Topic and Angle
Let’s remember the first time you arrived in Sydney and opened TikTok. Did the system push one or more rental crises about Sydney? That is a house for rent with many people waiting to see it and high rents. Renting has affected the attractiveness of Sydney to people. For international students, renting can also be a challenge. According to The Australian, the number of international students has soared to pre-pandemic levels.
TikTok complaints about Sydney rental scene （Source：TikTok）
Australia appears to be ‘unprepared’ for the short-term increase in international student numbers. Difficulties in renting accommodation will also affect the attractiveness of Australian universities to international students, which will be detrimental to Australian university rankings. According to the QS World University Rankings methodology, the proportion of international students is an essential indicator of university rankings. We must understand this challenge in the face of global student life and university development.
Publications and target audiences
We want to attract the attention of stakeholders (international students, university institutions, governments, etc.) and engage a broad audience in the debate. It will also factor in the issue of renting accommodation for potential international students, which will help them plan for their future studies.
The story will be published as a feature in the Sydney Morning Herald, the most widely read brand in Australia, with independent and creative news content that strongly influences decision-makers.
Source of information
Source 1: International Student (from China)
As the subject of this story, we need to interview one or more international students who have experienced difficulties renting an apartment. The story needs to find out how difficult it is for international students to rent an apartment in Sydney. We needed to understand the needs of international students (such as the need for a quiet living environment or a house close to the university). The respondents were from China, and according to the Australian Government website, Chinese students make up the most significant number of international students. Hence, the selection of international students from Chinese backgrounds was representative.
International students from China top the list of international students, the Australian government website shows （Source： Australian Government Department of Education).
Source 2: Housing Agents
Due to the nature of their work, housing agents are likely to understand better the realities of the current Sydney housing rental market, and they will provide the report with the latest news in the industry.
Source 3: Australian Universities – University of Sydney
According to the study in Australia website, the University of Sydney has the second highest number of international students in Australia. As an educational institution with many international students, we will be interviewing the University of Sydney Student Centre or Student Accommodation Services section for their views on the issue.
International students from China top the list of international students, Australian government website shows(Soure: Study in Australia).
Supplementary information
Social media group chat for Chinese international students
Domain rental website
Related topics from other news websites（SBS，ABC，The Conversation）
Multimedia, hypertext and interactivity
- Distance is an important factor affecting the rent price. To give readers a clearer understanding of rents in some areas of Sydney, the report will produce a map that uses location changes to show rental prices.
- The report will use social media content (such as short TikTok videos) to attract readers’ interest in reading.
- Pictures related to the content of the article will help readers understand the content.
Some Tik Tok videos for reference
Some real international student living environments
Students’ benefits are the social issue that we should be concerned with, so I think you have chosen a very worthwhile topic. According to my current knowledge, many international students are facing this issue. The most irritating thing about this is the hype and even bidding by property agents. With the upcoming back-to-school season in Sydney, students will have to face new challenges in renting accommodation. I think you could also interview some international student organizations to see how they are helping international students with this issue. Hope your feature will provide helpful information to students and attract the attention of student stakeholder organizations.