When Bianca Tropiano started studying a Bachelor of Communication at Western Sydney University, she hadn’t picked a major. She undertook the ‘Introduction to Journalism’ subject. Whilst she didn’t really like it, she’s now set to graduate with a major in journalism, a portfolio of over 50 published articles and has landed her first internship.
Tropiano is part of a shrinking cohort of students studying a social sciences degree in Australia, but part of a multifaceted industry in communication. A higher education survey by the Australian Government Department of Education found enrollments in society and culture, and performing arts degrees have dropped significantly, despite media and communications field seeing a 51% enrolment increase.
Heavy casualisation of the media industries, shifting work structures and the rise of digital platforms has created a highly competitive industry demanding multi-skilled workers, as reported by Richard Shaw in The Conversation in 2023. Legacy media has shrunk, and universities have adapted to ensure graduates can meet the demands of the modern newsroom and have the skills to find employment in a fragile industry.
Tropiano was drawn to journalism as she realised her passion for writing and sharing stories but feared for her future after university due to not having any published works by her second year. As she puts it:
‘What am I going to get employed upon the basis of if I don’t have experience?’
Tropiano reached out to her tutors for support, and they encouraged her to look back on her old assessments (which Tropiano described as ‘trash’) and guided her in assembling a portfolio. A few months later Tropiano landed an internship at CityHub, an independent local news and arts media outlet covering stories in Sydney’s inner city.
‘I felt lost trying to be where I am now but without the university’s support in gaining that internship, I don’t think I could have done it,’ says Tropiano.
With a developed portfolio, hands-on experience in a newsroom, and a passion for journalism, Tropiano is poised for success upon conferral from the three-year program.
See Tropiano’s work here.
