About
Welcome to The Citizen, a publication of the Centre for Advancing Journalism at the University of Melbourne.
The Citizen has several aims. Foremost, it is a teaching tool that showcases the work of the students in the Master of Journalism and Master of International Journalism programs, giving them real-world experience in working for an industry standard, independent masthead.
The Citizen is also a flagship of the Centre, making its research and public events more widely accessible to the public and the news media. It's also a tool for innovation and experimentation, serving as a test-bed for research-in-action, trialling innovative journalistic methodology.
Finally, The Citizen aims to be a compelling, stimulating and thought-provoking masthead in its own right, with an emphasis on quality journalism that, in part, seeks to ‘back fill’ on issues and events neglected by mainstream media battling cut-backs and cost constraints.
Editorially, The Citizen operates independent of the University, underscored by its Charter of Editorial Integrity, which is endorsed by the University Council. A not-for-profit enterprise, it draws financial support from a mix of university and grant monies, and public donations. The latter include a contribution from businessman and philanthropist Paul Bendat.