Evie Flynn (top), a reporter for Southwark News and Calum Leslie (bottom), a reporter for BBC Radio. Picture: Karla Lizethe Hunter
Spend any time in journalism right now and the conversation quickly turns to artificial intelligence.
At the NCTJ , alongside our partner news organisations, accredited course providers and student representatives, we are spending a great deal of time thinking about how AI is changing journalism. What skills will journalists need in an AI-assisted or AI-supported newsroom? How should these developments be reflected in training and qualifications? What ethical frameworks must underpin its use?
These are important questions for the industry.
But while we debate how technology will reshape journalism, there is another issue that may prove even more fundamental: whether enough talented young people choose to become journalists in the first place.
Ultimately, the future of journalism depends on whether the next generation chooses to join the profession.
At a time when misinformation spreads rapidly and trust in information is fragile, society needs skilled, ethical journalists more than ever. Yet too many young people simply do not see journalism as a career for them.
Some assume the industry is shrinking or unstable. Others believe journalism is inaccessible unless you have the right contacts or background. Many still picture traditional newsroom roles that feel far removed from the digital content they consume every day.
In conversations with young people, teachers and careers advisers, the same misconceptions come up repeatedly.
Research we commissioned suggests a deeper challenge. Many young people are interested in the issues journalism covers, but they do not always trust the news or feel it reflects their lives and perspectives.
That is a problem for the future of the profession.
If journalism is to remain strong, the industry must do more to show young people what the job actually involves and why it matters.
NCTJ campaign to highlight different ways into journalism
That thinking is part of the reason we are launching a new NCTJ campaign this week, Where your story goes, which aims to inspire more 14–18-year-olds across the UK to consider journalism as a career.
The campaign is designed to meet young people where they already are – online and on the platforms they use every day. At its centre is an interactive digital experience that helps them explore which areas of journalism might suit their interests and skills.
Young journalists also share their own experiences of getting into the profession. The campaign features reporters and presenters from Attitude magazine, the BBC, ITV News, Southwark News and The Times, reflecting on how their careers began and the different directions journalism can take.
Just as importantly, the campaign highlights the different routes into the profession, including apprenticeships, vocational training and NCTJ-accredited courses. Too many young people still assume there is only one way into journalism, when in reality there are a range of entry points.
Alongside the digital campaign, we have partnered with the Financial Times to distribute a careers guide to thousands of teachers and education providers across the UK, helping ensure careers advisers and educators have clear, accurate information about the profession.
Another misconception we often encounter is that journalism qualifications do not necessarily lead to jobs.
The evidence shows otherwise if you have an NCTJ qualification.
Among NCTJ diploma students who were working within 15 months of completing their training, 74% were employed in journalism-related roles. Among those who achieved the NCTJ’s gold-standard qualification, 88% were working as journalists.
By comparison, just 28% of journalism graduates surveyed by the Higher Education Statistics Agency were working in journalism roles.
These figures underline the value of industry-recognised training and the strong link between NCTJ-accredited pathways and employability.
But strong training routes will only matter if young people consider journalism in the first place.
We need to reach young people earlier – before they rule out journalism
The future of the profession depends on attracting talented people from every background and showing them that their voices belong in the media.
That means reaching young people earlier in their decision-making journey, before they rule journalism out as an option.
It also means showing them that journalism holds power to account, amplifies voices that might otherwise go unheard and helps people understand the forces shaping their lives.
Young people today are already engaged with some of the biggest issues of our time, from climate change and rapid technological change to war and international conflict. The perspectives they bring will shape the stories journalism tells in the decades ahead.
News organisations, educators and industry bodies all have a part to play in opening doors, challenging outdated perceptions and helping young people see why journalism still matters.
If we want trusted journalism to flourish in the years ahead, we must invest in the people who will produce it.
We also need to inspire the next generation to see journalism as a career where their stories, and the stories they go on to tell, truly matter.
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