Exciting News: Introducing our Special Guests

Posted on 11th March 2024 by aimeegibson

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.

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 second judge: Ian Whittell

Posted on 27th February 2024 by georgechapman

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

Posted on 16th February 2024 by georgechapman

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.

Finding your Unique Voice

Posted on 28th December 2023 by ronniewarwick

It goes without saying that jobs in the creative industries, particularly within Journalism, are competitive, and it can be challenging to break through the noise in such a fast-paced environment. So, what can you do to increase your odds within this ever evolving industry?

One technique, is to find your own unique voice, so you can attract your own unique audience – this is something that all aspiring creatives should be looking for. Among this, particularly within written work, finding your voice is essential to standing out among the crowd.

Become a ‘Storyteller’, not just a ‘writer’

People love nothing more than a good story, something they can attach themselves to and pull some kind of emotion from, so of course portraying yourself as a ‘storyteller’ rather than a ‘journalist’ in your writing makes sense. Storytelling is now being used more than ever by in-house writers or PR firms, working on behalf of different brands, in the hopes to draw in and retain the attention of audiences, and it seems to be working!

Get rid of that writer’s block!

For all creatives, writer’s block is one of the biggest concerns, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Don’t be afraid to go out and get some inspiration for your work, it doesn’t always have to be 100% your own, and there’s always a twist you can put on a story to make it your own. The best ways to gather ideas? Talk to people – a conversation can be a great source of inspiration.

Be true to others, as well as yourself

Misinformation is everywhere on the internet, so being able to distinguish the fact from the fiction is crucial. It’s easy to choose journalism subjects with the ‘shock factor’ in mind, thinking that you’ll get a few extra clicks in a shorter time frame, however, those few extra clicks are not worth the reputational harm.

Why a voice is important, and why a niche will help

As a journalist, it’s hard to find unique and interesting topics all the time, which is why it’s important that you write these topics in-line with your genuine interests – this is your niche. Naturally, you’ll create better work by working on something you truly care about, and in-turn you’ll attract the audience you’re looking for.

Take your time

Last but not least, be patient. Nothing ever comes right as you want it, but if you keep working toward that end goal, it’ll work in your favour. You’ll often receive pushback from people you’re working with, and there will be plenty of people asking for revisions, but the feeling of completion once you get that one piece out there into the world is fantastic.

News Article: Baba Baboon

Posted on 18th December 2023 by Digital Marketing

An annual competition which aims to discover the next generation of journalists has launched at Staffordshire University.

The Future Journalist Awards, which is organised by third-year Sports Journalism and Journalism and Digital Media students, is open to young people aged seven to 18.

To enter, applicants need to write an article, review, or blog, or can choose to create a short video or audio clip on a smartphone.

The launch event was held in the journalism department’s newsroom and was attended by teachers from schools across Staffordshire. Attendees were given a hands-on tour of the broadcast newsroom and fully-equipped radio studio, giving them the opportunity to use professional standard equipment.

Lucy Nagington, teacher at Packmoor Ormiston Academy in Stoke-on-Trent, attended the launch event. She said: “It was fun to use the equipment, both behind and in front of the camera. It was a great insight into what our pupils will have access to if they decide to study journalism.

“The fact that our pupils can choose their own topic and format for their entries makes the awards really accessible.”

Teachers wanting to encourage their students to enter the awards can book a workshop, either at their school or college.

For the first time, there is also an option to book a workshop to be held at Staffordshire University, giving young learners the opportunity to experience the broadcast newsroom and radio studio first-hand.

Matt Smith, sports broadcaster and journalism lecturer at Staffordshire University, said: “The aim of the competition is to inspire young people to consider a career in journalism.

“My advice is to get involved, think about what you are interested in or what your hobbies are, and find a way to communicate your story, by writing an article, or creating a video or audio clip.

“We are all aware of the world around us, and most people use social media, which means that we are involved in communication and that is where journalism starts and ends.”

Deadline for the competition is March 1 and full details on how to enter can be found on the competition website: www.blogs.staffs.ac.uk/futurejournalist/. For more information, or to book a workshop, email futurejournalist@staffs.ac.uk.

