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December 2008 News

Freelancers' well-being comes under NUJ spotlight

New survey to discover pros and cons of freelancing, courses on Freedom of Information – and more news in brief

Veteran sports editor plans new career goals

No comeback says Mervyn after “trauma” of redundancy

Editor accepts gypsy event coverage was confused

Reader complains of distortion and inaccuracies, Rear Admiral takes weekly to task – and more resolved complaints from the PCC

Newspaper website helps put paedophile behind bars

Boy recognised sex pest from online court report

Newspaper redundancies: A news editor's tale

Veteran hack speaks of “gut wrenching” departure

Print hall in York to close with loss of 22 jobs

Northern Echo to be printed on rival’s presses

Chief exec's delight at OBE honour

CN Group boss picks up prize from Prince Charles

Report to call into question future of local news

Commercial viability of journalism “under critical threat”

Scottish press could die out in five years – editors

Future looks bleak say former editors

Weston teams wows judges at annual awards

Mercury staff showed professionalism and dedication

Mail's picture perfect Christmas photo

Press snap features on football club’s Christmas card

Personal tribute to former city editor

Ian Richardson was a combative journalist with the light touch

City editor and 'brilliant economist' dies aged 86

Multi award winner spent most of his career with Post

Autumn 2008 NCE: What the examiners said

An at-a-glance guide to what moderators thought of the latest senior exams

Autumn 2008 NCE: Logbook

LOGBOOK 122 candidates 118 passed The quality of entries was so strong it was a shame that a tiny minority of candidates failed for the disappointing reason that they did not present their logbook correctly. Trainers and candidates appear to

Autumn 2008 NCE: Newspaper Practice

NEWSPAPER PRACTICE 134 candidates 81 passed Candidates’ performance in the newspaper practice exam was generally very good, although there were fewer very high passes than were achieved in previous exams. The law questions, as has been consistent practice in recent

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.