Lucy
Pegg

Why did you decide to do postgraduate study?

“As I hadn’t studied journalism as an undergraduate, I knew postgraduate study would give me the skills needed to pursue a career in such a competitive industry as journalism.”

What made you choose NTU?

“NTU’s course met all my requirements. The MA includes an NCTJ qualification, which I knew was essential for many jobs, whilst the facilities looked extensive and it seemed clear there would be lots of opportunities for work experience. NTU was also a more affordable choice than most other universities I looked at, which was a huge bonus.”

What do you enjoy most about your course at NTU?

“I most enjoy the days where we focus on developing our practical journalistic skills, whether that be news writing, data journalism or using video-editing software. I also like studying the ethics of journalism – discussing the problems of today’s journalism really invigorates me to go and write the kind of stories I hope will be part of creating a better, more democratic, journalism industry in the future.”

What do you think about the course staff – include lecturers, tutors, administrators and technical staff within this. How do they support your learning and University experience?

“All of the lecturers and tutors are very helpful and friendly. As postgraduate classes are so small, it feels as though staff and students get to know each other, which is nice on such an intense course. The technicians are incredibly useful too, especially if the technical side of journalism is new to you.”

What do you think about the facilities available to you?

“The facilities at CBJ are great – coming from an undergraduate discipline where all you need are books and some stationary, the technical equipment available and the amount of space given specifically to CBJ was really surprising.”

Why would you recommend your course / NTU to someone looking to study in that area?

“I like how my course allows me to explore my own interests in journalism – namely political and environmental stories – within the broader context of training us as journalists. We all learn the skills we need, but there’s lots of individual help too.”

How do you think the course, and having a postgraduate qualification, will help you to progress your career?

“Almost everyone trying to getinto journalism has a good undergraduate degree now, so I hope the MA will give me headstart when applying for jobs. Even only a few months in, I already feel much more confident that I’ll get to where I want to be after I graduate.”

Have you completed any work placements and if so can you tell me a little bit about them – where you went, what you did, and any skills you’ve gained that will help you when you graduate?

“I’ve completed a weekend of work experience at the Nottingham Post, which was a great opportunity to put the reporting skills we’d learnt into action. It also demonstrated the fast pace of a newsroom. In a few months I’m going to be spending a week at the Press Association video desk, which I hope will give me an insight into the workings of a national newsroom and demonstrate how I can make the most of the multimedia skills I’ve learnt so far.”

What has been your greatest achievement at NTU so far?

“That I’ve already written stories I’m really proud of. I recently interviewed local activists in the People’s Vote campaign and produced an article that I think brings a national political issue to a local level in a vivid and interesting way.”