Election night goes live at Broadcasting School

_{Some of the keen New Zealand Broadcasting School students taking part in this year’s election newsroom, with tutors Daisy Hudson and Jeff Hampton.}

Election day is looming, and one of the biggest newsrooms covering the big day will be staffed by students.

Cantabrians will be able to follow all of the key election night results online and on the airwaves, thanks to an exciting initiative from the New Zealand Broadcasting School (NZBS).

Close to 30 journalism, radio, and screen production ākonga will be running a voluntary election newsroom on November 7. They’ll be covering every election race in Canterbury, as well as the big national results, to keep locals informed.
After a successful local government election newsroom last year, where journalism students covered the results on our MetroNews website, they’ve decided to expand the project. As well as online coverage, students will broadcast live on The Sauce 96.1 radio station, and TV crews will head out to capture key interviews at candidate election night parties.

First- and second-year volunteers will staff the newsroom, and NZBS journalism tutors Daisy Hudson and Jeff Hampton will produce and edit.

Hudson said the newsroom is an amazing opportunity for students.

“Election night is fast-paced, exciting, and unpredictable. We’re thrilled so many of our amazing students are keen to give up their Saturday night to get some hands-on experience. It’s also fantastic to see how engaged they are with politics in general, getting out of the classroom and asking the tough questions.”

The newsroom isn’t just important for students, as it will provide a key service for Cantabrians.

“Journalism is a vital democratic role, and one that is particularly important at election time. Giving Cantabrians a one-stop-shop for keeping informed and up to date on election night is a service we’re really proud to be providing,” Hudson said.

The initiative provides students with a valuable opportunity to apply their classroom learning in a high-pressure, real-world environment, developing the editorial judgement, teamwork and communication skills essential to a career in broadcasting.

Keen to follow the coverage from home? Check out metronews.co.nz, listen to The Sauce 96.1, or keep an eye on NZBS socials.

And if you want to be at the heart of the action next year, limited places are available to study journalism in 2027. Find out more at nzbs.com or the Ara website.