Catherine Stott, a regular writer for North Lancashire’s community food magazine THRIVE, talks about her route to Citizen Journalism and what she finds rewarding about it.
I love to cook food as much as I love to eat it. My dad likes to tell a story of me age four sat by a chopping board with a knife and my mum coming in in horror. At uni I began to eat less meat and be more conscious about what I was eating in terms of the impact of food on the environment and ethical concerns. My degree was in politics and I focused on environmental politics and activism.
I work for Natural England, the government’s environmental advisory body. We work with farmers, giving them financial support in return for following more environmental methods of farming. A lot of it is about economic risk as well as heritage and short-term loss, because unfortunately long-term gain isn’t always an option. Farmers’ reactions are very mixed, but getting even one person to change can influence those around them.
I came across Citizen Journalism in 2023 and added myself to the FoodFutures mailing list. It married my interests in food and writing, and I wanted to develop my journalistic style and apply it to the local area. A lot of the interviews and writing I’ve done since have opened other doors.
When I saw my first piece in THRIVE magazine, I felt proud knowing that people would read it and learn what was going on in their community. I’ve found the whole process really enjoyable, seeing different ways of living.
I’ve learned how to listen to people, especially how to capture the overall message of what they’re trying to say, and also how to communicate with them. I’ve become more attuned to the anxieties people might have speaking to you as a journalist, and I learned to write in an engaging and accessible way. It’s not just the writing, but what you’re trying to show people, and taking photos has been another learning process.
The FoodFutures Citizen Journalist training is free and covers a breadth of journalistic skills, not just how you write, but interviewing, podcasting and photography. It’s an opportunity to learn about what’s going on in your community which you wouldn’t otherwise know about. The most important thing is to have curiosity.
Have you ever dreamed of being a Citizen Journalist yourself? You might surprise yourself with the skills you have.
Join a free one day training session for people in North Lancashire who are interested in citizen journalism and writing for THRIVE on 10 May., 10am to 5pm in person in Lancaster.
