Another Semester of Agency Journalism at UCM, Provided by TASR, Has Concluded
Bratislava, June 16 (TASR) – Studies as part of the summer semester of a subject called agency journalism taught by the News Agency of the Slovak Republic (TASR) at Cyril and Methodius University’s (UCM) Massmedia Communications Faculty in Trnava have ended with an evaluation of the students’ work.
The course is a two-semester optional one for students in the third year of bachelor study and the first year of their master’s. Such cooperation between TASR and UCM has been taking place for three years, during which a hundred students have completed the course.
“We view it as important for people working hands-on to offer their knowledge and experience to students. This builds trust in a public-service product and verified news undersigned by a credible brand and based on facts and clear sources, said TASR general director Vladimir Puchala.
Last but not least, TASR educates future journalists in this way, said Puchala. “Agency-style writing is one of the basic pillars of high-quality journalism. We appreciate our high-quality and inspirational cooperation with faculty dean Ludmila Cabyova and her team,” added Puchala.
Lectures and seminars took place at the university in Trnava and at TASR’s offices in Bratislava. In addition to the general director, they were provided by the heads of individual TASR editorial desks. The students were given information about working with resources and facts, about the principles of agency journalism in a news service, agency photography, sports journalism and editorial work on the web.
Dean Cabyova praised this cooperation. “This optional subject was created on the initiative of TASR and provided exclusively by its employees. Thanks to TASR professionals, we can educate graduates who have knowledge of working in agency journalism and are capable of critical thinking, of evaluating and analysing agency stories, and of developing argumentation and creative skills,” she said.
TASR’s cooperation with students was also praised by members of the parliamentary culture and media committee when they were discussing TASR’s annual report for 2021. Committee member Monika Kozelova (OLaNO) emphasised the importance of the agency’s educational activities in teaching the agency journalism subject at UCM in Trnava.
