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May 2011 News

Journalists pass no confidence vote over redundancies

Move comes after announcement on editorial restructure by publisher

Watchdog finds failing by police on paper’s FoI request

Information Commissioner investigates dispute between regional daily and force

Regional daily among first to cover bin Laden death

Title beat nationals and most regionals to get news in print

Dyson at Large: Bright future for strong weekly

HTFP blogger reviews the West Briton

Reporter completes charity run in memory of colleague

34-mile challenge raises more than £6,500 for cancer charity

Journalists vote to strike over plans to cut sub-editors

14 jobs could be axed under centralisation proposals

Royal Wedding ‘first’ for top-selling regional daily

Plus round-up of how newspapers covered the event

Weekly newspaper office proposed for closure

Journalists could be moved to base in neighbouring town

Tributes paid after former sports editor dies at 71

Long-standing journalist known for his no-punches-pulled coverage

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.