More than 18 senior editors from around the globe will make up the 2025 cohort of the prestigious Journalism Innovation and Leadership (JILeaders) Programme at the University of Central Lancashire.
16 participants of the flagship programme are sponsored by Arc XP, FT Strategies, Bright Sites, Journalists’ Charity, Chrysalis Transformations, The Media Lab, and Tickeroo. They hail from across three continents and work in senior roles for a broad range of media organisations, from national broadcasters and news publishers to new digital start-ups. The Class of 2025 comprises of 10 women and eight men.
The programme offers a 30-week part-time, postgraduate certificate that have been co-designed by a team of practise-led academics and innovative industry leaders to foster the next generation of diverse news media leaders.
"The Class of 2025 are a group restless, forward thinking journalism decision makers from a variety of organisations, ranging from independent digital native publishers to major multinational media players."
— Dr François Nel, Reader in Media Innovation and Entrepreneurship at UCLan and director of the programme
Dr François Nel, Reader in Media Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the University and director of the programme, said: “The Class of 2025 are a group restless, forward thinking journalism decision makers from a variety of organisations, ranging from independent digital native publishers to major multinational media players.
“Whatever their roles, whatever their operating contexts, they have one thing in common: a passion for strengthening the journalism industry and ensuring it will support their communities into the future. They also recognise that to achieve their full potential, they need to make time to invest in themselves.
“In this the fourth year of the programme, we know they will learn a great deal from each other as well from the expertise of the programme’s tutors and industry mentors.”
"The scholarships we are providing give the ‘future leaders’ of news a unique opportunity to become innovators and digital change trailblazers in a fast-moving, rapidly evolving, and hyper-challenging sector. "
— Stuart Duncan, Senior Director of Broadcast & Media, Arc XP – The Washington Post
Beginning this month, the programme will run concurrently and be taught entirely online to make the course more accessible, with the option of attending three intensive learning blocks in person at the University’s Preston Campus or online.
Thanks to the sponsored support from Arc XP, FT Strategies, Bright Sites, Journalists’ Charity, Chrysalis Transformations, The Media Lab, and Tickeroo, 16 of this year’s cohort have been granted full scholarships.
Stuart Duncan, Senior Director of Broadcast & Media, Arc XP – The Washington Post, said: "At Arc XP we’re committed to building lasting partnerships with media organisations globally to support their journalists and journalism, and help them grow their businesses.
“The scholarships we are providing give the ‘future leaders’ of news a unique opportunity to become innovators and digital change trailblazers in a fast-moving, rapidly evolving, and hyper-challenging sector. We’re delighted to support those building the future of news."
"These scholarships reflect our dedication to supporting innovation at every level in the media industry and our belief in the programme to guide participants to find solutions to some of the biggest challenges in journalism today."
— Brian Alford, Founder and CEO of Bright Sites
Brian Alford, Founder and CEO of Bright Sites, commented: “We are delighted to enable forward-thinking media leaders to push the boundaries of what’s possible in journalism. These scholarships reflect our dedication to supporting innovation at every level in the media industry and our belief in the programme to guide participants to find solutions to some of the biggest challenges in journalism today.”
James Brindle, Chief Executive Officer of the Journalists’ Charity, said: “Our track record of supporting journalists dates back 160 years to when Charles Dickens laid the foundations of the organisation. Since then, the industry has been on a journey of constant evolution, but perhaps never more so than during this rapid period of technological change. The Journalists’ Charity is excited to partner with the University of Central Lancashire to help develop and empower the leaders of tomorrow. Their role in embracing our fast changing world to deliver excellent journalism has never been more important.”
The JILeaders Board of Industry Advisors and mentors also help to facilitate the industry mentoring programme by offering key network connections and providing access to a pioneering approach and practice across the news industry. Chrysalis Transformations’ founder Jeremy Clifford is also the programme’s Head of Mentoring, while The Media Lab in Jordan founder Lara Ayoub is a previous JILeaders PG Cert participant and is currently a PhD researcher at the University.
"I’m excited to collaborate with peers to explore new ways of thinking, become more representative, work more efficiently, drive meaningful impact, and challenge existing perceptions."
— Lynda Moyo, Head of Emerging Content at Daily Mirror and 2025 cohort
All participants are paired with a senior industry mentor, from organisations including FT Strategies, WAN-IFRA and Reach Plc to enable them to widen their network and learn from experts in their field.
Lynda Moyo, Head of Emerging Content at Daily Mirror, is one of this year’s participants. She said: "As an alumni from many moons ago and a previous mentor on the JILeaders board of industry advisors, I'm really excited to join the 2025 cohort and work with academics at a time of rapid change in our industry.
“To ensure the longevity and relevance of our journalism, newsrooms must reach and connect with a more diverse audience. I’m excited to collaborate with peers to explore new ways of thinking, become more representative, work more efficiently, drive meaningful impact, and challenge existing perceptions.”
The Journalism Innovation and Leadership (JILeaders) Programme class of 2025: