About

Professional Summary

Jack Ward is a Melbourne-based producer, reporter and Assistant Chief of Staff at Nine News Melbourne. With a Bachelor of Communication (Journalism) from RMIT and years of hands-on experience, Jack has carved out a unique career path that blends creativity, leadership, and a passion for storytelling.

Jack’s journalism career began in regional Victoria, where he founded his school's news-station AC News at 14, transforming it into a trusted news source for the Ararat community. By 16, he was working as a paid reporter, covering major local stories and interviewing figures like Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews.

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit and Ararat’s local newspaper temporarily stopped printing, Jack stepped up to fill the gap. He launched Ararat’s Latest, a live podcast that became the town’s main source of news and earned him the 2020 Student Journalist of the Year award from Youth Journalism International.

Jack is also the co-creator and host of ENCORE, a podcast that dives into Melbourne’s theatre scene with exclusive interviews and behind-the-scenes stories from performers and creatives.

In addition to his own projects, Jack has worked with RUOK, Project Rockit, and Youth Journalism International, and gained valuable experience with Tennis Australia, ABC Ballarat, and Nine News Melbourne.

Now based in Melbourne, Jack splits his time between delivering breaking news for Nine and exploring creative projects.

You can contact Jack HERE.

Skills

Communication Journalism Campaign Management Video Production
Social Media Writing Podcasting Creativity TV Presenting

Work Experience

February 2022 - Present

Nine News Melbourne

Jack is Assistant Chief of Staff at Nine News Melbourne. He assists in assigning network resources to cover the demands of daily news, monitoring breaking news and trends, and builds strong relationships with emergency services, PR firms and story sources to uncover the next breaking story.

April 2020 - January 2022

The Ararat Advocate

Jack worked for Ararat's local newspaper, The Ararat Advocate. He is one of two reporters covering news under the supervision of editor and publisher, Craig Wilson who owns West Vic News Pty Ltd.

January 2020 - December 2021

Ararat's Latest

Jack hosted a fortnightly live news podcast covering the events and issues unfolding within the Ararat community. The show received international attention - being Ararat's only news source for a period of time at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. He produced, hosted and edited the live production across 25 episodes.

September 2019

Nine News Work Experience

Jack spent a week with the 9News Melbourne team, learning how to navigate a fast-paced news environment. He travelled with news crews to cover politics, protests, conferences and community stories whilst also gaining experience in the newsroom and studios.

August 2019 - Present

ABC Ballarat Segment

Jack joins ABC Ballarat's Steve Martin weekly on a Tuesday to discuss and present the latest Ararat news to his listeners. ABC Ballarat also welcomed him for a work experience stint in September 2019 - a great comparison to metropolitan journalism.

December 2018

Tennis Australia

Jack's first work experience placement was with Tennis Australia in December 2018. He worked with their PR and media team during the Junior Australia Championships and December Showdown. They allowed him to work independently, covering and publishing Junior Championship content on their site.