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July 2008 News

Newspapers rally to fight Post Office closures

Birmingham and Bedfordshire titles campaign to keep community facilities up and running

Web-first strategy for 'bizarre' Darwin trial

hartlepoolmail.co.uk keeps readers up-to-date as canoe mystery court case unravels

Star-studded line-up for Society of Editors conference

Andrew Marr to present prize in memory of Tony Bevins

Reporter beats euro media pack to cycling star story

Isle of Man Tour hero takes time out for local weekly newspaper

Victory for editors in court lists row

Justice Secretary Straw announces abolition of magistrates’ court charges

Newspaper fights to keep grandmother in UK

Children left motherless by accident could lose main carer after Home Office decision

Book celebrates Yorkshire journalistic legend

YP deputy editor’s evocative tribute to long-serving cricket writer

Journalism graduate hits presidential campaign trail

Student boosts her CV on prestigious broadcast programme in Washington DC

Jobs threat at Newsquest daily title

Ten editorial positions along with further cuts could go at south-coast newspaper

Deputy editor swaps Bedfordshire for Bahrain

Liz set for “life-changing experience” – with a little help from HTFP

Northcliffe seeks new regional editorial director

Role will complete group’s senior editorial line-up

Midlands shake-up affecting 34 jobs to go ahead

Reorganisation by Central Counties News follows month-long consultation

Office space

To make your office space more personal, people create boundaries both on the floor and their desk, and personalise their workstation with photos and mementoes. Go into a big office and see how people make their “nest”. And talk to

Dust busters

No time for housework? Join the club. Franchises are cleaning up as more and more people get help with the weekly chores. But from £9.99 an hour could they ever do the job as well as you’d do it yourself?

Victory in newspaper's marine protection campaign

Scotsman’s ‘Save our Seas’ fight sees new proposals for sealife safety

Future of journalism focus at university conference

Journalism trainers and academics to discuss profession’s direction in the 21st century

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.