College students launch newspaper in Telford
A group of Shropshire students have unveiled plans to launch a new-look newspaper in the week the industry ran a Journalism Matters campaign.
The teenagers at Wrekin College are aiming to print the first edition of the new Wrekin Roar next term to mark a landmark year for news both regionally and nationally.
Donna Irving, director of Wrekin College Business School, said the move followed talks by leading journalists.
The school recently heard from Sunday Times senior writer Matt Rudd who talked to a group about the skills needed for a career in journalism and his own route into the industry as part of a series of inspirational talks.
The Business School, opened in 2016, was built to provide a specialised centre which focused on key employability and entrepreneurial skills.
Mrs Irving said: "One of the questions the children asked Mr Rudd was 'how do we get a job in journalism?'. His response was – do it for real, and that's what prompted them to start a school newspaper.
“Wrekin firmly believes in developing skills for the future and you can teach these skills but learning happens best when you put them into practice.
"They are a very dedicated and enthusiastic bunch who have very specific ideas about what they want the paper to look like and the positive role they want it to play at school.”
The team which will include an editor and a team of writers in specialist areas including news, business, sport and the arts met for the first time during a week which marked the Journalism Matters campaign. They will be mentored on the project by Tracey Rous, a parent at the school and former Women’s Editor at the Shropshire Star and writer with the Shropshire Magazine.
They have already agreed a print edition is essential at a time when newspapers are battling to maintain their print versions alongside digital editions.
The Journalism Matters campaign is designed to highlight the positive work of the newspaper industry.
