Journalism Student Review

Training in journalism with a local newspaper. Daily tasks began with becoming familiar with the style and layout of the paper and quickly progressed to writing up small pieces such as wedding announcements and family notices. This then went on to writing larger pieces and also scoping for news items in the local community. The team was made up of editor, sub-editor, 2 photographers and 3 qualified journalists. Weekly meetings were held for all staff to discuss layout and prioritisation of items.

Yes - increased understanding of local events and the community as a whole plus journalism skills which I have been able to carry forward into my personal and professional life

I really enjoyed it and am now looking to pursue a career in the field. The culture of the company was very relaxed and the team in general worked very well together

Was very valued and got excellent feedback from all parties involved. There was some level of internal recognition from management and some recognition from the community

Programme lacked structure to a point as content depended upon workload. There were occasions where no tasks could be allocated so duties were menial at times

Minimal support consisting of one visit to employer's site and a brief discussion regarding how things were going. There was no follow up after this which was a shame

A good level of support and the opportunity to revisit the option of progressing within the company at a later date once qualified and looking for future employment

Unpaid position - costs were met through money earned with co-existing part time employment. It did prove difficult to make ends meet at the time and I ended up working 60 hours per week but it was a means to an end

Not as such - no company events, activities or team building opportunities. I believe that such things would have been beneficial to all involved and any perks would also have added to the experience and morale

Yes

Enjoyable job with nice atmosphere and good chance to develop skills for someone looking to start a career in journalism. This was a great opportunity to further understand the role and also be in touch with the local community.

Easy going but certain lack of structure at times. Be aware that the workload is frequently inconsistent and there is no opportunity to pick and choose areas of specialism