Our commitment to diversity in journalism

At News Associates we understand the importance of making our newsrooms reflective of the communities they serve, which is why we are always thinking of new ways to improve diversity in journalism.

We hope to use our reputation as the UK’s number one NCTJ journalism school to make a difference.

Here’s a quick look at what we’re doing now. But we know it’s just the start.

The Journalism Diversity Fund

We are big fans of the Journalism Diversity Fund (JDF) and regularly offer advice to our trainees applying for the bursary – and they have great success.

We support trainees on the JDF throughout their courses by facilitating attendance at events put on by the JDF and including the JDF in our events such as JournoFest.

In the 2023-24 academic year, 25 trainees benefitted from the Journalism Diversity Fund.

News Associates trainees at the JDF conference in 2024

Aziz Foundation

We have also trained many Aziz Foundation scholars in the Level 5 Diploma in Journalism across our courses. The Aziz Foundation provides scholarships for British Muslims to progress in their careers.

Journalism shapes perceptions. For British Muslims, it’s vital to have a voice in media to challenge stereotypes and promote inclusion. We support this with ongoing journalism scholarships, building a more diverse and just media landscape. Learn more! https://t.co/gu2kEwgfwZ
— Aziz Foundation (@AzizFndn) August 14, 2024

Zainab Hussain received the Aziz Foundation scholarship in 2021 and is now a freelance science writer working for publications such as Chemist and Druggist.

Congratulations to Layla Laidouci and Nadia Sayed for receiving the Aziz foundation bursary! pic.twitter.com/JZqkv8TjM1
— NCTJ (@NCTJ_news) November 29, 2024

Black Collective of Media in Sport (BCOMS)

News Associates has joined forces with the Black Collective of Media in Sport (BCOMS) and the Chelsea Foundation to deliver NCTJ journalism training to budding sports journalists.

Seven journalists have trained at News Associates as a result of this ongoing partnership and the graduates are already making their way in the industry.

Um-E-Aymen Babar was one of the inaugural trainees to win the BCOMS bursary and has since won student sports journalist of the year at the NCTJ Awards for Excellent and was nominated in the sports journalism category at the 2024 British Journalism Awards.

Two images positioned next to each other. On the left is an image of Aymen in her graduation gown, she is standing outside in front of lovely greenery and looks very happy. On the right is an image of Brain posing in casual clothes standing outside in the evening in front of trees decorated with lights. Aymen and Brian are the recipients of the inaugural or the inaugural Chelsea X BCOMS bursary, in collaboration with News Associates. — Um-E-Aymen Babar and Brian Matovu

Chelsea Foundation’s bursary programme is part of their work to help diversify the game. Formed in partnership with BCOMS – an organisation on a mission to diversify the sports media in the UK – the bursary programme sets out to fund trainees from under-represented backgrounds to complete the course and offer a contribution to their living expenses too.

BCOMS chair Drew Christie said: “The key thing for ourselves and Chelsea was that the young people we selected should receive the highest level of training possible. By partnering with New Associates – consistently ranked the best journalism school in the country – we believe we’ve done that.

“The education pathway and broader support offered by News Associates is second to none.”

See more here: https://newsassociates.co.uk/bcoms-pick-news-associates-to-train-chelsea-foundation-bursary-recipients/

Course updates

In 2022, we introduced a remote course which allows trainees to study from anywhere meaning that more people from a range of backgrounds can study for their NCTJ as their learning fits into their daily life.

We have also made shorthand optional across our other courses to make a gold-standard diploma more accessible. Shorthand has proven more difficult for neuro-diverse trainees and in the modern day it is possible to be an excellent journalist without shorthand. We have now adjusted our courses to make shorthand optional so that achieving a gold-standard diploma is more accessible.

We regularly review the modules on our courses and how we teach to ensure that everyone receives the best teaching.

Guest speakers

We strive to ensure our trainees hear from a diverse range of voices as part of their course and at our annual free journalism conference JournoFest.

During lockdown we extended that even further and opened our guest speaker and workshop series up to anyone interested in journalism for free.

We aim to present the experiences of a range of journalists and media figures to our trainees as they make their way in the industry and highlight a range of voices in our teaching.

For example, Centre for Media Monitoring director Rizwana Hamid regularly runs sessions for our trainees which covers how to highlight a range of voices in reporting.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by News Associates (@newsassociates)

We were particularly proud of this piece of feedback after JournoFest one year: “Today I realised people that looked and sounded like me could be journalists too.”

Sunday Times

News Associates trained Shingi Mararike – the first ever Sunday Times apprentice.

Sunday Times executive managing editor Robert Hands said: “Shingi is one of the most enthusiastic and energetic people I’ve come across in journalism and when he did work experience with us, he impressed a number of senior executives with his overwhelming passion for journalism.

“We are delighted to be working with News Associates to develop his talents.”

Shingi Mararike wearing an orange and blue checked shirt smiling, standing in front of a burgundy Sunday Times poster that reads 'Holding the world to account'. — Shingi Mararike

Daily Mail Stephen Lawrence Scholarship

News Associates offered a free place to Kamal Sultan – a recipient of the Daily Mail Stephen Lawrence Scholarship aimed at promoting diversity in journalism.

