Journalism students making the news

Radio broadcasters of the future gained a taste of working in the media through a BBC mentoring scheme.

Teesside University students Matthew Jones, Natalie Devonshire, Lucy Moody and Jamie Crow, spent six months at BBC Tees through the programme.

The second year BA (Hons) Journalism students, who are all involved in the University’s student radio station Click, worked in the radio station’s newsroom where they were each mentored by broadcast journalists.

BBC Tees news editor Steve Mackey said: 'It's key for students to gain real world experience of working in an industry while working towards their qualification. Programmes such as this offer invaluable insight into the job they are aiming to work towards and helps them to decide where their career path lies.

'It's been great working with such enthusiastic and keen students who learned a lot to complement what they are learning at University.'

Lucy, 19, of Beamish, said: 'It was great and I made lots of contacts, it provided vital experience and it was really helpful working with the mentors.

Matthew, 20, of Middlesbrough, said: 'It provided a great insight into how the station works and I gained a lot of skills. I’m now going to be helping out at BBC Tees on Saturdays, working with the sports desk.'

Natalie, 20, of Scarborough, said: 'It was an amazing experience and really helped us to see what happens in a hectic and fast-paced newsroom. It’s helped me to decide that I want to work in broadcasting.'

Jamie, 19, of Ingleby Barwick said: 'It was fantastic to be selected for the programme and I gained some great experience from it, while making some vital contacts which also led me to be able to get some experience working on the Sunday Politics Show at BBC Newcastle.'

Mark Handscomb, senior lecturer in online journalism in the University’s School of Arts & Media, said: 'It's important as potential broadcasters of the future that our students can access vital experience working in the industry. As possible BBC broadcasters of the future, the scheme has helped to encourage, nurture and prepare them for roles working in the media.

'When these students took part in the scheme, they were all in their first year at Teesside University, as we encourage employability skills right from year one. The mentoring scheme was so successful we're aiming to repeat it.'

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