As news brands strive to ensure their newsrooms reflect their diverse readerships, Newsworks’ youth engagement initiative aims to inspire future generations of editorial and commercial leaders regardless of background
Born out of Newsworks’ video interview series speaking to the rising stars of Britain’s national newsrooms, the ‘Future of News’ project will provide a resource to schoolchildren and young people across the country eager to take their first steps into journalism and the wider media industry.
The initiative centres around a dedicated portal on the Newsworks website, a resource that explains journalism’s enduring importance to young people and wider society in an accessible, digestible format. It also provides information on the various editorial and commercial careers that news brands offer, as well as further links to news brand apprenticeship schemes and opportunities nationwide.
The online hub is complemented by Newsworks’ further work in the industry and wider community. Members of the team have taken ‘Future of News’ into schools, speaking to pupils and young people about how news brands relate to their lives and wider society, as well as inspiring them to consider a future career in media.
Newsworks also supports Brixton Finishing School’s national schools outreach programme ADventure, which aims to diversify new talent and inspire young minds coming into the wider marketing and media industries.
In addition, Newsworks has teamed up the Student Publication Association’s national awards for the last two years, celebrating the amazing talent coming into journalism; Go Live Theatre Projects, a charity focussed on media literacy among school children; and Adwanted’s Future 100 Club, which ensures rising media stars have access to the opportunities once they have entered the industry to reach their potential.
Liz Jaques, Newsworks trade marketing and PR director, said: “While the media industry is making some headway there is still much more for us all to do. For me, our Future of News project, and the launch of our hub, is a small but important step in helping to reach a younger more diverse audience and hopefully inspiring some of them to become tomorrow’s superstars of journalism and the wider media industry.”
Check out Newsworks’ new ‘Future of News’ hub here.
