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May 2012 News

High five for Hull daily at Regional Press Awards

Winners include 92-year-old columnist

Regional Press Awards 2012: What the judges said

A round up of what the winners did to impress

Reporter leaves job after 45 years for his ‘first love’

Retiring journalist says there is still a future in print

Free weekly newspaper merges with sister title

Changes were announced on front of final edition

Midlands venue for annual journalism skills conference

Event will be held over two days in November

Northern weekly in broadsheet to compact switch

Newspaper is amongst those making the change

Newspaper rapped for second time over dead body pics

Complaint upheld over Scottish title

Regional publisher reports 34pc profits increase

Overall headcount falls by 164 at group

Keep Sunderland Echo as daily title, MPs urge

A group of MPs has urged regional publisher Johnston Press to retain the Sunderland Echo as a daily title, even though there are no current plans to take it weekly. Sunderland MPs Julie Elliott, Bridget Phillipson and Sharon Hodgson all

Olympics row resolved as regional press handed 39 passes

Copy will be shared with other titles in pooling plan

Tweeting can help save your job says Meehan

Blogging platform should be ‘every journalist’s newswire’

Courier journalist bows out with farewell column

‘This has been the best job in the world’ says writer

Industry has ‘long bright future’ says senior daily editor

Long-serving news chief’s upbeat message

Welsh daily in political row over translation costs

Proposal is luxury we can’t afford says newspaper

Before he was famous: Jeremy Clarkson as cub reporter

Retiring editor uncovers lost gem

Teenager takes top prize in reporting competition

A teenage would-be journalist has taken the top prize in a human rights reporting competition for her article about prejudice against the Roma, Gypsy and Traveller communities. Alice Woodhouse, 17, from Warwick won the sixth form section of Amnesty International’s Young Human

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.