This month the John Schofield Trust is excited to launch the Emerging Leaders programme, supporting journalists in their first steps in editorial leadership.

Moving from doing the job to leading others is one of the most important, and demanding, transitions in a journalist’s career. Each participant is matched with a senior mentor from outside their own organisation for 12 months of one-to-one mentoring. Alongside this, four in-person workshop days and a peer group will help them develop the skills and confidence to lead in the sector at a challenging time.

The programme also supports the Trust’s commitment to a more diverse and inclusive news industry. Although news organisations have made progress in recruiting people from a wider range of backgrounds, this is not always reflected in retention or senior leadership. That underrepresentation risks perpetuating the barriers and behaviours that have held back progress.

At the John Schofield Trust, we believe in newsrooms for all, with people from every background represented at every level. By helping our mentees become confident, capable and thoughtful managers, the programme will support their development while contributing to lasting change across the industry.

We are grateful to ITV and Sky for supporting the programme in its pilot year. This first cohort brings together journalists from ITV, ITN, Sky and the BBC. Rachel Gilmore, an experienced leadership coach and facilitator from We Are Clean, will be supporting the programme for the in-person sessions.

John Schofield Trust Chair, Jonathan Paterson, said: “At the Trust, we recognise that journalism is facing a period of unprecedented challenge. Good leadership in our newsrooms matters more than ever. Furthermore, in keeping with our vision of newsrooms for all, we believe that impactful change can only happen if editorial leaders are more representative of the audiences they serve. Our Emerging Leaders programme is designed to help journalists from different backgrounds make the transition to leadership roles, develop the next generation of newsroom leaders, and play their part in securing journalism’s future.”

The full profiles of our participants are on this page.