Walkley Mentorship Program

The news industry faces many challenges. Audiences are fragmenting. Media consumption habits are constantly evolving. Trust in journalism is under threat, while false and misleading information is on the rise. The economic model for news has changed, too, and many reporters worry about career sustainability.

Amid this tumult, it’s deeply helpful to have an experienced industry colleague as a mentor, and to be able to discuss bigger-picture career goals with a fellow expert in the craft.

About the Walkley Mentorship Program

This program supports journalists by providing an opportunity to develop their skills, build their networks, and learn from those who have walked the path before them.

Australian journalists of all ages and experience levels will be invited to apply to this year’s program in September. Matching with mentors will take place in October 2023. 

The Program is proudly supported by private donors and the Hantomeli Foundation.

Who is eligible to apply for mentoring?

The Program is open to journalists who meet the following requirements:

• Applicants must be Australian citizens, permanent residents of Australia or able to work in Australia on an appropriate work visa.
• Freelance, part-time and full-time journalists are all invited to apply.
• Applications from journalists working in regional and rural areas are encouraged.
• Applications from journalists with culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds are encouraged.
• Past recipients of Walkley Mentorship Program mentoring are not eligible to apply. 

How are mentees matched with mentors?

The Program is funded to support 10 mentees this year. As part of their application, mentees complete a questionnaire listing career goals they want to work on with a mentor over the next 12 months, and describe the skills and expertise they are looking for in a mentor.

The Walkley Foundation matches mentees with mentors with relevant experience, based on selected mentees’ career goals and desired areas of development. Mentors will be drawn from a pool of senior news journalists, including Walkley winners and industry leaders.

Mentors share their experience, insights and expertise to help their mentee refine and work towards specific career goals, and to build contacts in an industry that relies heavily on connections and networking. The Foundation supports mentors with quarterly webinars and communications, and provides detailed guidance to both mentors and mentees to support a productive and successful relationship. 

The Program requires participants to meet a minimum of eight times over the 12 months. Meetings can take place face-to-face, via videoconferencing using platforms like Zoom and Google Meet, or over the phone. 

We are grateful to our donors who have made it possible for us to offer mentors an honorarium of $1600 for the 12-month Program.

Selection Criteria

• Australian journalists of all ages and experience levels are eligible to apply for this Program. 
• The Walkley Foundation will be looking for a diversity of mentees encompassing different ages, geographic locations, genders, and levels of experience. 
• Past recipients of Walkley Mentorship Program mentoring are not eligible to apply. 
• Journalists who are not eligible for this Program, or who are not selected, remain eligible to apply for other mentoring opportunities in the future.

Terms and Conditions

• The Walkley Mentorship Program requires a time commitment from both parties to make it work. 
• Once a mentee has committed to participate, if for any reason they cannot see the Program through to its conclusion, they must notify the Walkley Foundation and their mentor as soon as possible.
• The confidentiality and privacy of the mentor-mentee relationship must be strictly adhered to at all times.
• This relationship covers 12 months from the introduction to the mentor. Once the 12 months have concluded, the mentor and mentee are no longer formally required to continue the arrangement. If both parties agree to continue a mentor-mentee relationship, they understand that it is not subject to any oversight or responsibility on the part of The Walkley Foundation.
• The Walkley Foundation expects that if the mentoring relationship is not working for any reason, one or both persons will notify the Foundation promptly and in good faith to address the issue. The Walkley Foundation reserves the right to allocate a new mentor or mentee if other options are exhausted.