The John Schofield Trust (JST) is a small charity set up by the family and friends of the journalist John Schofield, who was killed in 1995 whilst working in Croatia for the BBC’s World Tonight programme. They wished to create a lasting memorial to John’s work by supporting and nurturing new and aspiring journalists and so strengthen journalism’s essential role in helping democracy function.
The mission of the JST is to make all newsrooms and the media more socially inclusive and representative of the audiences they serve. We want to make a real difference by developing the potential of people who find it hard to climb the ladder and come from less privileged backgrounds.
The core work of the Trust revolves around three programmes:
The Trust is funded by a combination of grants and donations. All of the main UK broadcasters – the BBC, CNN, ITV News and Sky News generously support the charity to help meet its vison. Individuals such as Martin Lewis, Robin Lustig and Sir Harvey McGrath have given money. Recently we have received a grant from the Garfield Weston Foundation.
We are tackling social mobility in UK broadcast newsrooms so that the news stories which are told truly reflect our society; that young people who may never have considered journalism as a career can champion the diverse stories they have lived. In the UK the lack of social mobility within journalism causes significant problems, with the media operating in an ‘echo chamber’. Our work aims to help break down the barriers to entry and progression in the industry and to unlock the potential of disadvantaged young people across the UK.
