I WAS delighted to attend the Bournemouth University Faculty of Media and Communication Graduation Ceremony at the BIC on Tuesday morning, November 7.

How hugely impressive. And hugely uplifting.

It was wonderful to see so many young people, and some not so young, being presented with their degrees and higher degrees.

And what struck me as so impressive was the international mix. How great to see students from all over Europe, and from all over the world.

Personally I could not be more proud to have a top rank university in our conurbation. And for media and communication, a faculty with a first rate reputation, nationally and internationally.

However I think it right to strike a note of caution.

Brexit personally horrifies me. Very much closing the doors to European students, and collaborative European research.

Some will not agree with this view (the country is divided).

But with highest quality journalism in mind, as taught and researched in the Media Department, as the Chancellor cited in his speech, all the more critical in this modern day of "fake news" journalists do their level best to deliver evidence-based truthful media content.

What for instance was pumped out to the British public in May 2016, on the merits of Brexit, will in my view stand in time as one classic media research study into Chaos Theory - in action. Classic mass media misinformation and how that then plays out.

So personally I wish all the very best to all the young graduate journalists and media producers setting out on their careers. As the Chancellor said, a degree is not a matter of accumulating information but developing autonomous minds. A matter of thinking through issues ourselves, and standing up for what we think is right.

Not following the mass media herd.

STUART MARSHALL

Graduate of Dorset Institute of Higher Education as Bmouth Uni was 30 years ago,

Alexandra Road, Parkstone, Poole