Originally aired in June on Radio LaB – the University’s on-campus radio station – ‘Meet the Smugglers’ examines the criminal world of people smuggling in the UK. This is the third time a Radio LaB presenter has been nominated for a SRA in the ‘Best Journalistic Programming’ category since 2017.

Following the nomination, student Laura Conder said: "I feel incredibly honoured to have been shortlisted for ‘Best Journalistic Programming’ by the Student Radio Awards. As I was doing an investigative piece on why smugglers were turning to people smuggling, I decided radio was a better choice than a TV documentary as it’s far easier to disguise a voice than a face.

“Producing an investigative documentary during the lockdown was also very trying, so I’m feeling very pleased with how it turned out. I was so lucky to have the fantastic support of all the Journalism team at the University, particularly Dr Paul Rowinski and Terry Lee.”

Fantastic news! @uniofbeds very own @RadioLaB971fm has been nominated for 'Best Journalistic Programming' in this year's #studentradioawards @SRA 👏👏👏 https://t.co/WJITmuaq4w

— University of Bedfordshire News (@uniofbedsnews) October 23, 2020

Laura, who graduated with a BA in Broadcast Journalism this summer, studied at the University’s School of Culture & Communications. A mature student and working mother, she chose to study at Bedfordshire’s Luton campus while also working as a manager at a local pub. Prior to student life, Laura experienced the criminal justice system after being found guilty of people smuggling. She has since turned her life around, focusing on attaining a career in investigative journalism, and chose to explore this topic area as part of her coursework, with guidance from her tutors.

Now studying a Masters in Investigative Journalism at DeMontfort University, Laura said the skills she developed while volunteering at Radio LaB helped shape her final documentary:

"I really enjoyed my time at RadioLaB and it definitely gave me the skills to produce a better documentary. The station is a great asset, not just for Radio, Journalism and Media students, but for all students at the University of Bedfordshire. It's an opportunity to learn new skills and make new friends from different courses – plus it looks great on your CV!

"All the support and training I received over the three years of my undergraduate degree in Broadcast Journalism was a great stepping stone into my Masters. I feel I have a fantastic career ahead of me, and I am very excited for the future."

In the audio documentary, Laura interviews Dr Patricia Hynes – the Principal Investigator of a human trafficking study published by the University’s School of Applied Social Sciences in 2019. The key points Laura questioned Dr Hynes about were the differences between human smuggling and human trafficking, the historical causes of trafficking, why people want to come to the UK and what the government is doing to protect people who experience 'modern slavery'.

Laura also spoke with other people smugglers about their experiences and describes to the listeners what happened when she herself was caught and what serving time in prison was like. This eye-opening feature piece is a cautionary tale but also raises questions about how the public perceives smugglers – and how they should not be confused with human traffickers.

"Her documentary lifts the lid on how desperate people can do desperate things. It is an investigative and campaigning piece of journalism, all rolled in to one,” said Dr Paul Rowinski, Senior Lecturer in Journalism, who was co-supervisor of Laura’s documentary project.

“Laura is the classic example of what the University of Bedfordshire is really all about. As a mature student and working mother, she has always had to juggle her studies and her experiences prior to journalism have served her well – having suffered a whole series of injustices, Laura has a keen eye for when others have been wronged.

“Laura has all the hallmarks of a top investigative reporter, like no other I have taught in my ten years at the University. It was a real honour and privilege to have a student of her calibre in my classroom.” 

Terry Lee, Senior Tutor in Radio & Audio, said: "Sometimes when we hear a student's idea for a story, we know it will make good radio. Laura was motivated by student James Montague's success at last year’s Community Radio Awards and everyone at Radio LaB is truly delighted for her SRA nomination. I hope our current journalism students will be inspired by her too."

You can listen to Laura’s nominated documentary via the Radio LaB website: https://radiolab.beds.ac.uk/meetthesmugglers 

Supported by BBC Sounds and Global Radio, this year’s Student Radio Awards will be broadcast live on Facebook, with the winners unveiled on Twitter. Follow @SRA from 7pm on Friday 6^th November.

For information about courses and opportunities available with the School of Culture & Communications, visit: www.beds.ac.uk/howtoapply/departments/culture-and-communications

Listen to Radio LaB live online or on digital radio (97.1FM) and visit the website to find out how you can get involved.