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November 2012 News

Heart attack claims regional daily news chief aged 50

Regional daily newsroom in shock after death

No evidence to justify curbs on local press says NS

Clegg in pledge to editor over Leveson recommendations

PA law man overturns order on rape case anonymity

Courts have no power to make rulings say judges

Johnston Press appoints new circulation director

Regional publisher Johnston Press has appointed a new director who will oversee newspaper circulations across the group. Richard Thomson, left, will become group newspaper sales director in a newly-created role at the publisher on 7 January, where he will oversee JP’s circulation

Students aim to honour their journalistic heroes

Print and broadcast reporters to be honoured in student-run ceremony

PCC rejects complaint over Facebook injuries photo

Man complained after weekly paper reported on assault

Journalism ethics top agenda at training gathering

Annual two-day conference begins today

More than 100 Trinity Mirror jobs at risk in outsourcing plan

Pre-press, studio and advert creation teams affected by proposals

Newspaper smashes £1m target for children’s ward

Sum reached six months earlier than expected

Man convicted after appearing on weekly’s front page

Mosque attack suspect urged by mother to hand himself in

Hyperlocal website remains unsold after eBay hoax

Site gained bid of £500 but sale fell through

Have you grown a moustache for ‘Movember?’

Challenge raises funds for research into male cancers

Flood-hit regional daily sets up live blog

Road outside offices closed after bad weather

Former daily chief reporter joins HoldtheFrontPage

A former acting chief reporter of top-selling regional daily the Express & Star has joined the staff of HoldtheFrontPage. Charlotte Cross, 26, joined the Bromsgrove Standard and Redditch Standard as a trainee in 2008, before joining the Express & Star

Cabinet minister speaks out against legal press curbs

Senior Tory publicly opposes statutory regulation

Regional daily editor’s new book comes up trumps

Book is first in a series designed to tackle bad habits

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.