BUDDING young journalists from the East End have been discovering what life is really like as a top reporter.

Teenagers Tania Rahman, 17, and Nazmin Akhter, 17, both from schools in Tower Hamlets, took part in the week long Young Journalists Academy Summer School in Canary Wharf.

Tania, from Central Foundation Girls’ School said: “The YJA summer school has been very intriguing as I have learnt so much about how the journalism industry operates.”

Along with 24 other talented 16 to 18-year-olds, the girls took part in visits to BBC Television Centre’s studios and newsroom, and Reuters where they completed a photo assignment.

Sessions were also held with top journalists including Tom Whitwell, assistant editor at The Times, Richard Lawson, producer at BBC World News Service and Paul Nicholas, deputy managing editor at the News of the World.

Nazmin, from Sir John Cass Foundation and Red Coats School said: “The summer school has taught me how influential all the work of journalists is.

“There is so much more to journalism than writing articles. I’ve learnt that being a journalist is a way of life and this course has inspired me to work harder.”

The programme was started by online magazine Spiked in 2006 and is run by the organisation Journalism Education in association with The Times.

Stuart Fraser, chairman of the Policy and Resources Committee at the City of London Corporation which helps fund the project said: “It is important that we recognise and nurture London’s young creative talent and this programme does just that, by supporting bright, tenacious young people from the capital and in their ambitions to break into journalism.

“Allowing local young people behind-the-scenes access and advice is a great step into one of the most difficult to crack industries.”