The media's writing style today is owed to the 'New Journalists' of the 1960's and 1970's who transformed the approach towards Journalism. I am making this application as I am fascinated by the vast scope which is covered by the subject and how in today's society the media plays a major role in every subject imaginable and affects everybody's life...
Journalism Personal Statement Example 1
It’s all about the headline. It’s about getting your point across in the most direct way you can. These personal statements are very good example of this, in just a few lines I have to get my message of why I want do a degree in Journalism across to my prospective universities. That is one of the reasons why I love to write, the challenge of putting over a complex thought or concept to a large audience of people and convey it in such a way everybody will understand it. As the great writer Hemingway once said, “My aim is to put down on paper what I see and what I feel in the best and simplest way.”
My own personal experience of journalism started young, my dad used to write for a magazine and take me with him when he went to interview people, since then I have been fascinated with the industry. When I was 14 I was lucky enough to get a work experience placement at “News International” in Wapping. I got to work on the websites of “FiredUp.com”, “Revolver.com” and “Page3.com” as well as have a tour of the offices of “The Sun”, “News Of The World” and “The Times”, I have also recently been offered a day’s work experience at my local paper and I am currently waiting for news of work experience at the BBC.
I pride myself on being well organised and thorough in my research. I have also developed many skills such as interview techniques and being able to see things from another perspective, a skill I have acquired through Sociology and Communication Studies, analytical skills through Film Studies and Media Studies and I have learnt about analysing and collating numerical data and factual evidence in Psychology. Although I have already completed three A-Levels and two AS Levels, I have taken a year out to study AS French, Sociology and Spanish. I did this in order to improve my grades and to give me a wider choice of qualifications as my previous subjects are all very similar with their syllabus as well the fact multiple languages would be an invaluable advantage to have when working in the area of communication.
Some of my outside interests are music, politics, the Internet and reading. Music in particular is a great love of mine, I regularly attend “gigs” and concerts and have been an active member of the “Sum 41 Street Team” for over a year, this involves spreading publicity through flyers and posters to promote the band, I find it very fulfilling and enjoyable. Another one of my interests is the Internet, I contribute articles to a site dealing with issues such as “top-up fees” and other important student matters, which I enjoy greatly and is helping to improve my knowledge of university for the future. I have a part time job waitressing at a local hotel which I do a few nights a week. It gives me a sense of my own independence and responsibility, I also help my mother at the local Red Cross during half terms and holidays cooking for the elderly and have also recently volunteered to sell Poppies for Remembrance Sunday throughout my town. Another activity of mine is being my tutor group representative for our college’s student council and regularly attend meetings to deal with concerns of the student body.
I am thoughtful, organised and handle pressure well, I love to write and it is my ambition to do so, I believe I can bring many things to the courses I have selected and in turn can get a lot out of them as well.
Profile info
This personal statement was written by Danithehack for application in 2000.
Danithehack's university choices
Bournemouth University
The London Institute
London South Bank University
Southampton Institute
Green: offer made
Red: no offer made
Degree
Journalism at The London Institute
Ratings
Statement rating:
Comments
hi. just read this, its one
Wed, 18/08/2004 - 00:00
hi. just read this, its one of the first personal statements i have read that stands out, its really good.
Starts out superbly and
Mon, 23/08/2004 - 00:00
Starts out superbly and catches your attention... but the tightness of the writing seems to falter a bit towards the end...
Wow i think this is well good
Sun, 10/09/2006 - 00:00
Wow i think this is well good! Ive read a few now and this is one has really stood out for me! Definately better than what ive written or ever will looll totally jealous!
it rox!!
Fri, 27/10/2006 - 00:36
It's unique and helps u differentiate this guy from any other ones! It advertises him well as well! ;)
Good Job
Sun, 07/01/2007 - 19:02
You almost say all every proposal of journalism need to say in his personal statements.
goooood of YA
ADEMOLA
Just like to raise this with
Thu, 22/02/2007 - 21:48
Just like to raise this with all the 'guy' and 'he's' going about up there, unless men have started to do waitressing, this is written by a girl.
Very well written P/S though. Certainly different.
A few years later on- By the Author
Sun, 11/03/2007 - 16:55
Hey,
I'm just writing this to say thank you for all the kind words about my personal statement. I wrote this about 4 years ago now and it seems like such a distant memory!
I thought I'd let you know the background of this. I wrote this PS and applied to:
Bournemouth
London South Bank
Surrey Institute of Art & Design
London College of Printing (as it was known then)
Southampton Institute
and I think maybe somewhere else, I can't remember now, it was so long ago.
I got nearly all unconditional offers with the exception of Bournemouth (rejection due to grades) and Southampton Institute (Conditional) and ending up settling at the London College of Printing, or LCC as it is now known.
