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October 2008 News

Journalism graduate with bright future dies aged 24

Bowel cancer claims life of would-be reporter three days after diagnosis

Education reporting prize goes to ex-BBC man

Coverage helped turn around failing Midlands school

Popular reporter loses two-year cancer fight

Tributes flood in for much-loved north-east journalist

Reporters to work across morning and evening titles

Five jobs at risk as dailies move to joint newsroom operation

Community paper in line for top national award

Monthly Newsletter goes head-to-head with journalism heavyweights

Mail launches morning service with a difference

Local church steps in to help newspaper readers

Rhys Jones trial covered live on dailies' websites

Post and Echo uses blogging again to give readers the very latest from murder trial

Exhibition to mark 140 years of breaking news

Agency celebrates anniversary with major show

Photographer who 'shot' the Queen dies at 84

Neville Willasey spent over four decades with north-west dailies

No more freebies for women

Radical new plans are set to be introduced to curb excessive drinking. Promotions such as stopping free drinks for women are being put forward alongside cigarette-style health warnings and banning ‘Happy Hour’. Speak to police and local publicans to see

Tying stress up in knots

An East Midlands council is holding knitting classes for its employees to help combat stress and absenteeism. North East Derbyshire Council has decided to offer the courses after it emerged that an average of 9.75 sick days per employee were

Weekly voices readers' outrage over TV portrayal

Celebrity chef Oliver cooks up a storm in Rotherham

Journalist wins right to report cruelty case

Reporter challenges RSPCA gagging order bid

Three-times Olympian to hand out EDF Energy prizes

Donna Fraser to be sporting guest of honour at London and South of England Awards

Scottish weekly's main office to close

Paper will be run from 15 miles away

Perch to spearhead Northcliffe digital drive

Former editor to rejoin group in development role

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.