Karina Marlow, an indigenous student currently in her fourth year of a Bachelor of Arts (Media) / Bachelor of Law degree, will be working for NITV in 2016, the National Indigenous Television channel broadcast by SBS. Karina secured the position after her successful tenure as a mentee in the SBS Media Mentorship program here at the University.

Created in 2012 as a partnership between Macquarie University, SBS and ECC NSW (Ethnic Communities Council of NSW), the program promotes diversity in the Australian media by helping indigenous and CALD (Culturally and Linguistically Diverse) students enter the industry. The exciting offer came after Karina completed the three-year mentorship, which gave her access to career and networking opportunities in the media industry that might otherwise have appeared out of reach.

“Working at a public broadcaster would only have been a dream if not for the program. It has given me the practical skills, the networks, and the confidence to be able to pursue a career in the media industry,” said Karina.

As part of the mentorship program, mentees attend skill-building workshops, networking events and travel opportunities, and also undergo facilitated work placements that include being afforded a mentor, which in Karina’s case is the Supervising Producer for NITV News, Catherine Liddle.

Some of the highlights for other students of the program in 2015 have included the opportunity to volunteer at the United Nations’ Association of Australia Media Peace Awards, as well as attending many networking, skill-building and technical workshops throughout the year. A number of students have also completed work placements at SBS Insight, Corporate affairs, and Sport, and ESPN’s Search4Hurt.

The program will continue in 2016, with applications now open for interested indigenous and CALD students, from a low SES background, who would like to pursue a career in the media.

The SBS Media Mentorship and SBS NITV Media Mentorship programs are funded by the Commonwealth Government’s Higher Education Participation and Partnerships Program (HEPPP). 

For more information on this program, contact Project Administrator Scarlet Barnett (02 9850 1838).