Community news reporter inspires teens at school careers event
A community news reporter connected with aspiring journalists and gleaned valuable insights into the next generation’s news habits at a school careers event.
A community news reporter connected with aspiring journalists and gleaned valuable insights into the next generation’s news habits at a school careers event.
Chloe Nightingale, community reporter for Ellesmere Port/Neston at the Wirral Globe, visited Weatherhead High School in Wallasey last month to speak to A-Level students about her own pathway into journalism.
Wirral Globe community news reporter Chloe Nightingale
Chloe spoke about her NCTJ training on the MA Journalism course at Liverpool John Moores University, explained how she got her first job as a community journalist and showed them her published work.
She said: “There was really positive feedback that they found it interesting. They were telling me stories they had read that week and it was good having that engagement with them.”
The 24-year-old was hired for her first journalism job in May 2022 through the Community News Project – a partnership between Meta, the NCTJ and regional publishers.
She is working towards her National Qualification in Journalism (NQJ) by studying remotely with Darlington College.
Reflecting on her first year in the industry, she said: “It’s been a bit of a whirlwind how far I’ve come – I have front pages now, more than one.
“It’s good to show the students that it’s possible.”
Chloe also took the opportunity to ask the 16- and 17-year-olds about their news consumption, and collected stats to inform a follow-up story on the visit for the Globe.
Wirral Globe community news reporter Chloe Nightingale at Weatherhead’s careers event.
For instance, she found 80 per cent of the students found their news through social media, with TikTok the most visited platform.
Andrew Kilmurray, editor of the Wirral Globe, said: “Chloe has been outstanding since she joined us – and is a shining example of how successful the community reporter scheme has been.
“She has brought energy, enthusiasm, and passion to the role. She also really cares about the patches she covers and is a terrific storyteller.
“It was great to see that she was keen to explain her work to others and inspire the next generation of aspiring journalists.”
Read Chloe’s story about her school visit here.
