Department of Communication Arts (Journalism)
ACADEMIC AWARDS
Paul Gardiner Award
The Paul Gardiner Media Research Award is established in Paul Gardiner's memory. The late Paul Gardiner (1945-2004) was an Australian journalist, with a distinguished career in the different media forms, who had a special interest in PNG and Madang. Paul Gardiner was studying history at the University of Sydney when he was offered a job as a researcher on ABC-TV's current affairs program This Day Tonight. After moving on to the Four Corners program, he switched to print journalism, reporting for The Australian Financial Review from Canberra and later London, and specializing in investigative features. Back in Sydney, in 1973 he launched an Australian edition of Rolling Stone, the American rock music magazine, which he ran for 13 years. During that time he helped start the careers of many young journalists. He went on to edit a travel magazine (which gave him his first opportunity to visit Papua New Guinea and Madang), and then moved into electronic publishing, becoming an IT consultant to several Sydney magazine houses. He had a special interest in PNG and in 2002, on a visit to Madang, he toured Divine Word University and was impressed by the calibre of its programs and its students. He would have been proud to present the Paul Gardiner Media Freedom Award, and his family, sincerely hope that this tribute to Paul's memory will benefit the youth, the media and the future of Papua New Guinea. Divine Word University, recognizing the importance of media's role in the nation's democratic development, is committed to the training of journalists and communications specialists
Media practitioners need to be familiarized with the results of research by scholars. Journalists and program makers need to be exposed early to insightful and up-to-date research into and critical analysis of Papua New Guinean society and the role of media in it. The Communication Arts Department, as part of its effort to address the information needs of Papua New Guinea, is encouraging its final year degree students to undertake original scholarly work in the field of media. This is hoped to not only contribute to a better understanding of communication processes in PNG but give the opportunity to those students to have an in depth knowledge in an area of their interest
The Paul Gardiner Media Research Award will be given annually at the graduation ceremony of Divine Word University. The best and most original research project that contributes to better media practices in Papua New Guinea is selected upon submission to the Faculty of Arts Award Committee. This award, along with the EM-TV and Fr Frank Mihalic Awards given to best performing students, strengthens further the spirit of excellence that the university is committed to
2006 Recipient of the Paul Gardiner Award was Celestine Ove for her research titled "Negative Press Coverage in PNG"
2006 EM-TV Award was Evah Kuamin
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Martha Ginau was the recipient of the 2005 Paul Gardiner Research Award for excellence in Media Research. Martha’s dissertation, titled: “Australian Press Coverage of PNG” was put together through an intensive content analysis of Australian newspapers. The National newspaper’s column wrote: “Her research found that the (Australian) journalists wrote about PNG using colonial time impressions and exaggerated stereotypical portrayals of Papua New Guineans.” (March 3-5,2006) Martha presented her paper at the Journalism Education Association Conference on the Gold Coast, Australia in December 2005. |
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Joys Eggins received the EM-TV Award for 2005 for Academic Excellence. |
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Aaron English received both the Paul Gardiner and EM-TV Awards for excellence in Media Research and Academic performance. His dissertation titled: “PNG Press and National Development” was the result of an in-depth content analysis of the two national daily newspapers. Aarons achievements gave him the opportunity to join a team of three other representatives from PNG to participate in the Journalism Education Association (JEA) in Suva, Fiji in 2005 |
Fr. Frank Mihalic Award
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My dreams and aspirations drive me to work as hard as I can, because you've got to sweat to achieve what you want. The thought of my parents spending a lot of money on my education has also motivated me to do the best I can. I describe my work experience as being very challenging. Every workplace has its own atmosphere, but having working the Post Courier in Lae, I can say I've learnt a lot. Working in a mainstream media, like a newspaper you have to be curious, vigilant, determined and hungry for news. At the end of the day, you've got to have a story or two for publishing the next day. |
Judith Mameri (above) received the award for 2006
Iona Reto received the award for 2005
Renagi Taukarai for 2004
Andrew Alphonse for 2003
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Emma Boden was the first recipient of the award Papua New Guinea journalistic legends Frank Mihalic and Sean Dorney are mentors of Divine Word University’s top student journalist Emma Boden. Boden, 28, was the first recipient of the Frank Mihalic Award for best student journalist at the university’s graduation ceremony on February 20. The mother of three young children, she has juggled domestic responsibilities and career opportunities to finally complete a diploma in journalism in the university’s Communication Arts Department. Fr Frank, who retired to the USA last year after more than 50 years as a missionary in PNG, helped found Word Publishing, the Catholic Church’s print media arm which publishes Wantok and its sister newspaper, The Independent and PNG Business. Ms Boden recalls Fr Frank tutoring her in basic news writing when she began her diploma at Divine Word a number of years ago. He was meticulous and exacting, she says. |
Emma Boden (above) was the first recipient of the award
Papua New Guinea journalistic legends Frank Mihalic and Sean Dorney are mentors of Divine Word University’s top student journalist Emma Boden.
Boden, 28, was the first recipient of the Frank Mihalic Award for best student journalist at the university’s graduation ceremony on February 20.
The mother of three young children, she has juggled domestic responsibilities and career opportunities to finally complete a diploma in journalism in the university’s Communication Arts Department.
Fr Frank, who retired to the USA last year after more than 50 years as a missionary in PNG, helped found Word Publishing, the Catholic Church’s print media arm which publishes Wantok and its sister newspaper, The Independent and PNG Business.
Ms Boden recalls Fr Frank tutoring her in basic news writing when she began her diploma at Divine Word a number of years ago. He was meticulous and exacting, she says.
Broadcaster Dorney was influential when she worked in the ABC office in Port Moresby. "I learnt so much from him,’’ she says.
Ms Boden has also worked for The National in both Port Moresby and Madang. Her father, Ian Boden, was the newspaper’s executive editor.
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