The Commonwealth Games 2018 and Event WIL: Inclusive Action for Journalism Education

Journalism in higher education must find new ways of producing work-ready graduates who are prepared for the rapidly changing news media environment. Traditional internships are under increasing scrutiny over their quality and equitability. The past few years have seen a number of innovative models of work-integrated learning (WIL) emerging in journalism education. This article considers Event WIL as a model of university-led WIL in journalism education that brings academia and industry together in partnership to build the capacity of all student journalists to work in a dynamic media landscape. This article makes an argument for Event WIL as a model of WIL in journalism education by drawing on a case study of the Griffith University Commonwealth Games Media Centre at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games in 2018. This case study provides insights into the key tenets of Event WIL: long-term preparation, harnessing pre-event WIL experiences, providing in-depth induction, establishing a hybrid space for a partnership between industry and academia and creating authentic opportunities for student publication are detailed. Notably, the WIL case study not only resulted in quality outcomes for students, but it also resulted in benefits for academics and industry representatives.