University of Wollongong journalism alum Lauren Ferri has told student journalists to “say yes to any opportunity” when navigating the media industry.
Speaking to RadioU’s Harry Evans and Aimee Yavuzer, Lauren recounted her six years’ newsroom experience, with a specialisation in court reporting, which she eventually decided to pivot away from.
Now working as a client manager in public relations, Lauren said her journalism career been defined by finding new outlets for the same passion.
“When I was studying here, I had my heart set on features. I almost failed classes in court reporting, and then I went on to be a court reporter,” she said.
“When the [public relations] opportunity came up, I wanted to expand my skillset and knowledge.
“There’s a lot of crossover. My entire firm is built from former journalists. We thrive in creating stories, and we’re all still honing our journalistic skills every day.”
With an enthusiasm for working with unions and vulnerable people “from an advocacy perspective”, Lauren said she has become invested in this new stage of her media career.
Importantly, Lauren said, the move to an adjacent media career is not final, and options remain available when exploring different career opportunities.
“I don’t think my journalistic career is over, there’s always journalists who switch from PR back into newsrooms, and vice versa, so I’m still very close to journalism,” she said.
“You never know what doors will open up, and that’s so important in this networking-focused industry.”
