Experience the journalism industry inside Sunderland’s mediaHUB

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The mediaHUB

The multimedia newsroom at the University of Sunderland is inviting members of the community to experience life as a journalist and contribute to its digital and broadcast platforms.

The mediaHUB, at The David Puttnam Media Centre, offers exciting opportunities for people to gain hands-on experience in media production, multimedia journalism and radio broadcasting, while contributing to its platforms covering arts and culture, sport, fashion, and entertainment, including working on Spark FM the University’s award-winning student-run community radio station.

Some of the biggest names in journalism have set foot on campus to work with students and members of the public. High-profile figures such as ITV’s Alastair Stewart, British Political Journalist Kevin Maguire, and regular contributor to Glamour and Elle magazines Julie McCaffrey, have held Masterclasses to give an insight into their illustrious careers and share top tips with the journalists of tomorrow.

The mediaHUB Newsroom Manager India Adams-Norton said: “The mediaHUB has lots of partnerships with outside establishments for work experience.

“We have a wide range of people from different backgrounds coming in. Some of the work experience is organised through colleges and we have a huge amount of students coming to the University from high schools across Tyne and Wear, so we have people as young as 14 and 15. We also have people who are interested in coming in personally and graduates from other universities in the region.

“Spark FM is contained within the mediaHUB and if you come in to do work experience you’ll get to work on the radio station. If you like it, you can stay and volunteer for as long as you want.”

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India Adams-Norton, News Room Manager at The mediaHUB.

One person who has benefited from working in the digital publishing and broadcasting space is Eamon Richards. Eamon came to the University from the Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service where he is currently completing The Prince’s Trust 12-week Team programme for 16 to 25-year-olds, which enables young people to gain a nationally recognised qualification while working in the community to develop their confidence, leadership and teamwork skills.

Eamon undertook a two-week work placement in the mediaHUB, home to publications SR News, Northern Lights, Fashion North, SportsByte and Spark FM, and had several articles published.

Eamon said: “Anyone who is thinking about doing work experience at the University of Sunderland should definitely grasp the chance. Working in the mediaHUB was great and the first time I’ve ever done anything of the sort. I’m proud of what I’ve achieved as I never thought I’d be at a high enough standard to write my own articles as I had no experience.

“My time there was very rewarding and I’ve gained more skills and confidence in things like writing articles and seeing exactly what happens behind the scenes of news and radio. I thoroughly enjoyed myself and everyone was extremely friendly.”

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Eamon Richards, competed a two-week work placement at the mediaHUB.

India added: “Eamon was an asset to the team and he can come back any time. He gained so much confidence while he was here, and I didn’t expect him to be producing content for the website on a daily basis, to the point where he was attending news conferences and writing our headline stories.

“He came in a little bit shy and nervous and within a matter of days he was producing content for the website and for three or four days running he provided the top stories for Northern Lights. I was delighted with his progress and he made friends and slotted in really well.”

In addition to contributing to the social platforms aspiring journalists work with the latest industry-standard facilities, including Apple Macs and design and video-editing software such as Photoshop, InDesign, Final Cut Pro and Newscutter to create engaging content.

The mediaHUB offers a host of opportunities, from work experience for students and members of the community, to taster days offering Masterclasses and workshops from industry specialists. Whether you’re a member of the community, a student, business or charity, you can get involved with media platforms that reach thousands of people every day.

If you’re interested in collaborating with the mediaHUB and taking on live projects, contact mediahub@sunderland.ac.uk.

You can read Eamon’s articles on Northern Lights here: http://www.northernlightsuk.co.uk/

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