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Interviews

Sinead Baker

Name: Sinead Baker
TCD Qualification: B.A. English Literature and Philosophy (2016)
Title: Editor of The University Times

About: Published from Trinity College Dublin, The University Times is Ireland's largest student newspaper. The newspaper produces nine print editions throughout the year, with the universitytimes.ie seeing a readership of over 100,000 unique monthly readers. The publication won ‘Publication of the Year’ at the Student Achievement Awards in 2014, 2015 and 2016.

What made you want to get involved in The University Times?

I first got involved because I simultaneously loved and was overwhelmed by Trinity. Getting involved with The University Times was a fantastic way to explore everything that was going on in the college and to communicate that to the community. My interest has only grown over the years for many reasons, but I'd say the most important has been my belief in the importance of what the College does and can achieve. Being able to take an in-depth look at what the college is doing, communicating why certain decisions are important and why  the community and the country should care, that's a very important position and, I think, very exciting position, to be in.

What are your plans for The University Times as Editor?
We have expanded hugely over the past year and I want to make sure that we not only continue to hit the targets that we've set ourselves but we continue to expand and to grow our sections, whether it be Sports or Societies. In our coverage of higher education both nationally and internationally, we're striving to become a real authority and to be the go-to place on such developments. At the same time, we always need to ensure that we remain the place to go for conversations about what's affecting our community, and making the process of getting involved with us as clear as possible is particularly important. I also want us to expand creatively – introducing more videos, photo essays, and similar projects.

What makes The University Times different from other University newspapers?
Our scope, and our brief. We're the largest student paper in the country – in terms of readership, output and the size of our staff – and I think that's because readers respond to our content because it's always relevant to them. Everything we publish is relevant to our readers – related to Trinity or young people and Irish higher education. Everything we publish is relevant to college staff, students and alumni around the country, and we strive to be an authority, a place that academics and educational experts and politicians can express their views to our readership. That's quite different to the approach that student newspapers around the world often take. One way to look at it is that we try to be a "student newspaper"  rather than a "newspaper by students".

How do you think student journalism fits into the wider landscape of national media?
The obvious answer is that student newspapers train the journalists of tomorrow. What I think a lot of people might miss, however, is how student journalists contribute to the national debate. Journalism is about having different perspectives, and often students have a different, and no less valid, perspective on what's happening around the world, and their voices are often overlooked, even on the things that affect them directly. We can offer that perspective, and also a more in-depth one, on what's happening in Trinity and higher education more nationally.

Where do section editors get their stories?
By keeping abreast of and engaging with everything that's happening in Trinity and other colleges nationally. There are stories happening everywhere in Trinity, whether it be a play being put on in the Samuel Beckett or cutting-edge research taking place in the Hamilton. It's a case of being aware of everything that's going on and reaching out to people to make connections so that they know we want to help tell their story. Having writers studying in every end of campus, and involved in every part of campus life, makes that easier.

What excites you most about student journalism?
The willingness of people to give up their time with no reward to create something they believe is important. It's the same with student societies and sports clubs, and it impresses me daily. We have a team of 60 editors and many more writers, photographers and illustrators who do work for us year-round, some of whom work hours that rival part-time and even full-time jobs. To see young people give up their time to work so hard on something is incredibly exciting, it allows us to always strive to grow and improve, and I think it goes against how students and their extra-curriculars can often be portrayed. As well, how it can often compete with national journalism on some topics, contributing to national debate, and not just that within a college's walls.

What is the most useful piece of advice you’ve ever received in relation to student journalism?
To be ambitious. Don't assume that something isn't possible or that someone won't talk to you because you're a student newspaper. That's something that really resonated with me, and so the team tries to apply that approach to every piece written and to other things outside of the paper as well.

What is the most important thing you’ve learned working in The University Times?
The importance of communication. Of course our job is to communicate to our readers, but everything that we do requires constant communication amongst a large group of people to succeed. I've learnt that everything that we do is a team effort, and making sure everyone on the team knows what's happening is vital.

Tell us something we didn’t know about The University Times?
Thanks to the success at the Society for News Design awards in the US for the last two years, we're the best designed student newspaper in the world!