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Ethnic minority journalism students receive grants

Five journalism students have been officially awarded bursaries as part of an annual scheme.

The George Viner Memorial Fund recognises the achievements of students from black and ethnic minorities and pays tuition fees university degrees and journalism courses.

Administered by the National Union of Journalists, it was set up to honour the career of George Viner who was a long serving member NUJ member and officer before his death in 1983.

The fund uses support for students from Britain’s ethnic minorities to encourage journalism to be more representative of the whole community and was supported by the BBC this year.

In addition to the grants, the five students also enjoyed work experience placements and received guidance from BBC mentors.

Lionel Morrison, chair of the George Viner Memorial Fund, said: “There was a huge number of applications to the fund this year and the standard was extremely high.

“The five scholars to whom we were able to offer bursaries were very impressive candidates, and we are sure they have a great future in journalism ahead of them.”

The five are:

  • Heather Clancy, 21, MA in Broadcast Journalism at the University of Central Lancashire
  • Maz Farookhi, 24, MA in Television and Current Affairs Journalism at City University, London
  • Marvin Farquharson, 22, MA in Broadcast Journalism at City University, London
  • Shajan Miah, 32, Harlow College Fast Track Magazine Journalism Course
  • Ayshah Tull, 22, Broadcast Journalism at City University, London
  • Comments

    Onlooker (25/03/2010 11:52:01)
    More special pleading for ethnic minority individuals which just creates further resentment among the majority. Typically, the NUJ is involved. As for a 32 year-old being considered for this leg-up, I was married with two kids and an editor at 32. What a joke.

    Mike (25/03/2010 16:45:22)
    How can the political elite moan about the likes of the BNP getting votes when all britons have this politically correct propaganda shoved down our throat daily (if it were not this scheme, it would be some other giving the advantage to ethnic minority candidates). Does a white working class lad from the east end of London not deserve the same chance as what this successful applicants are getting? In a word – disgusting

    confused (26/03/2010 11:47:02)
    The bursaries are designed to ‘encourage journalism to be more representative of the entire community’. And yet “The five scholars to whom we were able to offer bursaries were very impressive candidates, and we are sure they have a great future in journalism ahead of them.” So, in other words, five very able, probably middle-class, students have been given an enormous leg-up for no other reason other than their ethnicity. I know someone who benefitted from this scheme who was given work experience at the BEEB when he was a student. He left college and went straight into a job with Auntie, where he has remained ever since. Unfair.