Radio students triumph at journalism awards

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STUDENTS from Goldsmiths, University of London have scooped two prizes at the Broadcast Journalism Training Council (BJTC) Student Journalism Awards for their work producing features for radio. 

Undergraduate Media and Communications student Sera Baker won Best Radio News Feature for ‘Radio Gaga’, while recent MA Radio graduate Jacqueline Shoen took home the award for Best Radio Documentary for ‘What’s Cookin’ In The Burger Lab’.

MA Radio graduate Marta Malagon travelled from Barcelona for the ceremony after also being short-listed for Best Radio Documentary ('Revolution is a She'), while Jacqueline’s work ('Wrestling the Croc') was also short-listed for Best Radio New Feature.

The winners were announced at a ceremony hosted by ITV Southbank on Wednesday 25 November. Our Head of Television Journalism Linda Lewis and her MA Television students provided digital TV coverage on the night.

Judges chose the shortlist from 3,500 entries submitted by students studying on the 68 BJTC accredited industry-backed courses in the UK. In both the Best Radio Documentary and Best Radio News Feature categories, only work by Goldsmiths students was shortlisted. 

Commenting on all the nominations Jon Godel, BJTC Chief Executive, said:  “Our industry judges were very impressed with the standard of the entries, commenting they had found some journalism stars of the future.”

Writing after the awards ceremony, Head of Radio Professor Tim Crook congratulated our students, said:  “They represent the courageous spirit, dignity and humanitarian culture of our journalism and creative programme making and all our radio students.  They are our future. I have never been so moved to be at the ceremony and witness them taking applause and credit.”

The nominations follow a string of successes for the Department of Media and Communications – and come hot on the heels of two award nominations earlier this year.

MA Digital Journalism alumni David Blood and Kara Fox are both up for multimedia journalist of the year at the Guardian’s Student Media Awards 2015.

Last month saw two editorial teams from the MA Journalism course come first and second in the BBC Worldwide Best Student Magazine of 2015 category at the Magazine Academy Awards.

And last year three Media and Communications alumni triumphed at the BJTC Student Journalism Awards.

Taught by professional broadcasters, our MA Radio programme provides an opportunity for postgraduates with some knowledge and experience of radio to explore the medium in depth, both in theory and practice.