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September 2008 News

Council whistleblowers could face inquiry

Leaked document to local paper lands members in hot water

Lecturer aims to teach "real law for journalists"

New legal beat for financial writer

Pioneering TV channel in line for awards

Shortlisting for Guardian Media-owned station

Sixty jobs set to go at south-east newspaper group

KM Group makes shock announcement in response to revenue downturn

Online growth "poses fresh legal challenges"

Digital editors focus on legal risks of web publishing

The Law Column: Attorney-General reveals hand on contempt

Legal chief’s remarks likely to be welcomed by court reporters

Northcliffe websites make the Big Green Switch

Websites adopt green pledge with company-wide rollout possible

Cub reporter attempts to scale the heights

Newbury new boy tackles unusual ascent during reporting assignment

Speculation mounting over new Johnston Press boss

Reports say Archant chief set to take over

Weekly reporter heads for the heights

Everest beckons as journalist joins 16 workers in £10,000 charity bid

The benefits of nursery education

Free nursery places are to be made available to all two-year-old children in a new scheme costing £1bn. It is thought up to 600,000 children will benefit from the new Government scheme which already operates for three and four-year-olds. Speak

Fighting crime in the community

Around 3,600 community leaders are to be trained to fight crime in a new Government initiative. £5m has been earmarked by the Home Office to train the crime fighters who will help police tackle vandals and yobs. Who are the

London weekly seeks to emulate Manchester daily

Newsquest title embraces “dual model”

Ex News of the World man launches freelance venture

New agency to specialise in sports news stories

Trinity boss to meet local MP over job cutbacks

Company accused of “attack on journalism”

Newsroom mourns loss of former colleague, 39

Copy control manager died following stroke

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.