Student & Graduate Stories

Guest blog by Liberty Reeves, BA (Hons) Communication and Media graduate

This summer was one of my best. Ever.

After a drive, and a plane, and another plane, and a taxi, and then the next morning a walk and a bus, I made it to CJAM 99.1FM, a community radio station in Windsor, Ontario, Canada.

It was a serendipitous trip that landed me 4,000 miles away for two months, wedged in between an undergraduate and postgraduate degree. This placement was part of an international radio initiative developed by Dr Gloria Khamkar – my lecturer for the Activism and Communication unit on my BA (Hons) Communication and Media degree at Bournemouth University (BU) – through her connection with the National Campus and Community Radio Association in Canada.

The BU Turing Scheme team was a great support during this time, and the process was simple: get permissions signed, take a cultural awareness course, and keep moving forward. My internship was entirely customisable, designed to support me in whatever area of broadcast journalism that I was looking to develop my skills in.

A few months prior, I had begun a show at BU Nerve Radio called The Jean Genies as well as a breakfast chat weekly to understand the operations behind radio. I also practised interviews in a Media Convergence unit for my degree to prepare for the journalism aspect of my internship. Preparation also extended to securing visas and completing cultural awareness courses, supported by the BU Turing Scheme team, who helped me apply for funding to make this Canadian internship possible.

The Turing Scheme is an international mobility project designed to help youth with the additional costs and support associated with gaining academic and employability experience abroad. Not all universities have signed up to receive funding, but luckily Bournemouth University has.

Once at CJAM, I created a new show and social media called Mad Sounds to broadcast local artists and new Canadian talent, which I now pre-record and send from the UK. I also interviewed a touring band called Anyone Awake and ran a travel episode where I recounted my week travelling across Ontario and Quebec.

My experience at CJAM has been undeniably pivotal in my aspiring journalist career and gives me the valuable experience that sets me apart from other candidates in the job market. If you’re thinking of gaining international radio work experience during your degree, don’t wait – connect with Dr Gloria Khamkar to explore her Canadian community radio internships initiative and start planning your application through the BU Turing Scheme early.

Good luck!