UL journalism students produce local paper

The first cohort of University of Limerick journalism students have produced a local newspaper for the community of Moyross in Limerick city - a year after the launch of a major regeneration plan for the area. The Moyross Voice is the first on-campus newspaper produced by university students in Ireland for a disadvantaged community.  The paper today reveals that Defence Minister Willie O'Dea has brought a comprehensive plan to Cabinet to fast track the Regeneration of Moyross and three other areas in Limerick following the loss of 1,900 jobs in Dell.

Speaking at the launch of the Moyross Voice, University of Limerick President Professor Don Barry said "this project is one of many the University is undertaking in its efforts to reach out to disadvantaged communities in Limerick.  We hope the community of Moyross will benefit from producing this paper and gaining insights into their interaction with the media while our students have equally benefited from the experience of publishing it.  The University is deeply committed to the Regeneration initiatives in Limerick and we hope the Moyross Voice and other ongoing projects will yield significant benefits for the communities involved."

The Moyross Voice was produced by the first 12 Graduate Diploma/MA in Journalism students at the University of Limerick as part of their team project. The 16-page newspaper was produced under the same strict editorial guidelines of all local newspapers - a fair and balanced coverage of the main issues concerning the people.  The UL journalism students had to source and write all the news, sports and feature stories. They also wrote the editorials and analysis pieces and designed the pages in the college's Newsroom.

Journalism Course Director Mary Dundon said that the aim of the project was to give the students hands-on experience of writing and producing a local newspaper. "The editors of local and national media have told us that they need graduates with good analytical skills who can write sharp concise news copy under strict deadlines and also design pages - we are producing those graduates at UL," Ms Dundon added.

Paddy Flannery, Moyross Community Centre manager said " I hope the students will have got an insight into the richness of life and stories in a place like Moyross and that as journalists they will be better equipped to capture this. It was a pleasure to work with the graduates on this project. It is essential in the interests of fair and balanced journalism that graduates participating on these types of courses have access to communities such as Moyross so that they can see first hand the challenges and successes that can be achieved when people work together."

The Moyross Voice is part of a community outreach project being supported by UL President Professor Don Barry and the contributors to the Presidents Dinner which will take place in May 2009. 

The project, Having a Voice in Regeneration aims to empower people living in Regeneration areas to directly influence the process. The other projects include:

  -  The conference entitled, Having a Voice, to empower 70 working class women living in the Regeneration areas to directly influence the process and improve their own lives.

-  On campus media training for people in Regeneration areas to write and produce their own newspaper/web publication.

Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, Professor Pat O'Connor said: 'This project reflects the University's commitment to the regeneration of disadvantaged communities and a desire to use the skills of its faculty and students in empowering those communities.'