No two days in business journalism are ever the same

As part of the continued celebrations for 20 years of the Journalism Diversity Fund, we caught up with past JDF recipient Samuel Norman. Samuel was a 2024 recipient of the fund and completed his NCTJ diploma in January.

Can you tell me about your journey to your current role and what you do now?

I’ve been in my role as a reporter at City AM since the beginning of the year. I was pretty lucky to get straight into the job after completing my NCTJ in January. Whilst studying I’d interned with the Daily Mail, did the odd bit of freelancing and a handful of work experience placements. I guess my journey to this role was grabbing onto any experience I could get, no matter the publication or the area they covered, because it all counts.

How did your experiences with the JDF influence or impact your career journey?

The JDF is completely unparalleled in terms of both support and networking. I was lucky to attend my fair share of events and get to mingle with industry bigwigs. But it’s also great to share a space with people with a similar mindset and also get that boost of support from speaking with people at the events.

What role do you feel diversity plays in the newsroom, and can you give an example of its impact?

I think it’s incredibly important to have a range of views and personalities in a room, there’s truly no way of having well-rounded coverage without. It is people’s different backgrounds and mindsets that allow us to lean on each other for guidance when needed.

Looking back since your NCTJ qualification, what achievement or moment are you most proud of, and why?

There’s a tonne of stories I’m really proud of. One that springs to mind was when freelancing I did a piece for The i Paper. It was an interview with Paralympian and House of Lords Peer Tanni Grey-Thompson on the upcoming assisted dying bill. It was a really interesting piece, sparked a lot of conversation and was my first major freelance story which I was proud to pitch and get into print. It also was previewed on the front page of the paper!

Can you tell the story behind a piece of published work you’re especially proud of?

I’ve written quite a few deep dives into the UK’s financial technology industry. It’s a booming yet underutilised area of UK business and it’s been really nice to get to know big names in the area and be able to report on the top issues facing them.

How would you describe a typical day in your role—what does it involve and what do you enjoy most?

We’re a business newspaper and my central focus is banking and fintech.

Without being cliché absolutely no day is the same. Some days I’m reporting on moves by the big banks and top names in the market and other days I’m pitching in across other beats. There’s a lot of meeting people for lunch and coffees, pursuing different stories and chasing down other things. It’s definitely a role you have to wear many hats in that keeps you on your toes.

Based on your experiences, what advice or insight would you offer to those considering a journalism career?

Say yes to everything. It’s quite typical advice but at this stage it’s the only thing that matters. Set realistic expectations and then say yes to every opportunity you get. I think if you employ that mindset, you can find yourself into a situation where you get the pick of the bunch. You’re not going to find yourself (or very rarely will) in your dream job or publication straight away but your perception of that will always change very quickly the further into the industry you get. I never thought I’d be in business journalism but here I am with no plans to leave! Just keep getting any experience you can and stay open minded.

Click here to find out more about the Journalism Diversity Fund.