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July 2009 News

Editor makes giant leap for cancer appeal

Broken plane and fear of heights fail to stop news chief

Newspaper's appeal pricks thief's conscience

Robber returns stolen cash to paper’s offices

Citizen declares 'war' on rogue clampers

Bucks title bids to force government action

High-speed hacks needed for fundraiser

Is there a Senna or Button among the Scottish media?

Farewell to the Sporting Star

An interesting news item from the regional press has just landed on HoldtheFrontPage’s radar. After 90 years of publishing, the Midlands-based Sporting Star will cease publication at the start of the forthcoming football season. The Sporting Star is owned by

Regional press big hitters to be quizzed by MPs

Committee inquiry into state of industry continues

MEN photographer's arty pic snaps up top award

Photo of Da Vinci drawing picked from hundreds

Former press photographer attacked by dog

Plus: Reporter running in memory of friend, travel journalism awards open – and more news in brief

Archant chief joins football club board

‘No conflict of interest’ says newspaper MD

New multimedia wire service 'will help regionals'

Product designed to tackle high cost of video storage

Court lists to be provided to newspapers via email

New guidance issued to court staff

Emergency debate over future of Midlands media

Press Club’s concerns over newspapers’ demise

Facebook banned at Johnston Press titles

Reporters will need permission to access site

Good business sense

Difficult times at Trinity Mirror at the moment, with the announcement of nine newspaper closures and job losses yesterday, and accusations from the National Union of Journalists concerning the future of two of its traditional morning papers, the Birmingham Post

Friday Funnies: A dual-purpose headline

Plus: Angry from Liverpool writes – and more gems from the regional press

Friday Funnies: Here chicky chicky!

Plus: The MP you don’t want to tick off, a dangerous shopping expedition – and more funnies

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.