Bringing power to your story

The world of news is changing and so is the way we tell our stories. The multi-award-winning Digital News Academy equips journalists and editors with up-to-the-minute tools, techniques and insights required to succeed, now and into the future.

A powerful collaboration

News Corp Australia, Google and Melbourne Business School have joined forces to drive the Digital News Academy; the first partnership of its kind in the world to offer a curriculum dedicated to digital storytelling, designed for the working journalist. Combining deep expertise in journalism, technology and education, these forward-thinking organisations give participants unique access to a range of national leaders and global experts.

Brittany Carlson – NCA, Digital Journalist/Reporter

The Digital News Academy has already been such a great asset to my new career. At university, I never had the chance to meet with such leading industry professionals and the assignments given directly relate to my everyday job.

Brittany Carlson – NCA, Digital Journalist/Reporter

Reece Harley – National Indigenous Times, Chief Operations Officer

The Digital News Academy has led to one of our Academy participants travelling to New York to document a group of Indigenous fashion designers as they grow their brand on the world stage. The success of the program has furthered the National Indigenous Times’ digital storytelling aspirations.

Reece Harley – National Indigenous Times, Chief Operations Officer

Sophie Elsworth, Media Writer - The Australian and Sky News Australia

“The Digital News Academy is a brilliant course which has allowed me to advance my digital skills and create important additional assets for stories that are advantageous to our readers. I highly recommend this course to keep up with the rapidly-changing media environment.”

Sophie Elsworth, Media Writer - The Australian and Sky News Australia

Krista Schade, Managing Director - Riverine Grazier

"The DNA has 100 percent accelerated the transition from print to digital. The DNA has made a difference to the business. We are getting digital subscribers, selling web ads and social media sponsored posts.The DNA came along at just the right time for our business. ““Aside from the unique training, The Digital News Academy has built me a network of industry experts, journalists, editors and newsroom contacts from across Australia. For a small rural paper like ours, this is an invaluable resource, not even imaginable without being a DNA alumni.”

Krista Schade, Managing Director - Riverine Grazier

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A powerful panel of experts

Each year, 250 journalists, editors and publishers from News Corp and other participating news organisations – more than 20 joined in 2022 – will attend a nine-month virtual program, split into three modules. They will be mentored by leading digital media experts from Australia and around the world.


Headshot of Campbell Reid

Campbell Reid

News Corp AustraliaSydney, Australia
Headshot of Sonja Heydeman

Sonja Heydeman

Academy Director, Digital News AcademyMelbourne, Australia
Headshot of Rod Savage

Rod Savage

News Corp AustraliaAdelaide, Australia
Headshot of Jason van Genderen

Jason van Genderen

11elevenSydney, Australia
Headshot of Miguel D’Souza

Miguel D’Souza

Sydney, Australia
Headshot of Stephanie Hunt

Stephanie Hunt

StoryfulSydney, Australia
Headshot of Julia Munslow

Julia Munslow

The Wall Street JournalNew York, USA
Headshot of Dougal Shaw

Dougal Shaw

Business LeaderLondon, UK
Headshot of Dan Petrie

Dan Petrie

Brisbane, Australia
Headshot of MaryJo Webster

MaryJo Webster

Star TribuneMinneapolis, USA
Headshot of Yusuf Omar

Yusuf Omar

SeenGold Coast, Australia
Headshot of Eoghan Sweeney

Eoghan Sweeney

Digital media consultantBerlin, Germany
Headshot of Mike Castellucci

Mike Castellucci

Michigan State University/WKAR (PBS)Dallas and Michigan, USA
Headshot of Tom Calver

Tom Calver

The Times and The Sunday Times London, UK
Headshot of Helena Bengtsson

Helena Bengtsson

Gota MediaStockholm, Sweden
Headshot of  Rhona Tarrant

Rhona Tarrant

Executive Editor, CBS News ConfirmedNew York, US
Headshot of Uma Patel

Uma Patel

Google News LabSydney, Australia
Headshot of Peter Judd

Peter Judd

News Corp AustraliaMelbourne, Australia
Headshot of Lena K Samuelsson

Lena K Samuelsson

Stockholm, Sweden
Headshot of Laura Jayes

Laura Jayes

Sky News AustraliaSydney, Australia
Headshot of Jessica Espinasse

Jessica Espinasse

News Corp AustraliaSydney, Australia
Headshot of David McCandless

David McCandless

Information is BeautifulLondon, UK
Headshot of Jonty Burton

Jonty Burton

News Corp AustraliaMelbourne, Australia
Headshot of Simon Kuestenmacher

Simon Kuestenmacher

The Demographics GroupMelbourne, Australia
Headshot of Tom Connell

Tom Connell

Sky News AustraliaCanberra, Australia
Headshot of Kate McDonald

Kate McDonald

RTESydney, Australia
Headshot of Tom Winch

Tom Winch

News Corp AustraliaMelbourne, Australia
Headshot of Soraiya Fuda

Soraiya Fuda

News Corp AustraliaSydney, Australia
Headshot of Eleni Paneras

Eleni Paneras

News Corp AustraliaSydney, Australia
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A powerful curriculum

The Academy shows learners how cutting-edge technologies can be used to enhance their practice.

Ranging from multimedia, vertical storytelling, data journalism, and verification to in-depth investigative reporting, participants hear from some of the best practitioners in Australia and the world, drawn from the news industry and Google's global talent pool.

Learners graduate with knowledge of how the business of journalism works, including audience engagement and ways to attract new audiences.

The Digital News Academy's commitment is to provide the toolkit, skillset and mindset that help journalism practitioners at all levels of the profession discover what’s new and what’s possible, through an innovative learning approach and a supportive environment.

The program includes vibrant self-paced interactive content, delivered by a cutting-edge mobile phone app designed for busy journalists on the go, and the chance to learn in live virtual environments with and from peers from newsrooms across the country world.

There are also two high-profile in-person events each year – the US Study Tour for up to 25 24 learners, and an all-in live learning event hosted in an Australian capital city where learners get to meet up, share ideas and experience the best of the Academy in person.

The Digital News Academy is an exciting, world-leading approach to developing today’s journalists and fostering future industry leaders.

Global Recognition

The Digital News Academy has won numerous prestigious international awards for excellence in content, e-learning, partnership and ecosystem development.

The DNA was also a finalist in the 2022 University of Melbourne Faculty of Business and Economics & Melbourne Business School Deans’ Diversity and Inclusion Excellence Awards.

Driven by powerful insights

%

of respondents report Digital News Academy curriculum translates directly to practice *based on Impact surveys.

%

of respondents typically agree/somewhat agree the Digital News Academy experience was useful *based on Learner Experience surveys.

%

identify Digital News Academy journalism practices as useful to their work *

* Based on a total of 108 learners who responded to an MBS impact survey.

David McCowen, Director of Content Motoring  - News Corp Australia

The Digital News Academy represents the best training I’ve had in almost 20 years as a journalist. The program has given me the tools and confidence to improve reader engagement (eg video and interactive graphics resulting in more time spent on site), boost social media performance (2m+ video views on TikTok) and develop techniques for more effective journalism (using spreadsheets tools to drive data stories).

David McCowen, Director of Content Motoring - News Corp Australia