After 30 years of championing young journalists through the John Schofield Trust, Susannah Schofield reflects on her late husband's enduring impact on the industry and why supporting emerging talent has never been more crucial
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Tomorrow (9 August) marks the 30 year anniversary of the death of John Schofield, a BBC reporter who was killed whilst covering the former Yugoslavian War in Croatia, aged 29. Today, his name is still remembered and associated with nurturing talent and excellence in journalism.
"When John was killed in 1995, I was surrounded by letters of condolence from his colleagues, senior news managers, viewers, listeners, as well as people he had interviewed," reflects Susannah Schofield, his widow, who went on to set up The John Schofield Trust in his name.
"Every single one of them praised John's skills and journalism, predicting a great future in the news industry. None of this John knew."
Sitting amid that towering pile of letters, she made a promise there and then that would shape the next three decades of her life: "I vowed no journalist would go to their grave not knowing how much they were valued by their peers."
What began as the John Schofield Trust's Young Journalist of the Year award with the Royal Television Society has evolved into one of the industry's most significant mentoring programmes.
The Trust supports 200 journalists annually - nearly ten times the figure in 2012. In fact, it has just opened applications for its next early career mentoring scheme. Applications close on 12 September 2025.
Susannah Schofield has recently decided to step away from running the Trust, leaving it in the hands of Howard Littler as director, and Jonathan Paterson as chair.
Of John, she described him as: "utterly gorgeous, charming, kindness personified, incredibly intelligent and great fun to be with." But as a journalist, he possessed an eye for detail. One of his final dispatches from Croatia described abandoned farm animals staggering under the weight of udders that hadn't been milked.
"I wanted to reflect John's warm-heartedness and welcoming spirit in any memorial we created in his name," she explains. "The legions of volunteers who mentor young journalists for the Trust, some who come back year after year, attests, I think, to having achieved this."
The John Schofield Trust has a community of 1000 journalists working in the UK and Ireland - you can get involved by applying through the website.
The Trust's mission has become increasingly urgent as journalism grapples with diversity challenges. Current statistics from the Reuters Institute reveal that UK journalists are overwhelmingly white (90 per cent), university educated (91 per cent), and from a privileged background (71 per cent), considerably higher than the general UK population.
In response, the Trust now prioritises supporting journalists from under-represented communities. The latest cohort includes 20 per cent with disabilities, 35 per cent from ethnic minority backgrounds, 30 per cent eligible for free school meals, and 44 per cent who are first in their families to attend university.
"Unfortunately, our work is more vital than ever. The news industry does not mirror the audiences it serves and is the poorer for it."
John's core journalistic values, according to Susannah, were "talent, a thirst for telling people's stories, and a conviction to speak truth to power". These seem as relevant today as they were in 1995.
Susannah said that if he were around today, he'd make an excellent podcaster. But he'd be troubled by declining trust in institutions and the spread of disinformation, but that it would strengthen his resolve to "keep finding stories and holding power to account."
John Schofield was the 76th journalist killed in the former Yugoslav conflicts. The young widow who once sat surrounded by condolence letters has spent three decades ensuring other young journalists know their worth. Now she wants to take time for herself and her late husband.
"On a personal level, I'm looking forward to reclaiming John's name rather than always adding 'Schofield Trust' at the end of it."
This article was first published on 3 June 2025 as a Q&A article. It has been edited into a standard news article and republished on 8 August, with an updates about new application rounds
