starting up
For those who remember indentures as a major part of the route into journalism, here’s a rediscovery of past methods
The journalist’s apprentice
Sean Gladwell/Alamy
L
et me introduce myself: I am Rhian Jones, or better known (to myself, at least) as Journo Apprentice. I’ve spent the past seven months as the first journalist apprentice to freelance education journalist Janet Murray, seeing if I could learn the ropes on the job and forge a career in the media without a university degree, masters qualification, postgraduate degree or months spent doing unpaid internships. And it worked – I’m now in my first job at Music Week magazine. But despite its success, the apprenticeship route into the trade is practically unheard of these days. Since the early eighties, on-the-job training has been largely replaced by university courses, turning it into a profession almost exclusively for graduates. As it stands today, an official journalism apprenticeship framework doesn’t even exist (mine was made up of business administration modules). So what’s the problem? Well, while the university route might work for some, for others it’s simply not an option. I tried it and had a miserable time because I don’t learn well in a lecture theatre. I learn with my hands. And the huge expense of university education now, coupled with the growing trend of unpaid work, means that my generation of wannabe journalists are far more likely to have come from privileged backgrounds; research carried out by the Sutton Trust in 2006 showed that more than half the UK’s leading news and current affairs journalists had been privately educated and half of those with a
“
I had a miserable time because I don’t learn well in a lecture theatre. I learn with my hands
“
degree had been educated at Oxbridge. Newsrooms should be a mix of males, females, white, black, working class, middle class, educated and skilled, giving a voice to each part of our diverse society. This can only be achieved if there is an entry route for everyone. And this is where journalism apprenticeships could fill the gap. So here’s the deal: the training for a 16 to 18 year old apprentice is fully funded by the government; if they are 19 to 24 years old, employers will receive up to 50 per cent of the cost for their training. The learner is paid at least £2.60 per hour (usually for 36 hours a week) but employers are free to pay above the minimum wage and many do so (I was paid £6.08). For my apprenticeship, I spent one day a week in college, learning basic business skills: for a journalism apprenticeship framework – if it existed – this could include subjects like law, news writing, touch typing or shorthand. I spent the remaining four days researching stories, interviewing, sub editing and transcribing along with general admin work. From a regional press perspective, apprenticeships also have potential for real business value. Apprentices are likely to be from the local area; so they are more likely to stick around, making them a better return on the investment for the business. Coupled with the fact that they would come with a lot of local knowledge that outsiders don’t, it’s a no brainer. Neil Benson, editorial director, regionals division at Trinity Mirror, says: “I think regional papers’
uniqueness is their localness, and so having a stable staff of people who know the locality and know the people and know what makes them tick is really important. I think that’s the thing an apprentice could bring.” Plus, whoever learnt how to be nosy, tenacious, persistent, willing to go the extra mile and dig beneath the surface in a classroom? All in favour of journalism apprenticeships say aye. Aye!
Remember Many employers are exploiting
the dreams of young people who wish to work in the media by offering them unpaid ‘internships’ which are not part of any planned entry into journalism. The NUJ is committed to ending this exploitation. Former interns may be able to claim back pay up to six years after they’ve finished their unpaid work. This does not apply to organised work placements or volunteers. Check out the Cashback for Interns page at www.nuj.org.uk
theJournalist | 13