Tag Archives: a future in journalism

Exciting News: Introducing our Special Guests

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Only one month to go until it’s time to honour the up-and-coming bright stars with the Future Journalist Awards Ceremony. This year, we received an incredible number of outstanding entries, and we greatly value your involvement.

We have secured three incredible industry professionals to come along to this years event to inspire and motivate our talented young people across the county. Without our special guests, the event wouldn’t be the same and we are very excited to be able to announce them.

The three special guests that will be attending the awards this year are ‘TNT Sports’ Matt Smith; and BBC presenter Lucas Yeomans.

Matt Smith
Lucas Yeomans

These industry experts will be a wonderful addition to the event, and we are thrilled to have them join us. Stay tuned for our special guest’s upcoming individual blog posts to discover more about their professional journey and background.

We can’t wait to see you there!

Introducing our final judge: Sonya Farrall

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Sonya Farrall who owns PR Agency Baba Baboon and who has previously guest lectured the Journalism and Digital Media students here at Staffordshire University is our final judge to be judging the entries for the 2024 Future Journalist Awards. 

We are delighted to have Sonya return as one of our esteemed judges as we get ready for another exciting year of the Future Journalist Awards.

Sonya’s journey into the world of media began here at Staffs, where she laid the foundation for a remarkable career ahead. Sonya made a name for herself in the media over the years, learning a great deal and developing her skills along the way.

Reflecting on her journey, Sonya commented 

“Having worked in the media myself and also being a Staffordshire University alumni, it is great to support the Future Journalist Awards once again. I think the awards are brilliant and a great way to encourage future journalists. The media is forever evolving and it is great to see what younger people can create via their entries – which from previous experience, have always been outstanding. I am really looking forward to being a judge once again and supporting such great initiative.”

We are incredibly grateful to Sonya for her unwavering commitment to the Future Journalist Awards and her ongoing assistance. Together, let us embrace the opportunity to celebrate and empower the next generation of storytellers.

The FJA is still accepting applications, and they will conclude this Friday, March 1st.  

Introducing our second judge: Ian Whittell

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Ian Whittell has been confirmed as a judge for the 2024 future journalist awards. Ian has lots of experience in the sports journalism industry covering Manchester City, Manchester United, Sunderland and Newcastle United football clubs.

Alongside being a freelance journalist and owner of Whittell & Winrow, Ian also lectures on the BA and MA sports journalism course at Staffordshire University. 

Commenting on being part of the judging panel for this year’s awards Ian said:

“The future journalist awards is something I’m really pleased and proud to because I believe in helping to develop future journalists, the quality of the work is so high I enjoy seeing the work that the pupils produce there is a tremendous amount of talent, I really look forward to seeing what they produce.”

“My advice to anyone entering the competition would be choose something your most interested in, make sure that your work is fair, accurate and balanced, communicate with people to get the newest news out of a story to ensure the accuracy of your work. If you’re writing a story, be creative use your imagination paint the picture to the reader.”

“Look at examples of work in industry to get an idea of what you want your work to look like whether that be a newspaper, radio, or TV coverage.”  

The closing date for entries in this year’s competition is Friday, March 1, 2024. If you have any questions about how to enter the FJA’s please email futurejournalist@staffs.ac.uk. 

Keep a look out for further judges’ announcements coming soon via the Future Journalist Awards blog https://blogs.staffs.ac.uk/futurejournalist/enter/blog/ and our social media channels on X,  TikTok and LinkedIn.

Introducing our first judge: Nigel Howle

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Nigel Howle, who owns Howle Communications and has lectured in Sports Journalism and Sport Public Relations at Staffordshire University, commented on being part of the Future Journalist awards 2024 judging panel. 

Judging this year’s written entries, Nigel said: “I’m delighted to be asked. The awards are a positive initiative, offering a practical, hands-on introduction to the world of news and media for young people. 

“That’s vital in a world where there’s lots of noise from social media. As someone who has always worked in and around the media, I’m passionate about developing trained, professional storytellers. 

“My advice is to be yourself and tell a story your passionate about. Read journalism online and in newspapers, listen to the radio, and watch TV. 

“The best journalists will always explain things simply, making any topic easy to understand. Put yourself in the position of the reader or listener, what do they need to know from you?”

With over twenty years of experience in the journalism industry, Howle Communications was set up in mid-2007 to assist companies with their public relations and communication strategies. 

Nigel provides media training to companies both in the public and private sector, offering a variety of different services including press releases, event management, crisis management, and internal communications as well as media training. 

You can find out more about the work Howle Communications do here:  https://public-relations-consultants.co.uk/

The closing date for entries in this year’s competition is Friday, March 1, 2024. If you have any questions about how to enter the FJA’s please email futurejournalist@staffs.ac.uk. 

Keep a look out for further judges’ announcements coming soon via the Future Journalist Awards blog https://blogs.staffs.ac.uk/futurejournalist/enter/blog/ and our social media channels on X,  TikTok and LinkedIn.

Application Tips: Audio

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Listen closely—do you hear it? The sound of stories yearning to be heard and waiting to be told. In the journalism industry, stories are intended to be felt, experienced, and resonated through audio as well as through the written word. They should ignite emotion and create vivid images in the minds of those listening.

When it comes to audio storytelling, your voice becomes the brush and the story, your masterpiece. With the Future Journalist Awards deadline quickly approaching, using sound to its full potential can open doors to capturing audiences and creating unforgettable stories.

Audio Application Tips:

– Writing for radio – when writing your script, use short words and sentences for ease. And make sure you’re able to pronounce the words you want to say!

– Slow down – it’s important to add emphasis to your voice and slow down to make sure you’re really getting the point across.

– Utilise sounds – whatever your story, make sure you’re utilising relevant sounds to add to your piece to make it more interesting.

– Know your purpose – it’s key to have a clear idea of what you want to achieve with your audio piece. Having a clear purpose will help crafting your piece accordingly.

– Relax – breathe deeply a few times before you record, especially if you’re nervous. Don’t forget, if you do mess up, it’s fine to start over.

– Record in one take – try and record your audio piece in one sitting as this will help if you need to edit your audio.

Audio journalism provides a more immersive experience for the audience and is a really fun area of journalism. Why not give it a go and enter the FJA with an audio submission!

Don’t forget the deadline for the competition is March 1!