The News Academy – News UK’s flagship programme for aspiring journalists - is expanding by investing in home-grown Scottish talent.

News Academy Scotland is a bespoke satellite operation run by staff from The Scottish Sun, The Times and Sunday Times Scottish editions.

The brand-new offering will be launched at a special half-day conference at News UK’s Glasgow office on Tuesday December 8^th, 2015.

Special guest Ruth Davidson MSP will discuss politics and the media and the role of journalists in the age of social media and instant news.

Aspiring journalists from local schools, colleges and universities will also get to hear the tricks of the trade from a star cast, including Tony Gallagher (Editor, The Sun), Gordon Smart (Editor, The Scottish Sun), Jason Allardyce (Scottish Editor, Sunday Times) and Les Snowdon (Editor, The Times Scottish Edition)

Attendees will be given a hands-on opportunity to pose their own questions at a mock press conference and to write a 300-word article on the issues raised.

News Academy Director, Duncan White, said:

This marks a terrific transformation for the News Academy; from a fledgling programme into a tangible opportunity for young Scottish journalists. We’re excited to see how a bespoke local offering can help even more youngsters become a success in the world of journalism.