Journalism students go nuclear

UCLan journalism students play a major role in emergency exercise

Postgraduate and undergraduate journalism students have been praised by Lancashire County Council for their help with a two-day emergency exercise.

The broadcast and journalism students took part in Operation Heron 4 which was designed to test how police, fire, ambulance, environmental , health and  other services would cope with a nuclear accident.

“It’s recognised that the media play an important part in major incidents and it is critical that we reflect that in such exercises,” said Bernard Kershaw, emergency planning officer for Lancashire.

“The involvement and commitment of the students was invaluable. They were very keen and enthusiastic and helped bring realism to the event. I’m very grateful for their time and energy.”

Thirty UCLan students were involved. They attended news conferences and conducted one-to-interviews with key personnel. Broadcast students produced live radio and TV news reports while their print colleagues produced special crisis editions of Greenbank News.

“We found it extremely rewarding covering a live news story. It was also a great challenge working to live deadlines,” said postgraduate newspaper journalism student Adam Lord.

Postgraduate newspaper journalism student Hannah Upton said: “Operation Heron was a brilliant exercise because it allowed us to put theory into practice. It proved that good team work is vital.” 

“Our students really rose to the occasion,” said Mike Green course leader for postgraduate broadcast journalism. “It was a great educational experience.”
More than 100 people took part in the major exercise which centred on a radiation leak at the Springfields nuclear plant near Preston. The students played a vital role in the exercise for the Nuclear Emergency Arrangement Forum (NEAF) simulating how the press would cover such an event. Their involvement allowed emergency services and local government to prepare for any potential accident at the site and plan how to release vital information to the public.

The exercise was part of the nuclear emergency exercise programme designed to maintain health and safety standards in the nuclear industry. The simulated events are conducted every three years at the site.

The School of Journalism, Media and Communication and its students have been involved in emergency planning events in Lancashire for several years. Postgraduate and third year undergraduate students have been involved in emergency events at Sellafields and Carlisle nuclear sites in previous years.

27 November 2009