The Reporter’s Michael Steward spoke to high school pupils about life as a journalist at a careers event hosted by the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ) on Monday, March 21, in Newport.

The students, from Joyce Frankland Academy, Saffron Walden County High, and Forest Hall School in Stansted, spent an afternoon learning about the journalism industry and the qualifications available to them.

Michael spoke about his own experiences training at St Mary’s University in Twickenham and some of the pressures of the day-to-day job.

Those attending were also given information on the different career choices available in the media industry, advice on finding work experience, and a practical session on ethical photography and the use of images in the media.

Michael said: “Being relatively new to journalism myself, it was great to be able to share some of my training experiences with the enthusiastic students. I hope they took something away from the excellent NCTJ event.”