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Journalists to be taught how to write about health

Reporters will be trained how to write about health as part of a day-long course run by the National Council for the Training of Journalists.

The Essentials of Health Journalism course, which will give an overview of modern biomedical research, was launched after research suggested that the majority of health journalism in the UK is produced by journalists with no specialist training in reporting health stories.

It is designed to ensure people leave with a better understanding of the healthcare industry and will include analysis of some recent healthcare stories and will also cover how and where medical research is undertaken.

The first course will take place on 7 February at the NCTJ’s training facility in Newport, Essex. For more information visit the NCTJ website.

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  • December 14, 2011 at 9:55 am
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    In my experience, journalists these days would benefit more from learning how to use the English language properly before specialising.
    I understand that costs are being cut by employing more junior staff in newsrooms up and down the land (while cutting senior roles), but spelling, punctuation and grammar went out the window long, long ago.
    Get the basics right before branching out.

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  • December 14, 2011 at 10:17 am
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    @ Anon – it is possible that spelling, punctuation and grammar amongst reporters isn’t significantly worse than it was before. What is instead causing so many errors to slip through is the fact that the network of subs – once considered so important – has been shredded by the cost-cutting bean counters. Copy isn’t getting checked as thoroughly as it should be. This can also have severe legal implications too. I can’t help wondering whether a lack of subbing contributed to that paper in Aldershot identifying a sex-offence victim.

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  • December 19, 2011 at 1:26 pm
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    This is a good idea. The NHS, for one, has a language and many issues of its own which are not always easily understood by non specialist journalists. Too much of what UKPG called years ago ‘Old hack baffled by technology’ approach.

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