A few years on, I have done or am about to do work experience at emap, The Journalist (NUJ paper), The Guardian, Bangkok Post and many more. I have also set-up a magazine with friends that is on the brink of publishing with requests of around 1,000 copies from various places.
Just thought I'd fill you in where this little PS got me to.
Dani
X
i used this to help me with
Fri, 07/09/2007 - 08:04
i used this to help me with mine as well. i've seen alot of personal staements but this has to be the one that stanmds out in my mind, it's brilliant
u rock!
This personal statement
Wed, 19/09/2007 - 19:01
This personal statement although shows signs of strong academical background, is not used effectively because of the English and style of writing as others have mentioned. This can be seen especially near the end where it does sound like your 'sucking up' to the universities. the attitude at the end of the statement is more of you are wanting their place, instead of the attitude of pick me or else your university will loose out. At no point do you tell the university what you can offer them, apart from the last line.
this is a really good
Tue, 02/10/2007 - 11:01
this is a really good statement but has got me worried...she didnt get an offer from bournemouth which is where i really really really want to go, and my personal statement is no where near as good as this one. :s
The Sun? The News of The
Sat, 06/10/2007 - 22:37
The Sun? The News of The World? Papers made for simpletons who will believe the lies and bile that they spread. You deserve to work for that kind of rag just stepping foot inside its offices.
yeah okay!
Thu, 01/11/2007 - 17:17
I have been told to make the first paragraph stand out and especially the first sentence yours definately proves this should be the case. I do feel however after the first couple of paragraphs it kinda loses its touch perhaps. I think perhaps you could have discussed wekanesses you have worked on and over come or things you would like to improve about yourself by going to uni. But then again what do i know i am not deciding whether you get in or not! but hey good luck1 : )
fnxs for dis, you realli
Fri, 21/12/2007 - 14:33
fnxs for dis, you realli helped
i dident find it very useful
Thu, 21/02/2008 - 19:39
i dident find it very useful but i did a better one any way so shame
ur on about a course not ur
Thu, 01/05/2008 - 10:37
ur on about a course not ur dads life story the uni doesn't wanna kno bout ur dad cuz their not offering ur dad a place
this is good i liked it
Mon, 16/06/2008 - 12:50
this is good i liked it
Wow
Thu, 19/06/2008 - 13:20
I'd like to enquire how this person got to work with page3.com!
Just joking, there again i dont think i am lol. Good statement =D
Very impressive. x
Tue, 11/11/2008 - 20:06
Very impressive. x
great P/S - gave me a
Sun, 30/11/2008 - 22:05
great P/S - gave me a guideline for my own so thank you :] fingers crossed for Cardiff next year!!
bean bags are alright if you
Fri, 19/12/2008 - 14:19
bean bags are alright if you like that kinda thing
your personal statement is
Fri, 23/01/2009 - 14:58
your personal statement is amazing!! i am struggling to write my own and i want to go into journalism also but i don't think i could ever produce anything to this standard. . .its brilliant!!
janice xoxox
Advice!
Sat, 23/05/2009 - 22:56
I wrote my personal statement last year for a journalism course. I got offers from Bournemouth, Kent, Nottingham Trent, UAL and Portsmouth - without fantastic grades. Structure the PS with:
1. A famous quote, followed by why you want to be a journalism.
2. Relevant journalism experience - in school or local paper etc. This should make up the bulk of the PS.
3. Your other interests e.g. hobbies, sporting or other personal achievements.
4. Any voluntary work.
5. Conclude with a persuasive sentence, including why the Uni should choose you.
This should see you getting the offers that you want. Good luck!
So many comments!
Sat, 12/03/2011 - 01:14
You know, I was thinking about my PS the other day as my nephew has just got accepted for a Sports Journalism degree and lo and behold! I've found this again!
University for me now is a distant memory and I've now worked at a well known regional paper in Hampshire and now work at a small publishing firm doing magazines. In addition I run a lot of the Internet side of things. To think it started all those years ago!
Yes, my writing style may be a bit pants (I cringe reading it back now) but at the end of the day it did what was required, it got me the place at university and, to some degree, it got to where I am today. I wasn't as polished as I could have been but I was 17 years old and hadn't had any formal training whatsoever. Not to mention nobody actually looked this over for me (terrible I know!)
Hope that I at least helped a few people along the way :)
hi im basically trying to re
Wed, 31/10/2012 - 13:27
hi im basically trying to re draft my personal statement and im doing it on journalism. any ideas on an opener???
This makes zero sense. He/She
Sun, 03/08/2014 - 21:30
This makes zero sense. He/She got into every university they applied for except for one but their personal statement only got a rating of one star?
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