Students share coronavirus tales with peers across the world.

A group of students are using the power of the press to launch a global covid-inspired project.
UCLan journalism  students are working with counterparts in the USA and ChinaUCLan journalism  students are working with counterparts in the USA and China
UCLan journalism students are working with counterparts in the USA and China

The team of under and post graduate journalism students from the University of Central Lancashire in Preston have joined forces with counterparts in China and the USA.

The project has been launched as universities and colleges around the world are closing their buildings and students are having to work online.

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As a result , around 30 aspiring hacks from UCLan, Central Connecticut State University (CCSU) and Guangdong University of Foreign Studies (GDUFS) in China are sharing their stories and experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic from across the globe.

They are using, a video conferencing app to connect virtually.

It means that despite losing the ability to conduct face-to-face interviews, they are still able to discuss their stories and interview each other.

Hannah Stobie, who is in the second-year of her journalism degree at UCLan, hopes the project will help her learn about the different responses to the pandemic for her university radio assignment.

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She said: "This collaboration is so much more than usual university practice.

"It’s a good opportunity to gain material for us if we have assignments, as well as to make contacts and even friends."

Vivian Martin, Professor and Chair of CCSU’s Department of Journalism, helped to set up the initiative with the aim of helping the journalism students share their ideas across the pond.

She said: "This is an international crisis that underscores how interconnected we all are. For journalism it is an opportunity to stretch with content, technology and global awareness. I hope we can come up with work that might suggest further collaborations and learning."

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One of her students, CCSU broadcast journalism scholar Angela Fortuna added: " Our school was supposed to be going on trips to France and Amsterdam, but they were cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic.

"This collaboration is a good way to replace that.

"It means I can still learn about other places and about how other countries are dealing with COVID-19."