NCTJ partners with CNN to offer training for aspiring journalists from diverse backgrounds

The NCTJ and CNN have partnered on an innovative scheme to offer an alternative route into journalism for people without prior formal training.

As part of recruitment for its internship programme, CNN sought four individuals who had not had previous journalism training or professional experience, and who came from a diverse range of backgrounds.

The successful candidates were put through an eight-week programme of training, overseen by the NCTJ, as well as learning about CNN’s ways of working with in-house trainers. Each participant was awarded a training bursary to support their living costs during the programme.

Following the training period, candidates were able to begin their paid internship, well-equipped to hit the ground running.

Left to right: CNN interns Rebecca Symns-Rowley and Johannes Sasay-Wada with the NCTJ’s Will Gore

Johannes Sasay-Wada, a CNN sport intern, said: “The NCTJ training was really helpful. It gave me an opportunity to receive bespoke training from accomplished and experienced professionals that specialised in different areas of journalism. The training was wide ranging and well thought out. I felt thoroughly prepared to step into the world of journalism, without feeling overwhelmed or behind because of my lack of prior experience.

“It was a great opportunity that I was very grateful to be a part of, and provided great insight into an industry that feels very hard to get into from the outside. I would thoroughly recommend this course to anyone who wants to get into journalism, as it illustrates just how many avenues there are in the industry and provides practical advice and skills to get you started”.

In-person training sessions covered a range of fundamental skills including newsgathering techniques, newswriting and editing, media law and regulation, video shooting and editing, feature-writing and approaches to investigations. Participants also learned about newsroom soft skills and about staying safe and resilient as a journalist.

Most of the training took place in-person at CNN’s Old Street offices in London, enabling the prospective interns to get to know their way around the organisation and to meet their future colleagues ahead of their internship beginning.

They also undertook a range of the NCTJ’s e-learning courses, on subjects including verification and fact-checking, interviewing, reporting climate change, and reporting on elections.

Holly Day, internship manager at CNN, said: “CNN created this programme to provide a pathway for storytellers and people passionate about global issues who haven’t formally studied journalism. Different voices bring different perspectives to our news coverage and it’s essential for us to reflect the diversity of our audience. Providing a skill-building programme offers the opportunity for people with different backgrounds to get into journalism.”

Will Gore, head of partnerships and projects at the NCTJ, said: “We were delighted to work with CNN to develop this highly successful programme of training for a group of up-and-coming interns. We know that the costs of accessing professional training can be challenging for many people, and this scheme offered an alternative way to gain the grounding required for a journalism internship.”

“We are delighted that the group who benefited from the insights of our trainers have made positive strides in the newsroom since their internships began, and we hope this will be a springboard to gaining a full NCTJ qualification and to long careers in journalism.”

Through its Journalism Skills Academy, the NCTJ offers a wide range of qualifications and skills development courses for journalists at every stage of their careers. It also works with employers to deliver bespoke solutions that meet the specific needs of the organisation.

If you are interested in discussing the training needs of your company with the NCTJ, please contact Laura Adams, head of the NCTJ’s Journalism Skills Academy on [email protected].