From a background in marketing and administration, one student found their calling in journalism through The Tert at the University of Wollongong. Embracing a collaborative editorial approach—shaped by team-driven pitches, external submissions, and university event coverage—they discovered the unique value of both creative and journalistic writing in reaching varied audiences. Engagement with industry conferences broadened their professional perspective and network. Today, their focus is on advancing public interest journalism and supporting The Tert as a vibrant platform for meaningful, authentic storytelling.
Hi Emma! Thanks for your interest in being interviewed for Spotlight! Firstly, I see that you’ve interned for the South Coast Writers Centre before and so I’m wondering what your experience has been with writing and journalism in general?
Hi! Thanks so much for interviewing me for this. I have to confess that my experience at the South Coast Writers Centre wasn’t as grounded in writing and journalism as you might expect. When I interned there, I was predominantly working on marketing and administrative tasks, so the most I did on writing was probably just crafting emails.
However, that’s not to say I didn’t learn about literary fields there; I actually found it a deeply valuable experience for the experience it gave me and the skills I gained from it that I’m sure I’ll use again. This is things like what’s involved in working with writers, publishers and other creatives; how to create effective promotional content for social media; and how to undertake research in order to accurately and efficiently catalogue data.
In terms of my experience with actual writing and journalism, the Tert was definitely the big thing for me. Before I came to UOW, I don’t recall being involved with journalism to any real extent. Certainly, I was interested in it – I still have drafts on my laptop of articles I was going to send to the local newspaper to get them to print it – but I did little writing beyond what was required of me for school, and of course the copious notebooks I wrote full of stories that were never going to see the light of day. Although I can’t say for sure, I do think these aforementioned aimless scribblings must have been the start of my passion for writing; even the thrill I got from putting pencil to paper was electric for me.
With this passion for writing, I then became properly involved in journalism in 2024, my second year of uni. In my first year, I recall I’d wanted to be a part of the Tert, but the magazine worked a little differently at that time to how it does now, and I hadn’t been able to work out how to get involved. At the start of 2024, however, I was lucky enough to befriend the then-editor of the Tert, and as a result, I began editing and writing for the magazine.
The first two articles I wrote for the Tert were reviews – or, one review, and one combined interview-and-review – that had been pitched to the team by the exec staff at the time. This is going a little into your next question, but basically at that time articles, or at least the ones I was involved in, were written when an editor asked the team in our group chat, ‘does anyone want to review/write about [x]?’ where (not to sound like a maths teacher) [x] was normally an upcoming event at UOW or in Wollongong. This could be a theatre production being put on by the uni’s drama department, or a local gig, or a particular artist who would be featured at a UOW event, among other things. When these opportunities arose, and I found myself available, I agreed to write the articles, as I was very interested in
becoming a bigger part of the Tert and more generally gathering writing experience.
From those initial articles, I’ve only become more involved in the Tert, taking on editing tasks when they were available, representing the magazine and this year becoming editor. I’ve done a little writing outside of this publication, for example writing social media copy for other clubs and organisations I’m a part of, and writing reviews for my work in a bookstore, but the Tert remains the primary publication in which I publish my writing.
Could you give me a sense of your media cycle as a Reporter for The Tert? How do you approach pitching and how do you get your sources and/or leads for your stories?
Obviously, I outlined before how articles go from pitch to writing: editors ask the team if they’re interested in writing a particular article, i.e., an article on a certain topic or event; someone then nominates themselves for this and we assign them the task so they can work on it. Prior to this, however, articles are primarily written from pitches sent to us by outside sources. For example, certain organisations or individuals contact us with story requests, often informing us of events that are coming up and asking us to send a writer to report on these. It may also simply be artists wishing to publicise their work; however, the more common variety is organisations, especially ones with whom we’ve previously had contact, promoting their upcoming events. When these groups reach out to us, we’re able to get them in contact with the individual writers who nominated themselves for each piece so that the article can get written.
As a student publication, we also report regularly on happenings at UOW. When new events are announced, such as theatre shows, the Tert often contacts the organisers to request to see the show and perhaps speak with the performers. At times, for example at free events, reporters may attend after receiving a request from an editor for a review of an event; the editor may decide the topic ought to be written about based on its relevance to and interest for students and/or the university as a whole.
