NSW young journalist grant: Know Your Neighbour

LINA has partnered with the NSW Government Premier’s Department to deliver a project called Know Your Neighbour. The purpose of the project is to engage young people in creating digital content that increases social cohesion – helping understand our diverse communities.

We’re currently inviting NSW-based newsrooms to apply to host emerging journalists aged 12-24 years to create and publish digital content showcasing the diversity of the communities in which we live, work and learn. 

Newsroom applicants will need:

  • A current working with children check for the state of NSW (or capacity to get one before October);
  • An idea of where you might source 2 x young people in your area to participate in the training program;
  • Capacity to mentor your young participants while they conduct interviews and package their multimedia content; and
  • Willingness to publish multimedia pieces produced by your young participants in December 2025.

In return, host newsrooms will receive $3,000 in mentor and publishing support. Young participants will also receive a stipend for their work on publication, as well as a free training program to learn basic reporting and presentation skills. 

Note, this opportunity is only open to LINA member publishers with newsrooms in NSW. 

APPLY BY FRIDAY 18TH JULY, 2025

For more information, contact Claire Stuchbery (claire.stuchbery@lina.org.au)

Apply

What’s in it for newsrooms?

Participating publishers will receive a total $3,000 (inc GST) to support 2 x people in your area, consisting of:

  • $2,000 mentoring and hosting fees for your time and support to engage young people in content making (on project start)
  • $1,000 toward publication expenses for publishing the content (in December when work is completed)

Plus ideally:

  • An ongoing relationship with an emerging journalist;
  • Some content pieces that sit outside your usual remit showcasing different people in your community; and 
  • Promotion of your news service to at least the family, friends, school and community groups the young participants are connected with. 

What’s in it for the young participants?

Participants will receive:

  • Free training in digital content creation;
  • A $150 stipend for their work, on publication, paid through the host publisher (ie LINA will pay it to you, you pay the participant);
  • Experience in preparing and publishing digital content, perhaps the start of their portfolio!

Transparency and fine-print

This project is supported by the NSW Government’s Premier Department and they want to make sure the work that is published aligns with their social cohesion objectives (ie. they’re not accidentally using government funds to platform hate groups). As such, their Director of Communications will run an eye over the pieces created prior to publication. While we can’t imagine a scenario where work would be censored, we realise that this process won’t sit comfortably with all publishers. For clarity, the worst-case-scenario would be that a piece isn’t published. It wouldn’t change anything else in the process. 

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