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November 2008 News

Sixty jobs to go at printing plant

Grimsby plant losses add to total in Northcliffe staff reduction

Web hits keep rising on Bel Tel

Belfast Telegraph hits 4m mark, Emma-Kate quits to become full-time triathlete – and more news in brief

First look at new Birmingham news hub

Post and Mail editors upbeat about new surroundings

Local MP in fight to save district offices

Trinity Mirror condemned over cutbacks

17 job losses announced at Northern Echo

No pay awards for staff at Darlington centre until April at earliest

Eight jobs set to go at Midlands weeklies

Observer Standard group to cut staff levels by 20pc

Northcliffe trio team up to beat bridge toll hike

Proposed price jump is ‘A Toll Too Far’ for dailies

Major cuts in store at Northcliffe Media

Underlying profits down 32pc for newspaper publisher

Trinity Mirror imposes pay freeze for whole of 2009

Sly Bailey letter an “insult to journalists” says NUJ

In full: Sly Bailey's letter to Trinity Mirror staff

19 November 2008 Dear Colleague We have all seen the severe impact of the economic downturn reported in the media on a daily basis. Unfortunately there doesn’t appear to be any sign of an improvement for the foreseeable future and

MPs to review press regulation and libel laws

Culture committee launches inquiry into McCann case, contempt and privacy

BBC could "crush" local newspapers – Cameron

Tory leader attacks video plans while Wales MP calls for public support for papers

How the regional press jobs crisis unfolded

Our at-a-glance guide to a turbulent few months in the industry

Picture editor laid off just weeks into new job

Epicscotland agency undergoes restructure

Seeing a boost in building

Doom and gloom in the property market might not be universal. House builder Barratt Developments is reporting an increase in visitor numbers after cutting prices and launching new marketing initiatives. Take a look around the new housing estates and developments

Suffering abuse on the wards

A former mental health nurse has been awarded £825,000 after she suffered physical abuse from her patients. The 38-year-old carer has lost some movement in one of her arms and suffered muscle damage to her neck, meaning she can’t work

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.