Journalism training news
Diversity grants made to trainee journalists
September 5 2009
ASPIRING journalist have until the end of October to apply for the next round of grants from the Journalism Diversity Fund.
The cash is handed out after applicants are interviewed by an industry panel. The scheme is designed to help people from socially and ethnically diverse backgrounds start a career in journalism. It is run by the National Council for the Training of Journalists.
But despite industry efforts like these grants a report in the summer showed journalism was among the careers becoming more exclusive. The Unleashing Aspirations report said without action future journalists will come from the richest 25 per cent of families. And it found the traditional career route of training in the regional press then moving to the nationals had all-but broken down.
The report also criticsed unpaid internships as a barrier to wider access to the industry and proposed a code of practice.
The latest Diversity Fund bursaries have gone to seven trainees starting courses. They were chosen from 69 people who applied to NCTJ administered fund in June.
They were selected after they proved their journalistic potential and diversity in their applications and later when interviewed by the panel.
The seven journalism students who received bursaries are: . Sharanpreet Bajwa, who will be studying a PgDip in Journalism at the Leicester Centre for Journalism at De Montfort University; . Mark Elliot, who will be studying fast-track newspaper journalism at noSWeat; . Glenn McMahon, who will be studying fast-track newspaper journalism at Lambeth College; . Nicola Roots, who will be studying an MA Journalism at Kingston University; . Carl Rose, who will be studying press photography at The Sheffield College, Norton Centre; . Paul Smith, who will be studying MA Journalism at the University of Ulster; . Sam Smith, who will be studying fast-track newspaper journalism at News Associates in London. Interviews took place at the Guardian on Friday 14th August and the interview panel included Asad Ahmed, BBC London news presenter, Lucy Bulmer, freelance journalist and former editor of Shine magazine, Afua Hirsch of the Guardian and Amar Singh of the London Evening Standard. The next deadline for bursary applications is Friday 30th October 2009 for courses starting early in the new year. An application form and further information about the Journalism Diversity Fund can be found at www.journalismdiversityfund.com.