British Council programme seeks Northern Ireland’s next generation of journalists

Run by the British Council in partnership with some of the world’s leading media organisations, the event offers places for Northern Ireland’s brightest young student bloggers, vloggers, photojournalists and reporters. They will be joined by 80 other young journalists from across the globe for a rich and packed programme focusing on the climate crisis, Covid-19 and the rise of disinformation.

As well as hearing from leading reporters and broadcasters, attendees will get to experience a two- hour crisis simulation that will place participants at the heart of a high-intensity health story, alongside workshops delivered by leading media organisations including Reuters, Google News Initiative and The Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma.

Last year’s event, which featured delegates from 50 countries, included students from both Ulster University and Queen’s University Belfast, who met with some of the most experienced and respected international editors, broadcasters and reporters. Past conference speakers have included Maria Ressa, CEO of Rappler Media, Jon Snow, Channel Four; Christina Lamb, Chief Foreign Correspondent for the Sunday Times; Head of Global News Desk for Reuters Nick Tattersall, and Sreenivasan Jain, Managing Editor New Delhi Television.

Future News Worldwide 2020 attendee Sophie McLaughlin was studying for a MA in Journalism from Ulster University when she took part in last year’s programme - she now works as a reporter for Belfast Live.

Speaking about the opportunity she said: “It was great being able to network with fellow young journalists from all over the world, even though we couldn’t meet face to face, and I was able to leave with a wealth of information and inspiration.

“I found the upskilling yourself for employment workshop particularly useful and I feel I greatly benefited from the advice on how to stand out in an interview.”

Future News Worldwide is a key programme for the British Council in its work building connections, understanding and trust between people in the UK and overseas through education and arts.  The programme is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the next generation of top journalists to hone their skills and make global connections – and over the last number of years applicants from Northern Ireland have gone on to work at some of the top media agencies including CNN, BBC and UTV.

The opportunity is available to undergraduate and postgraduate students, as well as recent graduates who will be aged 18-25 years old on 1 July 2020. Applicants need to demonstrate that they are passionate about following a career in journalism. 

The deadline to apply is 8 June. You can find out more about the programme and how to apply by visiting www.britishcouncil.org/future-news-worldwide.