SarahLonsdale's blog

Your reporter in fiction second essay has now been marked and moderated and is ready for collection. I will be in my office 12 - 4 on Wednesday and 12 - 4 on Friday if you want to pop in and pick it up from me then. Please could the last person who had my McNair book (initially lent to Daniel but I think then passed around) bring it back to me asap.

The second assessed essay questions for Reporter in Fiction are now up on the module notes. Good Luck!

Topics for seminar 2 (November 11) are now on the module notes. Jade, Sophie, Jason, Dan and Angela are exempted from preparing a paper, however do please still come along armed with tricky questions as questioning is part of your in-cass contribution.

The essay titles for your first assessed essay (plus deadline, assessment and instructions) are now on module notes. Enjoy.

Please note that due to a clash with the radio news day the second reporter in fiction seminar will be on Friday November 11

Over 90 per cent of  the Centre for Journalism's third years - our first cohort of students - have now passed the notoriously difficult NCTJ newswriting exam. Fourteen out of the fifteen students have now passed, a stunning level of achievement for the Centre. In addition, six out of eight of our first year of Postgrads - 75 per cent - passed the new Diploma Reporting exam at the first attempt. We wish all our leavers well as they move into the world of work, and congratulations on your success here.

Panorama on Tuesday May 31st was a stunning example of good investigative journalism. Using a hidden camera, an undercover reporter exposed horrifying abuse at a privately-run home for adults with learning difficulties. It was shocking, uncomfortable viewing. As a result, the company that runs the home - and many others - has suspended 13 employees. Police have arrested four. Watch it on i-player.

The interim deadline for the MA NCTJ portfolio is Monday June 6. By this time you will need to have completed: your feature, your public affairs multimedia package and at least 5 of the ten news stories. We will then be able to give you an idea of how many stories you should aim to get from your work experience. The final deadline for finished portfolios is  Friday July 15.

Because of the third year TV newsday in the postgrad newsroom, there will be no postgrad conference on Friday morning. The Friday Reporting seminar will be in Pilkington, starting at 10.00am

Reporting and Writing Lecturer Sarah Lonsdale won her third award for environmental reporting at a national press awards ceremony this week. Winning the award for 'environment and sustainability writer of the year' for her Sunday Telegraph weekly columns at the National Press Property Awards in London, Sarah was praised for her in-depth knowledge of the subject and her 'engaging writing style'. This is the third award for environmental journalism Sarah has won in four years.