Join a community of over 1000 journalists working across all parts of the UK and ROI media. The John Schofield Trust Fellowship is a powerful force for positive change in the news industry. Our Fellows are more diverse and representative of UK society than the industry they are entering or in which they work. In every respect they represent the future of the news media.

The John Schofield Trust Fellowship

The Fellowship is dedicated to mutual support and knowledge-sharing. It offers support when you’re starting out and a source of inspiration and encouragement throughout your working life. Whether you engage with us to be mentored, or to become a mentor, we want your experience to be enriching and inspiring.

Here’s how you can get involved in our work.

Fellowship

Our Fellows are early career and apprentice journalists looking to develop their professional skills.

Each Fellow completes a structured 12-month mentoring programme, with access to masterclasses led by industry professionals on a range of news media-related topics.

As a Fellow, you will be supported by a professional journalist at the stage in your career when you need it most. You will be paired with a mentor based on your professional interests with the aim of coming a step closer to fulfilling your ambitions. Your Senior Fellow mentor will help you to navigate areas of the news industry with which you may not be familiar, supporting you to gain experience that will help you take the next step in your career. And when you’re well on the road, the Fellowship will always be there to reach out to – for support, guidance, or simply to help you share and celebrate your career wins.

The Fellow title will be yours to use in perpetuity, whether on social media, LinkedIn, awards nominations, educational applications or job searches.

Applications for the 2024 scheme open on 1 September. Find out more here. Subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on social media to stay up to date on how to apply, or get in touch with howard@johnschofieldtrust.org.uk for more information.

Undergraduate Fellows

We also run a mentoring programme for undergraduate journalism students. We believe this is the first scheme of its kind.

In 2023, the scheme’s first year, we partnered with the University of Central Lancashire, Dublin City University, Edinburgh Napier University, the University of Kent, Liverpool John Moores University and the University of Northampton to offer mentoring from experienced professional journalists to students on their journalism courses. Participating students can also access our year-round masterclasses and become John Schofield Trust Fellows.

Individuals cannot apply directly to take part in this scheme. However, we hope to expand and are looking for new universities who are interested in taking part in 2024. If you are a staff member or student and want a chat get in touch: info@johnschofieldtrust.org.uk.

Senior Fellowship

Our Senior Fellows include some of the most inspiring working journalists in the UK, all offering their time and expertise to accompany a Fellow on the beginning of their journalism career path. Senior Fellows report great personal benefits to the role, including professional development, skill- and perspective-sharing in a rapidly changing industry, and a chance to provide life-changing opportunities and support to a young person passionate about news media.

Please let us know if you are interested in becoming a Senior Fellow by filling out this form.

If you represent a media organisation and would like to discuss how mentoring for the Trust could allow your senior staff to develop their management and mentoring skills please get in touch here.

Volunteers

We’re always on the look-out for volunteers to help us in a variety of ways.

Our Fellowship schemes are growing year-on-year, with more Fellows expected to apply for mentoring in 2024 than ever before. If you’d like to help us with the applicant selection and matching process please get in touch.

The Trust hosts monthly online masterclasses, with journalists speaking on a range of practical skills and news media-related topics such as pitching, programme editing, foreign correspondence, podcasting, presenting and sports journalism. We also stage one-to-one interviews with journalists such as ITN’s Robert Moore and campaigner Martin Lewis.

If you’re interested in speaking at a future masterclass, please fill out this form.

Being a mentor

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Simon Vigar
Channel 5’s Simon Vigar, who has been a mentor five times, talks about why he volunteers for the Trust

“John Schofield was the kind of man who gives journalism a good name.”

Robin Lustig, former BBC Presenter

“John was a brilliant journalist and a delightful man… He had the intelligence, integrity and courage to get to the top of his profession and it is a tragedy that such a brilliant career should come to such a shockingly premature end.”

Richard Tait, former Editor-in-Chief, ITN

“John’s gentle manners, ever-ready smile and openness were always a great boost to the spirit even on the most mundane of news days.”

Zeinab Badawi, BBC Presenter

“The John Schofield Trust is an amazing organisation. In these difficult, challenging times for the media industry, it’s really important to support young journalists.”

Ben Brown, BBC Presenter

“Every young journalist needs support. They need guidance. They need to fight. And that’s exactly what the Trust does.”

