A new television news studio facility has been unveiled at the University of Limerick as part of a major expansion of its journalism department.
RTE’s Bryan Dobson, who is Adjunct Professor of Journalism in UL officially opened the facility on today (Tuesday).
The €25,000 kit-out includes a number of high end cameras, lighting and backdrop facilities for TV news production as well as equipment to enable and enhance Mobile Journalism content creation by students.
Adjunct Professor in Broadcast Journalism at UL Bryan Dobson said the opening of the new studio marked “another important stage in the development of the University of Limerick School of Journalism.”
“Today more than ever it is vital that students of journalism receive training across all media platforms. The old boundaries that divided print from broadcasting are dissolving in the new online media environment. Journalism students at UL will now have access to an excellent facility that will prepare them for a rapidly changing profession. I very much look forward to working with students in this studio in the period ahead.”
Journalism subject leader and lecturer in Broadcast Journalism at UL Dr Fergal Quinn said the investment was a major boost for journalism in UL. “We are preparing students to work in a fast-changing industry and they have to be familiar with current broadcast technologies and workflows. We have invested in equipment that helps us train them in high end electronic news gathering and bulletin creation, to a TV broadcast quality.
“This is part of an ongoing effort to put broadcast journalism front and centre of what we offer our journalism students here in UL. We intend to continue building our capacity in this area.”
Head of the School of Culture and Communication Dr. Tadhg Ó hIfearnáin said the new studio is further positive evidence of the way in which Journalism in UL continues to develop and expand professional and academic training. “It also provides more opportunities for Journalism faculty and students to engage with the campus community in their work through the use of the studio in broadcasting and training.”
All pics and video by Sean Curtin (True Media)
UL TV and News Studio from True Media on Vimeo.