Sports Journalism MA Student Awarded National Bursary and Sky Sports Placement

Sport Journalism MA student at St Mary’s University, Twickenham, Laura Howard has been announced as a 2023 winner of a Journalism Diversity Fund bursary from the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ).

Laura is one of five talented student journalists from across the UK recognised this year, and also will benefit from a work experience opportunity at Sky Sports News, networking opportunities, newsroom placements and mentoring.

Laura commented to the NCTJ earlier this week: “It’s a great honour and will certainly support me in my aspirations to build a career in journalism.

“I also hope I can use the help from the bursary to continue to give increased and better media coverage to underrepresented groups.”

Laura, who has autism, is studying the Sports Journalism MA course at St Mary’s, and has featured women’s football, disability hockey, and issues around heteronormative sports kit.

She is a recipient of the Thomas Read Bursary, named after an inspirational young journalist, the bursary aims to help those with a disability to reach their ambitions in this field.

Thomas’ mother Carolyn Read said: “At her interview we were all very impressed with Laura’s positive attitude, her determination to succeed and her passion and enthusiasm for a career in sports journalism.”

Course Leader for Sports Journalism MA at St Mary’s, Dr Daragh Minogue, added: “We are delighted for Laura to have this support. She has already hit the ground running with an excellent interview with England’s blind football captain Sam Gough”

The interview can be seen online here: “Sport saved my life”: Sam Gough on women’s blind football, her exclusion from sport and captaining England.

The MA in Sports Journalism at St Mary's was the first specialist course in sports journalism to be professionally accredited by the NCTJ (National Council for the Training of Journalists) in 2010.

Students learn the core skills of multimedia sports journalism, develop a critical understanding of sport, media, and society, and produce films, TV shows, podcasts, and documentaries. They will also achieve the NCTJ Diploma in Journalism alongside their Masters’ Degree.