Press Gazette has
joined forces with Camelot in its search for the next generation of
editorial talent – and borrowed a few lessons from Sir Alan Sugar in
the process.
Under the Press Cadets scheme, launched this week,
two young journalists will win a fully-paid 12-month contract working
in Press Gazette’s editorial team.
But first they will have to
prove themselves by undertaking a number of journalistic tasks under
the watchful eye of some of the industry’s bestknown editors, and in
the public glare of the country’s journalists.
After applications
have been whittled down, 10 finalists will be set a weekly assignment
and only the best will survive to go through to the following round.
Their work will be scrutinised by industry experts and the Press
Gazette team – and the entire industry will be able to chart their
progress through the pages of this magazine.
Two will be spiked each week until there are only two journalists remaining.
These
will join Press Gazette for a salaried 12-month contract, reporting on
the fascinating world of journalism for the industry bible, setting
them well on the way for a high-flying career.
The tasks will be
set by Conor McNicholas, the editor of NME; John Dale, the editor of
Take A Break – the country’s biggest selling magazine; Mark Calvert,
editor of Five News; and Sue Ryan, the managing editor of The Daily
Telegraph.
These editors will all assist in the judging process of the task they set.
Candidates
must be available between Thursday 29 September and Wednesday 26
October 2005 to carry out four assignments – and be available to work
for one year beginning in November 2005 as a trainee at Press Gazette,
with the posts sponsored by National Lottery operator Camelot.
Click here for details of how to apply, and the full terms and conditions. The closing date of Monday 26 September will
be strictly enforced.
Dianne Thompson, chief executive of Camelot
Group Plc, said: “The UK National Lottery is one of the most successful
lotteries in the world and, to a great extent, this is down to the
support we’ve received from the press in covering over 10 years’ worth
of lottery stories.
“After making the headlines for over a
decade, I am proud that Camelot is able to give something back to
journalism by sponsoring the new Press Cadets scholarship programme.
“For
two of the UK’s brightest, most promising young journalists, I hope
that having the opportunity to write the news is as enjoyable and
rewarding as it has been for the thousands of National Lottery winners
and good causes to be in it.”
Press Gazette editor Ian Reeves
added: “I don’t intend to be quite as ruthless in letting people go as
Sir Alan Sugar was in The Apprentice – although I share his dislike of
schmoozers, bullshitters and liars – but this is a fantastic
opportunity for the stars of tomorrow to really put their name on the
journalism map.
“Even the unsuccessful candidates will become household names in the journalism industry.”
Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog