Last Chance to Enter Future Journalist Awards

Students aged seven to eighteen have only days left to enter Staffordshire University’s annual Future Journalist Awards.

The awards are organised by third-year journalism and PR students and aim to discover the next generation of journalists and inspire young people to consider a career in media.

The deadline for entries is Friday, February 7, 2020 and to enter applicants need to write an article, review or blog, or create a short video or audio clip.

Matthew Brindley-Sadler, Associate Dean for the School of Computing and Digital Technologies at Staffordshire University, said: “The main aim of the Future Journalist Awards is to champion local talent. We would encourage anyone with a passion for writing, blogging and vlogging, content creation, or an interest in creating videos or podcasts to enter.”

Since the launch of the competition in November, students from the media department have delivered workshops at schools and colleges around Staffordshire and Cheshire, promoting the competition and providing guidance on entering.

The winner of each category will receive a £50 Amazon voucher and will be invited to take part in an interactive Newsday Experience at the Staffordshire University Broadcast Newsroom.

This year, there are also three additional prizes which will be awarded to students who opt to write or vlog about certain topics.
The prizes include a media experience at Stoke City Football Club open to those who choose sport as the topic for their entry, two tickets to a virtual reality (VR) experience at XPVR in Hanley for the winner with a technology-themed submission, and a day-pass to Trentham Gardens for a family of four, for the winner who writes or vlogs about nature or the environment.

All finalists from each of the five categories will be invited to a special award ceremony that
takes place on Friday, March 20, 2020. The competition closes on Friday, February 7, 2020. Full details on how to enter can be found on the competition website https://blogs.staffs.ac.uk/futurejournalist/