MEDIA TRUST in partnership with ITV News has announced the finalists for ‘Breaking Into News’ a nationwide initiative to discover up and coming local journalists. Katie Orchard, a Youth Worker has been named the regional finalist for ITV London.
Fronted by ITV’s award-winning news broadcaster Charlene White and Katie Barnfield for ITV London, ‘Breaking Into News’, continues to address the importance to improve representation and diversity across the broadcast journalism industry. ITV News encouraged applications from across the UK, with little or no previous media experience, attracting a wider wealth of promising local talent.
Under the professional mentoring of Katie Barnfield for ITV London, Orchard is now in the process of creating a TV news report on Pupil Referral Units for ITV London.
"I'm so over the moon to be representing ITV London in this scheme. I had to apply when I first saw it as I had never seen another competition that is as hands-on, inclusive and most importantly, realistic to people's experiencem,” said Orchard.
“I have a real passion for social affairs and the issues in society that are often overlooked or misrepresented. I feel that it is essential that these issues are highlighted and explored, so that everybody has a voice or a platform where their story is given the chance to be told accurately."
Su-Mei Thompson CEO of Media Trust, commented: “Our Breaking into News programme offers people with little to no experience in journalism the chance to share stories about their regions and the help kick-start their careers in news. We are excited to be a part in developing the next generation of broadcast journalists!"
Along with nine other finalists from ITV news regions across the UK, Orchard will present her final news report to a panel of influential judges including Roohi Hasan (ITV News, Senior News Producer), Kate Watkins Tutor (Head of TV News Training, School of Media and Communication, Leeds University), Margaret Emsley (Head of News at ITV Calendar)and Jasmine Dotiwala (Head of Youth Engagement at Media Trust)
ITV Mentor Katie Barnfield for ITV London said: ‘I’m really excited to be working with Katie for this year’s Breaking Into News scheme. She came up with a brilliant idea and clearly has tons of passion for journalism.
“It’s so important to get new voices and new perspectives into the newsroom whenever we can, and this scheme is a great way of doing that. I’m thrilled to be involved as a mentor.”
One lucky finalist will be selected and will be awarded £400 worth of journalistic equipment and the chance to have their local news report aired on ITV.
The other finalists for the competition include:
- Yorkshire (Calendar): Carolyn Gravel - Funding for Yorkshire Air Ambulance
- Meridian: Toby Winson - School Education on the Dangers Alcohol
- London: Katie Orchard - Pupil Referral Units
- Granada: Hannah Bridgeman - The Effectiveness of the Prison Sentence in the UK
- Anglia: Mariah Sharp - Autism-Friendly Workplaces
- Central: Karen Elizabeth Bucknall - SKA music’s 40th anniversary
- Tyne Tees & Border: Clare Bridges - Personality Disorder Awareness
- UTV: Timothee Bassett - Male mental health
- Wales: Iain McGibbon - Mental Disorder Awareness
- West & West Country: Georgia Edwards - Music Therapy as Mental and Physical Health Treatment
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