Never a Dull Moment

Three weeks into life at News Associates and it seems as though each one goes quicker than the last.

Shorthand continues to be the biggest challenge and this week we were told we’ll write at no less than 40 words per minute in class anymore. It’s like having two weeks’ worth of driving lessons and being told from now on you’re going at 40 miles per hour, but it’s definitely paying off.

We’ve covered some interesting topics in Media Law so far, such as the work of the Press Complaints Commission. Useful stuff to ensure our blossoming media careers won’t include a stint in prison and the lessons are always entertaining, although you really have to be there to understand why.

As someone with slightly less than zero knowledge of politics, I’m also grateful for the two Public Affairs sessions we have each week. It actually seems hopeful by the end of this course I’ll be able to write about the Government without looking entirely stupid.

The highlight of the week was Thursday afternoon, which saw the groups mixed and split into three and each given a different activity to work on.

One received an extra shorthand session, whilst another dabbled in a spot of video journalism, and the third was given a written reporting task involving the yellow pages. I won’t give the game away as to what this actually entailed, but it was good fun, and allowed us to work with more new faces.

We also had our first guest speakers in to introduce an online reporting project which goes live over the coming months, and which we’ll have the chance to contribute to - a practical opportunity we wouldn’t have on a lot of the other journalism courses out there.

It’s safe to say that there are plenty of opportunities for you at News Associates, if you’re keen. It’s equally true to say that there’s never a dull moment.

Nicola Hine