The Guardian newspaper’s editor Alan Rusbridger will help launch London Met’s £100,000 journalism newsrooms on 16 October.
Date: 15/10/2012
The Guardian newspaper’s editor Alan Rusbridger will help launch London Met’s £100,000 journalism newsrooms on 16 October.
The two state-of-the-art multimedia rooms are designed to give media and journalism students a dedicated space to develop their practical and specialized skills.
Alan, editor of The Guardian since 1995 and a renowned columnist, said he would be delighted to help mark the official arrival of the new infrastructure to London Met.
He will give a short speech and field questions from attending staff and students.
The rooms include more than 40 computers with the latest visual and design layout programs, large-screen TVs and a mobile ‘Tricaster’ allowing students to host outside radio and TV broadcasts while streaming live footage to the internet.
BA Journalism course leader Victoria Neumark Jones said that students had already warmed to the Journalism Newsroom and Reporter’s Room.
“These are more than classrooms, they’re networking rooms and these students have become much closer friends since they have had a dedicated space,” she said.
An online student TV-channel, though only in the conceptual stage, is being developed as students master the outside broadcasting and production kit.
“This autumn we will launch our ‘Midday Met’ online TV channel,” said senior journalism lecturer Ben Falk.
Richard Evans, senior lecturer said that practical skills were critical for students heading into today's competitive media environment.
“It is so important our students learn to be multi-faceted in today’s media landscape. They have to be producers and visual artists as well as writers. That’s exactly what we’re equipped for now," he said.
Victoria added: “Most importantly, our students are taught by people with active, professional profiles in the industry.
“I’m thrilled Alan is coming to the opening. The Guardian does some of the best journalism in the country today and we constantly use it to teach our students.”
The opening comes following the news that London Met’s BA (Hons) Journalism course achieved an outstanding 90% satisfaction rate in the latest National Student Survey, with 93% per cent for teachers being good at explaining their subject.
Students interested in attending the opening and Q&A session with Alan are welcome to register here http://alanrusbridger.eventbrite.com/
