The John Schofield Trust mentoring scheme is now accepting applications.
The scheme partners senior news operators which in the past has included Channel 4’s Matt Frei and BBC broadcaster Jeremy Bowen, with journalists who are in the early stages of their career.
Now in its sixth year, the Trust is expanding its selection criteria to include those entering journalism from non-traditional routes.
This is in an effort to improve diversity in journalism, as recent figures indicate that 51% of the UK’s leading journalists went to private schools, and over half to Oxbridge.
Additionally a 2013 survey found that 83% of new journalists had done some form of work experience first with the majority (92%) being unpaid.
The Trust was established in 1996 in memory of journalist John Schofield who was killed whilst working in Croatia on the BBC’s World Tonight programme.
In 2017 the Trust has received financial backing from Sky News.
John Ryley, Head of Sky News said, “The work the John Schofield Trust does in encouraging young people from diverse socio-economic backgrounds is vital. I strongly believe being a journalist is one of the most important and rewarding jobs out there and it should be open to anyone, whatever their background.”
The Trust also awards a £1000 bursary each year to the RTS Young Talent of the Year as part of the RTS Television Journalism Awards.
The nominees for the award this year are Adam Coel, Waad al-Kateab and James Longman.
The deadline for applications for the mentoring scheme is 31 March and the scheme runs from 1 June 2017 to 31 May 2018. For more information and to download an application form, visit the John Schofield Trust website.