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November 2008 News

Adapt and be hungry cry from new Society president

Nigel Pickover’s calls for journalists to move with the times in inaugural speech

Fire the columnists, not the reporters – Marr

Former political editor in emotional plea to editors

Brown is "good friend to press freedom"

Freedom of information now “part of fabric of public life”

The future is local says ex-ITV boss

Internet TV pioneer sets out alternative vision for industry

Newsroom revolution taking place at daily newspaper

Nottingham Evening Post aiming to be media hub

Subsidise regional press says Guardian editor

Local papers should get share of BBC millions argues Rusbridger

Relax merger laws to help local press survive – Dacre

Mail editor pulls no punches in keynote conference address

Newsquest to roll out price comparison services

Publisher launches online initiative to beat credit crunch

Union issues challenge to editors to defend quality

Dear says SoE should be “honest” about impact of cuts

Trainee journalists lack core skills says survey

Major training bodies to tackle need for multimedia skills

Young journalists honoured in new awards scheme

NCTJ reveals the best new talent in inaugural Excellence in Journalism Awards

Jobs cull at Trinity Mirror North East

Five district offices and 28 jobs to go in Newcastle and Teesside

Newspaper's bid to beat the credit crunch

Bolton News launches campaign to save readers’ cash

Reporter marks 150th birthday in style

Famous faces flock back to Yorkshire town for landmark anniversary

Reporter praises paper on YouTube after sobering up

Birmingham Mail hack admits he’s scared to call work in second video

Throwing out the kids

Over 2,000 children were suspended from schools in England last year for attacking fellow pupils and teachers. The official Government figures show that 1,470 five-year-olds, 720 four-year-olds and 260 three-year-olds were either suspended or expelled in the past 12 months.

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.