Young Journalists and the Importance of News Worldwide
Future News Worldwide is an initiative programme between the British Council, the leading international media organisations and the world’s leading youth organisations. The mission is to support young people from disadvantaged backgrounds to build a diverse cross-section of skilled and informed young media leaders and to ensure that the UK remains a world leader in the cultivating of new and promising media leaders. Future News Worldwide is therefore an initiative that draws together people from diverse backgrounds to create a new generation of news consumers. This initiative has achieved remarkable success since its inception and continues to inspire young and talented news makers across the globe. Future News Worldwide programmes are set up in schools, community organisations, and youth groups across the country and around the globe. Some have become so successful that they have been included in academic research and have been broadcast on television.
In the UK, the British Council is the national organisation supporting young people through education and provides a platform for young people to express themselves, develop their creative talents and build a network of support. It has been successful in its mission to change the lives of tomorrow’s media leaders and has set a precedent for other similar partnerships. The British Council works closely with leading media organisations to provide training, support and facilities for newsrooms and in particular to help young people gain the skills they need to succeed in this highly competitive field. As part of the partnership programme, the British Council has created the Future Newsroom project to build and maintain a network of expert newsroom personnel. These are specially trained staff who have been specifically selected to bring the benefit of specialist knowledge and experience to news organisations on a whole new level.
The mission of Future News, therefore, is to help young people develop the essential skills to become skilled and successful newsroom workers in the digital age. The programme enables budding and professional newspapers to gain the skills and confidence to become skilled in web design, website development, print publication, social media, and other key areas of journalism. By participating in Future News, participants in the programme can enjoy the opportunity to work with industry leading organisations as well as gain vital networking opportunities with other like-minded individuals who share a passion for the industry and a love of developing careers. Future News also provides opportunities to work and travel in countries such as the United States, India, China, and the United Kingdom.