Budding photojournalists are to get an insight into life behind the lens in a war zone, as part of a new course set to run at Darlington College from September.

The Digital Photojournalism course – the first of its kind to be accredited by the National Council for the Training of Journalists – will be led by freelance photographer John Gibb, who spent many years reporting from some of the world’s trouble spots before turning to teaching after he was injured in an accident in Sierra Leone.

The 30-week course is geared up to teach students the practical skills needed to get a job on a local newspaper or work as a freelance, including how to take digital images, manipulate them and send via a laptop.

The trainee photojournalists will also join fellow students on the college’s 20-week print journalism course to learn writing skills and media law.

And one day a week is being set aside for students to put the skills they have learnt into practice, on placements at newspapers or agencies around the country.

John said: “Placements will be every Friday, so if students want to go home for the weekend we will try and get them placed somewhere close by, and there are also negotiations going on for some students to complete a period of block release towards the end of the course.”

During the course John will tell of his time in Albania, Rwanda and Kosovo, and how his war correspondence came to an end when muggers tried to steal his camera before he was run over by a car, crushing his legs.

Also teaching different modules will be former Mirror Group photographer David Parry, of the Ross Parry agency in Leeds, who will cover professional practice, and his journalist brother Mark, who will lecture on court and business reporting and how editorial departments work.

Teaching media law will be former national newspaper journalist Robin Crowther, while Peter Clark will teach digital imagery techniques and former BBC producer John Oley will cover IT issues.

The course is open to applicants who have at least two A-levels, and students will be required to take a pre-entry test on current affairs. It costs £1,400, but is free to under-19s.

Anyone interested in joining the course should call 01325 503275.

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