Journalism | Nick McKenzie's story

Nick McKenzie reflects on being an investigative journalist and studying a Bachelor of Communication (Journalism) at RMIT.

The dialogue is entirely in voiceover and uplifting music plays throughout.

Duration: 1:59 mins

[Visual] Nick driving around the streets of Melbourne at night. A faint sound of police sirens are heard in the background.

There’s a whole range of things you look for when someone’s hiding something.

[Screen title] Inquiring

I mean it can be as simple as looking at some body language. Our society is filled with secrets.

[Screen title] Persistent

People in power don't want the public to know what is going on behind closed doors.

[Screen title] Nick McKenzie, Bachelor of Communication (Journalism)

My name is Nick McKenzie, I studied a Bachelor of Communication in Journalism at RMIT. I’m an investigative reporter with Fairfax Media.

[Screen title] Nick McKenzie, Investigative Journalist, Fairfax Media, 7 Walkley Awards

RMIT was really a springboard into my career because it gave me the basics of how to be a journalist. Dig hard, push hard, be fair and honest. All those key things I learned have really been a part of my career and will remain so into the future.

[Visual] Nick driving up to a storage facility, opens the roller door and retrieves files from a storage box.

What really drives me I guess is when there is vunerable people. People without a voice who get stood over by the powerful and it’s our job as journalists is to give them a voice.

I think the key to being a good journalist is having a really great sense of curiosity, a passion to find out what’s going on behind the scenes.

Truth is not a simple concept, facts aren’t fixed in stone. It’s about testing information, it’s about finding little clues to build a picture and hopefully that that picture that you tell the public is as close to the truth as possible.

[Visual] Nick walks out of his car at night and exchanges files with a man (we cannot see his face).

And in no circumstance will I ever ever give up the source. My job is to pick fights with people, people who deserve it, people who have it coming.

[Visual] Nick sits in his office sifting through the files he retrieved from the storage box.

I guess everyday I wake up and know I’m heading to work to find out something that the public deserves to know. And if you’re doing that everyday you come home at night and it’s immensely rewarding. You collapse in your bed and you go to yourself ‘It’s been worth it’.

[Screen title] Be true to you

[Closing credits]
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