Education: Youth Times Q&A

What kind of content goes into the e-magazine?

Young Journalists benefit from an unusual level of freedom of expression, within the limits of the law and our anti-discriminatory editorial policy. Stories already submitted range from ‘Illegal Raves’ to ‘Anti-War March – our side of the story’. Groups also submit photo stories, photographs and album reviews. Whilst leaving the nature of the content up to the Editorial Team, made up of Young Editors, we see the magazine as an opportunity for young people to:

  • explore local, national and global issues
  • participate in debate
  • influence decision-making
  • have a say in issues that affect them directly

as well as publish gossip columns, letters pages and discussion boards.

What can young people do on Youth Times?

Young people from 13 and above get involved in several different ways:

  • As editors
  • As reporters
  • As designers

They are all catering for a readership of 13 to 18 year olds.

What commitment is expected of them?

Young Editors form the Editorial Team and meet on a fortnightly basis at the Youth Times Press Office in Hereford . Editorial Team meetings are led by Rural Media’s youth journalist, Julie Lachaud, with freelance media professionals offering additional training. Young Editors have overall editorial responsibility over the publication. Their role is

  • to brief Reporters
  • to produce stories, visuals, features and opinions pieces
  • to answer readers letters and enquiries
  • to assist in the promotion of the publication
  • to ensure articles are submitted within deadlines
  • to edit material submitted

Places on the Editorial Team are limited and Young Editors have been selected through a formal application process.

Young Reporters do not have to attend Editorial Team meetings but they are invited to take part in training sessions and media workshops. Their role is

  • to report on local events
  • to handle requests from the Editorial Team and the readers
  • to keep up to date with the news in their area
  • to write stories, features, interviews and opinion pieces for the magazine
  • to team up with other reporters or editors to produce copy

Reporters are kept in touch with Julie Lachaud and the Editorial Team via an email network (and with Trainee Youth Media Workers as the team grows ).

A Young Designers group meets regularly and provides input to the visual aspects of the magazine, from photographs to graphics to illustrations.

What’s in it for young people? 

  • Media skills and experience
  • The chance to run their own publication
  • Accreditation through schemes such as the Youth Achievement Awards and short and long courses in Media and/or Youth Work, such as the George Williams College Introductory Studies course
  • Freedom of expression
  • Informal education
  • The opportunity to play an important role in the life and future of their own community
  • Improvement of their communication skills, social awareness and confidence

How are young people supported in taking part in the magazine?

As a Youth Worker, Teacher, Support Worker or Community Worker, you can support young people in several ways:

  • Encourage individual reporters to write about events and experiences that are important to them. This is a very effective youth work and informal education process. You are not required to edit and/or correct stories written by young people. Just send them in!
  • Arrange media workshops: Julie will deliver a series of media workshops in your school/youth club on request from you and your group. The programme of workshops will adapt to your group’s needs. The sessions are there to support the group in exploring issues which matter to them and to produce material with a view to publishing it in the Youth Times magazine. You and your group can choose which themes or issues you would like to cover. As Julie is a qualified Youth Worker, informal education will also be delivered, with a focus on confidence building, communications skills and teamwork.

In parallel, you will receive training to help you support the young people to contribute to and promote the magazine.

After the workshops with the trainer, the group will be kept in contact with the Editorial Team and will be informed about deadlines and ideas for stories via an email network.

Workshops will be offered according to the availability of The Rural Media Company’s staff.

What happens in workshops?

Workshops cover basic journalistic skills such as research, story writing, interview skills and digital photography. Sessions also cover issues chosen by the group, or individuals within the group. They might want to explore a local or personal issue, present news from their youth clubs or their views on global issues. A group might want to talk about sex, asylum seekers, family life, binge drinking, fashion, music, relationships etc. They might also have specific ideas as to people they would like to interview, and articles they would like to write. And this could be on anything, from school catering to fair trade issues!

If your group hasn’t got specific issues they would like to approach but are still interested in taking part in the magazine, the first workshop will be about finding out what they have to say.

What support will youth workers get from The Rural Media Company?

If you are interested in supporting young people to take part in the magazine, The Rural Media Company will provide you with tailor-made training in the areas you require. This might be basic journalistic skills or specific IT training, such as how to crop a photograph, how to reduce a file to email it, how to carry out internet research, or how to use a digital camera.

What is the Trainee Placement Scheme?

It’s an opportunity for young people in Herefordshire to gain a qualification in informal education, training in media, and work experience in a paid youth work placement. The trainees, aged 18-25, will assist in the delivery of the magazine and will benefit from study support and supervision from the Youth Times project. They will work at host agencies, statutory and voluntary, around the county on a 2-year contract.

Where does the funding come from?

The Rank Foundation, Comic Relief, Herefordshire’s Community Youth Services and the Herefordshire Partnership, funded by the Single Regeneration Budget through Advantage West Midlands. Agencies hosting a trainee Youth Media Worker will be expected to contribute towards the cost of the Trainees salary and running costs.

What is the lifetime of the project?

The publishing side of the project is set to run until at least June 2005. The Trainee Placement Scheme is core funded until at least August 2007. Sustainability of the magazine and young people’s involvement will be ensured through our Trainee Youth Media Workers.