Bob Friend

Huge congratulations to Jemma Collins, winner of the 2012 Sky Bob Friend Memorial Scholarship. It is a major achievement and I know everyone in the Centre will join me in expressing our pride in Jemma's succcess. We will, of course, have the opportunity to celebrate together at Alex Crawford's Bob Friend Memorial Lecture on 21 February at which Jemma will receive her award from Rob Kirk, head of editorial development at Sky News. Very many thanks also to the four excellent runners up, Lydia Deichmann, Sam Thompson, Bill Topping and Kieran Watkins. This year's entries were particularly good and competition was intense. Members of the interview panel were immensely impressed by all the shortlisted students. We are proud of you.   

The Sky Bob Friend Memorial Scholarship might plausibly be described as the most valuable award available to an undergraduate student of journalism in the UK. It is certainly the biggest prize available to first year students in the Centre for Journalism.  It reimburses the winner’s first year tuition fee (UK/EU rate) and provides a month-long, funded work placement at Sky News.  Competition is fierce. So, what do you have to do to win? Applicants must provide, by 12 noon on Friday 27 January, a detailed proposal for a multi-platform treatment of a topical news item, appropriate to Sky News. Multi-platform means content suitable for TV, radio, online and mobile platforms. Proposals will be considered by a panel that will draw up a final shortlist of candidates. On Wednesday 1 February the shortlisted students will sit tests in general knowledge and spelling set by Sky News. Finally the candidates will be interviewed by a panel consisting of Rob Kirk of Sky News, Tim Luckhurst, Ian Reeves and Stephen Claypole of DMA Media. The scholar will be chosen according to the scholarship rules (available on request). The scholar will receive their prize from Alex Crawford OBE, RTS award winning Special Correspondent for Sky News and 2012 Bob Friend Memorial Lecturer, at her lecture on Tuesday 21 February in the Pilkington Lecture Theatre.  Our previous scholars, Alan McGuinness (2009), Dan May (2010) and Tania Steere (2011), can reveal all. Ian and I will offer guidance when term begins. 

 Any of those first years struggling for inspiration or just generally wanting a few minutes off from doing their Sky treatments this weekend, check out the little diary I did while at Sky documenting all the wonderful things I did. I said in the little talk I did (that was criminally unattended) I'd whack it up for all to see so enjoy.

There will be a short briefing session for first year students interested in applying for the Bob Friend Sky News scholarship at lunchtime on Tuesday. Last year's scholar, Dan May, will also be on hand to give his perspective on the selection process and on the benefits of the scheme. Meet at 1pm in the main newsroom.

The Sky Bob Friend Memorial Scholarship might plausibly be described as the most valuable award available to an undergraduate student of journalism in the UK. It is certainly the biggest prize available to first year students in the Centre for Journalism.  It reimburses the winner’s first year tuition fee (UK/EU rate) and provides a month-long, funded work placement at Sky News.  Competition is fierce. So, what do you have to do to win? Applicants must provide, by 12 noon on Friday 27 January, a detailed proposal for a multi-platform treatment of a topical news item, appropriate to Sky News. Multi-platform means content suitable for TV, radio, online and mobile platforms. Proposals will be considered by a panel that will draw up a final shortlist of candidates. On Wednesday 1 February the shortlisted students will sit tests in general knowledge and spelling set by Sky News. Finally the candidates will be interviewed by a panel consisting of Rob Kirk of Sky News, Tim Luckhurst, Ian Reeves and Stephen Claypole of DMA Media. The scholar will be chosen according to the scholarship rules (available on request). The scholar will receive their prize from Alex Crawford OBE, RTS award winning Special Correspondent for Sky News and 2012 Bob Friend Memorial Lecturer, at her lecture on Tuesday 21 February in the Pilkington Lecture Theatre.  Our previous scholars, Alan McGuinness (2009), Dan May (2010) and Tania Steere (2011), can reveal all. Ian and I will offer guidance when term begins. 

 I start my 4-week work placement at Sky on Monday as part of the Bob Friend Memorial Scholarship.

For those of you who want to follow my progress or just want be generally nosey, I'll try and update this new blog every evening, recounting the day's activities.

Hope everyone is enjoying their summer break so far!

Very pleasing to read, inToday's Medway Messenger and at Kent Online, the 2009 Bob Friend Scholar helping to draw wide attention to Dan May's success in the 2010 competition.

I haven't used Cover It Live before, so tonight's Bob Friend Memorial Lecture, delivered by the BBC director-general Mark Thompson, seems a good opportunity to experiment.

I am looking for three first years to shoot Mark Thompson tomorrow. Also, someone to cut something quickly late Wednesday night or first thing Thursday morning for our site and wider distribution.

Please let me know.

Daniel May has been named as the Sky News Bob Friend Memorial Scholar for 2010. He will formally receive the award from Sky News's editorial development manager Rob Kirk on the evening of March 3 at the Sky Bob Friend Memorial Lecture, to be delivered this year by BBC Director-General Mark Thompson.