Apprentice Sports Writer

NEWS UK; City Of London; On-site; GBP 20,000 - 30,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading media company in London seeks an Apprentice Sports Writer to develop skills and gain experience in sports journalism. The apprentice will write engaging content, work with seasoned sports writers, and pursue an NCTJ qualification. This unique role offers personalized mentoring and competitive compensation, reflecting a commitment to nurturing the next generation of journalists.

Benefits

Full training with paid course fees

Mentoring from experienced journalists

Access to wellbeing benefits and gym memberships

25 days holiday plus bank holidays

Qualifications

• Ability to turn new ideas into reality.
• Strong understanding of storytelling.
• Willingness to work unsociable hours.

Responsibilities

• Write engaging articles across a range of sports.
• Work closely with the editorial team.
• Attend sports events and interviews as required.

Skills

Passionate about sports journalism

Strong communication skills

Creative and curious mind

Ability to pitch original content ideas

Education

NCTJ qualification

Job description

Overview

Job Description

Apprentice Sports Writer - talkSPORT

Duration: 2 Year Apprenticeship

Start Date: January 2026

Location: London, On-site

talkSPORT is the world’s biggest sports radio station. From World Cups and European Championships to the Premier League and the Champions League, through to Test cricket and world class boxing, the talkSPORT network is at the heart of the world’s major sporting events.

Your role

We are seeking a passionate and talented Apprentice Sports Writer to join our team at talkSPORT.com. This is a unique and exciting opportunity for an aspiring sports journalist to develop their skills and gain valuable experience working on a leading sports website, while also acquiring an industry-recognised NCTJ qualification.

You will spend four days a week in our London Bridge offices, working closely with experienced sports writers and editors and contributing to our website's content, and one day a week working towards a journalism qualification at PA Training’s HQ in London. During your apprenticeship you will receive mentoring and coaching bespoke to you. By the end of the two-year programme, you’ll finish with the skills, experience and professional network to launch a successful career in journalism.

Being an apprentice at talkSPORT is a gateway to a great career in journalism. During your time with us you will earn above living wage, get full training, four days a week with the talkSPORT.com team and one day a week studying – including an NCTJ Diploma in journalism – with all your course fees paid. Throughout your apprenticeship, you’ll receive personalised mentoring and coaching from some of the most experienced journalists in the industry.

Day to day

• Write engaging and topical articles and features across a range of sports, with a strong focus on football
• Work closely with the editorial team, pitching ideas for original content
• Stay up-to-date with the latest sporting events, news and trends
• Attend sports events, press conferences and interviews when required
• Help to curate talkSPORT’s social media platforms with relevant sports content
• Ensure all content adheres to talkSPORT.com's editorial guidelines
• Show flexibility and be willing to cover sporting events at unsociable hours
• Give your full dedication to pursuing an NCTJ journalism qualification, attending all classes and completing coursework as required

What we are looking for

• You are passionate about sports journalism and creating great content
• The ability to turn new and imaginative ideas into reality and help us reach new and diverse audiences
• Someone who excites people through storytelling
• Strong communication skills - you can make the complex simple
• Creative and curious mind, with the ability to think differently
• Good understanding of what makes a story engaging

Application Process

Online Application > Google Meet Interview > Assessment Centre

As part of the Online Application process, we would like you to provide answers to the following 3 questions:

• Briefly introduce yourself and tell us why you’re interested in pursuing a career in the apprenticeship you’ve applied to?
• What interests you about the company you are applying to and suggest one improvement you would make to the content?
• Describe a learning curve you recently navigated. Outline the steps you took, the challenges you faced and what the outcome was.

We are News Broadcasting: Our people create award-winning national and local radio, podcasts and first in class social, digital and video platforms which have become destinations for millions of listeners across the UK, Ireland and beyond. Our success is rooted in delivering content our audiences love. Since Chris Evans returned to his spiritual home at Virgin Radio UK, the whole schedule has seen record audiences, and we’ve launched three new Virgin channels: Anthems, Chilled and 80’s Plus. talkSPORT is the world’s biggest sports radio station, partnering with the Premier League, the England Cricket Board and many others to deliver live commentaries and analysis from the best in the business. Times Radio launched in June 2020 bringing together the peerless journalistic expertise of The Times and The Sunday Times with the world-class speech radio and podcasting experience of Wireless.

Life at News

Driven by passion, guided by principles and acting with purpose. We represent, reflect and reach the nation, telling the stories that matter. We inform our audiences so that they can make decisions based on trusted information.

We represent, reflect and reach the nation, telling the stories that matter most. To ensure these stories resonate with as broad an audience as possible, it is essential that our organisation reflects the diversity of the people we reach. Whether through age, gender, ethnicity, disability, social class or sexuality, we are committed to representing the rich variety of voices that make up our society. And we champion a culture where everyone has the opportunity to contribute and thrive as we continue to innovate and drive long term sustainable growth. This is done through our Diversity Strategy.

At News UK, we take pride in our exceptional employee-led networks that bring together individuals with shared interests and create a vibrant sense of community. We believe our networks play a vital role in fostering a collaborative and supportive work culture at News UK. Groups that we support include the African & Caribbean Network, Parents and Carers, and LGBTQ+ group News Is Out, and the Apprentice Society.

Benefits

Some of our benefits include:

• Maternity leave up to 18 weeks full basic salary & paternity leave up to 2 weeks
• Wide range of training available, plus full LinkedIn Learning access
• Private medical insurance including coverage for pre-existing conditions
• Discounted gym memberships, free ClassPass at Home, weekly virtual yoga classes
• ‘Bikes for Work’ and ‘Electric Car’ scheme
• Up to 60% discount on Harper Collins books
• Access to exclusive events and competitions with exciting brands such as talkSPORT, Virgin Radio UK & The Times. Weekly virtual panel chats with top journalists and celebrities
• Access to wellbeing benefits such as EAP, physio/massage and counselling
• A generous pension scheme with employer contributions of up to 5%
• 25 days holiday, plus bank holidays and up to 4 volunteering days per year

We want to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to perform to their best when applying for a role. If you would like to receive any information in a different way or for us to do anything differently to support you apply for any of our roles please contact us on [email protected].