All finalists from each of the five age categories will be invited to a special award ceremony to take place on March 28 at Staffordshire University’s Catalyst Building.

There will be three winners per category: best written content, best video, and best audio. Each will win a £50 Amazon voucher and be invited to attend a Newsday Experience at the University.

About the Future Journalist Awards:

The awards are split into five year group categories, each with age-appropriate guidelines.

Years 3-4: 250-words or 30-seconds audio/video

Years 5-6: 350-words or 45-seconds audio/video

Year 7-9: 450-words or 60-seconds audio/video

Year 10-11: 550-words or 1-minute 15-seconds audio/video

Year 12-13: 650-words or 1-minute 30-seconds audio/video

For more info, visit http://www.blogs.staffs.ac.uk/futurejournalist/

Staffordshire University Newsday: Behind the Scenes

Posted on 15th December 2023 by georgechapman

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to work on a newsday? This article will offer you a taste of what happens at the STAFFS LIVE Newsroom behind the scenes.

What is Newsday?

Every Friday, level six and master’s level sports journalism students at Staffordshire University participate in a newsday, serving as editors, presenters, and reporters.
The newsday broadcast consists of two bulletins: a 12pm bulletin that provides listeners with news in a concise format, and a 2pm bulletin that is lengthier and gives listeners an in-depth understanding of the topics that were previewed in the earlier bulletin.
In the first semester, running from September to December, students cover radio, and in the second semester, which runs from January to May, they cover TV packages.

The planning process for Newsday

The level six and masters students studying sports journalism gather on Wednesday to decide which stories will be featured in the Friday newsday show.
The editor may allocate stories to each member of the team during the editorial meeting.

Newsday Roles and responsibilities

Editor: chooses who covers which stories and how long each package will be. The length of the package varies according to the number of stories in the programme; the more stories there are, the shorter the package; alternatively, the longer the package.
The order in which the stories are presented in the programme is also decided by the editor; typically, the most recent news is shown first.
Presenter: The presenter’s job is to give the viewers a live presentation of the programme.
Reporters: their job is to investigate the stories editors give them. ensuring that they get B-Roll and interviews for their segment before editing the package in advance of Friday’s broadcast.

Radio and TV packages

Reporters need to consider the sounds and potential disturbances in the area where they wish to carry out the interview when creating audio packages. For TV Packages, the reporter must think about the background also when interviewing and filming pieces to camera.
It’s important to give sufficient information so that those listening may visualise what has happened or is happening when working on an audio piece.
Reporters need to be creative while producing a TV package and identify the best alternative to visually represent the story if there isn’t a suitable area that captures the scene.

Empowering Young Voices – Our Mission

Posted on 12th December 2023 by isaacbloor

Our Mission – What We Would Like to Achieve

As the holidays are approaching, applicants may be using their spare time to work on their submissions. We’ve decided to explain exactly what Staffordshire University’s mission is during the awards.

What are the main goals of the Future Journalist Awards (FJAs)?

The main goal of the FJAs is to empower young voices within the world of journalism. Whether that be through print, audio or video submission, the awards are held to give younger people a platform to express their journalism skills in any way they like.

We also want to ensure:

We enable young people to demonstrate their creativity through a number of different outlets in a fun and easy way.
That the process of taking part in the awards is enjoyable to anyone who makes a submission.
We can show applicants a number of different ways journalism can be beneficial for them in the most exciting way.
Inspire young people to express their passion for their favourite things, such as sports, music events, politics and much more.
Give applicants the chance to take part in a number of experiences they may not have had before, like workshops, meeting guest speakers and learning important skills that they can use in different situations.
To enable a diverse range of young voices to be heard within the media world.

Our mission after the awards?

At Staffordshire University, not only do we want to see as many applicants as possible during the awards and receive as many entries as we can, but we want the appetite for journalism to continue after the FJAs.

The experiences applicants gain from taking part in the awards can be useful in a number of situations. Skills picked up such as storytelling, editing, recording and lots more could prove to be invaluable forever.

Ultimately, we would love to see young people expressing their imagination in anything they are passionate about. It would be fantastic to see to see a variety of different submissions and potentially spot the next sports presenter, vlogger, radio host or social media star.

