Boston University College of Communication journalism students can go for the gold with a new study abroad program called “Covering the Olympics 2012.”
This summer, 15 journalism students from the College of Communication will have the opportunity to cover the 2012 London Olympic Games as part of a the study abroad program, which closes applications on Tuesday.
Program Coordinator Susan Walker said that “Covering the London Olympics 2012” is nearly as competitive as the Olympic Games themselves.
“We already have more than 80 inquiries,” Walker said.
The program’s strongest candidates will be journalism majors who can report across various mediums, she said. The selected applicants must also be comfortable taking on the role of “so-jos” or solo journalists.
“We are looking for journalism majors, self-starters, probably rising seniors and grads, who can report using video and photographs, as well as being strong writers,” Walker said.
Students will work from a temporary multimedia newsroom set up in South Kensington, London.
Casey Rabin, a junior in the College of Communication said she applied because she thinks if she were accepted, the program would be a great opportunity to advance her journalism skills.
“The overall cultural, social, educational experience [is exciting], but even further than that is the opportunity to shape my craft and build my skills in a new environment with such a big event,” Rabin said. “It’s an adrenaline rush just thinking about it.”
Walker said that while the Olympic Games focus on many of the athletic competitions, it does not mean that students’ stories will solely recount who won and who lost.
“Access to tickets, security, protests, how countries use the Games as a national political showcase, reaction from the families to Olympians’ triumphs and disappointments – those are the stories we’ll be covering.”
COM junior Torre Price, another applicant, said that she agreed that covering the Games would not only benefit sports journalists, but journalists of any kind.
“I think any broadcast journalist, whether or not you’re sports oriented, would love to cover [the Olympic Games],” Price said.
The stories that the students produce are expected to appear on the websites of news outlets in Boston, such as WBUR Radio, New England Cable News, Boston.com, the Boston Globe and newspapers owned by Gatehouse Media, Walker said.
Price said she thinks the opportunities afforded by the new program are unparalleled.
“There’s always the typical benefits of a study abroad experience – living in a foreign country, assimilating to their way of life,” she said. “Covering the Olympics program goes above and beyond because you get that cultural experience paired with learning the techniques and logistics of covering a massive event.”
