2025 Fellow Chelsea Coates invited onto BBC Woman’s Hour
Chelsea recently wrote a powerful piece for BBC News website about a U.S. study suggesting that synthetic hair – commonly used by many Black women for braids – may contain carcinogens and, in some cases, lead. The article struck a chord, racking up over 700,000 reads and Chelsea was invited onto Woman’s Hour for a live interview to discuss the findings and their wider impact.
2025 Fellow Mirek Gosney shortlisted and wins national award
Mirek was shortlisted and won in the Videojournalism category at the NCTJ Awards for Excellence in Journalism – a prestigious recognition of emerging talent in the field.
His mentor, James Scurry, shared: “Very proud of John Schofield Trust fellow Mirek Gosney, who I’m partnered up with on this year’s scheme. Mirek’s drive and commitment to high-quality eyewitness journalism has been singled out for recognition by the NCTJ.”
2025 Fellow Dolly Carter completes placement at BBC
Following a competitive application process, Dolly successfully completed an internal placement at BBC Breakfast and News at One. During her time at the BBC, she worked with both the planning and on-the-day teams, gaining invaluable hands-on experience in producing national news programmes.
2025 Student Fellow Ross Chapman celebrates first story in the Lancashire Post
Ross has had his first piece published in the Lancashire Post, arranged by his mentor, George Hodgson. His article previews Preston North End’s FA Cup quarter-final clash against Aston Villa.
Read it here
2025 Student Fellow Martha Elwell films for ITV News
Martha has produced a powerful and timely report for ITV News titled ‘I was planning a wedding and a funeral’, which explores the alarming rise in cancer diagnoses among young people. A poignant piece that highlights the human stories behind the statistics — and the importance of compassionate, in-depth journalism.
Watch it here
2025 Fellow Tom Burgess joins BBC North East
Tom is leaving The Northern Echo, where he covered the Darlington area and specialised in politics, to take on a new role as a reporter for BBC North East.
2025 Fellow Hayley Clarke has a standout month
It’s been a big month for 2025 Fellow Hayley. She returned to the BBC Socials team and helped generate over a million views on their TikTok. She also conducted her first interview for the BBC News at Six and News at Ten, covering the government’s disability cuts announcement alongside Dan Nelson and Munaza Rafiq.
Adding to the celebrations, Hayley has been shortlisted for four NCTJ Awards for Excellence and won trainee of the year!
2025 Fellow Rhys Webb launches third issue of La Reina Women’s Football magazine
Rhys has launched the third issue of La Reina, a magazine dedicated to women’s football. This latest edition covers everything from Adobe Women’s FA Cup underdogs to the Liga F side fighting for UWCL qualification and a better future for girls’ football in the Basque Country.
With exclusive interviews featuring trailblazers of the sport – past and present – and stunning photography, including Mia Betts’ striking cover shot of Ella Toone, issue Three is the most exciting yet says Rhys.
More here
2022 fellow Patricia Clarke investigates Trump’s memecoin for Tortoise
Patricia, technology reporter for Tortoise, has been investigating who really profited from the launch of Donald Trump’s memecoin, $TRUMP. What started as a simple question led her and fellow reporter Barney Macintyre on an extraordinary journey through the world of crypto.
Their findings are uncovered in The $Trumpcon, the latest episode of the Slow Newscast, available now on all podcast platforms.
You can listen to the episode here
2025 fellow Jacob Evans deployed as field producer in Jerusalem
Jacob has been deployed on his first assignment as a field producer in Jerusalem, where he is currently spending two weeks at the Jerusalem bureau, supporting correspondents.With aspirations to work in foreign news, this experience marks a significant step in Jacob’s journey, and he is being ably guided by his mentor, Alex Crawford.
2024 Fellow Jamie Smith-Maillet moderates at French journalism festival
Jamie had the honour of moderating at the largest French-speaking journalism festival in Tours, where he led a panel with industry leaders such as Hervé Brusini and Justine Ryst. Moderating in French in front of 500 people was a significant milestone in his career. Jamie is also celebrating surpassing seventy media hits across radio, TV, and print since May, including appearances on BBC, Sky News and CGTN.
2025 Student Fellow Molly Lee chosen for top national news traineeship
Molly has secured a place on the prestigious The Daily Mail reporter traineeship, beginning this September. Since its launch, the scheme has produced over 500 graduates and is known for its rigorous two-year programme, combining intensive training, regular assessments, and hands-on experience at regional daily newspapers.
2025 Fellow George Francis Lee launches new edition of STAT
George, commissioning editor at STAT shares the launch of the latest edition of this unique arts & culture zine. Published quarterly, STAT aims to shift the cultural spotlight to smaller towns in the North West, showcasing left-field, radical arts beyond Manchester—whether visual, written, fictional, or journalistic.
Issue is available here
2025 Fellow Jo Crawford nominated for ARIAS radio academy award
Jo has been nominated in the “Moment of the Year” category at the prestigious ARIAS (Audio & Radio Industry Awards) for her headline-making Times Radio interview with U.S. Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene. During the interview, Greene claimed, “You’re the cause of President Trump almost being assassinated,” and accused the media of being responsible for “everything,” including the division in America.
Voting is open here