New Thomson Reuters Foundation MA in International Journalism

Journalism students will now be offered a unique experience to study alongside top reporters in one of the world’s most respected newsrooms at the Thomson Reuters Foundation’s London headquarters.

The University of Lincoln, UK, and the Thomson Reuters Foundation have announced the creation of a unique new Master’s degree course, starting this September*. The MA International Journalism course is an innovative new partnership designed to equip new generations of journalists to report impartially on critical global issues facing society today.

Covering topics spanning the human impact of climate change to human rights issues, access to land and property rights, and social enterprise, the Thomson Reuters Foundation is known globally for producing the highest quality independent journalism that informs professionals, policymakers and the public in countries around the world.

The full-time, one-year MA International Journalism programme will offer Master’s students the chance to learn from leading industry professionals through a rich syllabus, made up of both theoretical and practical sessions, both at the University of Lincoln and at the Thomson Reuters Foundation in London’s Canary Wharf.

Underpinned by the Thomson Reuters Foundation’s commitment to reporting the under-reported, the curriculum is designed for graduates from a wide range of disciplines (not limited to journalism graduates) with a passion for exploring and explaining the events that impact the lives of people all over the world.

Students will experience real-time deadlines on newsroom assignments, creating copy to the most rigorous editorial standards, fit to ‘go out on the wires’ to a global daily audience of up to a billion people, during five intensive three-day periods of work-based learning. Alongside integrated work experience with current and former Reuters journalists, they will study the theory and practice of journalism with leading academic experts at the University of Lincoln’s Brayford Pool Campus in central Lincoln, with access to industry-standard newsrooms, TV and radio studios and other on-campus resources, including Lincoln’s award-winning Great Central Warehouse Library.

On completion of the Master’s, two graduates from the course will secure a six-month paid internship with the editorial team at Thomson Reuters Foundation. These will be awarded on a competitive basis following a selection process.

Antonio Zappulla, CEO of the Thomson Reuters Foundation, said: “Free and independent media is the cornerstone of democracy. There has never been a greater need for the Foundation’s focus on promoting world-class, impartial, trusted news that puts human lives at the centre of the story. We are proud to partner with the University of Lincoln to equip more journalists with the skills they need to ensure the continued flow of unbiased information to the public globally.”

Professor Jason Whittaker, Head of the School of English and Journalism at the University of Lincoln, said: “In an era of fake news, there is a vital place for the calibre of informed and unbiased journalism that Reuters is known for. This unique new Master’s programme offers aspiring journalists remarkable insight into the production of the news, as well as access to the newsroom environment of an elite media organisation. Coupled with a rigorous academic approach to modern contexts, this programme aims to develop the tenets and techniques necessary for challenging, rewarding careers in national and international news media.”

*This course is currently subject to validation (as at May 2019). Please see https://www.lincoln.ac.uk/home/course/itnjouma/ for more details on the programme.