WHO wants to be a journalist?It's hard work, long hours but it can be enormous fun gathering all the news to keep the community informed and in touch.

WHO wants to be a journalist?

It's hard work, long hours but it can be enormous fun gathering all the news to keep the community informed and in touch.

Thinking up the career move that will suit them has, for ten Northgate sixth formers, included the possibility of being a news reporter and two by two they have spent time at The Evening Star to see how it's done.

Over the next few weeks more students from the Ipswich school will also be seeing the Star in action.

First to visit, Rebecca Bostock and Mark Byam have already been featured in the Star and today we tell of others who spent time at the paper this week.

Vicky Bloomfield and Will Borley, both 16, have included media studies on their varied courses at Northgate.

Will was no stranger to the Star newsroom, having spent time with the team when he was 13.

"I already had some idea of what goes on but it was nice to come back and see the changes that have happened since then.

"I am amazed at how technology has taken over but wonder how the paper would come out if things went wrong," he said.

Vicky said she thought the operation was much bigger than she had imagined adding: "it is quite a hive of industry."

Jessica Bateman, 16, and Laura Baxter, 17, also spent time touring the offices of the newspaper in Lower Brook Street ... and had the opportunity to write short stories.

The pair said their visit had given them an insight into the job of a reporter and the production of a newspaper and that they thoroughly enjoyed the time spent at The Star.

Jessica has ambitions to become a music journalist and said: "Up until today I did not realise how stories were found or generated and it has been really useful to find out all about that side of things."

And Laura, added: "It has really given us a great insight into newspapers and how they are produced."

Rebecca Cook, 16 and Lewis Copland, 17, also seemed surprised at how things come together.

Lewis said: "A lot of people just see the glamour part, they do not see how reporters have to come back and writhe things up."

Already with the belief that there was a lot of hard work involved and considering a career in the industry, Rebecca said: "I didn't know quite how much was involved.

"I would prefer to go in to the TV side, maybe presenting, but journalism is quite interesting," she added.

Laura D'Rozario, 18, and Emily Grimwood, 17, were surprised at the quietness of the Star newsroom.

"I thought it would be much noisier," said Laura and Emily agreed, saying: "There is no sound of machinery."

A tour of the pressroom soon made them realise that once the mighty press begins to roll off the latest edition, peace is not the word that is used.

Being interested in photography, Emily thinks her future could be in photo journalism and is hoping to go off to university to study the subject.

"I don't think I would be happy sitting in an office writing but would rather be out there with the action."

A career in the film industry is what Laura is planning and she has offers to study film at university.

"What I would like is to either work for the British Board of Film Censors or to be a film critic and write for magazines," she added.