Donovan Blake helps launch 'Breaking into News' competition

The competition hopes to find the next generation of broadcast talent Credit: ITV Anglia

ITV News and Media Trust have launched ‘Breaking Into News’, a unique initiative that has been successfully running for six years and fronted by ITV’s award-winning news broadcaster Charlene White and Donovan Blake for ITV Anglia with the aim to unearth the next generation of diverse broadcast journalist talent from across the UK.

Donovan is leading the campaign for us and is encouraging applications from local budding broadcast journalists, who may have little to no relevant experience to apply.

This is an opportunity for those who have recently finished education and have limited media or broadcasting experience living in the area to be mentored by leading news broadcasters, learn how to write and produce local news reports on a subject that matters to them and get the ultimate chance to break into news and media.

Now in its sixth year the ‘Breaking Into News’ competition is a collaboration between ITV News and Media Trust that has seen many talented individuals progress into careers in news journalism and media.

The competition launched today via the microsite www.breakingintonews.co.uk and applications are open for six weeks until its closing date on 9 April 2018.

Thirty applicants will be shortlisted, representing three for each of the ten ITV regions across England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Those who are shortlisted will be paired with an ITV journalist, based in their region, and over the course of 6 weeks will be mentored on all aspects of broadcast journalism, including writing, reporting, production and how a newsroom works.

TV Ambassador Donovan for ITV News Anglia said:

The overall winner will be selected by an esteemed panel of judges including Roohi Hasan (ITV News, Senior News Producer), Kate Watkins Tutor (Head of TV News Training, School of Media and Communication, Leeds University), Margaret Emsley (Head of News at ITV Calendar) and Jasmine Dotiwala (Head of Youth Engagement at Media Trust) and will be awarded with £400 worth of journalistic equipment and the chance to have their local news report aired on ITV.

The overall winner will be revealed on 25 July 2018 at a special award ceremony in London.

Mairi Ankers, Breaking into News Programme Manager at Media Trust added: