QM News 74 (pdf 1.58 MB) - Queen Margaret University

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ALUMNI PROFILE
Postcard from Clare Carswell
Community Editor, STV Local Edinburgh North
BA (Hons) Media and Culture 2008
Claire Carswell
Since graduated from QMU in 2008,
Clare has had an exciting and varied
couple of years which culminated in
her landing the role of Community
Editor for STV Local Edinburgh North
in March 2011. As well as taking a
postgraduate programme to specialise
in multimedia journalism, Clare gained
a myriad of media experience whilst at
QMU and after graduation, including
volunteering with and working for Leith
FM, Radio Borders, Radio Scotland, The
Borders Book Festival and festival review
publication ‘Three Weeks’. We caught
up with Clare on one of her yearly visits
to QMU to talk to our second year BA
(Hons) Media students about how to
build a career in the industry.
What made you choose media at
QMU?
I already had an idea that I wanted
to work in the media in some way or
another but I think I actually chose QMU
first rather than the specific course.
I had heard it was a very practical
university that specialised in courses
which provided skills relevant to graduate
employment. Taking my interest in radio
and photography into consideration the
Media and Culture programme looked
like the best fit for me.
How has your degree from
QMU helped you in your career
progression?
Firstly I’d say I really enjoyed the
programme at QMU. It worked my
brain and made me look at ideas
and concepts which I might not have
otherwise considered. The course
included sections on subjects such as
philosophy and sociology as well as the
more practical aspects of the media. It
was definitely a perfectly placed first rung
on the ladder. Whilst the experiences
and learning I have had since leaving
QMU also contributed to me being
where I am today, I’m very aware that
QMU gave me a solid foundation for my
future career.
What are your main memories of
being a student at QMU?
My main memories are probably those
from my final year when my friends and I
would discuss difficult coursework, plan
and panic about our dissertations while
enjoying one of many cups of coffee.
I also have fond memories of the music
group that was run by Rob MacKillop
the musician in residence at the time,
and we had great fun just making
music in informal groups. It was a great
balance to the hard work I was putting
in elsewhere at QMU and we would
perform for staff, students and the public
as well. It’s important to make sure you
have interests outside of your studies.
Any tips for current students?
To be enthusiastic about their interests
and make every effort to get practical
experience - get involved! Find out what
you like and plan how you’re going to
get experience and ultimately land a job
in that area. It’s important to make sure
you get a variety of experiences in and
around your chosen field. I’m fairly sure
it stood me in good stead when applying
for my current job that I could say on
my CV that I had experience in radio,
podcasting, print journalism, media
research, arts reviewing, and a host
of other things like working at a book
festival and experience of photography.
You don’t necessarily need to plan long
term – media is the kind of industry
where you need to grasp opportunities
when they arise – but you should have
a definite goal or a definite idea of what
you want to get out of each experience
before you start.
What’s the best thing about your
current job?
Having a good team of colleagues
makes all the difference and I’m very
lucky in that respect. They’re an excellent
sounding board for ideas as they all
have a very wide range of experiences
in the media and the content of their
work is varied. It’s also great to have
the opportunity to meet interesting and
inspirational people every day. There’s
a lot of variety in my job which helps to
keep you interested and focused.
What’s the most challenging thing
about your job?
Trying to make sure the area is well
represented and that the journalistic
quality remains high. We work at a really
fast pace but it’s important to make sure
that the web content is well balanced
and that events are well documented.
What are your plans for the future?
I’ve only been in my job since March
so at the moment I’m excited about
contributing to the success of STV Local
and watching it grow to its full potential.
We already have coverage in Edinburgh,
the North East and Lanarkshire and we
launched in Glasgow before Christmas
so it’s busy time for us right now.
Clare’s work on the Edinburgh North
section of the STV website can be found
at www.local.stv.tv/edinburgh-north