Student media

Introducing a NEW Nottingham Advantage Award module!

About this module

IGNITE Magazine is UNMC’s online student media platform, operated by students under the guidance of academic staff from the School of Modern Languages and Culture (SMLC). Students from any UNMC faculty who are interested in contributing as writers, editors, photographers, public relations officers and advertising managers are invited to join the IGNITE family and contribute to the official Student Media at the UNMC, while gaining NAA credit in the process. 

Ignite focuses mainly on events, projects and issues that involve the UNMC student and staff community. We are keen on working with (1) aspiring journalists who are invested in long-form, serious reporting, (2) those with a keen insight on creating fun, humorous and entertainment-oriented content and (3) self-motivated, independent and creative individuals keen on putting their skills in service of furthering student media on (perhaps even off) campus. 

Students who are interested in participating as a public relations officer can contribute by managing’s Ignite various social media profiles (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram), and through live events targeting the UNMC student body. 

We are also looking for individuals who are interested in the business/commercial aspect of digital media operations, and who are motivated to generate revenue for Ignite via hosting advertisements, sponsored articles, etc.  

Aims and objectives

The module's aims to provide: 

• Promote media literacy among all participants; 
• Provide an active platform for aspiring writers and photographers to hone and showcase their talents, as well as to amass a creative portfolio; 
• Develop communication skills and the ability to frame, analyse and contextualise current issues for the UNMC audience; 
• By working for an organisation that has readership demands, news cycles and intra-organisation mobility; students will pick up transferable skills that can help them in their future endeavours within and outside the realms of media.  
  
  

Target students     

Interested students from any faculty and year are encouraged to apply. Those who are self-motivated, passionate and able to work under tight deadlines will make the most out of this module. 

Module details

This will be a semester long module. Participating students (writers/ photographers) are required to attend a minimum of three (3) Editorial meetings. According to their skill and interest as indicated in the application form, they will be assigned to a Section and a respective Editor at the discretion of the IGNITE management team. Photography candidates are automatically placed under the Head Photographer(s). 

Throughout the module, participants are given assignment(s) and feedback by their assigned member of the Editorial Team. All content has to be approved by the Head Photographer/Editor before publication. Through correspondence and Editorial meetings candidates are guided and trained by the Editorial team and media professionals/SMLC staff. 

Advertising Managers and Public Relations Officers will put their creativity and management skills to use in encouraging media literacy among the UNMC community, enhancing IGNITE's capabilities and in improving IGNITE's reputation. Through team work, problem solving, communication and business and/or social media strategies they will come up with a proposal to be pitched to IGNITE's management. Constant guidance and feedback will be provided to applicants throughout the semester.  

Assessment

1. Writers and Photographers' Portfolio of Published Content (75%): Writers must publish an article (with the approval of their Editor) once a month, throughout the semester, i.e. a minimum of 3 articles over the academic semester. Writers must aim to complete at least two of their articles before the last three weeks of the semester. In a similar framework, photographers must publish at least 3 images in 3 separate Ignite articles. 
2. Advertising Managers’ Business Strategy and Final Report (75%): Advertising managers should work together as a team and submit a business strategy proposal within the first month of the semester, outlining the potential clients they plan to approach. At the end of the semester, the advertising managers will present a report that details the successes (and failures) they achieved in attempting to secure advertising revenue for Ignite.  
3. Public Relations Officer’s PR Strategy and Final Report (75%): The public relations officers will work together to submit a team report within the first month of the semester, detailing their strategies and methods for improving the quality of Ignite’s interactions with the UNMC student body (digitally or otherwise). At the end of the semester, the PR officers will submit a group report detailing the successes (and failures) of these strategies and methods. 
4. Reflection (25%): A short essay (minimum 500 words) that critically reflects on their involvement/ interaction with the IGNITE team, event coverage assignments, the writing/ photography/ strategy management process, challenges faced and overcome, what they learned and how they contributed to student media in general as well as links to the articles written/ photographed for/ relevant material concerning the strategy report. 
   
   

Registration