The supplement marks the beginning of a work placement arrangement between the University and the paper which will see second and final year journalism students take over the local title’s community pages.
The interns will be responsible for filling the section with copy and images to tell the latest stories from around Warwickshire and the West Midlands.
John Mair (pictured), senior journalism lecturer at Coventry University, believes the partnership will offer students an invaluable opportunity to build a portfolio of published work. He said: “This is just what wannabe journalists should be doing – working on live projects, getting real bylines and getting some proper work in their portfolios. This latest supplement demonstrates the continuing close cooporation between town and gown – the Telegraph and the University.”
Darren Parkin, editor of the Coventry Telegraph, said: “In our industry we talk about training the next generation but do very little about it. This continuous rolling scheme allows student journalists – at the heart of our community in Coventry – to practice and write real time. I will soon spot the stars of the future. After all, Jeremy Vine and Dermot Murnaghan started on the 'Tele'. We are delighted to launch it.”
Parkin began his career in his teens on a youth training scheme at the Dewsbury Reporter. Since becoming the country’s youngest editor on the Wolverhampton News when he was 24, he has won the UK Press Gazette Young Journalist of the Year award three times. He took over editorship of the Coventry Telegraph last November.
