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Journalism training centre to close after almost 50 years

A journalism training centre is set to close after almost half a century.

The Press Association has announced it is looking for a new home for its Newcastle-based training operation after regional publisher Trinity Mirror ended its lease on the Thomson House site.

Thomson House, pictured below, which also houses TM titles The Chronicle, The Journal and the Sunday Sun, has hosted journalism training since 1969, when the building was owned by Thomson Regional Newspapers.

The centre’s closure also brings to an end an agreement between PA and Trinity Mirror which sees the former provide training for the latter’s national and regional journalists.

thomson-house

The closure will take place at the end of the year, once the current crop of 20 students have completed their National Council for the Training of Journalists diploma.

PA is now looking for an alternative centre in the North-East of England.

A PA spokeswoman said: “The story of the closure is true, and we are at the moment looking for a new base at our lease has come to an end.”

In March last year, PA renamed two rooms at Thomson House after the centre’s founders, Walter Greenwood and John Brownlee.

Walter was one of Britain’s foremost authorities on media law and co-edited 10 editions of McNae’s Essential Law for Journalists, while John, who started his career as a journalist at the Blyth News, ignited such a lasting legacy at the centre that it became known as the ‘Brownlee Academy’ amongst its students.

HTFP has asked Trinity Mirror for a comment.