The coronavirus crisis has changed people’s stereotypical perceptions of journalists, a national editor has told journalism students.

Daily Mirror associate editor Kevin Maguire says the pandemic has prompted people to “rediscover the importance of journalism”.

Kevin, pictured, made the remarks in a speech to journalism students at the University of Sunderland as part of the institution’s ‘Creative Industries Week.

He previously received an honorary doctorate from the university in 2018.

Said Kevin: “Of course things have changed, journalists now work from home and that ability to spark off each other in newsrooms has gone.

“But I think that during the pandemic people started to rediscover the importance of journalism and the role it plays.

“All too often journalists were seen in a stereotypical ‘second-hand car salesman’ way, but all of a sudden, in a crisis, people wanted information they could trust.

“We saw how television viewing figures were almost a Christmas levels and how well watched the daily press conferences were to begin with.

“In many ways, this has been quite a good time for journalism, people need journalists to break down so much of the government’s rhetoric, to make the guidelines and rules understandable.”

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