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 have a clear understanding of what is required in terms of stories although it is always worth remembering that examiners expect each key task to contain two of their strongest stories, written over a two-year period, which reflect the candidate’s development as a journalist.

When such submissions contain errors which are both factual and grammatical, this can paint a poor picture and they are marked down.

There were no major problems with key tasks although it has been noted that submissions in numeracy often bear little evidence of analysis while writing to pictures also saw some weak entries.

Candidates and trainers must take a thorough final look at logbooks before submission and must make sure all key tasks are in place and in the correct order.

Some good entries failed due to missing copy and after years of hard work and good storytelling, this is a great shame. A major positive has been the explosion in the number of high-scoring entries.

There were more candidates who were judged for the logbook prize and this underlines both how strong the logbook entries were and also the quality of work which is being put into newspapers on a daily basis.