STUDYING JOURNALISM ROSS MACDONALD
“ Contributing toVoice
your Student
could be the ideal way to
hone your skills
“
and will look great in
your portfolio.
STUDYING JOURNALISM
IN SCOTLAND BY ROSS MACDONALD
For those with a passion for writing, a career
in journalism can be a great fit for your skills.
Contributing to your Student Voice could be the
ideal way to hone your skills and will look great in
your portfolio to show potential universities and
employers. We caught up with recent journalism
graduate Ross Macdonald to get his advice on
how to get involved in this exciting industry.
Journalism can be a hard career path to pursue but with
the right mix of dedication, skill and determination there
is no reason why your work can’t be read by millions. A
must for all wannabe journalists has to be how good they
are at English. The best publications in the world look for
people who have a real flair when they put pen to paper
and can ‘wow’ them in just a few sentences. It’s a hard skill
to perfect but there are plenty of options open to Scottish
students if they wish to pursue a media career.
The HNC Media Analysis course at Ayrshire College offers
aspiring writers the opportunity to learn about writing
for the media, narrative, video production, photography
and new media. The one year course allows students an
informative insight into the world of journalism and
media production and is a good starting point for students
wishing to progress to university.
22
Scottish Universities which offer a course
in (BA/HONS) Journalism:
• Glasgow Caledonian University
• Robert Gordon University (Aberdeen)
• Edinburgh Napier University
• University of Stirling
• University of Strathclyde
• University of the West of Scotland
During my time studying at the University of the West
of Scotland, I gained presenting and autocue skills in the
television studios and mixing my own radio feature in
the broadcast production suites. I was also challenged to
create my own website, magazine and newspaper with
various deadlines set. The course was very focused and
covered every area in the journalism sector, allowing
students a vital insight into what would await them beyond
graduation.
THE STUDENT VOICE: EDITION 2