New Creator Fellowship: FAQs

The Student View is a UK media literacy charity. Our vision is for all children and young people to know their voices matter. We want to empower young people to be healthy, responsible citizens in a democratic society because they have the skills to determine truthful, reliable and trustworthy information.

Our mission is to equip all children and young people with journalism skills to hold power accountable.

A skill set that is grounded in journalism can lead to a multifaceted career path from traditional journalism to TV, radio and podcast broadcasting and production to careers in content creation, copywriting, bid writing and communications and more.

The New Creator Fellowship is a multi-year programme which aims to increase accessibility to these industries, combining education with inspiration and experience, that will set off our participants on their first steps in their careers. We are excited to help support and develop the next generation of young talent and new creators.

This programme has been created by a team at The Student View, a media literacy charity that helps young people hold power to account through journalism. It is supported by a number of industry partners and individuals dedicated to delivering key practical professional skills, as well as providing inspiration, facilitating curiosity, and increasing the aspirations of our participants.

• A Certified curriculum will be delivered by National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ)
• We are supported by a network of The Student View partners including Financial Times, Supa Network and a vast network of mentors and facilitators
• We are supported by Esmée Fairbairn Foundation.

We expect our programme participants to be curious about the world of journalism, and to be excited at the opportunity to learn from the multitude of resources that the programme is offering.

We expect a commitment to the full 26 weeks, which will include weekly virtual lessons with the NCTJ (around 1.5 hours long). We also expect participation in as many of our wider expert curriculum opportunities as possible. It is estimated that around 250 hours are required to complete lessons, self-study and assessments.

We also expect participants to treat each other with kindness, respect and compassion and in return we want participants to have the same expectations of the programme and those who deliver it.

The New Creator Fellowship is fully funded for 30 young people, aged 16 – 23. This means that all education, workshops, and opportunities to build skills and learning within the programme are provided u for free.

The Fellowship will cover the travel costs for in-person training sessions and opportunities related to the programme to aid attendance.

The Student View is providing 200 hours of fully funded training, support and access to experiences, networking & learning opportunities, supporting a pathway into the industry.

An estimated 100 hours of self-study, preparation & assessments are required of your time (spread over 26 weeks) to work towards your Certificate in Foundation Journalism.

On average, you will need to commit around 11.5 hours a week to the 26-week programme.

150 hours: Certificate in Foundation Journalism curriculum (fully funded, tutor-led, recognised by the industry entry-level qualification and a compulsory element of the programme)
100 hours: self-study, preparation, research, reading & assessments
50 hours: Added value experiences, workshops, mentorship moments, work experiences, guest speakers and more with industry experts.

1.5 hours: class preparation, reading (as instructed by a tutor)

1.5 hours: virtual guided learning with NCTJ tutor (compulsory)

3 hours: wider reading & research

4.5 hours: self-study & assessment submission

1 hour: attending a virtual workshop with an industry expert

We know that some of our applicants will have busy exam periods, and work and life commitments that flux and change. Whilst the virtual learning with NCTJ tutor is compulsory, assessments and self-study can be factored in when best works into schedules over the 26 weeks. We will support our cohort where possible to help manage time and commitments when needed to accommodate other factors.

• Have you dreamed of a career in journalism but you’re not sure how to make your first steps?
• Have you felt frustrated by the lack of coverage in the media on issues you care about?
• Do you want to learn skills that hold power to account?
• Do you want to learn a skill that can be a force for good?
• Do you want to experience different career paths in journalism and media from those who have carved a career within it?
• Will a Certificate in Foundation Journalism make a significant impact and build your confidence to move forward on your career journey?

We encourage potential applicants to read our full programme outline to consider the opportunity in full, from the commitments required to the access and experience you will gain from the programme. Please find the full programme details and schedule here.

Industry experts who are delivering the programme, more details here.

Applications open on 1st March at 12pm and close on 15th March at 12pm 2023.

The application process is split into two parts.

1. The first part is an online questionnaire to be filled out and submitted by 12pm Wednesday 15th March
2. If selected for the second stage, you will be notified by 22nd March and invited to submit a short piece, on a story you are passionate about, that isn’t being told by the wider media. This can be submitted as a short video, audio recording or writing, in no more than 200 words or 1 minute on a story by 29th March.

Successful applicants will be notified by 6th April 2023.

These are the programme’s key dates:

• 22nd February: Pre-registration open
• 1st March: Applications open (12pm)
• 15th March: Applications close (12pm)
• 22nd March: Second-round applicants notified
• 29th March: Second round applicants’ story submission
• 6th April: Successful applicants notified
• 13th April: Programme start & kick-off event
• 13th October: Programme ends & celebration event.

No, please only apply once. You will receive an email confirmation of receipt of your application. Please allow 10 minutes after submission.

Yes absolutely, as long as you are between 16 – 23 years old and a UK resident, we welcome your application.

We are looking for young people (aged 16 – 23) who are curious about journalism and the wider industry. Those who want to hold power to account and want to learn how to do this.

We are especially interested in those who are underrepresented within the industry to take part in this programme.

If you are younger than 16, older than 23, or not a resident of the UK, please do not apply. We have other programmes, such as our Pop Up Newsrooms, which may be of interest. You can find out more information here.

Our charity aims to advance the education of young people, helping them to become creative, resilient and confident writers, and to hold power to account. Our charity programmes are designed to help young people become creative, resilient and confident writers.

With our programme, we are taking action to increase representation in the industry and create a pathway into a career for ambitious young people. We are looking for a commitment to the programme, and a willingness to learn and grow. We hope to foster ambition, aid curiosity, build confidence and enhance education and skills.

