Meet the team: Paul Foster, lecturer in media law and investigative journalism

In our latest post from the UoP Journalism team, Paul reflects on his 15 years working in newspapers as a reporter and news editor.

Paul teaches across several units including media law, reporting, newsroom production, magazine journalism and investigative journalism.

Name: Paul Foster

Background / Education: After graduating with a BA (Hons) degree in journalism in 2000, I joined the Newbury Weekly News in West Berkshire as a trainee reporter. This independent newspaper was a great training ground and I spent two-and-a-half years there before heading back to my local newspaper — The News, Portsmouth.

I was quickly made chief reporter, covering my home town of Gosport, before being promoted to the newsdesk, where I spent many years helping to lead the daily coverage for both online and print.

After a spell as a freelance production editor and a PR executive for top motoring brands, I became programme leader for the NCTJ courses at Highbury College in Portsmouth, training more than 100 apprentices and students and winning an award for the best FE fast-track course in the country.

What is your subject specialism? While I teach all forms of reporting, from feature writing to investigative journalism, my specialism is media law and court reporting.

What units do you teach? For the next academic year I will be teaching media law and reporting at Level 4, and Magazine Journalism and Newsroom Production at Level 6.

What is your favourite place in Portsmouth? The entrance to the harbour. It has two pubs with the best views — the Spice Island Inn and the Still and West.

What is your favourite book? I love sport/music/journalist autobiographies and memoirs, but the book that is by my side on a day-to-day basis is McNae’s Essential Law for Journalists. Yes, I am a legal nerd.

What is your favourite movie and TV show? It has to be a toss up between Toy Story and Jurassic Park (I have young children) as they are films I can watch time and time again.

What is your favourite album? This is tough, but the ones I keep coming back to are Levelling the Land by the Levellers, Nevermind by Nirvana, and Older by George Michael (folk rock, grunge and pop — a random selection of music, I know)

Cats or Dogs? It has to be dogs. I’m about to get a cockapoo pup called Peggy so come back and ask me in a few months if I have changed my mind!