MA Journalism student published in The Independent

Falmouth Flexible MA Journalism student Aimee Coelho has an opinion piece published in The Independent today.

Both a teacher and journalist by trade, Aimee knew she had a story to tell as controversy built round the UK's school exam results process this year.

Concerned about the mental health of the students she was in touch with through her role as a teacher and parent, Aimee discussed and honed the idea in her MA Journalism seminars. With the exam results story constantly evolving, her fresh angle on the highly-covered situation came from not only interviewing students who’d already received their results, but those going back to the classroom next month.

Aimee reached out to a number of such students and spoke to them about their anxieties around what awaited them in the next academic year. This unique insight helped her piece stand out, and after pitching it to editors at the Independent, the article was commissioned.

By considering the concerns of those students, and hearing their voices, Aimee was able to create a piece that was both thought-provoking and informative. When asked about what drove her to pitch her work, Aimee gave a special mention to her course tutors Kate de Pury and Yusof Abdul-Rahman.

“I’ve found the course really helpful in giving me confidence to start pitching ideas and understanding what the newsroom wants. The course tutors, Kate and Yusof, are incredibly supportive and passionate about journalism, which is one of the reasons I signed up for the Master’s course – to be inspired to get myself out there.”

You can read Aimee Coelho’s full opinion piece on The Independent.

Interested in the future of quality journalism? Our MA Journalism Course Co-Leader Kate de Pury recorded a special podcast with Tom Kent, former Associated Press Standards Editor and Adjunct Associate Professor, Columbia University, USA: