UEA Journalism students play key role in reporting the General Election 2024
By: Communications
UEA Journalism students played a key role in reporting the General election, with 18 first and second years working at election counts for the BBC, Sky News, Global and Bauer Radio.
Students on the BA Broadcast and Multimedia Journalism degree also took part in a live eight-hour, overnight student radio programme, along with more than 100 students from 21 other universities, coordinated by the Broadcast Journalism Training Council (BJTC).
Second-year student Kerena Cobbina was one of four presenters who broadcast live all night on the NNLive community radio station, working with students from the University of Northampton.
Image: Kerena Cobbinna at NNLive
In Dereham at the Mid-Norfolk count, first-year student Anna Johnson worked for Sky News alongside journalism graduate Jack Maclean from BBC Norfolk and Fin Brown, a third-year student who will graduate in the next two weeks.
Image L-R: Anna Johnson, Jack Maclean, Fin Brown
Cameron Noble and Steven Whitear covered the Liz Truss count at Kings Lynn for the BBC and Global Radio. 
Image: Cameron Noble
Course Director Clare Precey said: “This election was a wonderful opportunity for UEA Journalism students to demonstrate the skills they have learned on the course, and the fact that so many of them were employed by professional news organisations demonstrates how far they have come and how they are ready to get paid work in industry.”
Image: Steven Whitear
The BA Broadcast and Multimedia Journalism course is accredited by the BJTC, which involves training students on replicated ‘newsdays’ where they practice reporting on real news stories 15 times a year.
Ellie Richardson, a second-year student who worked for the BBC in Ipswich, said: “It has been a night I won’t forget. It’s been amazing working within the BBC. I’ve learnt so much and developed my political knowledge further and reporting, editing and submitting on the spot. As well as having my work published on the BBC website!”
Maddy McNiven, a second-year student who was working for the BBC in North Devon, said: “Working for the BBC at a general election count has been an incredible opportunity. From preparing all my equipment to being here on the night, I have learnt so much.
“Being part of a major organisation reporting on a political event of this scale is so exciting. I feel as though I’ve learnt loads, from developing my political knowledge, especially in a constituency which isn’t local to me, to learning more about editing and reporting remotely. Although it is overnight and quite tiring, it’s definitely worth it.”
Image: Maddy McNiven
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