We offer each of our trainees a summer bursary of up to £1,000 every summer of their degree to spend on journalism work experience or a journalism project, giving them the unique opportunity to travel and explore the areas of journalism they are passionate about.
Here, School of Journalism trainee Amy Collinson shares how she spent her summer bursary covering fashion and lifestyle in Milan.
What did I do?
When I initially heard about The School of Journalism summer bursary, I had absolutely no idea how I could use the funding.
I am particularly interested in fashion and lifestyle journalism, but have found it a difficult process to gain practical work experience in the fashion industry.
The more research I put into magazines, the more I discovered the importance of a strong portfolio to show employers my writing style.
High fashion: Amy stopped off at Giorgio Armani
I decided to create a fashion and lifestyle project centred around Milan, enabling me to create features based around the city and its history.
I chose Milan as it is known as the ‘fashion capital of the world’ and is home to some of the biggest fashion designers in the world.
I felt that it was rather under-represented in the media compared to the likes of Paris and New York, so I was excited to be given the opportunity to visit the city and explore its fashion and rich culture.
How did I do it?
The next thing I knew, I was booking my flights and hotel for my trip to Milan. As I was only in Milan for two full days, I was aware that I had to do a lot of prior research when planning my trip to make sure that I didn’t miss anything important.
Throughout my trip, I visited all of the main city sites to take pictures for my website.
In total, I attended five museums and exhibitions.
Amy Collinson taking in the views of the Brera art gallery in Milan
When visiting the museums I made sure to make notes on each exhibition so I could compare and critique them.
This part of my trip was extremely interesting as I was able to learn about the culture, history, and fashion of the city.
One exhibition I visited was focused on the impact globalisation has had on Milan and how the introduction of different cultures to the city has improved it.
I also created a shopping guide to Milan which contained big Italian designer brands, as well as some less well known boutiques and vintage stores which I visited.
Once I was back in the UK, I wrote up all my articles which was a fairly lengthy process because of the sheer amount of background research I put into each subject.
What does the devil wear: Amy snaps the Prada store in Milan
I created a website which I was able to upload my articles on to – completed with pictures and links to create a more immersive experience.
Once I finished my articles I began pitching my ideas and articles to online fashion and travel magazines.
This helped develop my confidence in pitching, as well as my overall pitching technique.
What did I learn?
While researching my chosen topic, I found that there were a lack in informative articles on Milan.
This enticed me to create the articles that I would’ve found helpful before going on my trip.
When writing my articles, I found myself experimenting with different writing styles which was something I had not tried before.
I initially found this concept rather daunting as it is different to typical news reporting that I had become accustomed to in first year, but my writing and confidence developed during the project as a result.
The project has refined my research and organisational skills, as the sheer amount of background work that went into the project meant that I had to be organised.
Creating the website improved my web design skills which is something that will be hugely important in the future.
Looking back, I found this project extremely useful as I now feel comfortable to write in a variety of different formats and styles.
Hopefully, my Milan project highlights my passion for lifestyle and fashion industry in tangible way.
What I can say is that it has definitely enhanced my portfolio which will stand me in good stead for the future.
Read Amy’s full travel blog here.
You can read more summer bursary blogs here.
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