General News
26 September, 2025
My experience as a journalist at Wimmera Mallee News
My experience with Wimmera Mallee News has been one of a kind.
I’ve got to work in an office filled with amazing people, from all different backgrounds and life stories to share.
This experience has gifted me the perfect opportunity to shape my knowledge, especially in the journalism aspect.
Throughout my placement, I’ve produced three articles: “Walk in the Shoes of a Wimmera Principal”, ‘Horsham College Students Gain Professional Exposure Toward Their Ideal Careers’, and, of course, the one you're reading right now.
I've performed countless interviews and even photography shoots.
My highlight was on Thursday (September 18) when my supervisor, Ben, and I travelled to Warracknabeal to gather an understanding of how the paper gets printed at North West Press.
Ben explained to me how they use metal for their print plates, as they typically don’t wear during use.
We also discovered exactly how heavy the 50gsm paper rolls are, which turns out to be 477kg.
Ben ran me through the actual print press itself, which uses an offset rotary printing system.
Here, computer-generated etching is inked and transferred to a rubber blanket cylinder, which then transfers the image to a continuous roll of newsprint.
Ben then showed me the commercial print press they use for high-quality prints.
The team at Wimmera Mallee News have really made me feel included by engaging me in meetings and other special events.
My placement with Wimmera Mallee News has definitely helped me uncover the hidden secrets behind working in the media industry.
This has taught me essential skills that will benefit me going forward in this pathway.
I would 100% recommend this placement to anyone interested in this specific work, and if you have the qualifications, maybe even consider joining.
Aside from that, I’ve had heaps of fun and for sure enjoyed my time at Wimmera Mallee News.
The fact that I get to publish articles/stories is so cool.
I want to thank everyone who made this possible: my Careers teacher at Horsham College, Genni, the work experience coordinator, and Miss Woolford for both signing off on my placement and providing the necessary information for my article.
I would also like to thank Ben and the entire team at Wimmera Mallee News for the great time I've had here.
On another note, I would like to thank all the students who volunteered for an interview, as well as their workplaces and supervisors, for their support.
I don’t know where my articles, which I’ve published, would be without these people, and it’s a truly amazing experience that can't be properly described in words.