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June 2011 News

Lost coin discovery inspired journalist’s book

First World War hero’s story told in The Shilling

Journalists to strike for second time in two months

Editor is supporting strike action

Northcliffe sells Staffordshire weeklies for £1m-plus

Burton Mail publisher buys-up local titles

New BBC boss Patten to deliver SoE lecture

Thameside venue named for annual media gathering

High Noon as journalists hit picket line over job cuts

Editorial team will have to take on extra work

Dyson at Large: Strong splashes, with room for improvement

HoldtheFrontPage blogger Steve Dyson reviews the Western Mail

Youths named after reporter’s court challenge

Magistrates agree to overturn ‘unfair’ court order

Reporter en route to Africa for charity mission

Reporter will help to revamp school in Africa

Family-owned titles go compact after 100 years

Independent newspapers go from broadsheet to tabloid size

Weekly issues correction over court report

A complaint about a court report in a weekly newspaper has been resolved by the Press Complaints Commission. Johnston Press title the Dunstable Gazette published a correction and apology after reader Lisa Brinkley complained that the report about her brother’s

Grieving families ‘should appoint media officers’

Leaflet advises grieving families on how to deal with press

‘Street-level’ news site seeks 12,000 publishers

Ambitious hyperlocal initiative launched in Yorkshire

MEN photographer arrested for taking pictures outside court

‘We were just doing our jobs’ said regional press snappers

Scottish newspaper office next to close

All staff at weekly to be moved to Edinburgh

Regional daily launches war on graffiti

News team will muck in with city clean up

Take Five: Alison Gow

Wales Online news chief takes our quick quiz

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.