Theo Walcott (pictured, courtesy of The Sun), England footballer and children’s books author, is also supporting the competition.
The competition, now in its second year, offers 18-25 year olds the chance to be mentored by top journalists – with one lucky winner getting the chance to have their column printed in The Sun.
Column Idol spokesperson and singer/songwriter Jessie J said: "This is a fantastic chance for anyone who likes writing and has an opinion.
“Young people are always saying that they want to be heard, and this is an opportunity for them to step up and do it!”
To enter, young people must submit a short description about themselves, what they’d like to write about and why they deserve to be crowned Column Idol 2011. The entry form can be found at www.thesun.co.uk/columnidol.
Six writers will be shortlisted and mentored by top journalists from The Sun who will help them polish their ideas and support them as they write their columns.
Those shortlisted will present their columns to a high-profile judging panel including The Sun’s Editor Dominic Mohan and columnist Jane Moore. The final winner will receive the prize of having their column printed in the newspaper in September 2011.
Column Idol first launched in 2010. After making it through to the final six, winner Lee Price’s column appeared as a full page in The Sun.
Dominic Mohan, Editor of The Sun, said: “At The Sun we are committed to finding and investing in new writing talent.
“We are delighted to be working with Media Trust to launch the second Column Idol competition and I hope that once again we will attract entries from all walks of life, including people who may believe a career in journalism is out of their reach.
“I am proud that some of the paper’s most respected journalists are lending their skill and expertise to mentor young people, and look forward to seeing this year’s entries.”
Katie Simpson, Deputy Chief Executive at Media Trust said, “We’ve partnered with The Sun for the second year running with the aim of getting young people’s voices heard and finding raw undiscovered talent.
“This is part of a long term partnership with The Sun and News International. We’re delighted to have some of their most esteemed journalists on board as mentors to give industry insight and expertise to young people who wouldn’t normally have access to it.”
The closing date for entries is Monday 20 June at midday.
About Media Trust
The Media Trust says: “Media Trust is a national charity that believes everyone should have a voice and the opportunity to be heard. We work with media organisations and charities to enhance their communications and enable communities to find their voice. We own and run Community Channel, the UK's only national channel to be run by a charity. Media Trust corporate members are BBC, Channel 4, Daily Mail and General Trust, Discovery Networks Europe, Google, Guardian Media Group, IPC Media, ITV plc, MTV Networks UK & Ireland, News International, OMD, Sky, Warner Bros and WPP.”
