Young Journalists School visits the RT channel

---

Anyone can watch a news broadcast. But understanding how news is produced and how the global agenda is shaped is something usually reserved for industry professionals. Participants of the Young Journalists School at the National Centre RUSSIA visited the international television channel RT. The tour took place on 31 March in Moscow as part of the programme’s motivational module. The students visited the newsroom, studios and control rooms to see first-hand how one of Russia’s most prominent media platforms operates.

The visit began with an introduction to the history and mission of RT as one of the most cited Russian television channels worldwide. The young journalists learned which languages the channel broadcasts in and how its format has evolved since its founding.

"These young people belong to the generation that will enter journalism in a few years. It is already important for them to understand that among the vast number of sources, the greatest value lies in those that can be trusted. The task of a journalist is to become such a source of reliable information," said Alexei Nikolov, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of RT, who led the tour for the aspiring media professionals.

The students explored the studio and technical complex. They were shown the main news studio, as well as spaces used for recording programmes, interviews and talk shows. The young journalists also visited the simultaneous interpretation and dubbing rooms, where they saw how RT broadcasts in multiple languages and how interpreters work in real time.

Alexei Nikolov also shared a simple but important piece of professional advice: "There is no need to pretend to be someone else when you are on air. The camera 'likes' authenticity most of all. Imagine that someone you know is sitting behind it and simply tell them what you want to say. The most reliable path is to be yourself."

In the newsroom, participants were shown how a news bulletin is put together — from selecting a topic to broadcasting the final report. They observed how video archives, graphics and news agency feeds are used, and how content is prepared for different countries and language versions. The aspiring media professionals were also introduced to the technical side of broadcasting. They visited editing control rooms and broadcast control areas, where specialists monitor picture and sound quality and coordinate the airing of programmes and news.

"I have never been in such a large newsroom as RT before. I was incredibly inspired by the work of reporters on camera — we saw how important it is to stay composed under pressure and react quickly. Studying at the Young Journalists School gives us incredible opportunities to understand the media sphere from within. It is a huge source of motivation," said Nicole Roshka, a participant in the Young Journalists School.

Another participant in the National Centre RUSSIA project, Rustam Karimov, noted that the practical part impressed him the most: the students tried reading from a teleprompter in the studio. According to him, this experience helps identify mistakes in on-camera work and understand which skills need further development.

The visit to RT formed part of the training programme for young media professionals at the National Centre RUSSIA. The Young Journalists School project is implemented by the National Centre RUSSIA in partnership with the Movement of the First, with support from the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation. The programme is aimed at developing participants’ practical skills in working with text, photo and video, as well as fostering critical thinking and the ability to work with information.