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July 2007 News

Reporter discovers real Transylvania as she visits 'land of Dracula'

Transylvanian travel guide is latest project for former South Wales journalist now living in Hungary

Reporter spends six-month sabbatical in Brazil

Journalist is learning Portuguese and enjoying new-found life in Rio de Janeiro on Rotary-funded trip

News staff face tough time on the pitch against football legends

Charity match raises £1,600 for hospice – click here for the final score

National charity honours work of local press

South Wales Evening Post and Derbyshire Times are praised for coverage of animal welfare issues

Recruitment firm defends wage level survey

Survey was taken from agency candidates who were looking for a new role

Complaint thrown out after paper 'did enough' to try to resolve it

Press watchdog says Mail acted correctly over article which claimed girl who killed herself had been bullied

Paper was right to name defendant's mother-in-law in assault case – PCC

Ruling says woman was “genuinely relevant” to story as defendant was banned from her home

News in brief

First interview gives voice to local businessman – plus: aerobatic ride for report, and more in brief

New FOI website aims to promote openness

New-look website wants to make it easier for people to understand and exercise their rights

Fair comment victory for the press in Court of Appeal

Fears of “chilling precedent” had newspaper not won the day

Editor takes charge at paper where it all began

New East Fife Mail boss first joined the paper as a trainee almost 30 years ago

Chronicle photographer given royal seal of approval

“Perfectly framed” pic from royal visit provides front cover for Prince and Duchess’s annual review

Former Post deputy editor dies aged 86

News man had been awarded an OBE for his services to journalism

News in brief

Plus: Details of the first ‘Move on Up in News’ day – and more news in brief

Tim Gopsill wins top award for union magazine work

Journalist is singled out for praise for challenging media stereotypes

Ealing Gazette to launch Polska Gazeta

New edition will feature nine pages of news written entirely in Polish

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.