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June 2008 News

Campaign to free Bay detainee wins plaudits

Weekly helped re-unite prisoner with family

Publisher pulls plug on journalism training places

Shortlisted candidate ‘gutted’ by decision to withdraw sponsorship

The Law Column: Judges rebuff principled stand by terror journalist

Shiv Malik’s high profile campaign found little favour with court judges

Running reporter swaps the oche for the highway

Orkney Today newsman gives up the beer to raise money in 12-mile charity run

Trinity profits slump could mean new round of cost cuts

Group promises to seek “further efficiencies” after gloomy financial forecast

Malaysian investor takes seat on Johnston board

Appointment follows sale of 20pc stake in company

Help yourself

Self-help groups exist where people with similar problems or issues get together to discuss their difficulties and bounce ideas off one another. A number of websites have links to groups for all kinds of people. One of the largest of

Hat trick for UCLan student at journalism celebration

Ricki Dewsbury celebrates trio of prizes as Preston institute sweeps the board

Evening Post sparks city-wide debate over crash coverage

Response to story “reveals power of multimedia approach”

Students filling the gap

Students fresh out of sixth form college or university may be considering a gap year to gain some ‘life experience’. One student, Will Parkhouse, chose to combine his with some work experience on a newspaper in India. Read about his

Reporters on the move at Glasgow daily

Sub-editor heading for Far East, north-east’s most influential people and more news in brief

Manchester Evening News in bid to cut smoking deaths

Paper launches supplement aimed at spreading healthy living message

Press watchdog seeks new complaint-handling help

PCC wants new officer for complaints about journalists, university magazine course on hold – and more news in brief

Journalism news digest: A week to remember for Worksop

The stories that have been making the news on HoldtheFrontPage this week

Regional newspaper's web hits top four million

expressandstar.com sees rise of more than 60pc in traffic

Weekly newspapers join forces to launch new title

Trinity Mirror strengthens its ‘Chronicle’ brand in North Wales

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.