A RADIO documentary has been commissioned about an investigative journalism course taught at two Scottish universities.
Following articles in allmediascotland.com (here) and The Guardian newspaper, both of which looked at how journalist and lecturer, Eamonn O’Neill, teaches investigative journalism, BBC Radio Scotland has decided to produce a documentary about it.
O’Neill not only gets his students at Strathclyde University to examine the academic theories and history behind investigative journalism, but also has them working on a real, live case.
O’Neill ran a similar course at Napier University, in Edinburgh, until this year.
He says: “The timing is perfect, since my full-time employers at Strathclyde University, where I have taught for the past five years, have now developed a ground-breaking new Masters MSc in Investigative Journalism, which launches this autumn.
“And this week I was formally appointed its programme director.
“We’ve already attracted huge interest and applications from around the world, for a course that is certainly unique in the UK and probably Europe too.
“Strong interest has already come from the USA, where teaching investigative journalism at university level is more common; indeed, I gave a series of lectures on the subject at Strathclyde’s ‘sister’ university, Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, and we’re hoping to have several students from there join us.”
