Journalism students go behind the scenes of Royal Melbourne Show

Every year, the Royal Melbourne Show sees more than 450,000 visitors enter through the gates and spend the day entertaining themselves on rides, watching shows and indulging in their weekly consumption of sugar. 

This year, Swinburne’s Journalism students have been tasked with reporting on the people behind the show. 

“It could be the vendor selling fairy floss, the farmer that’s been attending the show for the last twenty years  showing off his prize-winning cattle or the person responsible for setting up the scariest ride at the show,” Sue Green, Deputy Director of the Swinburne journalism program, says. 

As part of the Journalism Features unit, each student receives a media pass, giving them exclusive access to report on the show. 

‌
Adam Battaglia, who trains horses for films, with his assistant Kim Carlaw. Credit: Georgia Manning 

The students are required to interview somebody involved with the show and write up a feature-length story within four days. 

Ms Green says the tight deadline for finished stories reflects the expectations of the journalism industry. 

“Working on a project like this will help the students develop the skills that are required by the journalism industry. Journalists are often expected to produce long-form stories within a short space of time.” 

Student stories are being published on the Royal Melbourne Show website and shared through their social media channels including Facebook. 

Running from 17-27 September, the Royal Melbourne Show is an annual event held at the Melbourne Showgrounds.

Media enquiries