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February 2012 News

Robertson honoured with lifetime achievement award

Region salutes former daily editor

Scottish weekly is ‘an institution,’ say readers

A Scottish weekly newspaper is regarded as an institution for the people of the West Highlands, according to the findings from a 2011 reader survey. A total of 1,369 respondents completed The Oban Times survey in October with almost 90pc

Five jobs saved at Suffolk dailies – but nine still at risk

Company denies dispute with union

Melloy to quit Advertiser after 27 years in charge

Editor to stand down on 65th birthday

Sexed-up intro in Rugby

At first sight this looked like either a typo or an indication of a degree of, er, confusion amongst the female population of Rugby. Thankfully, the Rugby Advertiser’s Pete Horton has now assured us it is neither. The truth

Redesign for expanding citizen journalism website

The best writers to be given columns

Court reporter finally hangs up notebook after 69 years

Journalist covered notorious 50s case

Fitting send-off for football-loving North-East journalist

Memorial event will be held at club’s ground

Newspaper marks milestone with ‘Brewers Scoop’

Bi-weekly title is celebrating 125 years

Times enters North West business news battle

National newspaper takes on established regional rivals

Website to teach citizen journalists what news is

Hyperlocal news is key, say founders

Newspaper prints supplement to mark Royal visit

Prince Charles toured newsroom

Ex editor to be awarded honorary degreee

The former editor-in-chief of the Belfast Telegraph will be awarded an honorary degree by the University of Ulster. Ed Curran, who was awarded an OBE for services to journalism in 2006, will receive the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Letters (DLitt) in

Traffic order plans could cost industry £20m a year

Proposals threaten public’s right to know says NS

Reporter witnesses armed robbery on his day off

Journalist shocked to see crime first-hand

‘Old school journalist’ of five decades dies aged 82

Former editor is remembered fondly

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.