PressPad, co-founded by Laura Garcia from the Centre for Journalism, is a media diversity social enterprise that matches young journalists with host-mentors. In 2018, the Sutton Trust estimated that it costs a young person £1,019 a month to do an unpaid internship in London where the best media opportunities are found. This out-prices talented, diverse people who cannot afford to work for free or who don’t have friends or family to stay with.
PressPad significantly lowers these costs by matching such people with professional journalists in London with a spare room who act as hosts and mentors for those completing placements. Their service levels the playing field thus diversifying the media industry. In 18 months, PressPad have hosted 43 interns to complete more than 100+ hours of work experience, with many of them securing jobs as a result.
So far, PressPad has been run by a small group of volunteers who all have day jobs and they need some help in order to grow and help more aspiring young journalists. They’re currently fundraising to hire a coordinator who can look after the enterprise and make this happen.
You can help by making a donation, or simply by spreading the word to colleagues or via social media.