Furthermore, we also have students who write articles because they are interested in sharing their thoughts on certain topics. Tert members may ‘pitch’ their ideas to the team, and these will get approved; the writer then goes ahead with these articles and publishes them. Many articles do not even need to be approved; as the Tert values all contributions highly, students are always welcome to submit articles or other works for publication, and after these are approved and edited, they will be published. Although the Tert’s most significant publication is always the quarterly printed magazine, and some articles we feature online are drawn from these magazines, we have numerous avenues through which we gather articles. All of these different approaches to collecting stories also mean we are able to consistently provide a platform for UOW students.
I’m also interested in your perspective on creative writing vs journalistic writing? How have these very different forms of writing influenced your reportage for The Tert?
One thing I’ll say about writing for the Tert for over a year is that it’s really proved a wonderful opportunity for me to develop my style. I feel that my writing has become more consistent as I’ve been doing it longer, and I’m reasonably confident now in knowing – at least to some extent – what characterises my journalistic style. On that note, I would say that my writing does lean far more towards the journalistic than the creative. Although I always used to consider myself a creative writer above all, everything I’ve written for the Tert has actually been non-fiction; for the most part, my work takes the form of reviews. In writing so often in the same form, I have actually become less confident in my creative writing – or perhaps more of a perfectionist, at least – and do this far less than I do more journalistic writing.
By no means do I value journalistic writing more than creative writing, though. The nature of student journalism means journalistic writing is arguably more widely circulated, as (to use a cliché) it speaks directly to students’ experiences. In some ways, it is also more accessible, as it tends to serve the purpose of sharing information with students, meaning they have a reason to engage with it.
However, I don’t say this to criticise creative writing, which I consider writing designed to tell a fictive story or series or events, or writing whose primary purpose is the form and character of the writing itself; its content is of secondary importance to the way in which it is expressed. Creative writing has always been one of the core parts of my life, and I love it; I truly wish I were better at it, because I can think of few things more impactful than a well-written story or any kind of well-constructed piece of creative writing, even if this is a poem.
The Tert’s print issue is always exceptionally strong in creative works. We tend to have more journalistic pieces online, though, because both types of writing serve distinctive purposes. Non-fiction articles, for example, are more suited for conveying current and prescient information to readers; we use these to discuss predominantly politics, society and culture. Reviews, like the kind I write, fit in this category. Creative writing, meanwhile, makes up the bulk of our print issues, although in the print magazines as well there are some reviews and articles about current events. The way I see it is that the print issue is more permanent; it’s something to be kept and displayed with a physical presence for a long time, so it’s better served by creative pieces. These are less likely to become irrelevant even as time passes, and they offer readers content that inspires them to think and feel – which, again, remains true for a long time.
As I said, the Tert does publish a mix of journalistic and creative pieces online and in print; these are simply trends and tendencies I perceive, and some theories I have posited to explain these. My preference overall is probably journalistic writing, but I rate both forms highly, and long to improve my creative writing skills. Guess creative writing will be my goal in submitting for the next issue of the Tert!
Will you be representing The Tert in the upcoming Student Journalism Conference? If so, what do you hope to gain from the experience? And why is a platform/event like StuJoCo important for university journalism and journalists?
Thank you so much for asking this! I’m really happy to talk about my experience at StuJoCon, as I feel that was an important step in my work with the Tert. Before I go any further, I wrote a little about this on my LinkedIn, so, if you’d like, you can check that out here (feel free to also connect with me there if you’re interested! No pressure of course though): https://www.linkedin.com/posts/emma-cranby-0ba0a925b_i-was-honoured-to-represent-the-tertangala-activity-7365353273505021954-9WEu/
That was only a small post, though – I definitely have more to say about the Student Journalism Conference. Obviously, I did represent the Tert there; I spoke as part of the panel at the ‘Making Student Media Workshop’. In signing up to do this, I think my main goal was just to give the Tert as much as I could, though I know that sounds a little cheesy. I know I’ve said it before, but being part of this magazine is something that I love, and I really believe all my work with the Tert and the skills I’ve developed from it is going to help me a lot in my future career path. I thought StuJoCon would be an amazing opportunity to get the word out to people about the Tert and expand our audience.
