For the ninth year running Wintec student journalists, photographers, graphic and web designers are providing a daily record of the goings on at the National Agricultural Fieldays in the Fieldays Exhibitor newspaper.
And this year for the first time the stories will also be available on iPhones and iPads via The Waikato Independent online student newspaper. You can also click here to read the PDF editions:
The project, which involves about 40 students, kicked off with the arrival of the Modcom building on site Tuesday evening. The building will be linked to a mobile satellite transmitter, provided by rural communications company Farmside. The link allows all stories to be sent back to the School of Media Arts design team at Wintec, who in turn send the finished designed product to Print House in Frankton for overnight printing.
The Fieldays Exhibitor, a full-colour publication sponsored by Gallaghers, is handed out free to exhibitors each day by Fieldays volunteers.
Journalism course co-coordinator Charles Riddle believes the project is the only one of its size on a daily deadline in any journalism school in the country.
“It’s a great real-time learning situation for our students who have to come to terms with producing media across a variety of platforms to strict real deadlines. This year they will have to contend with not only editing and writing for the newspaper, but also with the constant deadlines of online publication. They usually enjoy the experience of applying classroom learning to the real world.”
The Fieldays Exhibitor newsroom is opposite site H63 right at the entrance to the event if entering through Gate 2. Drop in and see the team if you happen to be out there