As many of us snuggle up onto the sofa as we settle into the mid-year doldrums, it’s great to see so many members of the upstart publishing fraternity getting their byline up not only on this site, but in other outlets as well.
Today current upstart co-editor Meghan Lodwick ‘s piece ‘Confessions of a former bitchy barista’ is getting a run in the National Times. Meghan, a Master of Global Communciations student at La Trobe who also blogs at For the Love of Beans! recently went cold turkey on her caffeine habit (and other things) and the story of her quest has been heard as far afield as Adelaide radio.
Another member of the current upstart editorial team, Jean Kemshal-Bell, recently published an article on British designer Ziad Ghanem for Oyster Magazine. Meanwhile former editor Matt de Neef has had two recent pieces run in The Punch, the latest of of which revieved the new Nine show RBT. Also appearing on The Punch has been Matt Smith, La Trobe’s digital media officer and journalism tutor (and occasional upcast guest), who opened his account by exploring what happens when we type our new Prime Minister’s name into the world’s most popular search engine. Matt was followed on The Punch by upstart co-founder Chris Scanlon, with a consumer affairs piece about Optus that shows that it’s sometimes worth being persistent when you’ve received poor service.
While all the aforementioned guns are at least getting some sleep at night, one man who’s barely closed his eyes this winter is upstart’s new sport editor Evan Harding. Not only has he conjured up most of our 24 diary pieces on the World Cup; he’s also co-producer of The Contenders Daily Bite, a daily World Cup short which can be seen on Tribal Football.
And for those who’ve been inquiring about the fate of our most famous job seeker, well thanks for asking. Tom Cowie, who may never have to work harder than he did as he blitzed the media with his 38-day #tomwantsajob campaign, is now reported to be comfortably installed as a reporter at Crikey. And wouldn’t you know it? He’s got a yarn in there today.
As for me, I’m outta here. Well, just for a couple of weeks. I’m heading off to join 1,000 other delegates and speakers at a conference in Portugal that will be held by the International Association for Media and Communication Research. The four-day event, which will be held in the northern city of Braga, will focus on the theme of communication and citizenship, and my mission will be to talk up upstart to a global audience.
Lawrie Zion is journalism coordinator at La Trobe University and editor-in-chief of upstart.
