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Journalism lecturer returns to frontline in content editor role

Sam CooperA respected journalism trainer has returned to frontline news after two years away from the industry in a teaching role.

Sam Cooper, left, was journalism course leader at The Sheffield College until this summer, but decided to get back to day-to-day journalism after realising how much he missed it.

He has now taken up a new role as content editor with Lincolnshire Live, the companion website of the Reach plc-owned Lincolnshire Echo.

Sam started his new job in July but this week marked his first face-to-face meeting with colleagues and his first reporting jobs since returning.

Sam joined The Sheffield College in 2019 from city daily The Star where he was news editor.

Last year he was among 17 journalism trainers who were nominated by their peers, students and alumni to be included in a Public Interest News List, backed by the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ), News Media Association and Society of Editors.

He told HTFP: “I cannot state how delighted I am to be back in journalism – there is simply no other industry or job like it.

“I thoroughly enjoyed my time teaching and worked with some fantastic students who are now in the industry themselves.

“But the more time I was away from journalism, the more I realised just how much I missed it.”

“I am pleased to have joined a company investing in the journalism industry and was surprised at just how much the job has changed in my time away.”

Sam began his career as a reporter on the Pontefact and Castleford Express before moving on to the Rotherham Advertiser and then The Star.