DC Thomson becomes a supporter of the John Schofield Trust

DC Thomson has become a supporter of the John Schofield Trust. 

John was killed in 1995 while reporting on the Civil War in the former Yugoslavia for BBC Radio 4’s The World Tonight. After his death, John’s family and friends wished to create a lasting memorial to his work, establishing the Trust with an ambition to support and nurture new and aspiring journalists and improve social mobility in newsrooms across the UK and Ireland.

One of the Trust’s key activities is an annual mentoring programme and we’re delighted that Brendan Duggan, impact reporter at DC Thomson, has been selected as a 2024 Fellow for the programme.

Brendan will be one of the 120 journalists who will receive a programme of support over the next twelve months, including being paired with an experienced professional within the industry who will provide tailored mentoring that is shaped around the needs and ambitions of the individual Fellow. Brendan’s mentor is the BBC’s Investigations Correspondent, Mark Daly.

DC Thomson Director Ben Gray said: “At DC Thomson, we are building a learning environment full of opportunities for our colleagues and partners. We champion quality journalism and recognise its importance to our communities. We achieve this by supporting our newsrooms and developing the next generation of journalists. The John Schofield Trust is making a real impact in improving social mobility within the industry through its renowned mentoring programme and the opportunities that they provide to early career and undergraduate journalists. We share the Trust’s ambitions and are proud to be partnering with them to build transformative, diverse and talented newsrooms that reflect our communities.”

Trust CEO David Stenhouse said: “We are delighted to welcome DC Thomson as supporters of the John Schofield Trust. Since 1996 the Trust has worked hard to support journalists at the beginning of their career, and to make journalism a more diverse, inclusive and welcoming place.

In the last few years we have welcomed applications to our mentoring scheme from print, digital, multimedia and broadcast journalists in the UK and Ireland, and worked with senior journalists across the sector as mentors and panelists on our masterclasses. Working with DC Thomson will allow us to increase the value of our offer to journalists across the UK and Ireland, and we look forward to working closely together over the next few years.”

After graduating from Edinburgh’s Napier University, Brendan studied for a Masters in Investigative Journalism on a scholarship for Channel 4, before joining DC Thomson in June 2022. He produced both of DC Thomson’s Impact podcasts and was the presenter of series 1, Hunting Mr X, appearing across the national media to talk about the story behind the podcast.