AddThis SmartLayers

February 2008 News

Keeping things local is key to newspaper success

Advertiser chief says there’s no secret formula to finding what works

Switch to weekly printing for Somerset newspaper

After 13 years as a monthly West Somerset Post goes to weekly after brief spell as fortnightly newspaper

Newsmen take a turn at the turntable

Editor and photographer swap the newsroom for the radio studio in new community show

New deputy editor for The Bolton News

Reshuffle results in a raft of new appointments

Messenger story could help find elusive cure for 'tic tac' girl

Story led to worldwide media coverage and drew huge public interest at home and abroad

£10,000 boost for youth journalism charity

Cash will help media volunteers in London get to grips with the news

Courts reminded to provide adequate seating for journalists

“Public gallery not good enough”, says PA – plus tribunal restrictions change, and more news in brief

Advertiser wins fight to lift 'unlawful' reporting restrictions on hammer assault verdicts

Jury’s guilty call nearly went unheard after Contempt of Court ruling

Post's new-look website finally goes live

Brum’s morning title is latest Trinity website to undergo a facelift

Check out the full picture for the latest regional ABC figures

Click here to see how your paper – and your rivals – fared in the past six months

130-year-old weekly newspaper to go part-paid, part-free

Archant title to incorporate free weekly and go into 45,000 homes

Regional press editors were in on the secret – and kept Harry news out of their papers

Local media bound by the informal voluntary agreement which was embraced by the whole of the British media

All daily regional titles – except one – lose sales

Swindon’s daily bucks the trend for newspaper industry in latest ABC figures that see some big titles shed up to 10%+

Evening News becomes first to publish online traffic in sales stats

MEN embraces new market with internet visitors and free distribution figures

EDF Energy South West Media Awards 2008

Dust down your cuttings, polish those CDs – it’s time to get your entry together for the annual Westcountry awards

Sub-editors face redundancy under Archant Suffolk merger plan

Reporters “safe” but more than 20 jobs could go in Ispwich as management review production processes

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.