CRA awards Brian White Scholarship to Dona Sirimanne

Former Editor & Content Director

University of Sydney student Dona Sirimanne has won this year’s Brian White Scholarship.

The prize is an initiative of industry body Commercial Radio Australia (CRA), and gives the winner the opportunity to undertake an eight-week paid placement. Sirimanne will spend two-week stints in the Sydney newsrooms of Southern Cross Ausrereo (SCA), NOVA Entertainment, ARN and Nine Radio.

Sirimanne beat out nine other finalists from five universities after a workshop with leading radio news directors. She’s in her final year of a Bachelor of Secondary Education/ English Literature.

CRA CEO Joan Warner congratulated Sirimanne on her win.

“It’s been another challenging year and we are delighted that the Brian White Scholarship finals could continue in a virtual capacity,” she added. “Current global and domestic events make it imperative that Australia’s top talent have every opportunity to build their careers in the live broadcast news industry.”

Sirimanne said she was honoured to have been selected for the scholarship.

“I’ve always loved the production and broadcast aspects of news radio and can’t wait to learn as much as I can during the scholarship.”

The Brian White Scholarship is named after the former broadcaster who covered the wars in Vietnam and the Middle East as well as serving as general manager of Melbourne’s 3AW and mentoring a number of radio journalists.

Last year’s winner Zac De Silva was recently hired into SCA’s Albury newsroom.

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