University Students Gain Experience Through Overnight US Election Coverage

A journalism lecturer stated that university students acquired “vital experience” by providing overnight coverage of the US election. The University of Northampton (UoN) collaborated with students from the University of Richmond, located in the US state of Virginia, utilizing Zoom for their dedicated live election reporting. Undergraduates studying multimedia journalism and multimedia sports journalism broadcasted from the Creative Hub on Waterside Campus, operating from 22:00 GMT until 05:00. Kate Ironside, a senior lecturer in journalism at the university, noted that “the sighs of relief were unanimous” following their eight-hour work period. Ironside was responsible for organizing and leading this joint initiative. She had previously overseen similar student projects for the UK general elections in 2015, 2017, and 2019. She commented: “I think it is an absolutely vital experience. It’s all about industry practice, making sure our students are industry ready.” She further stated: “[Working overnight] is so tough,” adding, “When it gets to four in the morning they are all on their knees.” Tom Toseland, a third-year multimedia sports journalism student at UoN, served as one of the editors involved in the US election coverage. He belonged to the group responsible for producing hourly 15-minute TV bulletins, which were then uploaded to their dedicated YouTube channel. Additionally, the team shared updates on X and their proprietary live blog website. Toseland remarked: “Kate and my director, Alistair, have been very good at keeping everybody upbeat.” He continued: “It’s all about making sure everybody has a role and are enjoying it.” Auguste Subbotinaite, a first-year student, contributed as a member of the social media team, stating: “I have enjoyed being able to shadow the second and third year students and being able to actually partake in the social media output.” Subbotinaite described her colleagues as “intelligent and well rounded.” She further commented: “Working with them will definitely benefit me in the future.” For updates on Northamptonshire news, follow BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram, and X. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content found on external sites. Information regarding our external linking policy is available.