Another thing I was eager to do with this Conference was get to know more about the world of publishing – both in student media and more broadly – and learn more about how other magazines ran. Although I didn’t get to meet as many people involved in student journalism as I’d have liked, I don’t consider this a failure; I was still able to hear other (non-Tert) presenters on my panel talk and better understand how they created and maintain the publications at their university.
In my mind, this is probably the core value of an event like StuJoCon. It allows people to learn more about their field and connect with others doing similar work. This includes finding peers who can support them in starting their own publication, and learning from those who are already involved in student media, about how one can get involved in student media, and what they can do within it. Given the importance of student media in today’s world, when expression is becoming more and more restricted while times are becoming more and more horrifying, StuJoCon is one of the most valuable platforms we have. As well as helping develop a writing community, it’s an incredible opportunity to learn from so many great thinkers and writers – both those involved in student journalism, and those not – and for every writer and creator to sharpen their words and their wits and get the tools (i.e., information) they need to get creating and take a stand against oppression.
I'm also so interested in your art writing/reviews, as a reader of critical engagements of the different media I consume. What other publications have you written for? Do you writer reviews regularly for The Tert and if so, what's it like to have the writer and editor hat on within this publication?
As I said earlier, the Tert is the only publication I currently write for. Although I’m extremely eager to write more and feature my work in other publications, I have to admit I’m not always the best at a) time management or b) coming up with ideas, so for now it’s just the Tert. I am a regular writer here, though; along with two other people, I am part of a group of film reviewers who write reviews of classic and contemporary films every week. Being part of a group in this, I write a film review every three weeks or so.
Regarding my position as both a writer and editor, I find that the two do not intersect as much as one would expect. ‘Film Review Fridays’ (we publish a new film review every Friday) is the only weekly column that the Tert currently has, and this was an established part of the magazine even before I joined the team. As such, it runs quite smoothly on its own; me and my fellow reviewers are easily able to sort out among ourselves any issues that arise. Having a group of three reviewers means that all pieces get checked over twice, which means we don’t need to go through the additional delay of sourcing editors from outside the film review group. My role in the group means these reviews always get approved by the editor-in-chief (myself) so they are able to be efficiently published by the film review group each week.
Given this, I can’t say for sure that my experience of being an editor or writer is too different from that of anyone else who may have experience in one of the fields. I do certainly enjoy being both a writer and editor. True, it does mean I’m often very busy, for example writing a review and also ensuring editing on the newest print issue is okay, while also studying and balancing my other commitments as well. However, I find that I often thrive under the pressure, and I find it highly rewarding to be both editor and writer. Above all, I just value the experience more than I can properly articulate. As editor, getting to play such a significant role in the operation of a magazine and learn about that, and as writer, getting to hone skills that I expect will be integral to my day-to-day-life in the future AND build up a portfolio of published work? It’s truly one of my greatest pleasures, and I consider being a core member of the Tert a significant achievement in my life.
So, although I don’t have too much to say on what it’s like being a writer and editor at the same time, I love and am grateful for my roles within the magazine. It means I’m not restricted in any way, and I can develop my capabilities as an editor and a writer, while also being part of the creation of a high-quality and important student publication.
Finally, what do you hope to gain from your time at The Tert? What are your hopes for public interest journalism in general?
I hope that public interest journalism only grows in popularity – that we can have as many people as possible reading it, writing it, working in the field, etc. Journalism, especially student journalism, is one of the strongest means we have to tell stories that matter, uplift voices that deserve to be heard, resist destructive social norms and create change. Student journalism is sharp, unafraid, and relevant. I hope that people can recognise the importance of journalism and want to be a part of it.
Personally, I do admit I also want to, well, make a change. That’s always been a dream of mine, and now that I’ve become so involved with the Tert, my devotion to that idea has only strengthened. To use my passion and skills for writing to take the Tert to a new level of flourishing where it can reach many people, is something I long to do. I’m also eager to use my time as editor to build my skills so that I can take this into the future i.e., my career with me and be capable of producing outstanding work there that will again have an impact. The work I have done with the magazine has allowed me to become a stronger writer, meet new people, and compile a portfolio of written work that will aid me in future jobs.
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