Newsrooms to open on campus
John Cafferkey
Regional publisher Reach plc is to open new newsrooms at Leicester and Lincoln - where it has previously closed offices - thanks to a partnership with local universities.
The partnership, which will see office space for Leicester Mercury journalists being provided at the University of Leicester’s Astley Clarke Building and staff from the Lincolnshire Echo taking over space at the University of Lincoln, involves senior Reach editors providing a programme of lectures, job shadowing and mentoring opportunities for journalism students.
It was only last year that Reach closed down many of its regional offices, leaving most of its regional titles without bases in the areas they served.
Welcoming the new relationship, John Cafferkey (pictured), deputy head of the University of Lincoln’s School of Film, Media and Journalism, said: “We are so proud to begin this partnership between journalism at the University of Lincoln and Lincolnshire Live. The Lincolnshire Echo has been part of journalism in Lincolnshire for almost 130 years and ‘the Echo’ is where most people in Lincolnshire get their local news.”
Natalie Fahy, senior editor at Lincolnshire Live, added: “This is a great moment for the Lincolnshire Live team and we are extremely proud to be teaming up with the journalism students and lecturers at the University of Lincoln. It is very important to me that journalism students are given real-world experience and by shadowing our team and being able to pitch stories to them face-to-face, I am sure they will be able to go into the world of work more prepared than ever before.
Adam Moss, Leicester, Coventry and Northamptonshire editor for Reach, said: “We’re absolutely delighted to have set up this partnership with the University of Leicester as we feel there are huge mutual benefits for both of us. We’re really looking forward to getting to know all the students on the journalism course, doing some guest lectures and giving them some real-life vocational experience of real-life journalism to go alongside their academic course. And we very much hope this trailblazing partnership will help us spot up and coming journalistic talent and identify the best and brightest potential trainee reporters of the future.”
Tor Clark, associate professor in journalism and director of Leicester’s BA journalism programme, said: “This is an excellent arrangement for both the Mercury and University of Leicester journalism students.
“Journalism students will benefit from real-world experience alongside Mercury reporters, while working journalists will contribute to our journalism degree curriculum – without having to leave their building. The Mercury is a prestigious news provider and it’s a pleasure to be developing even stronger ties.”