The programme is committed to providing individualised support to our cohort. If you identify as someone not represented in the media or in the industry, we especially want to encourage you to apply.

In the 2022 Diversity in Journalism report issued by the NCTJ, journalists in the UK are more likely to be from white ethnic groups, have a degree level qualification and have a parent who has worked or works in higher-level occupations.

• 87% of journalists come from white ethnic groups
• 89% have a degree-level (level 4) or higher-level qualification
• 80% of journalists had a parent in one of the three highest occupational groups

The New Creator Fellowship aims to tackle these issues and support a pipeline of 30 diverse new talents in year one into the industry by:

• Prioritising applicants from the underrepresented groups in the industry
• Providing a fully funded programme including travel costs for in-person sessions
• Delivery of the NCTJ’s Certificate in Foundation Journalism course, recognised by media outlets and organisations
• Programming speakers, guest sessions, workshops and work placements to broaden perspectives, share knowledge and spark curiosity
• Supporting young people to build skills, foster new networks and instil confidence in their abilities to pursue a career in journalism.

The charity aims to advance the education of young people, to become creative, resilient and confident writers, and to hold power to account.

The first round of applications will be reviewed by a panel from The Student View, which will use a scorecard system that reflects the ambitions, objectives and participatory requirements of the programme and provide the greatest impact for a young person looking to establish a career in journalism and media.

The programme aims to break down barriers for underrepresented young people in the journalism industry, and therefore will prioritise applicants from diverse and underprivileged backgrounds.

Those who make it to round two will be invited to submit a 200-word or 1-minute piece, on a story you are passionate about, that isn’t being told by the wider media.

If you are not selected for this programme but would like to hear about other opportunities in future, you can opt into our newsletter here and stay up to date with us on our socials.

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The New Creator Fellowship Programme will take place from 13th April 2023 – 13th October 2023.

The programme will be a mixture of online and in-person sessions and opportunities. All curriculum will be delivered online. Where you need to travel to take part in any opportunity presented by TSV, the programme will cover your travel costs to attend.

30 fully funded places are available on the 2023 Fellowship and exclusive to 16 – 23 year-olds.

No prior experience in journalism or media is required. There are no academic entry requirements to apply. Please note, however, there are a number of written assessments required to complete the Certificate.

The Student View are responsible for the overall delivery and overseeing of the Fellowship programme.

The programme includes a Certificate in Foundation Journalism curriculum delivered online by the NCTJ and a mixture of online and in-person opportunities delivered by industry experts, journalists and creators, guest speakers & TSV facilitators and partners.

The programme will include workshops and sessions on topics which will cover topics such as writing online, filming content, sensitive storytelling, and diversity in the newsroom and include guest speakers and industry experts who will share their experiences in the industry and answer questions.

The Student View will be working closely with partner organisations to arrange exclusive placements for the cohort to apply for at the end of the programme.

• Delivered by the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ)
• 21 tutorial classes (virtually)
• Each tutorial class is 1.5hrs long
• The curriculum comprises 25 credits across 9 units of work
• The achievement of the qualification attracts a UCAS tariff of 16 points which may be used towards accessing higher education courses.
• The programme requires self-study & each credit requires written assessments (assessed by NCTJ)
• The recommended total completion time for the Certificate in Foundation Journalism including teaching, self-study & assessment completion is up to 250 hours (ie 10 hours per credit) and is to be completed over the 26 weeks
• Please see the curriculum delivery schedule which requires compulsory attendance.

• Will be delivered virtually and in person by The Student View and its network of mentors, speakers, and advisors from across the industry
• The programme will include exclusive opportunities to access work experience, events with guest speakers, speed mentoring sessions, workshops, access to experiences and more
• Attendance is optional for the wider expert curriculum elements however highly encouraged for gaining as much experience, inspiration and connections to the industry as possible
• The expert curriculum delivery schedule will be a mixture of advanced and shorter notice events.

The National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ) is an industry charity that ultimately exists to help create a better society through diversity, quality and trusted journalism. See more on the organisation here.

The Certificate in Foundation Journalism provides an introduction to journalism. It may be used as a first step for those considering a career in journalism or by those wishing to develop their journalistic skills for a specific purpose.

To gain the qualification, you must achieve all 25 credits through written assessment. This qualification attracts a UCAS tariff of 16 points. See more on the qualification guidance here.

Yes. To complete the Certificate in Foundation Journalism, you must achieve a minimum of 25 credits. Credits are achieved by the successful passing of assessments for each unit.

Written assessments are completed via the NCTJ e-learning site and marked by their team of assessors. Three resubmissions of assessments are accounted for by each person on the Fellowship if needed.

As an idea of how much work needs to be put into each ‘credit’; 1 credit = 10 hours of work.

The delivery schedule can be found below.

• All sessions are 1.5hrs long
• All sessions bar the Kick-Off on 13th April will be virtual
• All sessions bar the Kick-Off will be taught from 5:30 pm – 7 pm
• The sessions are key to working towards achieving the certification
• The Kick-off will take place on 13th April in London (location TBC & travel expenses will be covered) 2 pm – 6 pm
• The wider programme of speakers, mentorships & guest workshops will take place typically in the weeks outside of the NCTJ curriculum and the dates and times of this will be shared in April and ongoing throughout the programme
• The programme in its final planning stages is subject to change, however as much advance notice will be provided as possible where programme schedules need to be changed for any reason

Self-study & assessments during course break