6 August 2008
City of London Corporation helps London state school pupils
achieve journalistic excellence
The City of London Corporation, along with Canary Wharf plc,
this week sponsored the 2008 Journalism Summer School, which ran
from 2 to 9 August. The programme was also supported by digital
agency, cScape and The Times.
The free, annual programme took London state school pupils with
a passion for journalism and helped them towards their ambition of
a media career. Students learnt all the tricks of the trade -
experiencing everything from the celebrity splash to the
hard-hitting financial news piece and live community affairs
reporting.
Tony Halmos, Director of Public Relations at City of London
Corporation, said: ‘This summer school encourages new journalists
and good journalism. Journalists provide a vital source of
independent information. It's what they publish and broadcast which
informs the public about the world around them and enables them to
play the role of active participants in democratic life.’
The Journalism Summer School was initiated by online magazine,
spiked, in 2006, and is run by Journalism Education, a
not-for-profit company. It was set up in response to a Times
Higher Educational Supplement and Sutton Trust report which
demonstrated the inequality in the media today. It showed that
while 7% of the population is educated privately, 50% of top
journalists working in the UK went to private school; very few were
educated at state comprehensives.
The City of London Corporation’s economic regeneration projects
focus on increasing educational attainment in City fringe schools
and raising the aspirations of young people in the City fringes to
gain employment in the City. The schemes also maximise access and
employment opportunities for City and City fringe residents.
The City of London sponsored Journalism Summer School aims to
prove that bright, ambitious youngsters can make it in the media,
regardless of their background. In the long-term, Journalism
Education aims to contribute to creating a more diverse media
industry.
Aefifa Razzaq of Feltham Community College, said: ‘I think the
summer school was really important because it gave people like me,
from state schools, the chance to get a taste of what you could
have. I was thinking about journalism before, but now it’s for
definite.’
This year's summer school featured sessions run by high-profile
figures in the media, who all participated on a voluntary basis.
They included:
- Tony Evans, Football Editor, The Times
- Cosmo Landesman, Lead Film Critic, The Sunday
Times
- Dean Piper, Entertainment Editor, Closer magazine
- Richard Lawson, Award-winning Broadcast Journalist, BBC World
Service
In association with BBC Outreach, the students enjoyed a tour of
the BBC studios at Television Centre, featuring a Q&A session
with News Director, Charles Simmonds. During a visit to the News of
the World, students met the News Editor, Robert Warren. During a
day of workshops at Reuters, students learnt what makes an event
‘newsworthy’ and what the key challenges and ethical concerns for
photojournalists are today. There were sessions on how to write,
with practical, task-based activities that put the students' new
skills into practice. Students were also blogging about their
experiences throughout the week.
In the past two years, the Journalism Summer School has been a
phenomenal success, providing the bright 16 to 19 year olds
involved with hands-on experience and a real insight into the
diverse field of journalism. Past students have said the programme
helped them develop a better appreciation of their own ability to
write, greater confidence and conviction that a career in the media
was possible for them. Many have gone on to complete internships in
the media or to study journalism at university.
With 100 applications for 22 places this year, the interest in
the summer school is growing fast. This year, Journalism Education
received applications from state schools across London, including
Camden, Hackney, Lewisham, Newham, Tower Hamlets and Greenwich.
Ends
Notes for editors
The 2008 Journalism Summer School was sponsored by the City of
London Corporation, Canary Wharf plc and cScape. The Times was the
media partner. Media organisations that held workshops or tours
were: spiked, The Times, the News of the World, the Sunday Times,
Thomson Reuters, BBC, Sky, Closer magazine. The annual Journalism
Summer School was initiated by online magazine, spiked¸ in 2006 and
is run by Journalism Education. It is open to London state school
pupils and is completely free of charge. Speakers participate on a
voluntary basis.
For more information, visit
www.spiked-online.com.
Press contact
T: 020 7222 4345
E:
lizzie.boylanward@raincommunications.co.uk