Four aspiring journalists studying Multimedia Journalism MA at the University of Westminster have collaborated with London-based TV channel London Live to create a series of documentaries covering a range of issues from AI to Motorsport and showcase them live on the channel.
During work placements at London Live, the four students had the chance to collaborate with a team of established journalists and create a documentary focusing on young Londoners. After many interviews, hours of research and filming involving all the students studying on the documentary module, each report came together and have now been showcased on the channel itself.
The segment was called Student Spotlight and saw each student talk to a presenter about the reason they chose their topic, what the process was like and what they hoped to achieve through the creation of their documentary.
The first student up on the sofa was Sameed Kakroo who, with three other students, combined their passion for women’s rights and technology to create a documentary on how the rise of AI online influencers are affecting beauty standards. The film highlighted the dangers of AI influencers and explored the nuances of this new phenomenon by talking to Londoners, the founder of the world’s first all-digital modelling agency and real-life influencers.
The second student was Bronwyn Latham who decided to make a documentary on the hurdles Muslim women face in sport. The film explored the underrepresentation in sport for Muslim women and deep dived into the reasons for this, such as a lack of facilities and understanding on what needs to be done to create a safe and comfortable space. To find out more, Latham spoke to the Chair of the Muslim Sport Association, the FA and the founder of Modest Moves, a boxing club for women in East London.
Next to showcase her documentary was Carys Ladd who looked into the rise of bowel cancer in people under the age of 50. Using her background in science and her personal experience, she aimed to spread awareness so young people can recognise the symptoms and can advocate for themselves. To do this she spoke to someone living with bowel cancer to get a better understanding of what the diagnosis means on a personal level. Along with this she interviewed medical professionals, scientists and charity workers to gain knowledge about the reality of the illness and to see what is being done to help combat it.
The final documentary was created by Matin Animashaun whose team decided to focus on women in motorsport and the hurdles they face. Through talking to professional female drivers and female fans, he exposed the barriers preventing women from getting involved with the male-dominated sport and showed what women can do to break these walls.
Jim Grice, Lecturer in Broadcast Digital Media Production, said: “This was an exciting and generous opportunity to have been given by London Live and the students involved really rose to the challenge. Hopefully this level of hands-on experience will really help them get their careers in journalism off to a good start.”
Giving students the opportunity to gain experience in a real-life newsroom directly contributes to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4: Quality Education, while the students’ documentaries contribute to 3: Good Health and Wellbeing and 10: Reduced Inequalities. Since 2019, the University of Westminster has used the SDGs holistically to frame strategic decisions to help students and colleagues fulfil their potential and contribute to a more sustainable, equitable and healthier society.
Watch the full segment on the London Live website.
Find out more about Media and Communication courses at the University of Westminster.
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