The Financial Times is launching News School US, a nightly education programme designed to give young people from a variety of backgrounds an opportunity to learn about the news industry. The US launch follows the success of News School UK, which was piloted in 2020 in partnership with The Brooklyn Brothers.

The two-week programme aims to educate 40 young people about the business side of news media, with a series of interactive sessions led by experts from the FT, Axios, Google News Initiative, Guardian US, Morning Brew, Skift, The Brooklyn Brothers and others.

Participants will learn about a range of topics including: business models for journalism, technologies for news distribution, advertising and marketing measurement, and storytelling in audio and video formats.

Attendees will be offered a week-long work experience placement at the FT and receive six months of mentoring from an industry-leading professional. The FT intends to offer three- and six-month paid internship programmes.

News School aims to find full-time employment for attendees in the news, media or associated creative industry in the six months following the course.

Commenting on the initiative, Matt Fottrell, US vice president at the FT, said: “The news industry is failing to provide career opportunities for those with talent and an interest in the sector from underrepresented backgrounds. With News School, the FT is taking a step towards remedying this imbalance.

“We can't do this alone, so we encourage all news media to start their own programmes in hopes of making real change. We welcome the opportunity to speak with other media organisations to share our insights and best practice,” he said.

Attendees will be recruited through the FT’s News School partners; Baruch College, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Emma Bowen Foundation, Fordham and St. Thomas Aquinas College.

A virtual graduation will be held for the cohort on November 18.

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For more information, please contact Rhonda Taylor | rhonda.taylor@ft.com

About the Financial Times

The Financial Times is one of the world’s leading business news organisations, recognised internationally for its authority, integrity and accuracy. The FT has a record paying readership of more than one million, three-quarters of which are digital subscriptions. It is part of Nikkei Inc., which provides a broad range of information, news and services for the global business community.