De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) graduate Ella Griffith has been nominated for two awards at this year’s 02 Media Awards for Yorkshire and the Humber. With more than 300 individual entries, they are the biggest regional press awards of the year.
Ella has received nominations in the Radio Journalist of the Year and Young Reporter of the Year categories.
After graduating from DMU with First Class honours in the NCTJ accredited Journalism course, Ella began working as a broadcast journalist at Global Radio for Capital FM and Heart FM in Yorkshire.
It has been a dramatic introduction to professional journalism for Ella, with a year that has seen her report on international events including Yorkshire’s hosting of the Grand Depart of last year’s Tour de France and subsequent Tour de Yorkshire cycling events, as well as providing coverage for several royal visits and having the chance to interview Prime Minister David Cameron.
“I knew I was being entered for the awards but I also knew what the calibre of journalists in Yorkshire was so I thought I had no chance,” Ella said.
“When I found out I’d actually been nominated I was totally shocked, the whole office went absolutely crazy so it’s really exciting.
“To be nominated for two awards a year after graduating is amazing.”
Ella credits the support and experience she received during her studies for allowing her go on and achieve such unprecedented success in these early stages of her career.
The highlight of which was a Frontrunners placement with Demon Media, the De Montfort Students’ Union media group which offers students the opportunity to develop their media skills through the Demon Newspaper, Demon Online, Demon TV and Demon FM.
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Ella, who became Head of News for Demon Media through Frontrunners, said: "In first year I joined Demon FM, I ended up setting up the news team there and that's when I realised that I really wanted to go into radio journalism.
“Being involved in Demon FM was the best thing that could've happened for me. It allowed me to work with other young people who were passionate about journalism like myself and it gave me the passion to work hard.
“The Frontrunners scheme gave me real practical experience just like in a normal working job. It meant I knew the work ethic I needed to have to keep up with those that were doing it for real.
“That first-hand experience was just invaluable really.”
Frontrunners is the DMU employability scheme which provides students with the opportunity to put into practice what they learn in the lecture theatres while paying a wage as they get workplace experience which helps them to stand out in competitive job markets.
Ella is one who certainly appears to have benefitted from her experiences, and she now has a torturous wait to find out if she will win either of her nominated awards at the 02 ceremony at York Racecourse on September 24.
Posted on Tuesday 14 July 2015