Public Affairs student wins work experience
As part of the NCTJ’s 60th anniversary celebrations this year, the Local Government Chronicle is providing one lucky NCTJ student with a week’s paid work experience this autumn.
As part of the NCTJ’s 60th anniversary celebrations this year, the Local Government Chronicle is providing one deserving NCTJ student with a week’s paid work experience this autumn.
Peter Johnstone, who graduated from Kingston University this summer, has been rewarded for his performance in the public affairs: local government exam. This one-off opportunity celebrates the final year of local government awards following the introduction of the diploma in journalism.
Editor of the Local Government Chronicle, Emma Maier said: “From recycling collections to trading standards to adult social care, local authorities have always been at the heart of community life, and they are under the spotlight more than ever because of the government’s focus on localism and Big Society. As funding from government is cut and councils across the county face the need to reconfigure and reduce services, local government journalism has a more important role than ever in scrutinising and investigating. We are delighted to support the local government award and this year’s winner Peter Johnstone. Many congratulations to Peter – we look forward to working with him.”
Peter’s public affairs tutor at Kingston University, James Morrison said: “I have marked a number of exceptional local government papers in my eight years as a public affairs tutor, but Peter’s was by some distance the most impressive I’ve seen. He displayed a clear and detailed grasp not only of ‘the facts’ but, crucially, of how they might be used by journalists to generate stories in the public interest.”