Published: 23.04.08

Multi-award winning investigative journalist, Andrew Jennings, officially opened the University of Brighton's new press room.

Based at the university's Eastbourne campus, the centre is equipped with plasma screens showing Sky Sports and Sky News, computer terminals with Quark publishing and internet access.

The state-of-the-art facilities will be used by the university's sports journalist students. They will be able to carry out live match reports at the same time as working in a realistic news room.

The centre which was funded by the government's Science Research Investment Fund (SRIF) scheme and the university, cost £300,000. The project was initiated by former head of the university's Chelsea School, Paul McNaught-Davis, with support from Professors Alan Tomlinson, Steve Redhead and John Sugden.

Andrew Jennings said: "The University of Brighton needs to be congratulated. It is great to see this kind of investment in journalism training. I'm envious of this new generation of wannabe sport reporters who are surrounded by sharp, experienced minds and state-of-the-art equipment in such a lovely setting. The fact that they leave here not just as passive news reporters, but more importantly as 'investigators' has got to be a bonus!"

Third year sports journalism student, Brendan Simpson, said: "The resource is invaluable. Working in a press room is unlike any normal office and it's an important part of our training to learn to work in a pressurised environment. Having worked at the sports desk for the Guardian and Sunday Telegraph, the press room is also very realistic."

Andrew Jennings proceeded to give a talk called 'Fallen Ideals'. This was the first event in an inspiring series of talks and events leading up to the London 2012 Olympics entitled 'Fuelling the Flame', presented by Chelsea School.