By Rumy Vakarelska
Salford University at the MediaCityUK in Manchester has named Emilia Mincheva as “Outstanding Journalist of the Year” at an awards ceremony at the BBC in MediaCity, Salford Quays. In a highly competitive media world, and accordingly in the UK academic institutions delivering desirable journalism and media studies degrees, the finding was a hard to find prove of a level-playing field in the industry.
A home also of BBC North and ITV’s local operations, radio 5, as well as the BBC national programming units for children, CBBC, the media power house of the North has in the face of the MediaCityUK become a focal point for international students like Emilia, who could benefit from Salford University’s relentless open-minded, skill-focused and intentionally oriented ethos.
Three years ago, Emilia has come to Salford University with somewhat wobbly English and has climbed her place to be selected as the top journalist in 2015 among 200 people.
“She has been simply outstanding”, said Paul Broster, Associate Director of the Arts and Media Programme and a Leader in Journalism at Salford University and a long-standing journalist.
“She worked incredibly hard, engaged in everything in the programme and outside, including Quays TV and a variety of work placements. “She is to graduate in July with a well-deserved first, but also has been picked from thousands of applicants to be offered a place on the BBC Trainee Scheme,” he said. “A Bulgarian star of the future for the BBC in the UK.”
Thousands of students apply for a place in this 12-months scheme every year, while Emilia has also got a summer project coming up with BBC World. Only 12 people got into this scheme from all over the UK, two of them including Emilia from Salford University.
“The reason for Emilia’s success is that she got it (the journalistic talent)”, said Broster. After meeting a few other students and witnessing the various outcomes of the TV and Radio stream in programme I know that she had a tough competition to run against.
At that point blood is rushing into my veins as I remember my own much shorter training at the BBC World, following a career in TV production, as well as that I needed at the time a third part funding for my consequent postgraduate media degree in London coupled with a sheer commitment and sleepless nights such career takes from day one.
In addition, Bulgarian-born journalists’ representation in the UK’s mainstream media is still insignificant inevitably affecting EU’s and often the international affairs coverage in the British press.
“I chose to come to study in the UK as my classmates at Kurdjali’s high school “Petko Rachev Slaveikov” wanted to do the same”, said Emilia Mincheva on the reasons why she came to study in the UK and at Salford University in particular. “I had a lot of queries and doubts before I started, also choosing between London, Manchester and other UK cities, but my love for words and the world of literature prevailed and made me set off on this unknown for me professional trail”.
“I ended up choosing Manchester, which was the right choice for me”, she said.
“I lived through a culture shock at the start, calling my professors by Christian names and all, but learnt that it is all about self-initiative, which is highly encouraged here”. What matters is what one does after the lectures and with the skills gained through the course”, she said.
“As a journalist, I do not know if I am going to change the world, but I like to ask questions, she said after I asked her about what kind of journalist she would like to become.” However, we both knew that asking questions is about trying to change the world.
“As an EU student, I have to repay indeed GBP 27, 000 to the UK state, but it is all done easy for students to do so, so I am like everybody else in the UK. I will just follow the repayment scheme.”
Two of her former high school classmates also ended up studying in two other UK universities and about the graduate in the summer of 2015. It is a small world for the right people.
Copyright2015@ Rumyana Vakarelska, Team New Europe, an editorial and public affairs consultancy produces original media content for the UK press and organisations. Email:teamneweurope@yahoo.co.uk for quotes and partnerships.
