The £7,000 donation will enable the delivery of a bursary scheme to aspiring journalists who do not have the financial means to support themselves through journalism training.
The news comes after the Society has announced it is building an online Diversity and Inclusion Resource Hub.
This digital reference guide will give essential information, advice and contact numbers to share the industry’s work in this field.
The Hub will aim to help those including school-leavers from diverse backgrounds wanting to get into journalism, senior editors looking to find new ways of recruiting more widely, and mid-career journalists from diverse backgrounds trying to progress further.
The Society’s work in this area is being overseen by a D&I subcommittee.
A spokesperson for the Society of Editors said: “The Society is delighted to be making a donation to the Journalism Diversity Fund, which does fantastic work in enabling under-represented talent to unlock a career in journalism.
“Furthermore, our work on a Diversity and Inclusion Resource Hub will aim to boost the opportunities for both aspiring and current journalists to progress in their chosen careers.”
Joanne Butcher, Chief Executive of the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ), said: “It’s heartening to see the Society of Editors making an increased commitment to diversity and inclusion by making its first donation to the Journalism Diversity Fund. The fund’s establishment was announced at the Society of Editors’ conference back in 2005 so right from the start the Society has always been a supporter in kind.
“Making a financial contribution strengthens that commitment to work with us as we expand the support we can offer to prospective journalists. We know only too well from our recent research how much further the industry has to go to be genuinely diverse and inclusive, which is why we have been working hard to encourage more media organisations to back our tried and trusted scheme.”
The Society joins 20 media companies who are financial contributors to the scheme. The JDF has seen more than 400 students supported by grants administered by the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ) since its launch in 2005.
Bursaries help to cover the costs of course fees and/or living expenses, depending on an individual’s circumstances. All successful candidates can also benefit from the JDF’s mentoring programme, as well as gain a range of insights into the work of the JDF’s sponsoring organisations.
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