AddThis SmartLayers

October 2011 News

Take Five: Paul Deal

Former Bath and Kettering editor answers the questions

Daily breached code with dead body photo

PCC says ‘lessons should be learnt’ from case

Cameron speaks out on scrapped Kent merger plans

The Prime Minister has said he shares the frustration of the KM Group after its bid to buy seven newspapers in Kent from Northcliffe Media was scrapped after being referred to the Office of Fair Trading. Speaking at the Newspaper

Political row erupts over newspaper’s planned office move

Company says it will maintain presence in city

Newspapers defied courts to name teenage offender

No explanation was given for reporting ban

Well-known Welsh photographer dies aged 64

Town stalwart had retired due to illness

Journalists ‘should be taught how to tweet’

Seminar looked at future of digital journalism

Regional daily on the road to ending readers’ misery

Campaign calls for building of relief road

Rival hyperlocal sites go head to head in ‘media city’

A new hyperlocal news site has launched in Manchester with the aim of “getting the real story to the people.” Manchester Online went live on 19 October, covering Greater Manchester and the so-called ‘medai city’ of Salford – the same

Gadaffi death interrupts Cameron lunch with regional journalists

Political reporter breaks news of dictator’s demise to PM

Trainee reporter makes ‘bombshell’ discovery

Councils investing in cluster bombs and tobacco

Union slams job cuts at Midlands titles

Cutbacks will see three editors compete for two jobs

College’s gold standard journalism training recognised

A college in Scotland has earned accreditation from the National Council for the Training of Journalists for two of its courses. The HND Practical Journalism course and the Diploma Journalism Day Release course at Adam Smith College in Fife have

Sports editor completes epic cycle challenge

Hundreds of people welcomed team home

Plaudits for newspaper law legend who launched course

Former director spent years on newspapers

Former Lincolnshire daily unveils first weekly edition

Bumper edition of new-look paper hits the streets

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.