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September 2009 News

Newspaper staff in 13-mile charity trek

Hundreds raised towards bid to fund medical researcher

Weekly series editor axed in restructure

North West news chief to be retained in freelance role

Gilson returns to newspapers as Bel Tel editor

Ex-Scotsman chief to take charge in Belfast

New term heralds spate of job moves

The first week back after the summer holidays has already seen some notable new editorial job moves, with ex-York Press editor Kevin Booth named as the new editor of the Burton Mail, and Northcliffe’s Ian Carter jumping ship to become

Being a butcher for all seasons

Small, independent businesses are often the first to suffer in a recession. And some reports now suggest that traditional butchers are closing at a rate of 23 per month during 2009. By contrast, there has been an upsurge in classes

Editor Stan fires up Bahrain's barmy army

Ex-pat news boss helps boost footballing minnows

Sweetie shop stop-off en route to school

Almost a quarter of seven to 14-year-olds are chomping their way through junk food on their way to school. A new survey by cereal maker Kellogg’s also suggests that around £646m is being spent per year on biscuits, crisps and

Trainee's life story features in national newspaper

Journalism student tells of travelling childhood in Ireland

Photography lecturer shortlisted in national award

Sheffield teacher could be crowned an education ‘STAR’

Ex-picture editor's exhibition goes on show

Plus: New deputy news editor at Cambridgeshire daily and more news in brief

Local paper solves quintuplets mystery

Advertiser story catches out national columnist

Jail for data protection offences back in spotlight

Our fortnightly look at legal issues affecting the industry

Jail for data protection offences back in spotlight

Our fortnightly look at legal issues affecting the industry

Hot news in LA for former regional press snapper

Wildfires come within ten miles of ex-WMN photographer’s home

University launches health journalism degree

Course claimed to be only one of its kind in Europe

Football club bans weekly newspaper

Blackout for News following ex-player criticism story

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.