesday, I was lucky enough to have Quest sports writer Andrew Dawson take me under his wing, and teach me about he finds community sports stories. He also took me out to a media event at the house of Glenn Rushton, the trainer of boxer Jeff Horn, just to see how these style of events work, should I ever be invited to one.

Very quickly I was putting together my own stories, while simultaneously being provided with press releases that had been sent to Quest. As the stories below show, I dealt primarily with sports stories, however I also did a few non-sport community stories that were so short they served as ‘fills’. these fills didn’t have a byline, and aren’t listed here.

In putting the stories together, my work ranged from just calling a number on a press release to get an interview, to finding stories on social media and contacting a media centre to organise a face-to-face interview and photo shoot. The stories listed below are the original copies that I wrote, and not the subbed versions that appear in the papers.

As I have said in my critical reflection, while I did enjoy my time at Quest, and am grateful for the experience and the help I was given, I don’t think working in a large office building for a big news corporation is for me. I hope to use and build on this experience as I move forward with my journalistic career.

Critical Reflection: Quest Community Newspapers

My internship at News Corp, and specifically Quest Community Newspapers, was a very illuminating experience. The two weeks I spent with Quest at Bowen Hills was, I feel, a good primer for real world journalism – particularly as a young journalist. I also feel that the various courses I have taken at university and my editorial job at Fishing Monthly Magazines, who I’ve been with for just over five year, has set me up for working in a newsroom. While I am grateful for the experience, I don’t think working for a big corporation in a place as large at the News Corp building at Bowen Hills is for me.

 

Quest Community Newspapers operate in the News Corp building at Bowen Hills, along with the The Courier Mail, The Australian, and The Sunday Mail. The building has two stories, and Quest is on the lower floor. My expectation of desks, computers and quiet chatter almost as far as the eye could see was brought to fruition on the first day. To see that much journalism under one roof was interesting to me, because for the last five years I have had people telling me that the profession is in demise. Higgins-Dobney & Sussman (2013) argue when discrete news production professionals and functions have been radically integrated, resulting in multitasked news staff forced to provide fast-turnaround for multiple platforms, investigative reporting, the quality of news production, and the utility of local news for the community is weakened. Despite this idea, News Corp seems to have quality journalism working to regular deadlines, and are keeping up a good expectation for the quality of work. With the integration of online content to their output, they have been able to cater to an audience that prefers to consume news digitally. Deuze & Bardoel (2001) seemed to foresee the effect the Internet would have on the future of journalism when they asserted that the Internet was changing the profession. They argued that the profession was changing in three ways. Firstly, that the internet has the potential to make the journalist as an intermediary force in democracy superfluous (Bardoel, 1996). Secondly, it offers the media professional a vast array of resources and sheer endless technological possibilities to work with (Quinn, 1998; Pavlik, 1999). Finally, it creates its own type of journalism (Singer, 1998; Deuze, 1999). These ideas are certainly true, and were reinforced to me throughout my internship with Quest.

My experience working for a fishing magazine has been that editorial, design and sales are separate departments, however, there is constant communication between them. At Quest, editorial and design are amalgamated, where journalists create content for the publications, and editors, all of whom are also journalists, lay the paper out as they sub-edit the material. As for the sales department and editorial, there is little, if any communication between the two.

In the process of putting together a story, I discovered the importance of being able to adapt to the situation. In a university environment, I have been able to work to very distant deadlines with one story idea in mind that seldom changes. At Quest, I found that quite often, story ideas fall through because of a lack of material or interview talents available, and the story focus has to be modified, or scrapped completely. Even when I did organise interviews, I found it very frustrating relying on people to get back to me. At one point, I was working on four stories at once. I was waiting for talents from these four stories to get back to me, and then around lunch time they all did, and I was all of a sudden completely snowed under with work, having done nothing but wait for the past two hours.

In finding story ideas to begin with, I noticed that because I didn’t have the contacts that the other journalists did – with them having worked at Quest for some years – I found it harder than they did to find stories. However, with some preliminary material, such as contact numbers, press releases or a link to a useful website, I was able to get started and find my own stories. As I went, I also saw the benefit of saving the contacts I made, should I need them later in my career.

 

Overall, I am grateful for the experience I gained while working at Quest Community Newspapers, however having had the experience, I don’t think I would be comfortable working in a large office building for a big corporation. Ideally, moving forward I would like to take steps toward other forms of media, such as radio, and also explore the feasibility of working as a freelance journalist.

 

 

References:

Bardoel, J & M, Deuz, 2001. Network Journalism: Converging Competences of Media Professionals and Professionalism. Australian Journalism Review, Vol. 23, No. 2, pp. 91-103.

Bardoel, J.L.H. (1996) `Beyond Journalism: A Profession between Information Society and Civil Society’, European Journal of Communication 11: 283-302.

Deuze, M, 1999. Journalism and the Web: an analysis of skills and standards in an online environment. Gazette 61, No. 5, pp. 373-390

Higgins-Dobney, CL & G, Sussman, 2013. The growth of TV news, the demise of the journalism profession. Media, Culture & Society, Vol 35, No. 7

Pavlik, J. (1999). New media and news: implications for the future of journalism, New Media & Society, Vol. 1, No. 1, pp. 54-59

Quinn, S, 1998. Newsgathering and the Internet. In: Breen, M. (red.). Journalism: theory and practice. Paddington: Macleay Press: pp. 239-255

Singer, J, 1998. Online Journalists: Foundations for Research Into Their Changing Roles, The Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication. Vol. 4, No. 1