Wow- what a trip the Year 10 students of Charles Darwin went on; a once-in-a-lifetime visit to the 16th level of London's infamous Shard building, touring and learning about news broadcasting with Al Jazeera! A total of thirteen students gifted in Media and English were selected as guests for this truly amazing experience and it is safe to say everyone enjoyed it!
Wednesday 22nd of February was the date of this insightful visit- and it was very insightful indeed. The students toured both what we seen on our TV screen (such as the newsroom stage) and what we don't see behind the scenes. They saw the main control room, with an entire wall of monitors showing all the different images both being received and sent by the main Al Jazeera headquarters in Doha. It seemed a rather overwhelming workplace- especially with the large control board crammed with blinking buttons and switches.
Students also had the chance to witness the work of editors- you know, the ones who time everything perfectly for the live broadcast so we get the most top-notch viewing experience. It was incredible to see how technologically orientated the set up is, everything from the remotely controlled cameras to the even more intense soundboard they controlled. But the tour wasn't over yet- oh no!
Once in the presence of the news desk itself, some students could not contain their excitement and were allowed to sit in the news chair for picture-posing. The cameras showed their pictures back at them, and it was surreal how suited they looked in their school uniform against the newsroom animated backdrop. And this experience was neatly followed by meeting Otto the cameraman, who allowed the special guests to roll the camera he uses to film at remote locations. One lucky student was wired up whilst her peers called her from the main control room, interviewing her through her earpiece!
But what by far rounded off the day calmly and collectedly was three specialised staff members who came to teach the children of the vast range of areas in the Al Jazeera workplace. They came from entirely different aspects- one played a major role in daily news, another a head of design, whilst the final directed programs that were filmed much further in advance (and with less pressure than the fast-paced daily news!).
The day was overall fantastic, and very beneficial for students who aim to join the media career path, and have already begun through means of the Young Reporters. Four Young Reporters were present.
Ciara Fleming, Charles Darwin School
