Secondary School & College Work Experience Placement

Work Experience Placement – Belfast Live

This is a voluntary work experience placement designed to support students in school or college (Year 13/14) exploring future careers in journalism, media and digital publishing.

Reach PLC is the UK’s largest commercial news publisher and the creative force behind iconic national titles including the Mirror, Express, and Star, alongside leading regional brands such as Belfast Live, Daily Record, Manchester Evening News, Liverpool Echo, Chronicle Live and Wales Online.

We are committed to developing the next generation of media talent by providing meaningful opportunities for young people to gain first-hand experience of the industry.

Are you the person who is always following the news, creating content, spotting trends on social media, or thinking about the stories that matter in your community?

This placement is designed for students currently studying at secondary school or college who are interested in journalism, media, communications, digital content, broadcasting or related subjects.

Over three days, you’ll gain an inside look at a professional newsroom, learn how stories are researched, written and published, and discover the many career paths available within modern media.

• Attend editorial briefings and see how news teams decide which stories lead the day’s coverage.
• Experience a modern digital newsroom and observe how stories develop from idea to publication.
• Learn how social media, audience data and analytics help shape news coverage.
• Explore how digital publishers engage audiences across multiple platforms.
• Shadow journalists and observe how they research stories, conduct interviews and build professional relationships.
• Gain insight into careers across journalism, audience, social, video and digital content teams.

• Currently studying at secondary school or college.
• Have a strong interest in journalism, media, communications, digital storytelling or related fields.
• Enjoy following the news, creating content or understanding what makes a great story.
• Are eager to learn in a professional environment.
• Can travel to our Belfast office for the duration of the programme.

• Learn directly from experienced editors, reporters and digital content specialists.
• Develop confidence, workplace skills and a deeper understanding of media careers.
• Take part in a one-to-one session with our Talent Acquisition team covering CV writing, networking, job searching and interview skills.
• Receive a 12-month subscription to a Reach publication of your choice.

We value potential, passion and curiosity. We welcome applications from students of all backgrounds and believe diverse perspectives help us better serve our audiences and communities.

As an equal opportunities employer, we are committed to a recruitment process that is fair, inclusive and free from discrimination. We encourage applications from people of all backgrounds and experiences. We are committed to a recruitment process that is fair and welcoming to all, without discrimination on the basis of age, disability, gender identity, ethnicity, religion or belief, sexual orientation, or any other protected characteristic.