Covid has highlighted the need for quality journalism

I didn’t go to university. I didn’t want to. I wanted to be a journalist – and after a one-year pre-entry journalism course I persuaded the boss of a London news agency that what he needed was a young, keen, and tenacious reporter who would work for almost nothing.

I suspect it was the last element that persuaded him - he bought the line. And he bought me. I’m still not sure if not going to university was the right decision… but it’s too late to regret it!

As I begin a new venture with GB News, the one question I still get asked by people thinking about journalism is – how do I get in? - particularly now as we tentatively emerge from the pandemic. For those still in education, there’s been very little happening to help you stand out - very few exams and very few lectures. When they are offered, they’re online.

The Covid pandemic has been a troubling time for Britain's youth, writes Simon McCoy (stock image)
Chris Ison

To anyone asking how you break into journalism, my answer may surprise you. Whilst, of course, it isn’t ever going to be easy, I don’t think there has been a more exciting time to get into the news business. The pandemic has changed the game.

Ratings for TV news bulletins have never been higher and, particularly in the regions, the pandemic has highlighted the need for local news.

It’s an unexpected silver lining after what has been an awful time for all of us.

As we return to some sort of normality, the one thing everyone is craving is personal contact - that’s even true of grizzled old hacks. Senior journalists in television, radio, online, and print newsrooms will be looking for new talent. They’re looking for new ideas. And there’s a generation of people leaving education who have a totally different perspective on the World.

Values have been altered as we re-assess the meaning of our ‘homes’. No longer just where we live, but for many the workplace now as well. Relationships have changed as we cherish face-to-face contact more than ever. This is the biggest change for people getting their first job in a generation. It’s a new opportunity. It’s like starting at a new TV station. Slightly frightening, but exciting. Go for it.