Determination is a key factor to succeeding in journalism, top football reporter Neil Custis told wannabe writers as the new season of News Academy national conferences opened in Manchester yesterday (November 10).

Our CSR programme News Academy gives a vital insight into the industry for aspiring young journalists through conferences, staff visits to schools and colleges, a summer school and competitions.

Custis, who has covered Manchester United for The Sun for the past 15 years, told teenagers that “it’s about never giving up” in trying to become a journalist.

Geordie Custis began his career on a small weekly paper in Alnwick, Northumberland covering the likes of leek shows and then progressing to reporting Lincoln City football, covering Norwich City for the Eastern Daily Press and joining The Sun 22 years ago.

Custis, who has covered five World Cups, said: “You are learning all the way along your career. Having that foundation helps. It’s about never giving up – keep banging on doors and one will eventually open.”

He was one of the speakers at the Salford City College conference’s break-out sessions where students got the opportunity in small groups to fire in questions to industry experts including The Sun’s deputy northern news editor Richard Moriarty, The Sun Manchester-based reporters Lauren Veevers and Ruth Warrander and News UK interim regional sales director Nicole O’Shea.

Custis, Moriarty and Veevers also formed a panel discussing the impact of citizen journalism along with Scott Solder of the BBC.

Moriarty told the 100-strong audience: “Every single story now includes some form of social media, but you have to know how to construct a story. There can be a million checks and balances to go through.”

Custis said: “Everyone has an opinion. I remember doing vox pops in the streets to get opinions, but now I can just put out a tweet asking for opinions.

“Where it can be a hindrance is that anybody can put out a rumour about a transfer – anybody can claim that something is going on.”

Students also took part in a mock press conference where News UK intranet editor Neal Harrington played a detective chief inspector answering questions about a raid at a High Street jewellers before the youngsters wrote up a story.

Article headline competition winner was 17-year-old Alicia Hannah of Carmel College in St Helens, who is interested in a journalism career specialising in legal matters. She won a Nexus 7 tablet.

She said: “I got a lot out of the conference. It’s reinforced my desire to become a journalist after hearing the speakers.”

The conference ended with News Academy director Duncan White interviewing Manchester United comms director Phil Townsend. He said that “silence is not really an option these days” when responding to the press, adding that midfielder Michael Carrick is the number one club choice for a player to appear at a press conference.

• Academy conferences are being held in Dublin, Belfast, Glasgow, Cardiff and London this winter.