Journalism students at University College Falmouth are to undergo training to prepare them for reporting from hostile environments.

Trainees on the one-year MA in International Journalism course will spend three days at the Penhale Military Training Camp near Newquay, learning life-saving skills through modules on personal safety, first aid, and kidnap and ambush avoidance.

There will also be a number of scenario-based exercises to help them stay safe whichever part of the world they work in.

MA International Journalism course leader George Matheson, who has worked as a foreign correspondent for a number of newspapers, said it was important to impress upon young journalists just how vital it was to consider their personal safety right from the start.

He said: “We teach our students how to think and assess situations first, rather than simply follow their journalistic instincts.

“It’s really difficult when you’re passionate about chasing down that story but you have to realise what’s more important – the story, or your life.”

Students will be put through their paces by former military personnel from EBO Protect Ltd, which provides safety skills training for a variety of organisations. Do you have a story about the regional press? Ring 0116 227 3122/3121, or e-mail [email protected]