A UCLan postgraduate broadcast journalism student has been offered a prestigious bursary award by ITV to fund her study.

Charlotte Boardman is one of only 10 students in the country to be awarded the bursary and was selected from 150 applicants. It means ITV will pay her fees for the nine month course, contribute to her living expenses and provide work placements at an ITV regional newsroom.

Charlotte said she didnít realise the scale of her achievement at first.

ìI didnít know how intense the competition was until I was offered the bursary. It will help me out both financially and by providing valuable experience.î

Strong candidates

Elaine Anderton, a Training and Development Consultant at ITV, said Charlotte has been selected from a ìstrong field of candidates.î

ìControllers and Head of News from across ITV News Group gathered to interview the hopeful candidates, and after two days of questioning, debating and agonising the final decisions were made.î

Charlotte is no stranger to ITV newsrooms and has just spent the last year working at Granada Television. She was employed as a News Assistant which involved working closely with journalists and shadowing their work.

She said: ìI initially worked on Sundays on work placement at Granada and the News Assistant job came up whilst I was there. The last year has provided me with many opportunities to learn and they allowed me quite a degree of responsibility. It certainly confirmed that this is the field I want to work in.î

Charlotte, who completed an undergraduate degree in English at Cambridge University in 2005, said she has always wanted to be a journalist for as long as she can remember. She says she came to UCLan because it was recommended to her by staff at Granada.

ìThe course will give me the chance to immerse myself in journalism training and give me the chance to find my own way of doing things and see what I enjoy the most. When you are actually working there is less time to sit down and really absorb what you are doing.î

Elaine added: ìWe would like to wish Charlotte all the very best with her journalism studies and look forward to welcoming her into ITV News Group over the coming months.î

More info
MA Broadcast Journalism
PGDip Broadcast Journalism
ITV

Related news
Graduate named Reporter of the Year at BBC local radio awards