New scholarship to support postgraduate journalism student

A new scholarship will financially support a student on City, University of London’s Newspaper Journalism MA course for the 2023/24 academic year.

Sponsored by the Journalists’ Charity, which provides help, guidance and financial assistance to journalists in need, the scholarship will fully fund tuition fees for the 10-month postgraduate course in City’s Department of Journalism. The successful applicant will additionally be eligible for a bursary to help with living costs, also funded by the charity.

To be eligible for the scholarship, applicants must hold a confirmed offer to study on the Newspaper Journalism MA for the 2023/24 academic year, carry home fee status and demonstrate personal financial need.

The applicant must submit a statement outlining their financial situation and a 500-word essay on the role of journalism in contemporary society.

James Brindle, CEO of the Journalists’ Charity, said the support reflected current industry needs.

“The charity is delighted to be working with City, University of London to offer such a fantastic opportunity to study newspaper journalism,” he stated.

"The industry is committed to recruiting diverse talent to better represent and deliver for audiences, but a crucial step in this process is to ensure access to education and training for individuals from financially challenged backgrounds.

"As publishers renew their commitments around recruiting and retaining diverse talent, the charity is proud to play its part in widening access.

At a time when journalism has perhaps never been more important to society, creating a highly-skilled, representative workforce is vital for meeting the challenges of the future.

Jonathan Hewett, Director of the Newspaper Journalism MA said the charity’s support would greatly assist a student looking to take the next step towards a career in journalism.

We’re hugely grateful to the Journalists’ Charity for this scholarship.

"The award offers a brilliant opportunity for a student to advance their career in journalism. It’s a tough time for many students, and the scholarship will support someone who might not otherwise be able to benefit from the programme."

The Newspaper Journalism course is designed for individuals with an interest in current affairs and curiosity about the world, and develops competencies in interviewing, reporting and research, as well as the effective use of video and social media in writing news and features for both online and print publications.

“Students on the MA Newspaper Journalism learn a foundation of essential skills, then build on these through more specialist modules,” Mr Hewett added.

"The course reflects the range of digital output of news organisations, from video and podcasting to data journalism and social media, as well as news and features in text-based formats and our fantastic specialism electives.

Our graduates go on to work across the media in all kinds of roles. We aim to enable students not just to get a job but to build a career in journalism – and our alumni are a testament to that success.

Applications for the Journalists’ Charity Scholarship must be emailed to Jonathan Hewett directly, putting 'Journalists’ Charity' in the subject line, by Monday 14 August 2023. We expect the successful applicant to be notified by Friday 1 September 2023.

Apply for the Journalists’ Charity Scholarship for 2023/24.

Find out more about the Journalists’ Charity.

Read more about the Newspaper Journalism MA course

Written by Chiara Petrini Rossi, Communications Assistant at City, University of London.