Going behind the scenes at top industry headquarters on London visit

Written by JMU Journalism Liverpool Life
March 19, 2024
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MA Sports Journalism students outside the Sky Sports News headquarters

Setting out bright and early at 8.15 am on a Thursday morning at Lime Street station, right beside the landmark Ken Dodd statue, there was a real sense of excitement – despite the early start.

Students and staff were heading off on the annual JMU Journalism trip to London and, to steal a well-known catchphrase of that famous Liverpudlian comedian: “What a lovely day!”

It was hectic, fun and always enlightening for the Level 6 and Masters students over two full-on days, visiting key media institutions that included ITN, Sky News, Sky Sports News, News UK, Global Radio, The Guardian and The Telegraph. Every location provided an insight into modern industry practice.

The landscape is constantly evolving, but one thing has not changed, and that is the competitive nature and the challenge to get into the journalism business.

Maybe that is why, in such a spirited nature, the biggest of organisations are very good at being so welcoming to those eager to break into the industry, telling them face-to-face: “This is what it is like and this is where you could end up,” and crucially: “You are on the right path.”

As if to hammer home the point, our young hopefuls bumped into two JMU Journalism graduates working in the glamour of the ITN newsroom. The students got a taste of sitting at the News at Ten desk, reading the autocue in a green screen bunker in the depths of the building.

There was a “come and have a go” interactive nature to the trips where possible, whether doing a story-writing exercise at ITN, to playing around on the radio desk at Global Radio. Sometimes it was just a case of taking it all it all in and viewing from on high the vast newsrooms of The Telegraph and The Guardian.

In an ever-changing climate, it is always important to witness the latest journalism trends and practices up close and personal. As hammered out so many times during teaching, it is not just the “what”, but also the “how” stories are treated – considerations faced during our own MerseyNews Live and MerseySport Live newsdays.

Professionals on duty stressed they have been where our students are now, offering inspiration for their futures. Luck and timing will always play a big part, but getting a sense of what study and hard work can lead to was a dominant theme among those who enjoyed their visit to the capital.

 

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