Member Article

Raconteur Launches ‘New Voices’ Business Journalism Course

B2B publisher Raconteur has launched the New Voices programme, a free initiative to help unpublished writers from underrepresented communities break into business journalism.

The 12-week course will be hosted virtually and can be slotted around existing commitments and work schedules. It is designed to find, train and nurture a new generation of business journalists from communities that are underrepresented in media - particularly business journalism.

This includes, but is not limited to, writers of colour, those with disabilities, those who have not gone to university, or those who are carers.

Raconteur will begin interviews with applicants in May. Following this, five successful candidates will work alongside each other to learn everything they need to know about business journalism. This includes coming up with great article ideas, as well as learning how to pitch, build up a network of potential interviewees and structure an article for maximum impact, plus much more.

Over the second half of the course, Raconteur’s editorial team will mentor and work with participants to help them craft an article on a business topic. Those that meet the necessary standard will be published in one of Raconteur’s special reports, which are published in The Times and The Sunday Times, or online on Raconteur.net.

Participants will be paid for their piece and can use it as the first building block of a professional portfolio. Writers will also be added to Raconteur’s journalist database with the aim of building a relationship where they pitch article ideas and receive commissions going forward.

Francesca Cassidy, Deputy Editor at Raconteur, said: “Breaking into journalism can be difficult - even more so if you are from an underrepresented community. Business journalism in particular can be a very white-male dominated field and, like many in our industry, we recognise that our database of writers has a long way to go before it reflects the diversity of the world of business.

“By launching our New Voices programme, we want to attract the next generation of business journalists and give them a helping hand to break into a career they may not previously have considered or felt was beyond their reach. We are looking for gifted writers who don’t know where to start.”

She added: “As the course will be teaching the basics, we’re not looking for anyone who has already undertaken any type of journalism course or degree, or who has been published in newspapers, magazines or major online publications.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Business News .