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October 2008 News

Tory culture chief backs press in BBC local video plans

Jeremy Hunt says newspapers should not have to face threat from Corporation

Prison escapee taunts newspaper while on the run

Missing conman sends e-mail to paper to complain over its coverage

Journalists' union targets stress at Newsquest

Survey hopes to gain bigger picture of editorial pressures

Major debate on future of Midlands media

Senior industry figures to examine downsizing in second city

Ex-advertiser staff plan "wake" to mark paper's demise

Midlands weekly was “fertile training ground”

PCC rap over police raid privacy intrusion

East London weekly breached privacy rules when it published teenager in handcuffs pic

Falling property prices

House prices fell in England and Wales by 7.3pc in the year leading up to October. The fall has taken prices back to the lowest levels for over two-and-a-half years. Have a look around your patch to see what’s happening

Seeing the light

Magnets are being used to stimulate the brain to aid sight restoration in visually-impaired people. Doctors using the groundbreaking technology have been able to give some people the experience of colour. Speak to your local hospitals and see what techniques

Newspaper's first campaign backed by 11,000

Fledgling weekly generates huge support to save A&E

Reporters ditch office to go fishing for news

Weekly series produces anniversary edition from canal barge

Editor found dead weeks after husband dies

Scottish weekly news chief found in her home

New motors ad website for north-west publisher

Latest in series of ‘clickin2′ sites, Scotsman reporter crowned games champion and more news in brief

Major restructure could see 135 jobs lost

West Midlands dailies and weeklies seek £3m savings

Weekly newspaper ceases production after 126 years

Long Eaton Advertiser one of the East Midlands titles to close

Brown wants "better relations" with regional press

Local papers praised as “pillars of community”

Revamp for Trinity title as mobile sites go live

New-look Echo in shops today and mobile phones news services launches

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.