Cricket, surfing, and footy may seem the obvious topic choices for a journalism project showcasing sport in Australian communities.
But Macleay College students participating in the 2016 Global News Relay have taken a wider approach to this year’s theme of sports in our communities, including issue-based reports on subjects such as violence in sport, the treatment of Australia’s sportswomen, and the emerging world of e-sports.
The Macleay TV Global News Relay senior producer Maddison Kerry said the finished product would air as part of the collaborative broadcast on March 18, with contributions from more than 14 universities and colleges from around the world.
“It is the second year that Macleay has taken part in the relay (last year’s theme was poverty) but it is a brand new student team so we are totally starting from scratch,” Maddison told The Newsroom.
“We were really excited about the theme of sports in the community because Australians are sport-obsessed, and there were so many options open to us. But we wanted this newscast to be a true reflection of our sporting community so we have looked at all the positive, as well as the negative, aspects of sport.
“Some of the concepts we explore are the unique aspects of beach culture, the growth of soccer as a spectator and participation sport and the issue of inequality for our female athletes.”
The Macleay team interviewed seven-time world champion surfer Layne Beachley, who believes the tide is turning for women when it comes to recognition, exposure, and pay rates. It also hosted a panel of sports experts to discuss the controversial issue of violence in sport. Josh Massoud (Channel 7), Amanda Shalala (Fox Sports) and Matt Connellan (SBS The World Game) joined Macleay TV presenter Amber Greasley in the studio to discuss topics like football rule changes to prevent head injuries and bloodthirsty spectators tuning in for a physical battle.
Hosted by California State University-Fresno, the relay’s contributing countries include India, Bulgaria, Lebanon, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, England, and the United States of America.
In its third year, the Global News Relay will air on YouTube at 5pm on Friday, March 18. – The Newsroom Team
Photo of Macleay’s Global News Relay team by James Mott, video produced by Sam Pasfield.
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