Journalism graduate and The Philippine Times writer Tricia Rivera has been announced winner of the JNI Opportunity Fellowship with 9 News Melbourne and The Age.
The Melbourne-based writer received the award in Sydney during the The Walkley Foundation 2021 Mid-Year Celebration of Journalism on Wednesday night.
Tricia is a young journalist who is passionate about telling compelling stories. She studied journalism and human rights at Monash University and also studied in Bangkok for three years.
Tricia graduated in February this year and immediately joined The Philippine Times where she has contributed enriching stories which have helped her in her application for the inaugural Judith Nielsen Institute fellowship, providing talented young journalists from diverse backgrounds with an opportunity to work in a major newsroom.
She will be able to undertake reporting under the direction of the host media organisation, which means her name will likely appear in articles from 9 News and The Age soon!
Tricia’s main interests are investigative journalism and feature writing.
“This fellowship is incredibly significant to me. Pursuing a career in journalism has been such a rewarding experience, but at times has felt impossible, so this fellowship lets me know I’m on the right track,” Tricia stated after her win.
“It also means I get to keep growing as a journalist and continuing doing what I love.”
As she grows as a career journalist, she hopes to produce meaningful journalism. “I hope to gain experience reporting different beats, while along the way finding out my own niche and what topics interest me the most,” she said.
“I also want to build on my skills, getting to have a mentor in the newsroom is imperative in me improving on my skills.”
Tricia is proud of her Filipino heritage as she reflects on the potential for Filipino representation in Australian mainstream media. “Through this fellowship I hope to also encourage other Filipinos and those from diverse backgrounds to consider a career in media, as I believe our voices are necessary for a media landscape to reflect the real world.”
Tricia will commence her twelve-week fellowship with 9 News Melbourne and The Age in August 2021.
READ MORE: Let’s make Australia our home -by Tricia Lee Rivera
