New Colombo Plan alumni Yasmine Wright Gittins and Cooper Williams continue to strengthen their connections in the Pacific after being named winners of the Walkley Foundation's 2024 Sean Dorney Grant for Pacific Journalism.
The award will support the University of Adelaide graduates to develop journalism stories they studied during their NCP Scholarships in Fiji and New Caledonia.
Currently working at the Australian National University’s College of Asia and the Pacific as a digital media officer, Cooper says his goal is to do more to bring stories about the region to the fore.
‘I think we need to know more about what is happening in countries that are our nearest neighbour, and to understand the issues they face and the impacts of things like climate change,’ he said.
Cooper graduated in Media, Journalism and International Relations, completing a semester at the University of the South Pacific in Fiji before heading to New Caledonia to learn French.
He then completed an internship at ABC Radio’s Pacific Beat as part of his scholarship.
Bachelor of International Relations and Geography graduate Yasmine spent 6 months in Fiji completing her studies and interning with the non-government organisation 'Corals for Conservation' before heading to New Caledonia for her internship with Pacific Beat.
It was during their NCP internships that Yasmine and Cooper began working as a team to hone their journalistic skills.
Reflecting on his time in New Caledonia, Cooper says it was important to understand how New Caledonian society is structured to work on building trust and networks in the community.
'New Caledonian society has distinct groups, from the Indigenous Kanak community to Polynesian communities, and of course more recent European migrants, and those of European descent,' he said.
'I think the time we spent working on stories through our NCP internship has helped us to build the networks we will need to develop the stories we’ll be doing for the Dorney Grant.'
'We had great support from Evan Wasuka at the ABC during our time in New Caledonia and we will collaborate with a local journalist as part of our team.'
'A lot of people say this about their NCP experience, but it really is life changing.
'From learning French in a French-speaking country, to working on stories that are important to the local community, it changes your perspective because it is unique and immersive,' Cooper said.
For the Dorney Grant, Yasmine and Cooper will be tackling local stories in the South Pacific.
Yasmine believes it is important for Australians to understand the South Pacific beyond it being a tourist destination.
Back in Australia, she has a one-year fellowship with the Australia Institute working on documentaries and climate policy communication.
'My skills in the production side of journalism have been self-taught, but through the NCP experience in New Caledonia, I discovered a passion for media production and documentary-making that I want to continue to explore,' she said.
‘We are so grateful to the Walkley Foundation for the opportunity to work on stories that are important to the community and to the region.’
‘I was the first person in my family to go to university and had the opportunity through the NCP to spend almost a year in Fiji and New Caledonia that gave me a career path that I feel excited about.’
‘Even if you don’t think you are going to be successful, I would encourage anyone to apply for an NCP scholarship – it is a fantastic experience and a network that continues to be valuable when you return to Australia,' Yasmine said.
The Walkley Foundation Sean Dorney Grant honours the work of legendary ABC journalist Sean Dorney.
Each year up to two journalists are awarded $10,000 grants to produce significant content in any medium profiling issues in the Pacific region.
