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December 2007 News

Judges named for EDF Energy East of England Media Awards

Countdown begins as entry deadline nears for holdthefrontpage contest

Emma-Kate swaps the Mail for the trail as she pounds across Oz

Leave from work gives reporter the chance to compete with the world’s best

Journalist Tamlyn Jones joins holdthefrontpage.co.uk

Former Shropshire Star man is part of our team

Gazette's Blair exclusive down to links with local MP

South Shields paper was the only publication allowed to interview former PM after lecture

Post overturns youth court restrictions 'in the public interest'

Crime reporter passed a note to the bench to spark successful bid to name defendant

Hearing appeal is 'biggest yet' for Bradford T&A

City is at the heart of a cutting-edge revolution in health

Mercury journalists vote to take industrial action

Crunch meeting on Thursday to decide the way forward

Autumn 2007 NCE: News Interview

NEWS INTERVIEW– 160 candidates;– 118 passed – 74 per cent The examiners’ report: The September 2007 NCE news interview was a cracking breaking news story. But the exam itself also made headlines. For the first time candidates were asked to

Autumn 2007 NCE: Newspaper Practice

NEWSPAPER PRACTICE– 126 candidates;– 99 passed – 79 per cent The examiners’ report: The overall standard of the papers submitted for this NCE was extremely good and this is reflected in the pass rate this time for this section of

Autumn 2007 NCE: Logbooks

LOGBOOKS– 103 candidates;– 99 passed – 96 per cent The examiners’ report: Once again there was a high pass rate for the logbook – 96 per cent. Only four failed, all for presentation. Some of the faults included missing pages,

Autumn 2007 NCE: News Report

Examiners give their verdict on the Autumn NCE – read the full reports here

Evening Express's early airport edition quenches fans' thirst for news

City paper cashes in on football fever as Aberdeen FC take on Atletico Madrid in Spain

Newspaper's fund for murdered school boy hits £20,000 mark

Cash is being collected towards £100,000 Liverpool Unites appeal

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.