Text 4. Student media

Do you dream of seeing your name in print or your face on TV? Then working for your local student media is a great place to start. Read on to find out more.

Almost every Student Union in the country publishes its own newspaper and has its own radio station – and some even have their own TV stations. These rely entirely on student volunteers and are a good way to get practical experience for a media career. They’re not just for media studies students though, since anyone can get involved whether they want to be the first to find out about student news, think they have great taste in music or just want to make new friends.

Newspapers: You’ll be able to pick up a copy of your local student newspaper in your student union. They feature the latest news on student issues as well as reviews, opinion pieces and even recipes – and with all those pages to fill they’re normally grateful for anything any student wants to write provided they can string a sentence together!

Most newspapers have an editorial meeting for anyone who wants to contribute. This is where you can meet the editors face-to-face to talk over your ideas, and it’s also a good way to get your hands on freebies (=sth that you are given free) – since editors might be handing out free CDs or theatre tickets to people who want to write about them. You can do as much or as little as you want, but since most student newspapers change their staff every year as people leave university, with enough dedication you might get to edit your own section.

Don’t worry if you’ve not got a way with words though, as student newspapers also need graphic designers to put the pages together, as well as people to run their advertising sales and promotions. Student newspapers now see their websites as being as important as the paper version as well, meaning there’s plenty of opportunities for encouraging web developers, bloggers and content managers.

Radio and TV: It might not make you the next Annie Mac overnight, but getting a short period of time on your local student radio station is a great way to play your music to other people – without your flatmates telling you to turn it down! Or if you’re particularly chatty, you could always host a chat show or news programme on the student TV channel.

Like student newspapers, student TV and radio need all the willing volunteers they can get, so it’s definitely worth approaching them at the Fresher’s fair or popping up to the offices to see what opportunities they have. You’re unlikely to become a presenter straight away, so most people begin by working behind the scenes, whether that’s researching shows or picking up more technical skills producing them in the studio or on location. The Internet has also made a big difference to student TV and radio, since they’re no longer stuck to just broadcasting in the Student Union or occasionally in the local area, but can upload programmes to their websites for a much bigger audience to see and hear.

Your shout! Have you had any experience working in student media? Share your thoughts with other students.