Reach launches summer internship scheme

Reach has announced a new paid summer internship scheme, giving ten people the opportunity to join newsrooms across the country for three months. The scheme is aimed at people committed to supporting inclusive reporting within the industry, with a particular interest in hearing from those from backgrounds who may not have had the opportunity to consider journalism as a career.

Interns will be placed at Reach hubs across the country with opportunities to be located at Newcastle, Manchester, Bristol, Birmingham, Cardiff, London, Nottingham, Liverpool and Glasgow, working on regional publications such as the Manchester Evening News and the Liverpool Echo, as well as national titles like the Mirror and the Express. One intern will also be placed in the new Studio team, focusing on multimedia content across Reach brands, added the publisher.

Reach says each intern will be paired with a mentor and receive on-the-job training to develop key newsroom skills, receive an introduction to media law, shadow and support journalists and explore different ways to reach new audiences. All ten interns will meet remotely every week to take part in a series of masterclasses delivered by experts around the business.

David Higgerson, chief digital publisher at Reach said: “We see this as a two-way street: firstly we hope we’ve created a new pathway for anyone considering a career in journalism to work in our hubs across the country and to learn from our editors, journalists and content creators.

“But more than that, we hope this scheme will bring in new talent and perspectives, supporting our efforts to reach new audiences and communities. We recognise that getting into journalism courses at universities isn't an option for everyone and hope that this scheme will open doors within the industry.”

A NCTJ report published in May 2023 examining the characteristics of UK journalists showed ongoing issues with social class, though there has been a decrease in the proportion of journalists coming from the highest social classes. 73% percent of journalists come from these classes, lower than in 2020 and 2021. The research found that journalists are highly qualified, with 91% having a degree-level or higher-level qualification, which is not reflective of the UK population as a whole, added Reach.

For the Reach internship scheme, no university degree or prior journalism experience is required but candidates must demonstrate some commitment, talent or passion for storytelling. The scheme will run for three months over the summer.