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Lily Morl

I'm a 22-year-old multimedia journalist. 

About Me

Hi! I’m an avid young journalist with experience in broadcast, print and online. For me, I love going out and speaking to people. I love hearing stories and particularly from those whose voices have not been shared. I want to be the person who brings their story to life and to help vocalise it.

I've developed an expertise in health journalism and have produced a 24-minute documentary on transplant victims in the pandemic.

But, I also want to help people escape and bring smiles to people's faces. I like bringing light-hearted news to the forefront.

I am currently working as a trainee reporter at Reach PLC's BerkshireLive site. I also have bylines across their other news sites: SurreyLive, BuckinghamshireLive, and OxfordshireLive. I cover everything from breaking incidents to local news.

I graduated from the Centre for Journalism at the University of Kent with First Class Honours in Journalism in 2021. It's here I learnt the skills I needed to become a multimedia journalist and where I completed my NCTJ diploma.

Please take a look at my portfolio, which includes a mixture of print, TV, radio and online pieces.

Featured Stories

Centre for Journalism •

Viral Meningitis Awareness Week

Click here to view a magazine feature I produced in the style of Fit & Well's health section using Adobe InDesign. Hear the stories of those who have suffered from viral meningitis. All of whom at the start of falling ill thought it was a bad migraine. Many describe this migraine as feeling like ‘putting your head in a vice and slowly squeezing it until you pass out.’ Instead, it was a virus, viral meningitis, which becomes a nightmare for 6,000 people each year in the UK, according to the charity Meningitis Now. Almost always the victims of this virus whom suffer serious effects will require emergency medical attention within days.
Medium •

PCOS: ‘A sentence to pain and complications.’

It can cause infertility, debilitating pain and an increased risk of serious health problems. Nevertheless, very little is known about polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). There is no cure for the condition which, according to the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, affects one in every five women.

It can be hard to treat, manifesting itself in many different ways, and the cause of this mysterious syndrome remains unclear.

With symptoms ranging from bothersome to crippling, the c
Centre for Journalism •

UK’s first eight-organ transplant survivor leading the way

A feature I produced for a reporting assignment whilst in my second year at the Centre for Journalism at the University of Kent.
“I would have done anything. It was just, get me on the table. If you kill me, you kill me. Don’t worry just do what you got to do. I was putting myself up as a guinea pig.”
Adam sat wide awake in a chair. He was dosed up to his eyeballs, connected to feeding tubes and a Hickman line which desperately tried to pump nutrients into his heart and stomach. His intestines had failed. He was completely obstructed, throwing up what should have been coming out elsewhere. Adam thought, “I could have knocked myself out on the wall because I was in so much pain.” A doctor came over, holding a white sheet of paper, titled ‘DNR.’
Centre for Journalism •

Transplants: The patients on pause

My Final Year Project produced in the style of a BBC Three documentary.
Streets once again empty. Businesses and borders closed.
While the numbers of those infected and those who have died as a result of Covid is clear, what is perhaps more difficult to see and yet understand are the implications it is having on
other areas of our health care system.
Take patients waiting for transplants, for example.
During the UK’s first wave, in Spring 2020, the number of people receiving transplants dropped by 60% from 2019.
Many patients are missing out on life-saving organ transplant surgery, as hospitals shift their effort to handle Covid-19 cases.
This has forced suspended surgeries, and in some cases, transplant services closed their doors altogether.
Photo by fauxels on Pexels

My Skills

Proficient and experienced user of:

  • Final Cut Pro 
  • Adobe Premiere Pro
  • Audition
  • Adobe Indesign
  • Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom
  • Social Media: Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
  • Microsoft Office: Word, PowerPoint and Outlook

Teeline Shorthand 60wpm (100% Accuracy)

NCTJ Grade A in Essential Media law 

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels

Education

BA (Hons) Journalism  

Centre for Journalism at the University of Kent. Waiting for results - currently averaging a First.

    NCTJ Diploma 

    Working towards achieving a gold standard NCTJ Diploma.

    A levels

    Beauchamps High School 2016-18. 

    English Literature and language, Media, History and (AS) Law.

    Awards

    NCTJ 2022 'Student Project of the Year' for TV documentary 'Transplants: The Patients on Pause'

    SPA Award 2021 Best Feature "Class of Covid-19": Highly Commended

    SPA Shortlist Nominee 2021: Best Student Photographer

    'The Human Experience: Know Justice, No Peace'. A Digital Art Exhibition: The People's Choice Award

    Photo by chepté cormani on Pexels

    Get in Touch

    If you would like to find out more about the work I have produced or want to reach out, please email me at lilymorl@outlook.com.

