Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Digital Communication

Student Profile - Mark Boylan

Getting to experience a real-life newspaper environment was undoubtedly the most beneficial element of my education at UL. For my co-op placement, I worked as a reporter with The Racing Post. I worked alongside horse racing’s leading writers including RTÉ’s Tony O’Hehir, former Irish Independent horse racing correspondent Richard Forristal and leading sports writer David Jennings.

Every day offered a new challenge, it was always exciting. I got the opportunity to report from racing meetings around the country, generating news stories for print and online, and recording videos and podcasts. I feel the portfolio of articles, video packages and radio features I have accumulated is a testament of my abilities ahead of seeking employment.

Every step of the way I had excellent guidance from my Editor and every facet of my journalistic skills improved through this experience. In particular, I learned how to get the best out of people for stories and how to tackle sensitive topics. I couldn’t have received a better helping hand for my future career. The grounding I got at UL helped me to win the Sports Writer of the Year prize at the National Student Media Awards in 2018.

Several opportunities involving racing media have arisen as a result of this placement. Since completing Co-Op I have continued working for the Racing Post at the weekends and on my college holidays. I look forward to hopefully continuing to play a part in the paper upon graduating.

Graduate Profile - Lisa Blake 

My favourite subject in school was always English. When I began writing workshops as an extra-curricular activity in fifth year, I knew this was something I had to pursue at third level. There were so many courses that appealed to me but I wanted to choose one which incorporated a modern use of the language which is why Journalism and Digital Communication stood out to me. Breaking news excited me and I loved current affairs, so it seemed like a no-brainer. Four years on, I know I made the right choice.

My favourite thing about this course was the emphasis put on the practical application of what we learn in the newsroom; be it editing for radio, practicing a piece to camera, or writing a court report. Journalism is not just about writing for a newspaper, and this course recognises that. Upon graduation, I am equipped with the skills needed for working as a “multi-platform journalist” – something that all employers are looking for nowadays.

Choosing this course also allowed me to delve deeper into my personal interests, such as Law and Irish. As a self-confessed Gaeilgeoir, this course has allowed me to specialise in the area of Irish language journalism, lending me that competitive edge that “specialising” provides. Having chosen Law as my second elective, this gave me a superior understanding when it came to covering Media Law – an area that is crucial for all journalists to be well versed in.

The lecturers in Journalism at the University of Limerick understand that it is an ever-changing profession that requires dynamic and highly-skilled graduate journalists, and it is because of their expertise and hands-on approach coupled with the excellent facilities available to us at the university that I have completed this course feeling very satisfied with my CAO choice.

Graduate Profile - Anne O’Donoghue

On my first day in Journalism & Digital Communication I stood in a classroom with 40 strangers; classmates, lecturers and teachers. What did I know about journalism? To my surprise, it turned out not a lot; I think all I knew was that I wanted to be a journalist and had wanted to be one for quite some time.

I had quite an idealistic image of what journalism was. This was quickly rectified as the course is all about practical industry-based training. The pace of the work is fast and I learned very quickly to respect ‘the deadline’ - there are a lot of them and they come around fast.

I know myself that I was very lucky that I got a place on this course; its practical nature and constant work ethic suited me. For the most part, I was never up endless nights cramming for huge exams, but there is a sense of urgency about the work as the pressure and the workload are constant.

Coming into journalism, I think there were a few character traits that helped me. Being outgoing is one; but however outgoing I was before this course, this has definitely trebled. Also it is important to have a questioning spirit and be curious about the world around you.

My favourite aspect of this course is how industry-focused it is; everything we do is set as if we are working as real journalists. I think also it was very important to me that from the beginning we were educated in online journalism and given the skills to cope with the move to online in the industry.

Now I stand again in the classroom, confident enough to say that I not only know how the journalism industry works but have also acquired the skills to work in print, electronic and broadcast journalism. I can now say that I stand in the classroom not with 40 strangers, but with 40 colleagues and friends.

Graduate Profile - Hillary McGann

I’m very grateful that in my job there is no such thing as a typical day of work.  For the most part I work as a news desk producer, sifting through newslines and alerting the network (both TV and digital) on what is reportable. The interesting thing is that you can read the coverage plans in the morning and then all of a sudden something happens and your entire day has changed. There’s also a real adrenaline rush when it comes to chasing a news story, getting something confirmed and seeing an anchor read out your work within a matter of seconds. When I’m not on the news desk, I work in the field quite a bit where I get to work closely with a correspondent on interviews.

The real benefit and joy of working with a company like CNN is that you are expected to be both a print and broadcast journalist with an understanding and respect for the different needs of each platform. Studying Journalism at UL has really prepared me for my job here. During the course, I remember being struck by the unexpected differences with how a story should be told on TV in comparison to how it should be read in a newspaper. That being said, while they are two different platforms, the core principles of journalism that I learned in UL are invaluable on any media platform.

Hilary received The Sunday Times Young Journalist of the Year award in 2015. She is currently employed as a reporter with CNN International and based in London.

Graduate Profile - Cillian Sherlock

Occupation/Employer: TV Presenter and Reporter with RTÉ News

UL programme of study and year of graduation: Graduated in 2017 from LM039 - Journalism and Digital Communication with a minor in Law.

Why did you choose UL/this course? This course appealed to me because I was always very interested in news and current affairs. I wanted to advance my writing and broadcast skills so that I could tell stories in a creative and effective manor. I was also excited about the opportunity to study and work abroad during Third Year.

Describe your typical day: I need to get on the road to travel to whatever event I’m reporting on for that day. You’re always covering something different and get to talk to lots of people every day, and share their stories. A lot of research will generally have been done beforehand so by the time I meet up with a camera operator, we’ll have an idea of how we want to approach things - but the joy of the job is finding the unexpected and being creative on the fly. After filming and doing all the interviews, it’s time to get back to RTÉ to edit the video files. It needs to be a quick turnaround to make sure everything is done in time to be ready to present the show live in studio. After the show, its straight back to setting up the next report!

In what way did your course prepare you for your career? The course allowed me to develop my abilities in print and broadcast journalism. In job interviews after graduating, I was able to point back to a large body of work from my time at UL, as well as my Cooperative Education semester. Projects like the radio show or the Limerick Voice newspaper help students get a sense of what working in a real newsroom is like, as well as the opportunity to try out lots of different roles. You learn from the working experience of the lecturers and guest speakers and they have also given me plenty of advice since graduating.

Any advice for school leavers? Take time to be open to new people and new experiences. You don’t need to figure your whole life out now, you have loads of time! It can feel like there’s a lot of pressure on you to live up to the expectations of others, and it is very easy to get stressed out about that. But my advice would be to make sure you’re enjoying yourself and feeling fulfilled by doing what is right for you.