working life Find your route and join in
Look at ways in Phoebe Harper, editorial director at Outlook Publishing, urges journalists to consider trade media. She wanted to be a travel journalist, but with no training and little
experience, struggled to find a job. Since taking a junior editor role at a B2B travel magazine, she hasn’t looked back and has developed it into the kind of lifestyle brand she wanted to write for.
company continues to grow. It began as a three-man operation 10 years ago, and now we’re almost 60 people strong.” Although the editorial team is small, with six people, Harper says B2B publishing is a great way for early career journalists to build skills and confidence. Norwich is also more affordable than nearby cities such as Cambridge. “Culturally speaking, Norwich is incredibly rich with
fantastic arts venues – Norwich Arts Centre and the Playhouse to name just a couple. It also has the National Centre for Writing. And it has an endless calendar of events including the City of Literature Festival,” she adds. Travel reporter Samantha Mayling agrees. Mayling moved to Norwich from London in 2005 with her husband and two young children looking for a better quality of life. She works as a reporter for London-based trade title Travel Weekly, which adopted hybrid working during the pandemic. She also freelances, writing press releases for World Travel Market. “My husband and son go to Norwich City FC regularly– the football ground is in walking distance – and there are plenty of cultural activities such as gigs, theatre, cinema, museums, walks and talks about history, literature and nature,” she says. “It’s big enough to be a major cultural and commercial hub,
but easy to get around – we cycle to most places in the city – and the countryside is on our doorstep.” With two universities, the University of East Anglia and Norwich University of the Arts, Norwich also has opportunities for student journalism. The University of East Anglia’s broadcast journalism courses are taught in the former Heart and Radio Broadland studios in the city centre. The move came about after former course director and BBC and ITV journalist Mark Wells spotted the opportunity days before the studios were about to be demolished. The students now have access to studios to
Loose connections Richard Clinnick, editor of Rail Express, says the only drawback to Norwich is connectivity. Although the city is less than two hours by train to London, Norfolk has
“I’ve always found it an extremely rewarding and inspiring place, with an endless selection of great cafes to scribble away in, brilliant independent bookshops (The Book Hive), and events to connect with other writers.” Phoebe Harper, editorial director, Outlook Publishing
“It’s a great place to bring up a family.” Samantha Mayling, reporter, Travel Weekly
“Don’t expect to find a huge amount of work locally, but as a base, it’s wonderful.” Dominic Bradbury, freelance journalist and writer
no motorway and Clinnick says phone reception can be patchy: “It is getting better, but we’ve got a big issue in the county with broadband.”
Mutual union Travel Weekly reporter Samantha Mayling recommends getting involved
with the Norfolk NUJ branch: “When I moved to Norwich, I attended as many meetings as possible, as it was a good way to keep in touch with other freelancers and staff journalists. It was useful to ask for advice and feel supported and part of a journalism community.”
create radio, podcast and TV output and can respond rapidly to developing news events.. Students have also had experience at BBC Look East and Radio Norfolk, including working on the rolling autocues, producing programmes and TV breakfast show handovers. Wells says that Norwich is a great place for journalists to start out, but it can often be overlooked: “Hopefully, its designation as Unesco’s City of Literature will help put that right – it’s not for nothing that Norwich markets itself as the City of Stories,” he says. The Norfolk NUJ branch has members across Norfolk and
Suffolk, who came out in support recently following the industrial action at the BBC. NUJ Norfolk branch chair John Ranson says: “Quite a few of us are freelance and work remotely. The union does feel like an important place where journalists can come together and get some mutual support which they may not be able to get in an office.” The branch is keen to hear from members in the region. Freelance journalist Dominic Bradbury grew up in Norwich and moved back 20 years ago after working in London. He specialises in architecture and design and has written more than 20 books and contributed to the FT, The Times, The Telegraph, House & Garden, World of Interiors and Wallpaper. He also works as a consultant assisting architectural and design bodies and does copywriting. “I find it a really creative environment and love being based
here,” he says. “It’s now fairly easy to get down to London by train, as long as there are no strikes, so I still spend a good deal of time in London working on stories and catching up with editors.” Although local freelance work is more difficult to find, Bradbury has noticed more writers and journalists moving to Norfolk and back to Norwich. As he says – that’s a great endorsement.
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