High octane world of digital news

TO Oldham via the Gulf War, exploding oil rigs and dramatic sea rescues.

Reporter Karen Doherty spoke to the man who is training a new generation of journalists to follow in his footsteps.

HANGING by a wire from a helicopter while filming a sea rescue is considered as tough as it gets by most people.



But Mark Handscomb has given up the high adrenaline life as a producer on fly-on-the-wall TV shows such as “Seaside Rescue” and “Trawlermen” for a fresh challenge: teaching.

But he says that heading the new digital journalism degree at University Campus Oldham (UCO) is just as exciting and insisted: “I had done as much as I wanted in TV, shooting all over the world, and I wanted something that would stretch me and be a bit of a challenge. Teaching genuinely offered that at a time when there has been a huge investment in higher education.

“The appeal was not having to travel 55,000 miles a year. It was getting ridiculous and I started wearing out cars! I was doing ‘Trawlermen’ and I had to travel up to Peterhead and Fraserburgh.

“On ‘Seaside Rescue’ I was one of the people who filmed with the rescue helicopter. It was great fun jumping out of boats, filming cliff rescues and dangling at the end of a wire, but I felt I was getting a bit old to be hanging on a line in the middle of an ocean filming someone having a heart attack.

“I am used to filming in very challenging environments and I hope to pass on some of my skill, knowledge, passion and enthusiasm to those who come to do digital journalism in Oldham.”

The father-of-three grew up in Bradford and completed a BA (hons) in history at Manchester University before studying postgraduate radio broadcasting at City University, London. With a variety of jobs under his belt, from pulling pints to an interpreter for a French rugby team, as well as hitchhiking round Europe from the age of 14, he then “made a nuisance” of himself with Radio 4 until the station employed him.

“I had always listened to Radio 4 and the World Service and I was quite persistent at approaching people. I went for a job as a reporter on ‘The Food Programme’ which they didn’t give me but, because I had broken my holiday for the interview, they created a job for me at Radio 4 and I became Sue MacGregor’s researcher.”

He went on to report for “The Today Programme” and “The World Tonight”; made an education programme with Radio 1 presenter Jo Whiley; and worked for the English and Arabic World Service through the first Gulf War.

His television credits include “World in Action”, “Dispatches”, “Manhunt” and films about life behind the scenes at St Paul’s Cathedral and The House of Lords. He also came up with the idea which became the hugely successful, celebrity family history programme “Who Do You Think You Are?”.

“I became a director because I wanted to be paid to have fun. I wanted someone to pay me to travel all over the world, meet some of the most interesting people you could hope to meet and enable me to be creative. A career in journalism did that and still does,” explained the 46-year-old.

But working in Oklahoma made him think again and he recalled: “I spent about three months filming a programme for the Discovery Channel, organising a competition between two drilling rigs.

“One of the rigs blew up and I started to have second thoughts. There are only so many times you can do a high-risk job like that before you realise it’s getting a bit dangerous!”

The three-year BA (hons) digital journalism degree is based at UCO’s new £5.5 million university studios building which was opened last year by “Star Trek” actor Patrick Stewart.

The course which covers the latest techniques in filming video, recording audio and linking it to the web, mobile, podcasts and terrestrial media.

It’s a long way from the days when radio programmes were put together with razor blades, sticky tape and quarter inch radio tape or the hot metal of print journalism — and a long way from some industry facilities.

“It is embarrassing for me to admit this but now, as a senior lecturer in digital journalism, I have better facilities than I have had in 20 years working in broadcasting. That’s important because the pay off I expect is high levels of achievement,” said Mark.

But as well as hi-tech equipment, the focus is on real experience and Mark has linked up with Oldham Coliseum and Oldham Athletic on projects. He also wants to set up a commercial arm.

The studios still have the smell of a new building, but Mark believes there is already a hum about the place which will turn into a buzz.

“There is a feeling that this place is going somewhere. On one hand it’s quite a challenging time for Oldham with the recession; but we are in the midst of a regeneration push and what we are trying to do at UCO, particularly digital journalism, is to put ourselves at the centre of that and to highlight achievement, attainment and endeavour.

“The transforming ability of universities is evident to anyone who visits Huddersfield today. It is a much more energetic, prosperous town now — and part of the credit goes to Huddersfield University.”