Times journalist coaches students on sports writing

Students at Gower College Swansea got to see a different side to the world of sport this week when they were visited by Times journalist Rick Broadbent.

During a two hour talk at the Tycoch campus, Rick - who also worked with Jessica Ennis-Hill on her 2012 autobiography - provided students with a writer's perspective on the sporting world including the kinds of events he covers as part of his day-to-day job and the people he has met throughout the course of his career.

Rick led the students in an analysis of newspaper articles to help them identify different styles and structures of writing. Also under the spotlight were sports interviews, with Rick examining how to frame questions to get the best from interviewees.

At the end of the session, the students were tasked with writing their own copy about a sport event based on information provided in a press pack and brief.

"This was a great opportunity for students to meet a very well-respected journalist who has built a fantastic career in sports media," says lecturer Stacey Rabaiotti. "They were fascinated by his stories and it really gave them a different perspective. The fact that they were able to write their own copy and have Rick's feedback on their use of language, their sense of 'news' and the pace of their reports was an excellent experience for them."