Facilitated by Speakers4Schools, the publisher will offer a series of free virtual workshops to pull back the curtain on careers in the media world
The events have been organised by ReachPotential, a network of Reach staffers from across the business dedicated to social mobility, headed up by Sunday Mirror editor Gemma Aldridge and Reach planning director Jenny Shevlin.
The series kicked off on Wednesday with a 45-minute session delivered to nearly 500 state school students from around the country. The session shed light on what happens “Behind the News”, with insights and advice from leaders across various departments.
In October, Reach will offer a two-day workshop aimed at students that have an interest in storytelling, featuring a live editorial conference from the Mirror’s offices as editors plan the next day’s issue.
Shevlin, who works in the branded content arms of the Reach Solutions team, said: “Outreach to students from less advantaged backgrounds, who may be experiencing educational inequality, is such an integral part of our strategy. We’ll be opening our doors, demystifying our world and showing them that they have something really special to bring to the industry.”
Aldridge added: “At the Mirror we know we have a responsibility to be representative, to reflect our readers and our society in everything we do – the clue is in our name. That means not only being inclusive in the stories we tell and the way we tell them but in the make-up of our newsrooms.
“We want young people from all financial and social backgrounds, all races, faiths and genders to know they have the opportunity to thrive here and we believe our papers, websites and other platforms will be better as a result.”
