Dart Centre Asia Pacific Announces Longterm Commitment to Indigenous Journalism in Australia

After facilitating one of the largest gatherings of Indigenous journalists last year, Dart Centre Asia Pacific will make permanent a position on its Board of Director’s for a First Nations person, and create an ongoing scholarship for an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island journalist to attend Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism's prestigious Summer Investigative Reporting Course in New York City.

Dart Centre Asia Pacific (DCAP), a project of the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, has made a serious commitment to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island journalism.

Going forward, DCAP will make permanent a position on its Board of Director’s for a First Nations person. The first Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island journalist to hold this position was Danny Teece-Johnson, a Gomeroi NITV journalist. The position is currently held by Rachael Hocking, a Warlpiri presenter and journalist on NITV’s The Point.

Last year, Dart Centre Asia Pacific facilitated one of the largest gatherings of Indigenous journalists: a three-day retreat in the Blue Mountains focussed on Indigenous trauma reporting. Please read Amy McQuire’s reflection following that weekend here.

Since then, the group – which affectionately refer to themselves as ‘Black Dart’— has maintained momentum as an active peer support group and a force in Indigenous journalism. “The people in this network have been proactive in supporting each other since its inception, and we have already identified a number of projects needed to support Indigenous people who work in the media,” said Board member Rachael Hocking. “None of this would be possible without the support of Dart Asia Pacific.”

Finally, DCAP is committed to creating an ongoing scholarship for an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island journalist to attend the prestigious Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism Summer Investigative Reporting Course in New York City.

Applications are now open for the program, which runs from July 8 - 26, 2019. The scholarship will provide economy air fare, accommodation, course fees and a small contribution to living expenses. The first DCAP scholarship holder was Allan Clarke, who used his time at the Investigative Reporting Course to work on his Walkley award winning report on the unsolved death of Gomeroi man Mark Haines.

Application details are available here. The deadline to apply is May 4, 2019.

“Dart Centre Asia Pacific recognises that colonisation has created a legacy of trauma for many First Nations people, and it has become daily fare for Indigenous reporters. The devastating consequences of intergenerational trauma are well documented,” said Dr. Cait McMahon, Managing Director of DCAP. “Supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island journalism by the Dart Centre is entirely constant with our mission.”