From asking Boris Johnson a question at Downing Street to helping take good news around the world
The 12-year-old who impressed a worldwide audience when he questioned Boris Johnson inside Downing Street is now using his talents to help take the Good News Post message to schools around the world.
Dawson is now 19, but his remarkable journey with the Good News Post began when he was just 11 and joined the project at The King Alfred School Academy in Highbridge, Somerset.
Within a year, the young reporter found himself inside 10 Downing Street interviewing then Prime Minister Boris Johnson – having already interviewed him at King Alfred School just weeks earlier – while also receiving interviewing tips from Sky News presenter Sophy Ridge.
And while surrounded by television cameras and other young reporters, Dawson asked the Prime Minister a brilliantly simple question:
Was he still allowed to cycle around the city?
It became one of the memorable questions of the event – and an early indication of the confidence Dawson had developed through the Good News Post.
Six years on, Dawson is now using another of his talents – video production – to help promote the project which gave him so many opportunities.
The Good News Post creates Good News Rooms in schools, where young people are trained as Jill Dando News reporters to find, write and publish positive stories about their schools, communities and the wider world.
For Dawson, the experience became far more than simply learning how to write a news story.
“Since joining the Good News Rooms in Year 7, I’ve been privileged to experience incredible opportunities.”
He says he quickly understood the bigger mission behind the project.
“I could immediately sense the mission behind the Good News Post and was soon attending events nationwide, including a memorable meeting with the Prime Minister at the first special Downing Street event, organised exclusively for young journalists.”
Those opportunities also gave Dawson the confidence to think differently, develop his own ideas and put them into action.
“This was what really gave the confidence to not be afraid to suggest new ideas, and always push forward with whatever you’re doing to develop it further.”
Dawson had always been passionate about video creation and soon saw an opportunity to develop the video side of the Good News Post, producing short-form social media content from stories created by young reporters.
His skills developed rapidly – from filming and editing to presenting and camera presence.
“The skills I acquired in such a short time were remarkable. I worked on various video projects, developing different abilities from filming and editing to presenting and camera presence.”
But, he says, the biggest impact was on his confidence.
“More importantly, it significantly boosted my confidence in communicating with people from all walks of life, including interviewees, industry professionals and students from other schools who also had a Good News Room.”
Dawson went on to interview Mr Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle at the Palace of Westminster - who is now a patron - and gave a speech inside Parliament
During the Covid pandemic, he continued developing his production skills, helping create longer-form interviews with an extraordinary range of guests, from television presenters to astronauts and celebrities.
The young reporter also became a familiar face behind the camera at school and community events, including productions such as Sister Act, where he worked on sound and lighting, as well as filming events including the annual Remembrance Service.
His contribution was recognised when he received a prestigious Youth Award at the Burnham-on-Sea and Highbridge Civic Service Awards.
He was nominated by his headteacher, Dan Milford, and drama teacher Miss Keeble.
Now, the skills, confidence and contacts Dawson developed through the Good News Post are continuing to open doors – and he is using his video expertise to help the next generation experience the same opportunities.
“The Good News Rooms gave me a platform to turn my passion into physical results, with my content being shared worldwide.”
He also believes the project gave him a valuable head start for his future career.
“Being part of it has not only provided me with practical skills but also opened doors to career opportunities, giving me a head start.”
That is at the heart of the Good News Post.
It is about far more than producing a school newspaper.
It is about giving young people a voice, building confidence, developing communication skills and showing them that their stories – and their ideas – matter.
Dawson is now living proof of what can happen when a young person is given that platform.
Hundreds of children aged 4 to 21 have already been finding, writing and publishing positive news stories in memory of Jill Dando – the former pupil of Worle Community School where the project began.
And now Dawson is helping tell the story of what can happen when young people are given the opportunity to find the good, tell the story and be heard.
From a 12-year-old asking a Prime Minister about his bicycle inside Downing Street to an 18-year-old using his creative talents to help take the project further, Dawson’s journey is a powerful example of the difference a Good News Room can make.
