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October 2011 News

Headlinefail in Tonyrefail

We doubt if the organisers of an ‘It’s a knockout’ style fun-day in the South Wales Valleys would have been too pleased with this headline from the NewsWales website.

Press watchdog will be subject of NUJ meeting

Members of the National Union of Journalists will be able to quiz the Press Complaints Commission at a meeting on Wednesday 2 November. The meeting will discuss matters including whether the Editors’ Code of Practice is working and if the

Law changed after newspaper’s knife campaign

Teenagers could face four months in jail

Reporter conquered fear after dad’s cancer battle

Journalist put fears aside to raise funds

Readers will have say on teacher’s tweets story

Editors will discuss backlash from story

Former regional press farming reporter dies aged 83

Farming journalist was headhunted

Publisher focuses on the past with new website

Site is first of its kind in the regional press

Newspaper’s FoI request reveals ghostly 999 calls

Things going bump in the night in West Yorkshire

Citizen journalism site up for ‘startup’ award

A news website written by citizen journalists has been nominated for an award for the second time in two months. BlottR has been nominated in the The Europas Awards for Euro tech startups in the ‘best education, recruitment and media

150-year-old Scottish title to go compact

Prompt from readers led to change

Ethics will be focus of journalism conference

Annual event will be held next month in Belfast

Daily’s supplement proved a popular addition

Special edition celebrated port’s anniversary

Peer hits out over block on KM-Northcliffe deal

OFT decision is ‘deeply troubling’ says Guy Black

South Coast titles lead way as prizes are handed out at Lord’s

All the winners from the EDF Energy London and South of England Awards

EDF Energy London and South of England Media Awards 2011: What the judges said

Prizes handed out at Lords Cricket Ground ceremony

Cameron urged to apologise over Daily Post interview

Hillsborough comment sparks political row

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.