Media

Job Description

A sports journalist works in the media industry (newspaper, magazines, radio, television, internet) and source, research, write and present stories for publication in local, regional and national press.

The Industry of PR has entered a new era. Once dominated by white middle class men, followed by a sweeping influx of women, the industry has never been the same. University graduates Bridgette Honegan and Selina Brown industriously capitalised on this trend by successfully setting up their company Speakerboxx. James Barber interviews founding member Bridgette Honegan about branching out in the profession.

Social media and networking are hot property; everybody and their Granny is building their online profile up, cringing at embarrassing photos uploaded by unscrupulous friends and adding everyone they ever passed in the street as a ‘friend’ or alternately trying to emulate the Artic Monkeys or Kate Nash by translating online infamy to major record label success.

So why is gaining work experience so important to the media? Well if you was an editor, you would want to employ someone why has knowledge of the business and knows the ‘ins and outs’ of the work. The only way this could be proved is by the applicants previous work placements.

I'm a member of the Lord Lawson team currently creating a National Lottery funded film, showing the effects Lottery grants have had on the regeneration of the North East. However, we did not come upon this amazing opportunity easily.

‘Working in the media’ is often the tantalising but rather vague ambition of many a graduate, but the reality of how to actually put this into practice is often more of an uphill struggle than initially expected.

Even though there are big Hollywood pictures being made in the UK, the British Film Industry is actually quite a small place. And there are thousands of young people trying to get their big break into it. We don’t make that many films so competition for jobs is fierce.

When Amy Merone enrolled on the BA(Hons) Journalism course at the University of Central Lancashire, even she had no idea what it would lead to. Three years on she has just graduated and is heading off to Africa to teach English and raise awareness of HIV.

Why did you decide to study at UCLan?

Whether you are watching the latest digitally animated movie, using a website on the internet, or playing your favourite computer game, you are doing so because of the efforts and skills of those who work in the exciting and ever growing and creative media industry.

The world of media has a cool image. Film making and journalism are flourishing in this country and the number of jobs in the media industries is growing. The only way into this exciting world used to be by working your way up.