AFTER years of dreaming about the media industry, Brandi Miller jumped at the chance to complete her high school work experience unit at The Border Watch.
Currently attending Mount Gambier High School in Year 10 and excelling in her English studies, Brandi knew journalism was something she loved, but was unsure how to pursue the career.
When she first walked into The Border Watch office Brandi felt nervous for the week to come, but once she toured the business she felt at ease meeting the staff that produce the paper each day.
“Everyone was really helpful explaining each of their roles to me and giving me insight into the daily operations,” Brandi said.
“There are a lot more departments than I originally thought and a lot of hard work goes into each edition.”
Brandi said she enjoyed further developing her skills in the media industry by accompanying journalists on a variety of tasks and interviews around the region.
“I loved going to court where I gained insight into exciting cases and discovered the process that is required for each trial,” Brandi said.
“I also spent time in Penola helping compile news stories for the Penola Pennant – it was interesting to meet the friendly faces that appear in the pages.
“While I was there I also took some time to progress my photography skills, which is something I plan to work more on at home.”
In addition to helping journalists, Brandi also sought comments on news items when she spoke to members of the public for two installments of the “street sweeper”.
“It was a little bit nerve-racking at the start, but once I interviewed the first person I became pretty comfortable,” she said.
“I believe it is important to gain opinions from the community on hot topics directly impacting the region.
“It was really cool to get that opportunity as I learnt how an article goes from the start to completion.”
Brandi now hopes to pursue a journalism career once she finishes high school and was surprised to learn The Border Watch offers staff an opportunity to gain a qualification as part of their employment.
