Former regional daily journalists are being urged to get involved in a history project described as the “first of its kind” in the United Kingdom.

Coventry University is calling on ex-Coventry Telegraph staff to come forward and share their memories of working on the newspaper.

The university is looking for 12 participants to be interviewed about their time on the Telegraph for video and audio recordings which will later be displayed at the Coventry History Centre.

The interviews will be carried out by history students, under supervision, and are expected to take place before the end of June.

The Telegraph’s current office at Thomas Yeoman House

Dr Rachel Matthews, principal lecturer in journalism at the university, told the Telegraph: “”It’s ironic that newspapers write so much about everyone else, but so little about themselves.

“Yet titles like the Coventry Telegraph are really important to the cities they serve – you only have to look at the number of people who have gone through the doors of the Corporation Street offices in the past months to realise that the Telegraph is much loved in Coventry.

“We want to turn the spotlight on the people who made the newspaper what it is. We recognise that the car industry is central to Coventry – well, so is the newspaper and this project wants to recognise this by capturing their memories for posterity.”

According to the Telegraph, the project will be the “first of its kind in the UK” on a regional or local level.

Anyone interested in taking part should contact Dr Matthews by phone on 02476 887198, by email at [email protected] or by post to Dr Rachel Matthews, Principal Lecturer in Journalism, Coventry University, School of Media and Performing Arts, Priory Street, Coventry, CV1 5FB.