Alumni News: Franki Hobson Year 12 Media Session

It was a privilege to have Franki Hobson, Cranbourne Secondary College alum, speak to our Year 12 Media class last week (via video from Sydney). Franki is the Head of Commercial Content at ARE Media.

Franki has worked in the media industry for over 20 years, and she spoke about her pathway from high school to TAFE and on to university. She shared with students how networking and volunteering were an important prerequisite to gaining a job in the media industry, not just having a degree. Franki talked about her role at Are Media and how the magazine industry has changed and needed to diversify into web and social media content, primarily due to an ageing magazine market. We discussed issues, including the difference between commercial and editorial content, political and cultural influences, ethical considerations, and the different jobs in the media. Students asked questions about Franki’s job and about working in media in general.

Student feedback was positive:

“I learnt about how important the audience/consumer is in relation to the success of media products. I really enjoyed being able to hear from someone who is in the media industry in the current day”

“I learnt a lot about the processes and requirements needed to make it in the media industry”

We thank Franki for taking the time out of her work schedule to share with us and help inspire our students.