Journalism jobs and news from Holdthefrontpage.co.uk

Regional press news - this story published 25 July 2005

Editors debate changes to journalism training

by holdthefrontpage staff

Editors are to meet this summer to debate changes to journalism qualifications.

The National Council for the Training of Journalists wants to update its syllabus and assessment process.

The organisation will launch focus groups of editors and trainers to help gear the teaching and exams to the needs of the modern newsroom.

One meeting has already taken place, at the Liverpool Echo, and more are planned at the Sunderland Echo, Northamptonshire Evening Chronicle, Hampshire Chronicle, South Wales Argus and the Scottish Newspaper Publishers Association in Edinburgh. Events for trainers are planned for the autumn.

Under review are what students learn on accredited journalism courses and the preliminary exams they take before they embark on a career in journalism.

The NCTJ wants to raise standards even higher and ensure potential candidates that editors may wish to employ are more rounded and meet their needs.

Proposals include:

placing more emphasis on real-world reporting;

combining the two preliminary journalism exams into one and introducing a portfolio assessment;

making the National Certificate Examination logbook more relevant;

updating the approach to the NCE speech exam;

replacing Oxdown as the setting for all NCTJ exams;

introducing new qualifications.

The exam trainees take is also under review. The aim is to make the exams and the logbook an even more relevant measure of whether they are ready to become senior reporters.

NCTJ chief executive Joanne Butcher said: “We know editors want more rounded trainees coming out of journalism schools, young individuals who are not the finished article but can hit the ground running.

“That’s why we want a more practical approach to the way students learn the basics of their craft and the way we assess them before they find their first job in journalism.

“We also believe we can make the NCE assessment of trainee reporters more relevant to today’s modern newsroom.

“We have already formulated a number of proposals but we believe it is important to get the views of editors and trainers from around the country to help us fine tune the way we approach the future. Their help will be crucial.”

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