Local schoolchildren became broadcast journalists for the day when they visited the Department to learn about TV and radio journalism.

Year six pupils from St Francis Catholic Primary School, in Hill Chapel, Goosnargh, spent the morning getting to grips with TV and radio equipment with the Departmentís broadcast team.

After being given a presentation “What is News?”, the children were given a demonstration of the equipment in the radio studios by Journalism Division Leader Mike Green.

Radio bulletin

10-year-old Louise Richardson tried her hand at reading a radio bulletin. She said: “It was good because everybody got to listen to what I was saying and I got a feeling of what it would be like to be on the radio. It would be good to be a radio journalist.”

The pupils then had a workshop in TV broadcasting equipment, with Senior Broadcast Journalism Lecturer Paul Egglestone.

They were shown how to operate digital video cameras, about the different camera shots in location reporting, and how to use a gun mic.

And after learning about the portable cameras, Studio Engineer Brian Moss took the children on a tour of the TV studio and gallery, where they learned how to operate the studio cameras, studio sound levels and the newsreadersí autocue. Volunteers then had the chance to read a live news bulletin.

Fun

10-year-old Andrew Dixon had his first taste of operating the studio cameras from the gallery. He said: “It was fun controlling the cameras and watching them flicking over the different people.”

Classmate Keira Wilkins was the first pupil to have a shot at presenting a live bulletin. She said: “It was fun speaking into the microphone and reading (on the autocue) what I had to say. I enjoyed talking about the news.”

Teacher Victoria Jackson was delighted with how the day went: “It was a brilliant day, not only from the point of view of the children but for us teachers as well,” she said.

“It gave the children an insight into filming and camera shots, which are useful when learning how to script and produce plays in literacy, and it will hopefully make some of them want to study journalism or become journalists when they leave school.”

Senior Broadcast Journalism Lecturer Deborah Robinson, who organised the visit, said: “It was a pleasure to show the children some of the work we do in the Department of Journalism to train tomorrowís broadcast journalists.

“I was very impressed with the enthusiasm and talent demonstrated by the children and I hope that some of them will one day return to us as students.”

More info:
Take a photo tour or a virtual tour of the Departmentís studios >

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