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December 2011 News

November NCE pass rate down on last year

The 53 reporters who made the grade

Editor of daily turned weekly to quit

Newspaperman seeks ‘fresh challenge’

Newspaper suspends website comments

Action followed malicious posts

Yorkshire newspaper’s first female editor dies

Journalist enjoyed career on Yorkshire titles

Journalist to donate kidney in bid to save son

Medical advances make transplant possible

Newspapers give children on-the-job experience

Youngsters will research and write stories

Trinity Mirror looks to digital age with restructure

Company aims to be a multimedia business

Editor leaves Scottish daily title for PR role

Newspaper man takes on council role

Lord Hunt: ‘Newspapers should deal with their own complaints’

New regulatory body would also cover blogs

West Country town loses second newspaper in two months

List of doomed titles grows as per-Christmas gloom continues

Journalist spent night in cardboard box for charity

News editor slept rough for project

Weekly’s shock findings about children and drugs

Reporter asked for statistics for under 14s

Bristol journalists help raise thousands

Journalists from the Bristol Evening Post were among media folk who took part in a pub quiz to raise £1,400 for the Princes Trust. More than 60 journalists and media professionals from across Bristol took part in the special news

Newsquest becomes latest publisher to introduce pay freeze

News comes a year after company’s u-turn

Carry on Tweeting, top judge tells journalists

Lord Chief Justice hands down new court reporting guidance

Archant set to spearhead local TV plan

‘We’ll do all we can’ says newspaper publisher

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.