The Power of Storytelling

Posted on 6th December 2023 by aimeegibson

Journalism is a dynamic storytelling medium that continuously evolves and has the ability to educate, uplift, and inspire change. It is our responsibility as journalists to find the truths and accurately and extensively communicate them to the public.

One of a journalist’s most valuable skills is the ability to tell stories. It’s a way of purposefully using narrative and storytelling to share information. Sourcing exciting information and presenting it in a way that hooks your audience in is essential to crafting a great story.

It’s key to begin your story with the most important information and keep your audience’s interests front and centre while writing an engaging story. Steer clear of jargon in your writing to further engage readers, listeners, or viewers.

Tips for Storytelling:

Remember to tell an engaging story that is also educational if you want to stand out from the competition. This is ultimately your secret weapon.
Choose the angle you want to take on the story before you start crafting it. While journalists ought to maintain impartiality, choosing your viewpoint will aid with keeping concentration and delivering a clear message.
Consider what makes your story unique and go with that.
Journalistic writing is all about accuracy; if you stick to the facts, you’ll be fine. Remember to not include your personal opinions.
If you’re a written journalist, you should express your point using simple language and well-formed sentences. Articles should aim for a sentence length of approximately 20 words, with one to three sentences per paragraph.
maintain ethical standards. Your stories should convey accurate, dependable, and trustworthy information acquired from reliable sources.

As a journalist, there are countless ways to tell stories, from radio pieces to television news packages. Storytelling is more than just writing narratives. For instance, creating a visual package can elicit feelings and provide additional context that words alone might not be able to.

As the journalism industry transitions to the digital era. It’s critical to master the use of social media platforms, data visualisation tools, content management systems, and multimedia storytelling techniques. Journalists can improve their narrative skills and interact with their audience in new ways by effectively utilising these tools.

Introducing the Future Journalist Awards: Inspiring Tomorrow’s Storytellers

Posted on 16th November 2023 by aimeegibson

Are you prepared to set off on a voyage via words, pictures, and sounds, where the possibilities for your storytelling are endless? We are excited to be hosting the Future Journalist Awards, an exciting contest that will spark young people’s imaginations and offer a unique platform for aspiring writers and content creators.

What is the FJA?

The Future Journalist Awards aims to inspire and encourage students – Yr. 3 to 13- from Staffordshire and the surrounding counties to consider a career in journalism.

Participants in this innovative competition are encouraged to let their imaginations run wild, creating videos, audio pieces, or written composition.

What to expect:

Categories: There are five Year Group categories. There is a place for everyone on our competition, from inquisitive Year 3 students just learning about journalism, to experienced Year 13 students who may be considering it as a career.
Unleash Your Creativity: Participants are encouraged to display their writing and content creation skills in a format that most appeals to them. This is your chance to shine, whether you produce a written article, review, or blog, or opt to make a short video or audio.
Mentorship and Guidance: Our event not only provides a platform for creative expression but also offers mentorship and guidance from seasoned journalists. You’ll have the chance to learn from the best in the industry and gain insights into the world of journalism.

Why It’s Worth Your Participation:

Empowering Future Voices: Beyond competition, there are other aspects to the FJA. By nurturing the applicant’s passion for reporting and content creation, it aims to strengthen the future voices of journalism.
Inclusivity: By welcoming students of different ages and backgrounds, our event fosters inclusivity and diversity in journalism. We believe that everyone has a story to tell, and we’re here to help you tell yours.

Real-World experience: This competition provides you with valuable real-world experience. It’s a chance to explore your interests and passions and develop your skills in a supportive and engaging environment.
Networking Opportunities: Make connections with mentors, business professionals, and other students. This is a great opportunity to network and broaden your horizons, which could lead to future opportunities in journalism.

The FJA is an occasion devoted to stoking the creative sparks within young people, fostering the next generation of storytellers, and honouring the expressive power of words, images, and voices. Come along to Staffordshire University with us as we set out on an exploration of journalism. Your story starts here!

Stay tuned for more information on how to participate and make your mark in the world of journalism. We can’t wait to see your unique stories come to life.

Staffordshire University's Future Journalist Awards

Discovering the next bright star in the world of journalism

Tag Archives: Staffordshire News