Make a difference in your community by training to be a reporter

Are you passionate about your local community? If you want a job where you can highlight the issues that matter where you live and the voices that often go unheard, this exciting new journalism opportunity may be for you.

If you’ve ever wanted to be a journalist but worry you don’t have the right experience or qualifications, a new scheme could mark the start of your dream career. The Liverpool Echo has teamed up with the NCTJ’s (National Council for the Training of Journalists) Community News Project and we have the opportunity for a trainee community reporter to come and join our team, working for the Echo while you train to become a qualified journalist over the next two years.

Our community reporter will tell the stories that matter most to local people in and around the Liverpool city region. They will develop community networks in person and online, build local contacts, engage with readers and seek out the stories that might otherwise go untold.

READ MORE: Meet Joe from Huyton - the local legend everyone loves

READ MORE: Merseyside’s hidden community with a love for leather 

We’re looking for diverse, driven individuals with no prior journalism experience to join us on a two-year, paid contract and work towards the NCTJ Diploma in Journalism. The Community News Project is run by journalism training body the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ). It aims to give a voice to the people and issues that often go unheard in local communities across the UK.

We have our own success story at the Liverpool Echo in the form of our journalists Jess Molyneux and Paul McAuley who joined us via a similar scheme several years ago. Both now work in our Liverpool city centre newsroom, in St Paul's Square, and are doing great work every day telling the stories of the Liverpool City Region.

Head of projects and partnerships at the NCTJ Will Gore said: “The Community News Project has been transformative to local journalism by bringing underreported stories to light and opening doors to those who may not have had the opportunity to train as journalists otherwise.

“We are thrilled to see the project continue and we look forward to receiving applications from those who are passionate about community-focussed journalism. These new reporters will play a vital role in connecting with their communities and highlighting perspectives that are often underrepresented.”

ECHO journalist Jess Molyneux said: "It's now been more than five years since I joined the Liverpool ECHO but I owe a lot of my skills and experience to my start as a community reporter. I thought it would be an exciting opportunity to not only gain vital skills in the industry and work for the Liverpool ECHO, but to give residents from underrepresented communities more coverage in the media.

"When I found out it was for Knowsley - the borough I was born and bred in - I thought it was the perfect fit. My favourite thing about being a community reporter was giving people from similar backgrounds to myself a voice and seeing the difference it made to their lives and those around them. If you haven't heard about the scheme and are wanting to pursue a career in journalism, I think this pathway is definitely worth seeking out."

Reach's Audience and Content Director in the North East and Yorkshire and the company’s editorial lead for the Community News Project Helen Dalby said: “Trusted journalism that gets to the heart of local communities has never been more important to our readers. We’re delighted to partner with the NCTJ on this new phase of the brilliant Community News Project to train the journalists of the future to find and tell those stories.”

The closing date for this exciting opportunity is 5pm on Monday, December 2. Applicants must apply directly to the NCTJ and not to the Liverpool Echo - more information, and how to apply, can be found on the NCTJ website here: https://www.nctj.com/find-a-job/community-news-project-applications/