I would be lying if I said my former 28-year-old self truly understood the power of news brands when I walked through the doors of Newsworks eight years ago. I always took for granted the influence and authority they possessed. Newspapers have always been a part of my day-to-day life, but not in the same way they are now. They say that the paper you read, you inherit from your family – I would probably say that in my case, this is 100% incorrect!
My parents and grandparents read solely regional and Greek press – neither of which I read – unless of course they have asked me to manically search through the obituaries, to find out whether we were related to Costas Costakis or whether I went to school with his son Costas Costakis Jr (true story).
Reading the newspaper daily is like an emotional rollercoaster and I wouldn’t have it any other way. They inform, investigate, expose and entertain.
In 2014, Newsworks hosted Shift North in Manchester. I was frantically signing our guests in to ensure I got a seat, as one of our speakers was David Walsh. Almost five years ago, I still remember the tone, voice, charisma and pure determination he showed while talking us through his Lance Armstrong story. I knew in that moment that something exceptional had just happened. I have always been curious (does Sherlock Holmes mean anything to you?) and in this particular moment, it made me realise that we live in extraordinary times, where journalism really does matter.
Last year I brought together and organised different journalists on a panel at Mindshare’s Huddle. For the first time, all our publishers came together to demonstrate how news brands influence and propel change in society.
News brands have been championing change for decades, fighting for the causes that matter. They give people a voice and their diverse and trusted nature, make their work even more impactful and widespread.
This is one of the biggest reasons why here at Newsworks, we have looked at how we structure our training to ensure we really are focusing on the importance of journalism.
Starting with industry juniors, we are looking to excite and invigorate their perceptions of what news brands are and the impact journalism has on people, society and brands.
Our first session begins on 26th February. If you are interested, please sign up to any of the available dates as we would love to have you on board.
