Former Reuters agency chief to chair NCTJ

The NCTJ is to appoint editorial and media business leader Sue Brooks as its new chair.

This follows the news that Kim Fletcher, the NCTJ’s long-standing chairman, is stepping down after 20 years on the board.

Sue has worked her entire career in the news industry in both editorial and business leadership roles and across all media types.

Most recently, Sue worked as general manager for Reuters News Agency, overseeing all commercial and business activities.

Sue joined Reuters in 2015 as global head of news agency products, and in 2018 she became managing director for Reuters products and news agency strategy. Before her career at Reuters, she worked at Associated Press for 14 years.

From Derbyshire, Sue began her career as a trainee reporter at the age of 17 at the Derby Evening Telegraph, completing her NCTJ training at Richmond College in Sheffield.

After several years reporting for independent radio, Sue progressed into editorial roles at the BBC, Channel 4 and ITN where she edited the flagship News at Ten.

Sue refers to her NCTJ qualification as her “calling card to reporting for local and national radio, some of the best jobs in UK television and senior roles at the world’s two leading news agencies. None of it would have been possible without the NCTJ.”

She says: “Could this happen in 2024? NCTJ research suggests not and, in the years since I joined the industry, journalism has become an elite sport. The NCTJ’s efforts to address this are exciting and groundbreaking and one of the major reasons I am honoured and delighted to be appointed as chair.

“The need for trusted journalism and journalistic skills to understand and explain the world has never been more important. The NCTJ has never been more important.”

She added: “I relish the opportunity to use the knowledge gained from decades of understanding the issues of, and creating products and solutions for, media companies around the world to guide the NCTJ to even greater achievements”.

Sue will take over as chair of the NCTJ in September, when Kim will chair his final board meeting and take up the honorary role as emeritus chairman.

Kim said: “Few journalists have worked with such distinction in so many different parts of the industry.

“Sue brings with that experience an enthusiasm and drive that will hugely benefit the NCTJ.”

Joanne Forbes, chief executive of the NCTJ, said: “All of us at the NCTJ are thrilled Sue has been appointed to lead the board and guide the charity, and I’m excited to have the opportunity to work alongside her to take the NCTJ to the next stage of its development.

“Her outstanding achievements as a journalist, editorial manager and business leader, and her experience across all media sectors and formats – and, of course, her NCTJ pedigree and passion for our values – make her the perfect choice to be our next chair.”