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November 2009 News

Union plans to buy shares in newspaper companies

New approach to campaigning says NUJ

Pawnbroker is far from broke

No-one takes glee in tales of financial misery affecting individuals during a recession but (perhaps) it would be difficult to have too much sympathy for the super rich. A pawnbroker from Oxford appears to be swamped with sports cars, fancy

No-one exempt from stop and search

Police stop and searches on ten-year-old children has doubled in the past year in the capital, new stats suggest. A total of 755 children were stopped by police during the 2008-09 financial year which is a record. Some more facts

Regional publisher to introduce online paywalls

Pilot project could change face of industry

Former press reporter wins second literary prize

Another Bridport Award for Dorset journalist

From trainee to editor in under three years

Rapid promotion for ‘excellent young journalist’

Local paper makes video to help family raise cash

YouTube bid to fund pioneering cancer treatment

Environment reporter makes Guardian pullout

Telegraph journalist only local press nominee in annual contest

Police chief refuses to budge in row over forms

Chief constable responds to publisher’s complaints

Council's £3,000 consultation on newsletter's future

Authority continues deliberations over comms strategy

Editor plays Santa as Christmas comes early

Newspaper staff do their bit for Children in Need

Former Trinity editor in glossy magazine comeback

New title aims to be “deliberately upmarket and aspirational”

Council boss hits out at "bad news" paper

Sir Ray Tindle says South London Press has lost £500,000

Weeklies provide Christmas boost for Our Boys

JP titles drum up community support for troops on front line

Standard strikes deal with PA for online video news

Agency teams up with capital title for sports, news and ents footage

Tory leader drops in on Midlands dailies

Plus: Business journalism award winners and more news in brief

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.