Features/Education Feature: 20 Feb 2018
The Hot Press Newsdesk

Student Scheme Open To All Third Level Students

The Simon Cumbers Media Fund is now seeking applications from third level students interested in reporting on development issues for a national media outlet.

Simon Cumbers Media Fund seeks to harness budding journalists’ interest in development issues by facilitating assignment to Africa and Vietnam

The Student Scheme is teaming up with Newstalk and TheJournal.ie to offer two students the opportunity to work with experienced journalists to develop their story proposals and then to report from one of Irish Aid’s key partner countries.

Supported by Irish Aid at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Simon Cumbers Media Fund Student Scheme aims to enhance students’ understanding of the developing world. Previous recipients have reported on topics such as family planning and sexual health in Ethiopia and the fight against leprosy in Tanzania.

Student Scheme judge and former RTÉ broadcaster, Rodney Rice said: “The Student Scheme presents students with a real-world experience of reporting on assignment from one of Irish Aid’s partner countries.

"The initiative facilitates personal development in addition to journalistic development. For some, it will represent an important first step in their career as a journalist and for others it will provide the opportunity to explore journalistically a topic in which they are interested."

Applicants do not need to be studying a media related course, however, a strong applicant will display journalistic flair in their sample work and will have identified a unique angle to pursue in their project, one that recognises and understands development issues as distinctly human issues.

Applications to the Student Scheme must be submitted online through the Simon Cumbers Media Fund website by 28 March 2018.

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to attend for interview with the mentors and a representative from the Department of Foreign Affairs. Full details of the scheme are available at: www.simoncumbersmediafund.ie/students.