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Meet Libby 

Journalism, Media and Culture BA

About Libby

I graduated in 2025 with a Journalism, Media & Culture BA. I stayed in Newcastle to take on a graduate role at the Students’ Union after being elected as Student Media Officer.  

During my time as Sabbatical Officer I had so many personal highlights but here’s just a few: 

  • I launched ‘On Air, On Campus’, now a staple full-page feature in The Courier (our student ran newspaper) 
  • I introduced a suite of engaging digital mini-series, such as Toon Top Four, Campuses Comment, and The Weekly Bulletin 
  • I championed opportunity and development, taking student volunteers to national conferences like to the Student Radio Association Conference 
  • organised NUSU sessions, a student-led gig night, hosting five student bands in NUSU venue 
  • led on Elections Candidates Rally and Elections Results Night, providing interviews for video, radio and print for Student Media
Libby

Building skills for a creative career

I always wanted to go to Newcastle, from right when I started my A Levels. I can't exactly pinpoint why - I just knew. I had family members study in the area, which inspired me too as well. 

I choose my degree because it sets a foundation for understanding the inner workings of society, culturally. It helped me understand the theoretical frameworks and origins of journalism, media, and culture, and how to apply them to present day. 

Most of the lecturers had experience in the industry I want to go into, which is invaluable. I want to work in either media and communications or explore event management and networking and working alongside like-minded individuals that have creative mindsets has also helped me understand the creative community I want to be part of.  

Being a part of student media allowed me to explore my practical skills, through industry-standard journalism practice and branching out into events management, which is a newfound passion of mine. 

Networking and working alongside like-minded individuals that have creative mindsets has also helped me understand the creative community I want to be part of.


Why Newcastle stood out: a city like no other

I choose Newcastle University for the area and the city. The community is unique – you can’t find what we have in Newcastle in any other city in the UK – my friends agree too. A lot of universities and their communities might be the same or similar, but not ours. 

I love being a part of a wider community at Newcastle, but I love the smaller groups of people that feed into the wider community. I loved being a part of NUSU (the Students’ Union) and student media - there are too many individual memories to name, but the journey of being involved in student media is one I will never forget. 

I enjoy drinking with my friends at local pubs, going to the cinema, or local events - whether it be music, food, or markets.


Support that made a difference

I really benefited from speaking to the Support and Advice Hub at NUSU about my struggles with ADHD. They supported me to manage it in the context of my studies and helped me to understand how to approach time management and organisation with a neurodivergent brain. 

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