    My DM's are open on Twitter and I reply super quickly on Facebook.

    Online and print articles

    Explore a featured selection of my work mostly produced during lockdown.

    BerkshireLive •

    Police apology 'means nothing' after Reading custody death

    Thames Valley Police has apologised to the family of a man who died from a heroin overdose whilst in police custody in Reading. However, his family say the apology means ‘nothing’ because it does not bring him back.

    Leroy Junior Medford, aged 44, died after officers at a police station in Reading failed to find drugs he had hidden. In a letter to Junior's family seen by BerkshireLive, Thames Valley Police's Deputy Chief Constable Jason Hogg apologised for his death.

    He acknowledged that the fo
    buckinghamshirelive •

    Bucks school pupils 'harassed' by Covid anti-vaxxers

    Anti-vaxxers are handing out leaflets containing false information about the Covid vaccine to pupils as they leave school premises.

    Both Amersham School and Beaconsfield High School - where pupils are as young as 11 - have reported incidents of people targeting children with leaflets to the police.

    Pupils leaving Amersham School in Stanley Hill on Monday, October 11, were targeted by two individuals, police have confirmed.

    Read more: Hunt for teenagers behind arson attacks on village hall and
    CoventryLive •

    On the road with heroic blood bikers: 'You're helping people survive'

    James Ricardo often works a weekend shift, which means being on call for 72 hours straight.

    “I am a sucker for punishment,” he said.

    "On call" means that, at very little notice, he can be awoken suddenly in the night and find himself riding his motorbike with a vital delivery for a hospital.

    Read more: Warwickshire's best doctors surgeries as rated by patients - where does yours rank?

    But James is not an NHS employee.

    He’s a volunteer, one of 3,372 riders, drivers and controllers of the Nat
    Invicta News •

    Pancreatic cancer patient emphasises swift diagnosis and treatment

    As stark warnings are made about the number of people living in the UK with undiagnosed cancers makes headlines, we spoke to Bryony Thomas about her pancreatic cancer diagnosis – one of the least survived and fastest progressing cancers.

    For five years, Bryony Thomas, 41, had been plagued by fatigue and she felt like a part of her was screaming. She had always known something was wrong. In December 2019, she had friends round and her husband, Tom, made a lasagne of which Bryony had a decent siz
    Medium •

    Number of long Covid sufferers double previous estimates

    The number of people suffering with “long Covid” is more than double what officials previously estimated.

    One in 10 people are still experiencing coronavirus symptoms ­– such as fatigue, coughing and headaches — 12 weeks after contracting the illness, according to figures released today by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

    Previous estimates by King’s College London suggested only one in 20 people might suffer symptoms lasting more than eight weeks.

    Sarah Sutton had only been working
    Invicta News •

    Cervical cancer patient urges women to attend smear tests

    New figures reveal that one in ten women have delayed getting a smear test because of concerns about going to the doctor during the Covid pandemic.

    As part of Cervical Cancer Awareness Week, one woman who, after being diagnosed herself, is urging others to attend their appointments.

    It was after a standard smear test that Elizabeth Ham, 34, found out she had cervical cancer. Despite not having any symptoms, she was diagnosed in November. She says it was thanks to that routine appointment that
    Medium •

    Shop workers assaulted and “spat at” during Covid-19 pandemic

    Shop workers are being spat, kicked and verbally abused as the Covid-19 pandemic triggers an increase in abuse.

    Research by the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers (Usdaw) found nearly 80% of those questioned said abuse had been “worse than normal.

    ”Mike Adamson, a convenience store manager* said: “A colleague of mine at another shop has been kicked and another has been spat at.”

    Usdaw’s Freedom for Fear survey of more than 2,000 workers also suggested nearly 10% of workers have been assaulted during the pandemic.

    “We are being applauded one minute as key workers, but we are being treated like absolute crap by customers,” Mike exclaimed.
    Invicta News •

    Secret artist hiding glass heart treasures across Medway

    An anonymous artist is spreading happiness and kindness by hiding glass hearts around Medway for people to find during this dark lockdown.

    As the hearts are made from glass, they can be easily sanitised and are small enough to keep in a pocket. The artist, who wishes to remain anonymous, says she does not want praise for the project, but to sit back and smile, quietly knowing she has made a difference.

