Defending champions, Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ), defeated Islamic University College (IUC) at the grand finale of this year’s Newsroom contest, sealing off a treble since 2015.

The newsroom contest is a simulated news writing, reporting and presentation in Journalism and Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) among students of communication faculties in Universities in Ghana.

The Newsroom contest is a practical approach to teaching Journalism, Public Relations, Advertising and Integrated Marketing communications to Communication students to enable them fit easily into the world of work on completion of their programmes.

This year’s contest saw five institutions – Wisconsin International University College, Islamic University College, Jayee University College, Africa University College of Communications and Ghana Institute of Journalism – slug it out in a battle of wits, speed and guts for the ultimate.

Eventual winners, GIJ and their opponents, IUC, defeated Wisconsin International University College and Africa University College of Communications respectively on their way to the grand finale – called the Headline. They sold out a thrilling show of ideas and left the audience in no doubt that Ghana’s communications industry, has a blossoming future.

Each contest of the Newsroom is in three parts – News Reporting, Corporate Communication/Integrated Marketing Communication & Debate – and the performance of competing institutions are assessed by a panel of Communication experts – known as the Editorial Team – drawn from Industry and Academia.

Programmes Manager of Cheetah Communications, organisers of the Newsroom contest, Stephen Gyasi Jnr., explained the rationale behind the introduction of the Newsroom contest; “Journalism today, for instance, has gone beyond merely reporting events. The narrative style, news judgement and the ability to analyse incidents beyond their immediate breaking points, add to the pedigree and quality of a penman today, and that is the advantage the newsroom seeks to empower students to have”.

He disclosed that the newsroom contest was modelled after the moot court concept, aimed at giving communication students, a challenging foretaste of practical work before completion of their programmes. “Social media has launched the journalism careers of untrained millions across the globe, the Newsroom Contest seeks to empower the trained professional to up the ante and stay relevant in the industry”, he added.

Cheetah communications is in the process of creating “newsroom clubs” in various universities across the country to continue the process of equipping students with practical communication skills for enhanced delivery on the field.

The Newsroom 2018 was sponsored by Unilever Ghana and Access Bank.