AddThis SmartLayers

May 2008 News

Press watchdog to address Bridgend suicide coverage concerns

News panel to hear local views on media coverage surround the tragic stories

Birmingham Press Club prepares for annual awards ceremony

Midlands media talent to be recognised as press club welcomes two new broadcast awards

Ballet fraud on voting day – more funny news items

…including the BBC’s Great Tit story

Society of Editors announces new president

Evening Star’s Nigel Pickover unanimously nominated to take over top role

Long-serving Echo reporter dies aged 61

Brian Redhead spent many years covering his hometown in North Yorkshire

New-look multimedia newsroom to feature on study tour

Evening Post to feature as a model of future news hubs

Former editor dies shortly after moving to France

Colin Lucas edited a range of newspapers across south England

Three weeklies work together to secure air ambulance

Target reached less than a year after campaign began

'Training standards key' to multimedia future – editors' chief

Work will ensure next generation of trainee journalists is well-equipped

Council hands back sponsorship cash after newspaper's BNP ad

Ham&High’s donation to community awards scheme rejected over fears for event’s reputation

New pay deal at Trinity Mirror newspapers

Union chapel in Liverpool agrees new wage structure after rejecting last management offer

Can councils cut pointless spending?

Average council tax bills could be slashed by £40 if town halls shaved ten per cent off low-priority budgets. The claim was made the TaxPayers’ Alliance which has launched a Ten Per Cent challenge. The lobby group wants to see

Are parents' evenings on the way out?

The dreaded parents’ evening could be a thing of the past if education secretary Ed Balls gets his way. The cabinet minister is urging schools to explore other ways of communicating with the families of its pupils as the popularity

Strike action threat at Newsquest newspapers

Staff to ballot if compulsory redundancies pushed through, UK ranked 25th for press freedom and more news in brief

Family-owned newspaper group in major expansion

Baylis & Co snaps up Express titles in Home Counties

Freelance journalist's rare footy photo find generates national headlines

Nostalgia website’s ‘world picture exclusive’ of 1800s England football team

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.