    The project first started by making 150 hearts to send to staff on the Covid wards at Medway
    Invicta News •

    RSPB’s Big Schools’ Birdwatch takes flight during lockdown

    Gather your children, ready your binoculars and scan your gardens for everything from aquatic warblers to yellowhammers as the RSPB celebrates its Big Schools’ Birdwatch.

    While this year marks the event’s 20th anniversary, it is a little different than most due to the coronavirus pandemic.

    Across the UK, school children are pushing aside their pencils and taking a break from their remote learning.

    Instead, the RSPB is asking them to fill up their bird feeders in their gardens or take notes fr
    Invicta News •

    Animal sanctuary searching for new home

    An animal rescue charity has made a plea for help finding a new home as it battles to avoid having to close.

    Happy Pants Ranch future is in jeopardy after a divorce dispute is forcing the sanctuary to move from its current home at Yelsted, near Sittingbourne.

    The charity has become a haven to more than 350 animals, rescuing the likes of pigs, cows, and emus.

    Its founder, Amey James, exclaimed that giving away the ranch residents is not an option:

    “Over my dead body. You will have to kill me

    Broadcast pieces

    Here, is a selection of my broadcast pieces with many of them produced during lockdown over the last year.

    Please click play on any of these SoundCloud files to hear my radio pieces produced in the last year during lockdown for Invicta News. 

    The Hero Next door

    Since the outbreak of Covid-19, countless individuals and communities have sprung into action. The pandemic has seen people coming together to look out for each other, to help the vulnerable and isolated.

    Over the past year, the resilience of individuals and communities has thrived. Many people have volunteered, while some have set on a quest to spread kindness, and boost morale.

    For some, they have just carried out their ordinary day job risking their lives to keep the country going.

    The work of these individuals has been profound. 

    Click the button below to view an online multimedia project that hopes to shine a light and celebrate these people – the heroes living next door.

    Click to view

    My photography

    Whether out on patch or a planned photo shoot, arm me with a camera or a phone. Come rain, snow or wind, I'll happily walk around taking photographs for stories, and features. I love any opportunity to work behind a camera.  

    View more

    My Blog

    Submerge yourself into the world of Zimmer and Extinction Rebellion demonstration stealing the Turner Prize stage. 

    buckinghamshirelive •

    "We sent back our unloved Bounty bars to Mars"

    It’s no secret that a Celebrations tin is a festive staple.

    However, it will mean a fight to the death with your siblings because there’s always that one sad collection which everyone loathes.

    And that unfortunate family comes along too late, scrambles around in the cupboard to find the tin sound that deafening rattle of loose chocolates - which means only one thing.

    Read more: KFC shares plans to open 500 new branches across the UK

    It might even be a trigger for some, causing a full blown r
    buckinghamshirelive •

    "I watched Love Actually for the first time, and it was unbearable"

    Love Actually has broken onto Netflix this week and the sucker that I am for Christmas movies meant it was time to watch the so called iconic movie.

    Yes, that’s right I have never seen the classic.

    Why do you ask? Well, I do not have a reason. Yet, I volunteered as tribute when my Content Editor asked people to write an opinion piece about a classic movie they had never seen before.

    So it was finally rip off the band aid and watch one of the country’s festive favourites.

    Love Actually is a f
    buckinghamshirelive •

    We tried TikTok's Halloween pumpkin challenge

    It turns out simply carving a pumpkin this year will just not make the cut for this year's Halloween festivities. But, running around the high street with a great big Jack-o-lantern on your head will do.

    Luckily, I did not need to be a lonely pumpkin person in the area as my friend joined me in donning the head gear.

    We kick started the adventure at 6pm on Wednesday night as we fully expected finding a large enough pumpkin to fit our heads to be impossible task.

    The mission commenced with hit
    Centre for Journalism •

    Zimmer: The (Lion) King of Blockbuster Scores | Centre for Journalism at the University of Kent

    What makes more than 10,000 people silent? The moment composer Gavin Greenaway raises his baton and signals the orchestra as it plays The Dark Knight score, ending in an erupting crescendo of drums, brass and strings.

    The conductor, a life-long friend of Hans Zimmer took centre stage beneath the synonymous ‘Bat signal’, which caused a shrill of excitement to pulsate through my body as if it was calling the following songs at The World of Hans Zimmer: a symphonic celebration at Wembley Arena.

    A