Edith Cowan University broadcasting student Tom Durkin (pictured) has won the national Brian White Scholarship awarded by Commercial Radio Australia.
As winner of this scholarship, Durkin will now commence an eight-week paid internship in Sydney, consisting of two weeks each at the leading radio broadcasters Macquarie Media, Southern Cross Austereo, Australian Radio Network and Nova Entertainment.
Currently in his final year of study at Edith Cowan University, Durkin said he is very proud to have been granted this opportunity and believes it will give his journalism career a kick start.
“I have always dreamed of having a career in news radio. I am thrilled and very grateful that I will be starting my career with the Brian White Scholarship,” Durkin said.
Durkin was among nine other student finalists who attended a news workshop in Sydney on May 24 at the Southern Cross Austereo rooftop.
At the workshop, commercial radio news directors Deborah Clay (ARN), Michelle Stephenson (Nova), Erin Maher (Macquarie Media) and Natasha Jobson (SCA) shared insights about the journalism industry and set several tasks for judging.
All of the radio news directors were impressed by the skills of the finalists, however Durkin was named winner due to his exceptional knowledge of the radio news industry and his ability to write a professional news script in a short period of time.
Joan Warner, chief executive officer of Commercial Radio Australia, congratulated Durkin on his achievement and said all of the finalists should be proud of their efforts.
“We want to congratulate Tom and all the finalists on their amazing efforts. To make it this far in the selection process is an exceptional achievement for all the aspiring journalists,” Warner said.
“This will be a unique opportunity for Tom to experience what it’s like to work in a dynamic radio newsroom and assist with producing live breaking news for millions of listeners.”
The scholarship is named after radio broadcaster Brian White, commercial radio’s first cadet journalist, who went on to cover historical wars, served as general manager of 3AW in Melbourne and chaired the Fitzroy Football Club.
Durkin will commence his internship on June 17. Applications for the 2020 Brian White Scholarship will open in March 2020.