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July 2009 News

Editor's visit to the Palace washed out

Plus: Rotary Club accolade for deputy editor and more news in brief

Whatever happened to the class of '74?

Student journalist group shot resurfaces 35 years on

Agency's online guide to beat town hall secrecy

News agency boss names and shames publicity-shy councils

Press campaign kept OAP alert to bogus visitor

Success as Gazette strives to keep pensioners safe

Restrict BBC expansion says veteran editor

‘Powerful beast’ needs to be curbed, MPs told

Nothing ‘Plain’ about this entry

We at HoldtheFrontPage always try to be clear and concise in the way we write our stories. So it was with no little amusement that we stumbled upon this titbit from the Plain English Campaign – the lobby group launched

Mail fun runners top £60k total

Cancer charity benefits from readers’ athletic efforts

Regional asset swaps not the answer, MPs told

Move would deliver ‘limited’ savings says publisher

Newspaper's FoI bid to name fugitives rejected

Naming escaped prisoners could breach privacy rights

PA to launch public service reporting pilot

Bid to discover coverage of public bodies

Regional press 'faces greatest challenge in history'

Sector caught in ‘perfect storm’ says PA boss

Six titles and 25 jobs to go in North-East

Evening Chronicle to move to single edition

Reporter to spend 28th birthday in Afghanistan

Mineral waters all-round on Helmand military mission

Finance writing award for Post reporter

Second prize in three years for Conal Gregory

New student magazine to launch in autumn

Twisted will cover college life in East Mids town

Journalists pool resources for 24-hour marathon

Hospice charity pockets £1,250 from fundraiser

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.