When the coronavirus crisis brought Charlie Rhodes’ internship to an abrupt end last year, he feared he would have no placement for his final year at UCFB. However, the BA (Hons) Multimedia Sports Journalism student was introduced to a sports writer role at Chekd Media, where he’s gained invaluable insight into life as a sports journalist. Here, the UCFB Etihad Campus student tells us more about the role and his time at UCFB so far…
Tell us how the opportunity at Chekd Media came about?
Due to the coronavirus pandemic my other internship at Manchester Futsal was interrupted, so I went into my third and final year without a placement. So I decided to log onto the Employability & Enrichment portal to see if there were any opportunities and saw Chekd Media had a remote role as a sports writer which seemed too good to pass up! The content editor there used to be on the exact same course as me at UCFB, so that was a real help in transitioning into the role.
What new experiences have you had in your role and how have they helped build a career in journalism?
I have held similar roles in the past, for example at 90min.com, but this role has really helped me in providing an insight into the industry. Sticking to tight deadlines and specific in-house styles has handed me valuable first-hand experience of what a job in journalism may entail. The feedback from those already in the industry is something that I believe is essential to one's professional development.
How are you managing working in this role alongside your degree?
If I am completely honest managing two modules and a dissertation, as well as this new role, was slightly overwhelming at first. However, as I became accustomed to the sort of articles I was writing it became more apparent that time management was not only a priority but a necessity. I try and split my week so the first three days are dedicated to completing the four articles I am set, and then the remaining days are spent completing UCFB work.
What have you taken into your role at Chekd Media from what you’ve learnt at UCFB?
Particularly in first year the more 'hands-on' side of the course, including match reports and feature length article writing, have undoubtedly helped me to cope with the workload at Chekd Media. Over the three years I have been at UCFB my writing has progressed and is almost incomparable to when I look at my work prior to the course. The course content isn't just limited to the technicalities of journalistic writing either; the lecturers are eager to impart as much knowledge about how to conduct yourself as a journalist in the field, as well as in other working environments.
What advice can you offer to any potential students looking to study journalism?
The most important piece of advice I can give to those looking to study journalism is grasp every opportunity you can find, no matter how insignificant you may think it is. The course leaders will stress the importance of work experience, as the only way to progress as a journalist is to keep building your portfolio and getting your foot in the door in as many places as you can. I cannot recommend the course enough – it is definitely geared towards finding you future employment, rather than simply handing you a degree at the end.
