This month Naomi, a 2021 Fellow, marks three months in her new role as senior reporter at BirminghamLive / The Birmingham Mail.

During this time she has started an investigation into the quality of local new build housing, covered breaking news in the city including a triple stabbing at the beginning of the month, and has been building her reporting and contacts in her patch of Solihull. She’s also been thrilled to be involved in coverage of the Commonwealth Games.

“It has been a brilliant mix of patch and live reporter in my first three months,” says Naomi; “I have felt stretched, and am really enjoying building a new contact base and story ideas in a new city. It has also been pretty amazing to be working in the newsroom as the Commonwealth Games have been going on – what a privilege.

“Covering the Queen’s Baton Relay was a career highlight for me, and I am embracing the variety that comes with each day. From HS2 to housing and cost of living struggles, there is so much going on my patch of Solihull and wider Birmingham, and it has been a great three months cracking into that.”