uniFM 88.4 is part of the cross-media journalism training editorial team uniCROSS, which covers radio, TV, online and social media. uniCROSS is an integral part of the University Library’s Media Centre and is open to all students from all faculties. The cross-media journalism training is optional or course-related in the subjects of Media Culture Studies, German-French Journalism or Pharmacology, as well as offered through the Center for Key Qualifications.
uniFM 88.4 is produced by students under the guidance of journalism tutors and broadcasts 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, via FM broadcasting and online. Students learn journalistic practices, professional production and presentation of features and programmes, music programming, and cross-media collaboration with other editorial teams. Work is carried out across editorial teams as a matter of principle. Live broadcasting requires corresponding editorial processes with specific tasks, roles and responsibilities.
As is customary in the other editorial teams, the management of the uniFM 88.4 editorial team is handled on a part-time basis by a professional journalist; students at an advanced stage of their studies are employed as tutors on an hourly basis. They guide the students in the radio editorial team through their daily editorial work and in tutorials, and act as the link between the students and the editorial management.
uniFM 88.4 promotes the development of expertise in contemporary cross-media journalism, with a focus on radio. This is accompanied by the development of transferable skills such as planning and organisational skills, the ability to work independently, project management skills, and the ability to collaborate and communicate.
At uniCROSS, and consequently at uniFM 88.4, training is tailored to specific career paths – partly through competition with other media companies and partly through the supportive environment provided by its role as a training radio station. This enhances students’ employability. Many of them go on to launch their careers in the media industry.