Low graduate entry into journalism prompts NCTJ campaign

A campaign launched by the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ) is addressing declining trust in news among young people.

The ‘Where your story goes’ initiative, produced with krow Group’s youth-focused arm Livity, is based on a HESA study showing only 28% of journalism graduates secure jobs in the industry. Separate, NCTJ research found young people cite distrust of the media, or a lack of representation by it, as factors.  

Additionally, the NCTJ found young people are unaware of the scope of opportunities across the modern media landscape, which includes content production and podcasting alongside traditional roles.

The campaign targets teenagers between 14 and 18 years old, and has been launched in partnership with organisations including the Financial Times, UCAS and student platform Eric. It includes an interactive quiz designed to match users with potential career path and video interviews with early-career journalists. 

A careers guide will be distributed to teachers and education providers as part of the initiative, outlining entry routes into journalism and the range of roles available across the sector.