Journalism is an ageing profession. Neil Merrick finds there is a range of reasons why fewer young people are becoming journalists


Call for cub repo W


hen Evie Flynn applied to work at the Southwark News, the only way she could demonstrate her potential as a journalist was to show the YouTube videos she had made in her bedroom when she was younger.


She needn’t have worried. Flynn was offered the post of


community reporter and video journalist and, one year later, is part way through a level five diploma in journalism. As far as the south London title was concerned, Flynn’s videos


showed her ability, not just to capture an audience’s attention but also explain things in much the same way as a journalist. “They said they could teach me everything else,” she recalls. The problem is finding more people like Flynn. A report last


year by the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ) showed just 12 per cent of journalists are aged under 30, compared with 23 per cent at the start of the decade. Not only is the profession becoming older (with 39 per cent of journalists aged 50 or above) but also the prospect of a career in journalism does not seem to carry the same attractions it once did. According to a survey carried out for the NCTJ at the start of


this year, youngsters tended not to regard the news as trustworthy or representing them. They also see the job as mainly revolving around traditional reporting, rather than multimedia roles that, in some people’s eyes, call for more creativity. The NCTJ is so concerned that, in March, it launched a


campaign to persuade more 14–18 year-olds to consider a career in journalism. A guide produced alongside the FT was sent to schools and colleges around the UK. As an apprentice, Flynn spends four days per week at the Southwark News and studies for the diploma on the other day. For her, it is as exciting to be writing for the print and digital editions as making videos for social media that, thanks to TikTok and Instagram, may be seen anywhere in the world. Video clips show life off duty, including running in the park or taking a post-work ice bath, as well as carrying out interviews in the local community. “You can show your skills as a content creator and


produce results that are highly respected,” she explains. “You are not just writing for a 6pm deadline.” Flynn, aged 23, believes she was ‘subconsciously’


deciding she wished to be a journalist when she made YouTube videos as a teenager. At university, however, she studied history and did not get involved in student journalism. “I come from a working-class


14 | theJournalist


background,” she explains. “I was of the opinion that journalism wasn’t for me. It seemed like an unobtainable profession.” Having moved to London in 2024, Flynn worked briefly in


marketing before applying to the Southwark News. She is aware of young people who, having taken NCTJ courses, also struggle to find jobs. “The enthusiasm is there but may be the jobs are not,” she adds. Enrolments onto NCTJ courses rose by 13 per cent in


12%


of journalists are aged under 30, while 39% are aged 50 or above


2024–25, with 1,406 students joining accredited courses. But there is a question mark over the future of courses in higher education. Last year, the government ordered universities to ‘deprioritise’ journalism and move funding to subjects such as engineering and nursing. Numbers are holding up at Bournemouth University, with 90 students joining its BA degrees in multimedia journalism and multimedia sports journalism last September. The university was expecting a fall to about 60 owing to financial pressures facing some students and alternative options such as apprenticeships.


There is still a strong demand for journalism skills, says


David Mascord, a part-time lecturer at the university, although some students end up in jobs that, while creative and requiring journalism skills, do not carry the title of journalist. Tutors stress the need to learn competence in traditional areas such as media law alongside making podcasts and posting stories on social media. “The best students really want to be journalists and go off and do wonderful things,” adds Mascord. Of course, it is possible some youngsters are put off by low pay and long working hours. One freelance in his 30s, who had more than 20 jobs before joining a NCTJ course two years ago, says he could not honestly recommend journalism because of the pay and conditions, as well as dwindling work opportunities. To some extent, the reputation of journalists has also


taken a hit following the phone-hacking scandal. “Journalism doesn’t always do a good job at selling


itself,” says Alan Geere, a freelance trainer who has taught on NCTJ and other courses. For those who complete their training and find a job, there is always the question of where next? “People in other professions can see how to make their


way up the greasy pole,” says Geere. “In journalism, it’s often about being in the right place at the right time and knowing the right people.” But that does not mean everyone is being put off. All nine reporters across the seven print titles edited by


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