Got something to say?
Want more information on the name change?
If you want to contribute to the name change process please reach out to the Media Project officer. As a student publication the most important voices in this process will be the students of UNSW.
Deets
Intake/ Will resume around T2 of 2024
Website/ tharunka.com
Join the Facebook Group/ Tharunka Contributors
Progress update
Hey! This is me updating you on how the Project officer is getting on with the re-naming and re-design.
So I am going to try and post updates semi-regularly for those of you who are interested in how the re-naming and re-designing process is going. I apologise now because I haven't written a blog since 4th grade writing class!!!
I came into this process with no preconceptions on what the student publication will look like because I wanted the entire design to be based on research. So far that research process has been looking at all the different forms of student media across the world and Australia. This has included scholarly research on the future of journalism, ethical media practices, the design of digital media and the shifting media landscape (top down and bottom up processes).
From there I designed multiple forms for a series of different stakeholders; the UNSW student cohort, media professionals, previous Tharunka contributors/volunteers/paid editorial team members and media students at UNSW. These have either been distributed or are in the process of distribution.
A key part of this entire process are the consultations with First Nations student collectives on campus. I reached out to them in regards to the name change and the design of the publication. A publication that creates a safe space for First Nations students to contribute and consume the media is an essential component of the re-design in my books.
Published 25/03/24 by Dominique Lakis
Dear interested audience,
This week has been incredibly special for me as I have reached a few milestones! Over 100 Media students have responded to the survey designated for them which is more than double what was anticipated! THANK YOU! The broader student population is slowly submitting their answers but I have been actively pushing them on social media and have put up a number of posters around the UNSW campus on the designated noticeboards. I have even heard from professional journalists and people who have been working in the media industry for a while. The personal anecdotes give me a glimpse into their world plus some tips and tricks for 'must haves' to enter the industry. Previous Tharunka contributors and managing editors are also submitting their responses but I am hoping they continue to do so! !please!
I also got to sit down and have a really important consultation this week with two First Nation leaders on campus. Some people may ask why not just create a new name, slap it on and go with it? I say what should that name be? Should it be a word from the local First Nations Community? If that is the case then you have to appropriately consult the students on campus who are a part of that community and you have to seek consent from the broader community that this word belongs to. I also got to discuss with them exactly how to make the new student publication accessible to First Nations students on campus. Their voices are an integral part of our student community and instead of sitting back and just expecting them to contribute I want to actively bring them into the publication in a safe and supportive way. To reach this goal I have been given two very important foundations; Trust and Respect. These leaders are going to get me in contact with more First Nations students on campus because I believe reaching out to them and hearing what they have to say is the first step in earning their trust.
I have also begun consulting with other student publications around Australia and exploring what they believe is the future of student media. This includes discussing the spike in radio/podcasting programs in student publications as well as their governance structures.
So what does all this mean? Why does it matter? Well your answers pretty much design the entire publication... What you are saying is then transformed into a student publication. You think print should go? It goes. You want more print but done differently? We publish more print in a different style. You want podcasts/radio? We find a way to do it. You think the name should be a First Nations word? We go about it the right way. You want it to only be online? We scrap print. You think TikTok is the best way to get news? We find a way to include it. I will combine all the advise I get from you in these surveys and the consultations. Then design the publication.
Thank you to everyone who is helping me with the re-design and for your patience while I try to make sure this publication is for everyone on this campus!
Published 04/04/25 by Dominique Lakis
