Location: We are a short train journey from the centre of London - one of world's major news and media organisations, situated on the edge of a national park, close to the coast and to one of Europe's busiest port cities and the UK's naval command centre at Portsmouth. Winchester is thus an ideal place to study journalism - combing easy access to London without the cost and congestion. And importantly you stay in touch with the real Britain of small communities - the countryside as well as the towns - provincial towns as well as big city life.
Rob Kirk, development editor of Sky News on the journalism courses at Winchester university: “Some of the student work I have seen at Winchester is the best I have ever seen outside a professional newsroom…. The journalism courses at Winchester are in many ways in leading journalism training in this country… I have been tremendously impressed with the quality of the students and the energy and determination that they show.” ROB KIRK, head of training and development at Sky News, former home news editor, Sky News.
Sam Woodhouse, editor of the BBC Elections Unit on the journalism courses at the University of Winchester: “The quality of student work from students at Winchester is extraordinary. The sharpness of the students the quality and sophistication of the content and the presentation is really admirable. I have seen a student television programme of this kind of quality. The election programme I saw is proper journalism and it is the same as the BBC is doing and it is as good as anything the BBC is doing. As these students go forwards in their careers they will take that with them and as editors interview them for jobs, their experience at Winchester will give them very, very real experience to draw upon.” SAM WOODHOUSE, Editor, BBC Elections Unit.
Mike Smartt, founder-editor of BBC News Online on the journalism courses at Winchester University: “The students I saw during my visit to Winchester did extremely well, handling a live breaking news story. I was very, very impressed by the standard of student work, particularly the sport element which was I think good enough to grace any of the BBC’s regional output. These are students just starting out in television, radio and online news and I was thoroughly impressed by the way they gelled together as a team. There are some very promising young journalists here.” MIKE SMARTT, founder-editor, BBC News Online.
Richard Evans on journalism courses at Winchester University: “The attitude of the students is absolutely phenomenal. The students I saw would fit into a newsroom as soon as they graduate. The way the course is run doesn’t happen in every university, it isn’t commonplace. What you have go going here is really special. How many universities up and down the country would be able to do a live programme on the day’s breaking news, and do that again and again? Not many. The teamwork that I witnessed during my visit was phenomenal.” RICHARD EVANS, News Producer, Sky News.
Fiona Foster on journalism courses at Winchester: “The training that Winchester students get is incredibly well done. It is fantastic because simply to be able to do the job week after week gives you a tremendous advantage and will be a tremendous advantage as well in progressing in the industry when you get your foot in the door in the profession.” FIONA FOSTER, ITV national network news presenter.
Mia Costello on the journalism courses at Winchester: “The journalism training and education at Winchester is ahead of the industry itself.” MIA COSTELLO, BBC South and BBC College of Journalism.
Ian Murray of the Southern Daily Echo on the journalism courses at Winchester: “I am very, very impressed and even slightly envious of the equipment you have to train on. It is very, very professional and what is going on the journalism course at Winchester is great stuff. What the university is doing is absolutely essential for the industry. Multiskilled graduates are like gold to a newsroom. The quality of the students and the work they do as a team is right up there with the best I have ever seen. Editors and employers are going to be chasing graduates from the Winchester journalism courses”. IAN MURRAY, editor, Southern Daily Echo.
Rachel Hepworth of ITV on the journalism courses at Winchester: “Journalism and television is changing all the time, so to have people who are actually on the inside of the industry training you is exactly what you need. I am really impressed by the way students at Winchester train within a range of roles so they are truly multi-skilled. Students at Winchester are taught by people who are actually in the industry. That is excellent and exactly what is needed. RACHEL HEPWORTH, presenter/journalist, ITV News/ Meridian.
Kay Oliver on the Winchester journalism courses: “It was absolutely fantastic to watch the training that was going on when I visited the students. They were superb. These students are getting the inside track knowledge. … and this is the best student journalism I have ever seen”. KAY OLIVER, senior journalist, GMTV.
Louise Bamfield of APTV News on the journalism courses at Winchester University: “I love the way the Winchester journalism courses simulate the reality of journalism. When I visited Winchester it was great that it was organized like a real newsroom - just like I would see in a professional news organisation. It was excellent… before my visit to Winchester I had never seen a college send their students out to cover a general election live, working as proper journalists. It was really impressive and the atmosphere amongst the students was really positive.” LOUISE BAMFIELD, Managing Editor APTV (Associated Press).
Rachel Canter on the journalism courses at Winchester University: “This course is really, really impressive. The journalism facilities are fantastic and the moment I walked into the student newsroom there was a buzz. It was brilliant and really professional - nothing beats actually doing the job, and that is what the Winchester students do on a daily basis. The way the journalism courses work makes students so much more employable. It is excellent.” RACHEL CANTER, Reporter, BBC South.
Ian Anderson of the BBC world service trust on the Journalism courses at the University of Winchester: “Winchester (journalism) is a real replica of what goes on in the industry. A course and an environment like this is a real opportunity to experience the reality of working as a journalist, and so they are in a really good position to get jobs.” IAN ANDERSON, BBC World Service Trust, former output editor BBC 10 O’Clock News.
Alex Girlis of the BBC College of Journalism on the journalism courses at the University of Winchester: “Being on a BJTC course is important in starting a career and if you have worked on a project that has won a national award that will make you stand out. The awards that Winchester students are winning are very well deserved and it is great to see such a new course producing such outstanding work”. ALEX GIRLIS, BBC College of Journalism and BJTC National Council.
Maria Milano of InStyle magazine on the journalism courses at the University of Winchester: “So impressive, all the students are so confident and competent. The students are so lucky to be in amongst such expert tutors who are so obviously in tune with what it is like to be in the workforce. And also the technology you have is amazing.” MARIA MILANO, online editor, InStyle magazine (IPC magazines).
Chris Ship of ITV news on the journalism courses at the University of Winchester: “Winchester students get an excellent training. Full multimedia training is a unique skill and students at Winchester get just that.” CHRIS SHIP, political editor, ITV News/ITN.
Laura Barton of the Guardian comments on the journalism courses at Winchester University: “I had no idea that journalism students were doing things at this level. It is fantastic and I was completely blown away by the professionalism of the students’ work.” LAURA BARTON, senior feature writer, The Guardian.
Geoff Hill of CNN and Channel Five news comments on the journalism courses at Winchester University: “If students have been at a place like Winchester and they have the experience and resources at such a high level they will stand out in the job market.” GEOFF HILL, Editor Channel Five News, former Editor CNN Europe.
