Editorial and audience teams at Nine Publishing’s Sydney Morning Herald and The Age are working closely with partner universities to tailor a range of bespoke in-person events to enhance the offering to student subscribers.
In an INMA ‘satisfying audiences’ blog, national managing editor Monique Farmer and community manager Matthew Burgess tells how connecting the major metropolitan mastheads directly with university students is encouraging the next generation of news readers.
Since launching in February 2025, the mastheads have struck five partnerships with universities in New South Wales and Victoria, with more partnerships in the pipeline.
“Thousands of students read Nine Publishing’s journalism, and enhancements with the programme have expanded awareness of the brand through events and other interactive experiences,” they say. The initiative gives students and staff access to a complimentary premium news subscription under an institution-wide license, while an exclusive programme of events (on campus and in the newsroom) connects with these new subscribers.
Internal data shows users visit multiple times per day and spend a long time when they visit. World, business, federal politics, and health are key categories, while daily national blogs and live coverage of major events are regular drawcards.
“They’re building important retention habits, too: On average, one in ten active Campus Access users plays a puzzle or quiz daily.
“On a more personal level, they also receive a regular editors’ note about the work underway in our newsrooms, the stories behind the headlines, and rare insights into our major investigations.
“Building on this connection between students and the newsroom is now a crucial aspect of the Campus Access initiative. The editorial and audience teams at the Herald and The Age work closely with partner universities on a range of bespoke in-person events, tailored specifically for each university and faculty. Journalists and editors enthusiastically (and generously) appear on campus to deliver talks and masterclasses, sit on panels, and share their experiences with eager students and staff,” they say.
Exclusive on-campus events have included
–a panel on the Herald’s journalism hosted by then-editor Bevan Shields and featuring several senior reporters for the University of Sydney’s Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences;
–an information session on career pathways into media at the University of Sydney, hosted by the Herald’s education editor and Nine Publishing’s talent team; and
–a special Q&A and meet-and-greet session for around 50 early-career researchers at UNSW to demystify the media and the work of our expert topic reporters and editors.
Some events have moved from the campus into the newsroom – The Age and the Herald recently invited groups of students from Swinburne and the University of Sydney for a rare and immersive look behind the scenes. Students spent a day meeting with editors, reporters, podcast producers, and news directors, asking frank questions of our most experienced journalists and attending news conferences as the day’s biggest stories were debated and discussed.
University of Sydney students said the day was a “dream experience” and described the Herald as welcoming and highly collaborative.
“My expectations for the newsroom were certainly exceeded. It was a space infused with intellect: fast-paced and vibrant,” one student said. “The newsroom visit demonstrated that career opportunities in the media sector are wide-ranging and dynamic, however, it only made me want to pursue print journalism more!”
For Swinburne students, it was an “amazing insight into what a real newsroom actually looks and functions like.”
“It was great to talk to the staff and understand all their different pathways into journalism,” said one student, who has since joined The Age as a visual journalist trainee. “I remember when I left, I felt super motivated and optimistic for the future after having the realisation that there isn’t just one linear path into my desired career.”
While the hope is that many Campus Access users go on to become loyal and long-term subscribers, the vital first step is encouraging them to read news and become more curious about the world around them.