University News Last updated 20 February 2013
Student journalists from Birmingham City University will be in Brussels next week (25 – 27 February) to learn more about the European Parliament.
They will meet Midlands MEPs, get a close up view of the institution at work and have an opportunity to talk to journalists who cover the business of the Parliament on a daily basis.
The students are on a professionally accredited Postgraduate Course in Broadcast Journalism and will be taking a break from their current work placements at the BBC and ITN to make the three-day trip. But as Course Director Diane Kemp explained, the visit is far more than a few days break in Belgium.
“The students will be interviewing some of our MEPs, covering the parliament’s daily news briefings and putting together a programme using the broadcasting facilities there,” she said. “As this year’s visit comes during their professional placement some of them will be recording material for their host newsrooms.”
This is the second year that students on the course have taken advantage of press facilities offered by the European Parliament. “We are lucky that our visiting Professor, Rick Thompson, has very good links in Europe,” said Diane.
“It means the students get a really good insight into an institution that plays an important part in people’s lives and is a key source of news stories. As young journalists they need to learn about in the same way as they need to know about the UK Parliament and how areas like the NHS, the police and so on work,” she added.