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June 2007 News

Mix of six earn reporting and photography diplomas

Award “first” for staff working on Welsh titles

'Shorthand skills remain vital for the modern newsroom' – trainer

100wpm could prove to be “the toughest exam of their lives”

Shorthand academic year results

Find out who’s the bees knees in the world of shorthand!

New journalism course launched in Kendal

Former regional news editor will teach range of skills from researching to editing

Editors debate changes to journalism training

Views sought as NCTJ aims for more practical training to ensure trainees can hit the ground running

Short course offers sports writing tips

Budding sports journalists are given chance to learn from a professional

Spring 2005 NCE: Speech

Speech – 230 candidates; – 156 passed – 68 per cent Since the Government gave the go-ahead in 2002 for the closure of about 3,000 urban post offices across Britain hardly a town or city in the country has been

Prize-winning Norton students celebrate

Photographers scoop a host of awards – and industry jobs

Training first for crime reporter Nick

Newspaper Qualifications Council hands out its first National Diploma in Newspaper Journalism

Oxdown could be casualty in NCTJ's modernisation plans

Infamous fictional town set to be wiped off the map as training body explores new methods of testing

Journalism qualification to be run by new body

Education Development International will be awarding body for NVQs in newspaper journalism

Media group celebrates first web diploma success

First graduate for pioneering KMG qualification

Spring 2005 NCE: Logbooks

LOGBOOKS – 184 candidates; – 173 passed – 94 per cent The pass rate again reflects the high quality of work being produced by young journalists and the commitment to training in newspaper offices all over the country. Of those

Successful NCE candidates – Spring 2005

The following candidates, listed under the centre at which they sat the examination, have now gained the National Certificate: BOURNEMOUTH Samantha Chapman Aldershot News Gary Cleland Newbury Weekly News Matthew Dickinson The News, Portsmouth Huw Griffith Dorset Echo Lisa-Marie Harrity

55 per cent pass rate for Spring NCE

More than 150 reporters qualify as seniors – find out who they are and where they work

Spring 2005 NCE: News Interview

NEWS INTERVIEW – 243 candidates; – 174 passed – 72 per cent The spring 2005 interview was about possible devil worship at St Mary’s Church, Oxdown, and an attack on the vicar who interrupted proceedings. There was also news of

Tips on choosing a journalism course

Emma Clark, former marketing and communications manager for the National Council for the Training of Journalists, offers her advice on choosing between journalism courses.
Recently I've attended numerous careers fairs around the country, meeting students of all ages keen to break into journalism - whether that be in newspapers, television, radio or magazines. And of course, all students want to know which journalism course they should go on and whether they need NCTJ qualifications.

A quick look at the trainee job ads on HTFP demonstrates the importance of gaining the NCTJ Diploma in Journalism. Many adverts require candidates to have, or be awaiting results for, their NCTJ Diploma.

Trying to break into the industry without it makes a tough task almost impossible. With the rise in tuition fees, choosing the right journalism course is even more important than ever and students need to be sure they are learning the vocational skills required by employers, enabling them to hit the ground running when they enter the newsroom.

Employers know that an NCTJ-trained applicant will be able to find and construct stories, understand media law and ethics and be able to take down an accurate shorthand note when required. And contrary to popular belief it is not just the regional press looking for these skills, but nationals, online and broadcast too. Recent Sky Sports News schemes, for example, have been looking for practical skills including a minimum of 100wpm shorthand.

Student journalists can complete their NCTJ training in a number of ways - FE colleges and independent centres offer the Diploma in Journalism as fast-track and academic year courses, while universities offer it as part of undergraduate and postgraduate qualifications. All of these journalism courses lead to the same NCTJ qualifications and meet the same standard, allowing students to pick the one that's best for them.

It's no secret that the NCTJ has an exacting standard, and this applies not just to the qualifications but also to the course provider. All NCTJ-accredited courses have to work incredibly hard to meet the requirements in the same way that students have to work incredibly hard to achieve the gold standard. This ensures the NCTJ logo acts as a meaningful kitemark for quality journalism training.