Journalism graduate wins prestigious industry award

Journalism graduate wins prestigious industry award

RMIT Journalism graduate Thomas Monaghan has won the coveted Student of the Year prize at the Melbourne Press Club’s 28th Quill Awards for Excellence in Victorian Journalism.

Monaghan won for his investigative story, The Rise of the Creator, which was completed for his final year project and looked at how Twitter and OnlyFans have revolutionised the adult entertainment industry.

He said it felt surreal to have his work recognised with this award.

“When I wrote the piece, I never imagined it would be up for any awards, all I was hoping for was for it to accurately represent those who I had spoken to,” Monaghan said.

“To be honest, I had a lot of setbacks with the piece, so to get it completed was an accomplishment in itself.”

Monaghan said the process of writing his award-winning story taught him the importance of being able to adapt.

“I interviewed over 30 creators, and through that process I saw a different story begin to emerge and a different way to present it,” he said.

With the help and guidance of his lecturer Denise Ryan Costello, Monaghan worked out how to piece the story together in a way he said he wouldn’t have otherwise thought to.  

“Because I had to adapt, I had to lean on others and listen to their ideas to help me put it together, which made my piece so much better,” he said.

Thomas Monaghan holds up his certificate and smiles Thomas Monaghan with his award.

Hitting the ground running

After graduating from RMIT’s Bachelor of Communication (Journalism) in 2022, Monaghan is now a producer for ABC News Breakfast.

He said the hands-on aspect of his studies, including being treated as a journalist by his lecturers, was extremely beneficial in preparing him to enter the workforce.

“Having experience in real-world situations whilst at uni really helped me hit the ground running when I got my job, as I was prepared to hustle when there was breaking news,” Monaghan said.

With ambition to get into broadcast journalism, Monaghan said lecturer Stef Markidis played a big role in setting him on the right path through relevant internships.

“I really don’t think I would have got this job if it wasn’t for Stef and the work she does with all students in finding internships that they are genuinely interested in, in fields they want to work.”

RMIT graduates shine at Quill awards

In addition to Monaghan’s award, there was strong representation of RMIT alumni across all categories and some particularly notable wins.

The Gold Quill Award went to RMIT alumni Bridget Brennan and team for How Many More? which explored the crisis of the nation’s missing and murdered First Nations women.  

The Young Journalist of the Year was awarded to Sarah Booth, an RMIT journalism graduate now working at the Herald Sun.

Shortlisted in the same category was Claudia Forsberg, now at ABC News and ABC Ballarat. 

Also Highly Commended in the News Reporting in Writing category was current RMIT student, James Dowling, for a story written with Chris Vedelago while on internship at The Age.

Associate Professor Alex Wake, Program Manager for RMIT’s Journalism degree, congratulated Monaghan and all RMIT graduates for their stellar achievements.

“We love seeing our RMIT journalism graduates win these awards, and we congratulate all the nominees in all categories. Excellence in journalism was clearly on display,“ Wake said.

“Journalism is acknowledged as the keystone to democracy but, beyond politics, journalists play a vital role in informing communities about the very essence of life, from births to deaths and everything in between.

“We should celebrate all journalists who work every day to bring stories to their communities.”

Story: Rosie Shepherdson-Cullen

05 April 2023

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05 April 2023

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