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December 2008 News

Weekly helps jail drink driver

Paper praised by police for its part in securing conviction

Eleven subs' jobs at risk in Ulster shake-up

Johnston Press plans to centralise production operation

Valleys weeklies shake-up to go ahead

New structure for ‘Celtic’ series as three offices close

Passionate press photographer dies aged 73

Rab MacKenzie spent over 30 years with North-East newspapers

Daily wins right to name and shame drunk mum

Two-year-old kicked down flight of steps

Chris Hoy backs press photography awards

Olympian signs up to judging panel for Scottish picture celebration

More jobs to go at Cumbria newspaper group

Restructure set to lead to loss of 40 posts

Newspaper's apology over double inaccuracy

Star says sorry for family distress, children’s care home was ‘not illegal’ – and more resolved cases from the PCC

Northcliffe ad sales jobs under threat

Publisher to outsource regional titles’ display ad function

Deputy editor calls time on 46-year career

News chief and journalism trainer looks back on time in press

Industry voices concern over council advertising

Trend is bad for both democracy and revenues says NS

Former editor turns bagman in radical career change

Entrepreneur David seeks online sales success

Newsquest shake-up sparks jobs scramble

Twenty staff chasing nine new posts in North-West reshuffle

Edition of Yorkshire weekly closes

Ripon Gazette sister paper ceases publication

New managing editor at Bel Tel publisher

Paul Connolly steps up to new role, north-west media awards on again – and more news in brief

A dog really is for life…..

‘A dog is for life, not Christmas’ – the iconic Dogs Trust slogan – turns 30 this year. The charity’s chief executive Clarissa Baldwin dreamt up the famous motto in 1978 – when one in five of all dogs were

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.