Newspaper – The Beacon
The Institute of Communication and Media Studies has been providing a solid grounding in print reporting for cub reporters for the last 16 years through its unique and successful initiative called The Beacon. The daily practice newspaper is written and published by the students of the M.A. Journalism & Mass Communication program, providing a real-time simulated experience of a newsroom.
The Beacon follows a complete workflow, mirroring the actual newsroom process, starting with pitching news story ideas to the editorial board, intense discussions on the news sense of the pitch, and finding varied sources. After preliminary research, the student reporters hunt for multiple sources, conduct field interviews, and write news stories in line with the modern principles of reporting, editing, and design.
Each day's copies are published well within the deadline. This immersive experience has transformed enthusiastic cub reporters into fully-fledged professional reporters, who have ended up working for several reputable news organisations.