Aspiring journalists were given an exciting opportunity for a real taste of the highs and lows of a journalist’s typical day.

Postgraduate students on the NCTJ accredited journalism course at De Montfort University got the chance to interview a range of people affiliated with the recent Community Media Awards ceremony, hosted by Citizens’ Eye, including the pioneer John Coster, citizen reporters from across the publications and even the Mayor of Leicester.

Geoff Garner, 21, a Postgraduate Student, said: “As I didn’t do a journalism undergraduate course this was a great opportunity for me to go out and see what it’s all about outside the classroom. It’s got me really excited about following my passion to become a journalist.”

Citizens’ Eye is a Community News Agency, whose volunteer ‘citizen reporters’ are members of the public who come from a wide range of backgrounds such as homeless, ex-convicts and refugees, who all run their own specialist publications within the group.

The students were told that they would turn their interviews into a 1000 word feature to create this publication within a set time limit.

The pressure was on as the trainees set out excited, yet panicked at tracking down the correct people to talk to, keeping them around long enough to get an adequate interview and then going back to the news room to transform their rushed scribbles into a quality article.

This was a challenge the students rose to well and most managed to overcome any problems that occurred professionally and effectively, such as difficulty in getting an interview with their desired person.

22-year-old Sharan Bajwa, who joined the course to follow her dream of becoming a print journalist, said: “It really pays to be persistent and I can see why it’s a key quality to have as a journalist. It’s just a shame that it doesn’t always give you your desired results because of having to stick to deadlines.”

The postgraduate course prepares the students for a career in journalism, by helping them acquire essential skills such as shorthand, law and politics. But, how did having first hand practical experience help them to advance and prepare for their future?

“It’s the best thing I have done on the course so far. It was great putting the skills I’ve learnt on the course into practice in the real world. I thoroughly enjoyed it and it’s made me more confident about conducting future interviews and dealing with time limits,” explained postgraduate student Laura Elvin, 21.

For more information on DMU and its courses please contact (0116) 255 1551 or visit www.dmu.ac.uk

Words by Camilla Goodman