The Racing Post helps launch academy to encourage diversity in the media

The Racing Post and racing's major media organisations have collaborated for the first time to launch an initiative to encourage diverse talent across the industry and offer work placements for those interested in a career in journalism or media within the sport.

The Racing Media Academy, which is funded by the Racing Foundation, will offer its students free training before undertaking a paid work placement in one of racing's elite media outlets, which also include ITV Racing, Sky Sports Racing, RaceTech and the Racecourse Media Group.

Successful applicants will be given a week of intensive training at The British Racing School in April 2022 before their valuable work experience, with all placements to be offered over a three to eight-week period.

The placements available will include broadcast and written sports journalism, social media, producing, presenting, camera work and editing, with candidates from all backgrounds encouraged to apply, including those who are new to racing.

Racing Post editor Tom Kerr said: "The Racing Media Academy is a fantastic initiative. Racing is fortunate to have no shortage of talented and passionate young people keen to forge careers covering the sport, but through this project we want to open up the racing media to those who might otherwise not have considered jobs in this field.

Racing Post editor Tom Kerr: 'We want to open up the racing media to those who might otherwise not have considered jobs in this field'Credit: Edward Whitaker

"We're looking forward to welcoming students from the RMA to the Racing Post, where they will have the opportunity to experience first hand what it's like to work in a fast-paced and creative live publishing environment, covering an endlessly fascinating sport."

The Racing Media Academy was created after Sky Sports Racing broadcaster Josh Apiafi believed there was a barrier in getting new, diverse talent into racing media, with its ambition being to increase diversity across it via a pathway for talent which reflects modern society.

"I'm extremely thankful to all the organisations that have supported and worked with me and the team on this initiative," Apiafi said. "Building stepping stones into our sport for anyone from any background is key to the sport's long-term health.

"Racing's media has an important role to play in this if we are to be attractive to the next generation of fans. Funding from the Racing Foundation was warmly welcomed and turned a well-backed proposal to a tangible asset that the sport can be proud of in under a year.

"The Racing Pathway strategy is something I am extremely passionate about and I'm delighted that the Racing Media Academy is the first programme to be launched and shows how willing and open the sport is to invest in its future."

The Racing Media Academy is be available to anyone over the age of 18 and is free to access, and applications are open now. More information about it can be viewed here.

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