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News roundup
Hastings In brief Bryony Abbott (Broadcast Media FdA 2015) and Anna Mannion (Television Production FdA 2015) undertook work placements as part of their course with the BBC Cuffs programme and Tiger Aspect (an independent television production company), and were offered paid positions upon graduation. Natalya Cullen and Emma Le Teace (Mathematics and Business BSc(Hons) 2015) were headhunted by Markerstudy Ltd, part of the Markerstudy Group, which was named 11th in The Sunday Times 100 Best Companies to Work For in 2014. Charlie Eustice, a final year Sports Journalism student, had his work published while he was on placement at The Independent. Upon finishing her placement at The Sun, final year Sports Journalism student Harriet Fuller was told there would be a desk waiting for her when she graduates. Joshua Godden (Digital Games Production BSc(Hons) 2015) secured a job at Ash Gaming as a games developer where he had undertaken a placement during his studies. Alice Humphreys (Broadcast Media BA(Hons) 2014) secured a runner’s job at ITV Creative thanks to a showreel she produced whilst on her course. OverTime Online – the university’s student-led website – has been recognised by the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ) as one of the top four student websites in the country. www.overtimeonline.co.uk Alex Teoli (English Literature and Sociology BA(Hons 2015) published a freelance article in the Times of Malta.
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HASTINGS DIGITAL HUB OPENS BBC TV news anchorman and University of Brighton honorary graduate Nicholas Owen 01 returned to open the university’s brand new media facilities at the Hastings campus in October 2015. The new facilities support the courses which form the Journalism and Digital Media Hub, which is a collaborative venture between the campus, the School of Sport and Service Management, the School of Computer, Engineering and Mathematics and the School of Art, Design and Media. As well as the newsrooms, the project includes television and radio studios plus editing suites which are open to all students studying at the university. During his visit, Nicholas gave a talk to journalism students and took questions from the audience. He then toured the new facilities in the Havelock Road and Priory Square Buildings before declaring them officially open.
TV SUCCESS FOR ANNABELLE After completing her studies in Hastings, Annabelle Monks 02 (Broadcast Journalism BA(Hons) 2014) leapt straight into some plum roles in television. To date, she has worked as a runner on BBC’s Gareth Malone’s All Star Choir, Gareth Malone’s Naked Choir, Celebrity Big Brother’s Bit On The Side, Channel 4’s First Dates and The John Bishop Christmas Show as a production secretary. Annabelle, who has her eye on a research role next, credited the strength of her course for her success: “The skills I learnt on my course have directly helped
me in some of the TV jobs I’ve done. I don’t think I would have got into TV if I hadn’t done my work experience module which was on Mary’s Silver Service in 2013 with Mary Portas.”
COLLABORATE TO REGENERATE Hastings Borough Council and the University of Brighton signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) to collaborate on economic and social engagement in Hastings and St Leonards. There will be a number of areas of partnership including low-carbon economy, culture and community-led regeneration, fisheries and the Hastings Fisheries Local Action Group (FLAG) legacy, housing and urban development, the visitor economy, business engagement, support and inward investment. These joint areas will also include academies and improving educational achievement for young people and opportunities to improve the skills and employability of university students and graduates. The partnership will bring mutual benefits to both towns and the university by identifying and supporting areas for economic growth. It will also establish Hastings as a university town that benefits from the growth of its student population.
STUDENTS COVER ELECTION When the General Election took place in May last year, students from our Hastings campus were part of the crew bringing live coverage of it to the southeast. It was a testament to the calibre of the multimedia broadcast journalism course, when 12 second and third year