Ronke Philipps, ITV News Correspondent

“It’s really exciting to to witness first hand this next generation of journalists that will help shape the media landscape, and build faith and trust in the industry.”

Cordelia Lynch, Sky News Correspondent

‘Simply put – [the mentoring programme] enabled me to pursue my dream career. Without the support of my mentor and the John Schofield Trust it would not have been possible.”

2018 Fellow

“It is a brilliant, practical and productive scheme which, in a cross-generational way, improves journalism for everyone.”

2018 Fellow

“I want [the industry] to be in a position where it’s not rare to have loads of different people from different backgrounds; not just racial, but also class backgrounds and everything.”

Ayshah Tull (2014), C4 News Reporter

“When I was looking for work, particularly in light of my disability, I couldn’t get started. It was the Trust that helped me get my foot in the door, to be seen and recognised by the relevant people. To this day, when I mention my involvement with the scheme to people their eyes light up.”

Max Preston (2012), Sky News producer

“There is group-think [in journalism] and I’ve succumbed to it plenty of times, despite the fact I went to a comp.”

Lewis Goodall (2014), Policy Editor, BBC Newsnight

“Being properly representative of modern Britain both on and off-air is essential to earning audience trust in our news output. Audiences need to hear and see themselves reflected in the mirror we hold up to them.”

Carla-Maria Lawson, Head of BBC Daytime and Early Peak

“If I heard a Scottish voice on the news, especially if it wasn’t a particularly posh one, it gave me hope as a state educated Scot in Glasgow that there could be a future for me in that industry.”

Peter Smith (2014), Scotland Correspondent, ITV News

“It’s been reassuring to know that I could go into journalism with any degree and that having a passion for it is the main thing… It’s also been great to talk to someone from such a diverse background, it makes me realise that your differences are what makes you stand out and that can be an advantage in lots of situations.”

2018 Fellow

“The Trust makes people feel that whoever you are and wherever you’re from, a career in the media is well within your reach – and you deserve it.”

Minnie Stephenson, C4 News Reporter

“I learned a lot about how my mentee is navigating her career, how my experience as a senior journalist and manager can help me inspire others and that the ‘informal conversation’ approach is extremely useful in being a mentor and learning from my mentee. Thoroughly rewarding.”

Senior Fellow, 2023

“My expectations [of the scheme] were quite high considering the amount of brilliant Senior Fellows there were. But my expectations were far exceeded.”

2022 Fellow

“I know now that if I need help I always have someone to go to. That in itself is invaluable.”

2022 Fellow

“The mentoring has been excellent for both my confidence and my mental health. My mentor’s willingness to exercise his connections to further my career is hugely admirable.”

2022 Fellow

“The care and attention that went into the mentor selection is evident in my experience. My mentor has faced similar challenges to me and is in a good place to offer considered and accurate advice.”

2022 Fellow

“From discussions and practice scenarios I’ve had with my mentor I’ve been able to tick many milestones off my list, from presenting to reporting live and working on original stories.”

2022 Fellow

“My mentor and I have very similar cultural backgrounds and a mutual understanding of any hurdles we might have crossed.”

2022 Fellow

“My mentor is one of a handful of people I have met from a similar background to mine in journalism. Being able to have frank conversations about some of the challenges of the industry is fantastic.”

2022 Fellow

“What’s great about the scheme is you get partnered with an experienced journalist outside of your organisation who can provide invaluable advice. My mentor, Roohi Hasan, gave me so much encouragement to go for opportunities to advance my career and I’m so thankful!”

Nabihah Parkar (2021), Vice News journalist

“The mentoring programme means I always have someone to go to with questions, ranging from big job moves to day-to-day questions about the industry. On top of that the masterclasses and networking events have meant I’ve met so many of my peers, which has been invaluable.”

Eirian Prosser (2021), MailOnline reporter

“The mentoring scheme helped me, and continues to help me, at a crucial time in my career. It had a big impact on my confidence in myself as a journalist. It pushed me to go for new opportunities and remain resilient. It was brilliant to have a regional mentor with whom I had so much in common. Being outside of my organisation, she has helped keep my perspective. She has helped me through lots of decisions, big and small. The JST scheme really does what it sets out to do – it changes lives.”

Naomi de Souza (2021), Birmingham Live senior reporter