Master students open their classroom and enter EL ESPAÑOL

He Master of Journalism from EL ESPAÑOLin collaboration with the Camilo José Cela Universityexperienced a double first at the start of the 24/25 season. After the success of the students of the first promotion (35% of them were hired by the newspaper, which constitutes an important step in masters of this type), the second promotion began its journey this week.

The first surprise for the new students was crucial when they arrived at Writing workshop installed, as a classroom, on the campus of the UCJC University, Juan Hurtado de Mendoza Street, 4, on the corner of Paseo de la Castellana in Madrid.

The glass wall of the Writing workshopmore than eight meters long, was spectacular. Of course, different from any classroom in the building. The vinyls that cover and decorate the glass are a declaration of principles. A lion, symbol of EL ESPAÑOL, appears enthroned, framed, with the words Master of Journalism in large print.

But more important than the lion are the commitments of the Master and the people involved in the activity of journalism. This Master offered by the main newspaper in Spain is innovative, practical, solvent, useful, entrepreneurial and differentiating, as you can read on the glass wall.

And the journalism that must be practiced, as it also appears at the entrance to the Editorial Workshop, must be direct, multimedia, combative, fair, exclusive and independent.

Wanting to comply with certain essential principles is the first essential step to achieve this. The design of the class was carried out by Ana Blancothe manager of this area at EL ESPAÑOL.

In accordance with the principles of Masters and journalism, the inaugural journalist class was developed Miguel Angel Melladodirector of this postgraduate program.

“If a master’s degree in journalism is not practical and the professors are not active journalists, it would not make sense to offer it and do it. If a master’s degree in journalism is not simple in its development, is not clear in its objectives and does not allow students, from the first day, to contact a professional editorial office, it is fraud or, at least it would be a fraud,” Mellado said.

For all of the above, the commitment of the Master – for which registrations have still been open for a few days – is that it is useful as journalism should be, that aspiring professional journalists learn from the best, with mentors within of the editorial staff, and as far as possible, provide jobs.

“You have to practice, practice and practice during the six months of the Writing Workshop,” explained the director of the Master. More than 40 professionals will participate in the classroom workshop, as well as special guests. This same Friday, October 18, he will teach Antonio Pamplegawar and investigative journalist. As we know, Pampliega is the Spanish journalist who spent the longest time kidnapped at the hands of Muslim radicals: 300 days in Syria.

This Pampliega class will be open to young people interested in quality journalism. And if you want to do the master’s degree you can always participate in this promotion 24 hours a day.

The second surprise for the students, even more important than a personalized course, was to enter the writing of EL ESPAÑOL as a form of total immersion. And it’s the second day of classes, Tuesday October 15th.

Live classes were given Mario Diazdeputy director of EL ESPAÑOL; Inigo Zuleteditor-in-chief for Spain and former bureau chief of the newspaper; And Jose Verdugoexpert photojournalist of the audiovisual team.

Díaz insisted on some fundamental issues in the exercise of the profession: local journalism and the proactivity of journalists. Always, with quality. The students met the heads of the EL ESPAÑOL sectors guided by the deputy director. They will be your teachers on campus and your bosses during the six months of internships offered by this Master: from the end of March to September 2025.

Live, they saw how Vicente Ferrerdeputy director of Spain, a seasoned professional over the years, reacted to the latest news: the conviction for corruption of the former minister Eduardo Zaplanaof the PP.

“Here we always live on the verge of a heart attack,” Ferrer illustrated to the Master students, who continued their journey until reaching the audiovisual area of ​​the newspaper, on another floor. José Verdugo taught in the studio with the EL ESPAÑOL set. “Without images, there is no information,” Verdugo said.

To conclude the immersion in everyday journalism, members of the second class participated in the morning meeting, where sector leaders present the topics being published in the afternoon, for the night and for the next morning, because now journalism is published 24 hours a day.

Is the EL ESPAÑOL Master in Journalism practical, direct, multimedia, useful, entrepreneurial, open…? Carlos, Sofía, Ulda, Claudia, Cristina, Iván and Hansamong other registrants, saw that yes.

Cristina Munizdouble graduate in law and business administration, who left a law firm because she wants to become a journalist, summed up her day of experience to EL ESPAÑOL thus: “I have to admit that walking on the carpet, my eyes shone as if I were a girl, while I thought: This is where I want to work.