Daily Mail trainee programme manager Sue Ryan said: “The Daily Mail, Mail on Sunday and MailOnline have taken on lots of trainees who have been trained at News Associates and we have been impressed with the results. We were not expecting them to offer him a bursary and are grateful for that offer.”

Kamal Sultan wearing a blue fleece smiling in front of a white wall with eight News Associates certificates hung up. — Kamal Sultan

As part of our work with the Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust, Baroness Lawrence of Clarendon spoke to our trainees about the legacy of her 18-year-old son who was murdered in a racially-motivated attack in south east London on April 22 1993 – now marked as Stephen Lawrence Day.

The life peer addressed full and part-time NCTJ trainees from News Associates, including past and present recipients of the Daily Mail Stephen Lawrence Scholarship aimed at promoting diversity in British newsrooms.

Standing in a line are Kamal Sultan wearing a blue shirt with his hands clasped in front of him, Baroness Lawrence in a smart black dress, Kumail Jaffer looking very smart in a white shirt with a red tie and a big grin, Sue Ryan wearing a leopard print dress and Courtney Bartlett looking very smart in a grey suit with a white shirt and striped tie. Baroness Lawrence and Sue Ryan are noticeably shorter than the men! — L-R: Kamal Sultan, recipient of the Daily Mail Stephen Lawrence Scholarship, Baroness Lawrence, Kumail Jaffer, former News Associates trainee now at the Daily Mail benefiting from the Stephen Lawrence Scholarship scheme, Daily Mail training manager Sue Ryan and Courtney Bartlett, former recipient of the Stephen Lawrence Scholarship now Daily Mail night news editor

Yahoo News UK

Yahoo News UK chose News Associates to help them bring more diversity to journalism.

Yahoo UK editor-in-chief Nick Petche said: “We are thrilled to have Steph [the first recipient of the scheme] getting access to the high-quality training offered by News Associates.

“A good grounding in the skills taught there gives her every opportunity to succeed in her career.”

Since Steph, we have continued working with Yahoo News UK and have put many of their journalists through our full-time and part-time courses.

The initiative was designed in conjunction with the Media Trust.

Stephanie Harris has long dark hair and glasses. She is wearing red stud earrings and a beige jumper. — Stephanie Harris

The Sun

News Associates partnered with The Sun to launch a trainee scheme to increase the diversity of its newsroom.

The scheme put five trainees on our part-time NCTJ course and ten graduates through a News Associates bootcamp followed by placement at a news agency in spring 2020.

The trainees all receive a competitive salary and get 12 months of on-the-job training with The Sun.

This is a scheme they wish to continue running to help really make a difference to the make-up of their newsroom.

17 aspiring journalists posing in front of a red and white sign that reads Welcome to The Sun. Eight of the young people are standing and nine are kneeling on red carpet. — Aspiring young journalists at The Sun (Photo credit: Peter Jordan)

News UK

We have also teamed up with News UK and the NCTJ to deliver the Certificate in Foundation Journalism qualification.

The tuition from News Associates is part of News UK’s rollout of placements for out-of-work young people using the government’s Kickstart Scheme.

News UK offered placements to four cohorts of young people who aimed to break into the media.

A graphic showing thumbnails of the 14 News UK interns. The headshots are on a white background and there is a row of News UK logos along the bottom. — Our first cohort!

Sports Journalists’ Association

News Associates and Sportsbeat, in partnership with the Sports Journalists’ Association, launched a journalism diversity scholarship for aspiring sports journalists.

Ahmed Shooble, 22, was the first recipient of the bursary. “I aspire to be a chief football writer for a national newspaper and a symbol of success to future generations of young people from minority backgrounds interested in the sports media,” he said.

“I am immensely grateful to Sportsbeat, News Associates and the Sports Journalists’ Association for giving me this incredible opportunity!

“Getting the chance to study at the UK’s number NCTJ journalism school is one I intend on taking full advantage of.”

A picture of a camera where you can see Ahmed being filmed. He's got a big grin while standing in front of a black background. He's looking straight down the camera lens. He's wearing glasses and a blue t-shirt and a blue shirt, — Ahmed Shooble

Journo Resources

News Associates teamed up with Journo Resources to help people from all backgrounds break into journalism.

Founder of Journo Resources @Jem_Collins spoke to our trainees and answered their questions on how to freelance and pitch stories as a journalist ✨ pic.twitter.com/BdSTclyisv
— News Associates (@NewsAssociates) July 9, 2024

We have sponsored Journo Resources since 2019 as they have grown and increasingly broken-down barriers many face as they enter the journalism industry.

A testimonial from Nadine White saying the course equipped her with vital knowledge she continuously applies to her career. A testimonial from Kumail Jaffer praising the quality teaching and encouraging environment at News Associates. A testimonial from Siham Ali saying our course was the best thing she ever did. Summer's testimonial: