News Day at The Hunterian: A Collaborative Approach to Ethical Journalism Methods Training

In this prototype ‘News Day at The Hunterian’ event, academics, third-space professionals, and students collaborate to design, and deliver, and evaluate a one-day simulated news event at the Hunterian Museum in the University of Glasgow. This active learning event takes place in February 2025, and the presentation will discuss the challenges and successes, and share experiences from participating staff and students. ‘News Day at The Hunterian’ is designed to provide hands-on newsgathering experience for postgraduate students MSc Media, Communications and International Journalism (MCIJ), offering them a chance to develop by experimenting and reflecting on their work in a supportive environment. MCIJ academic staff collaborate with the Hunterian Museum team to design an event that is reflective of real-world news industry principles, challenges, and ethics. Drawing on the core practical journalism courses of the MCIJ programme (Writing News and Producing News) with which the event is also aligned, it also speaks to the Intended Learning Objectives of the MCIJ programme. A world-class venue in the heart of the University of Glasgow campus, The Hunterian Museum is the oldest public museum in Scotland. The Museum allows filming, within a set of boundaries which will be navigated by each ‘news crew’ as students work in groups to form creative solutions to the complexities of filming in a sensitive environment. With 104 students from 16 nationalities, needs and aspirations within the cohort vary, and this presentation will discuss the diversity of students’ contributions and needs, and how these are addressed during the event. On the News Day, students have a unique opportunity to practise filming interviews with related contributors in an environment where visual appeal is directly related to ethical considerations. Hunterian Museum staff and teaching staff are present to offer guidance and feedback, challenging students to work towards industry standards. Other students from various disciplines will also share their perspectives and experience of working or studying with The Hunterian. In turn, student and staff interviewees gain an opportunity to improve their communications skills through the media of film, discussing their area of study or personal interest, and to explore how current ethical issues and challenges in the museums and galleries sector have impacted on their varied activities. Bringing together students and staff from the Media, Culture and Society (MCS) subject group, cross-disciplinary networks that regularly engage with the museum, and Communications and Audience Engagement professionals at The Hunterian, the event is collaborative in its nature. Highlighting the Graduate Attributes Framework and solidifying the connections between theory, practice, groupwork, feedback and reflection, we follow a transdisciplinary and polyvocal approach. The presentation will also address broader critical discussions around cultural appropriation and politics of space within museums. By situating a cohort of diverse and international students within The Hunterian, the event challenges perceptions of who ‘belongs’ in cultural spaces and whose stories these spaces represent. The presentation will also offer a glimpse into how journalistic-creative methodologies can be utilised as part of active pedagogies, exploring complex intersections between museums as cultural spaces, journalism, and media.