Education & Training

John Schofield Trust launches new scheme to improve diversity in journalism

Left to right: Trustees Wendy Wilson & Paul Harrison, Sky News' Political Corrospondent, Lewis Goodall, David Dimbleby and trust founder, Susie Schofield (Credit: Emily Freya)

The new partnership will support young people (aged 16-17) who are from disadvantaged backgrounds and are interested in a career in journalism, by running an e-mentoring scheme.

The e-mentoring scheme will enable the youngsters to match with industry professionals and allow for a greater scope to find mentee's best suited to them.  

Fewer people from poorer backgrounds are entering the industry and it is hoped this partnership will open the door to the next generation of journalists, regardless of their background.

Want to be an editor? Grab experience where you can

Ruth Pitt, Johnny Rayner and Samuel R Santana (Credit: RTS/Paul Hampartsoumian)

Grab experience where you can

Santana: “I arrived here, jobless, from the Canary Islands in 1994, and wanted to carry on editing.

“I did a very short online course in order to get into low-budget TV. It was great experience and led to me working on National Geographic documentaries.

“You shouldn’t be sniffy about low-budget productions as an editor because it’s fantastic experience. When you’ve got really tight deadlines, it makes you think quicker.”

Why storytelling is the key to good camerawork

Christopher Titus King, Helen Scott and Sophie Darlington (Credit: RTS/Paul Hampartsoumian)

Wildlife cinematographer Sophie Darlington (the BBC’s Planet Earth II and documentary feature African Cats) and director of photography Christopher Titus King, who straddles the documentary (BBC One’s Seven Ages of Britain) and drama (the History mini-series, The Bible) genres, discussed camerawork at the RTS Craft Skills Masterclasses.

Angela Jain: Follow the job, not the money

Angela Jain in conversation with Boyd Hilton

Why a career in TV is for everyone

“It’s important to demystify television and make you realise that TV is a great place to work…

“As a second generation British-born Indian no one in my family had ever worked in the media before. Of my siblings two are lawyers and one is an environmental scientist.

“Ideally my folks would have liked me to be a good Asian doctor but I’m afraid I wasn’t bright enough. I was quite musical but my parents didn’t want me to do anything that was to do with the creative businesses.  

Andy Harries' top tips for working in drama

Andy Harries in conversation with Alex Graham
Take your time: “If you are interested in television, you do not have to decide at this stage of the game what you want to do in TV – I have done almost everything … I don’t think it matters doing lots of different things until you finally settle … It took me some time to realise what I was really good at, which was producing.”
 

Cracking Telly: Screenwriter Ryan Brown shares his story

"I probably have more of a writer's soul than an actor's soul" - Ryan Brown

Although still early in his career himself, Brown has been making waves, having won the Bafta New Writing Prize of Drama in 2016, and been runner up in an Idris Elba-fronted writing competition, 'Write to Greenlight'.

Competitions are now key to breaking into the industry as a young writer, he believes. While in the past it was possible to get your break with a killer script and the right opportunity, now young writers need an ‘in’. Competitions, he believes, are the key.