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
