Staff members in the London Branch of the Oak Leaf have taken on the challenge of upholding the publication’s nearly 100-year legacy of excellence while navigating the unique hurdles of working abroad.
The London Branch is a temporary post for study abroad students from Northern California taking a section of The Oak Leaf publication class from adviser Anne Belden, who is teaching in London this fall. For many students, this experience has been their first introduction to journalism, with most having never written in a journalistic style or considered pursuing the field.
Despite the initial struggles, the semester has been a blend of obstacles, growth and achievements, and is reflective of the difficulties in building a quality newsroom abroad.
Rosemary Cromwell, London Bureau Chief and the only London staff member with prior journalism experience described the challenges of “bringing everybody up to speed so that we can produce articles or video content.” Without experienced journalists to mentor the team, much of the responsibility has fallen on Cromwell, with guidance from Belden, the class adviser.
The restricted class time — only four hours a week — has made it even more difficult to get everyone acclimated, limiting the time students have to adjust to the demands of journalistic writing.
Belden acknowledged the difficulties caused by the short class sessions. “We don’t have a dedicated newsroom here, so there’s no place to congregate and continue working outside of class time,” she said.
She also pointed out another challenge: “We don’t have our stock of audio/video equipment, nor do we have a staff of section editors, photographers and copy editors, so students have had to learn to do everything surrounding their stories.”
This lack of resources has forced the team to quickly develop skills in all areas of production, from writing and editing to photography and multimedia work. For new journalists, learning all these new skills combined with adjusting to living in an exciting new city can be a difficult act to balance.
“Oak Leaf London staff are busy navigating a new city during the week and traveling around Europe on weekends — as they should for a study abroad — so their time is more limited and their focus more divided,” Belden said. “Yet they’ve managed to bring their worldly experiences into their stories.”
Some London Branch staff members have written stories about their travels, and others have even planned trips specifically to pursue article ideas.
For instance, London staff member Kate Owen Dildine traveled to Bath, England, to visit the Roman baths and created a video piece about her experience. Documenting her trips felt natural, she said. “I already record things when I go to museums or when I’m on vacation in general.”
While initially struggling with video editing, she found the process simple once she got the hang of it, which seemed to be the experience for most students in this class. Now, she mentors other staff members with their videos.
Despite challenges, the semester has proven invaluable for both students and staff, offering opportunities for growth and first-time experiences in journalism. Staff member Ellie Hokerson-Brun was excited to see her initial article published after visiting the Royal Opera House. “It was really rewarding to see my work published,” she said.
Other students echoed similar views, highlighting how their writing evolved over the term. Diego Cruz took a deep dive into London’s soccer culture, covering an Arsenal Women’s game for his debut story. His reporting not only recounted the match but also tackled the issue of the gender pay gap in sports. Reflecting on the experience, Cruz said, “I would never go to a women’s game in the States,” emphasizing the unique opportunities available in London.
Cruz also took on the lighter topic of the best and worst of the U.K. Pringles flavors, where with the help of a couple of other members of the staff he conducted a taste test to decide a ranking of the flavors.
Getting their first stories published in The Oak Leaf’s first-ever London Branch section has been a significant accomplishment, and seeing students adapt to new skills and gain confidence has been rewarding for Belden.
“It’s made me realize that we can bring a group of strangers together, and with time, instruction and dedication, we can create a newsroom anywhere in the world,” Belden said.
