Matt studies MA Newspaper Journalism as was the recipient of the Scott Trust Bursary.
What scholarship did you receive?
I received the Scott Trust Bursary from the Guardian to allow me to study Newspaper Journalism at City.
What undergraduate course did you study?
I studied Popular Music at Goldsmiths, graduating in 2015.
What have you enjoyed most about your time at City?
My favourite module has been the sports specialism module, taught by the former Chief football correspondent at the Independent. We’ve learned about news and feature writing in the sports industry as well as match reporting – we even did our match reporting assessment live at a Charlton Athletic game!
I’ve most enjoyed learning from a range of journalists working in different fields. It’s been great picking our teachers' brains about what it’s like to work in the industry.
What are your interests outside of your course?
I play a lot of amateur sports, and enjoy going to the cinema when I'm not working.
What do you plan to do after you graduate?
After graduating, I want to become a reporter, hopefully specialising in news, sports, or investigations. I’m incredibly excited to start working at the Guardian after I finish my course.
What would be your top tip for our applicants?
My top tip is to read as much news as you possibly can! The course encourages you to think critically about the journalism you consume, so read/watch/listen from a wide range of sources, read some books about how to be a journalist, and try to get an understanding of the practices that go into reporting. And try to get some work published!
What is your proudest academic achievement?
My proudest academic achievement is definitely winning the scholarship to study at City. I don't come from a very academic background, so it was really encouraging to know that there were people who believed in me becoming a journalist.
How do you see your subject of study changing in the future?
AI will drastically change what it means to be a journalist in the near future. Some of my modules, including Media Law, have already adjusted teaching for this and factored AI into the assessment. I hope that AI will improve workflow and creativity in journalism, but we’re in unchartered waters.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
I was never top of my class and couldn’t rely on outstanding academic achievements to win the scholarship.
What I did was demonstrate my dedication to and obsession with journalism to convince people that I could do it. I was working on building sites when I applied – if I can do it, so can you!
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