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December 2012 News

Weekly’s £25k appeal buys life-changing Christmas gift

Cash will help buy present for paralysed former fell runner

Grenade victim photographer gets £40k payout

Swiss authorities pay compensation after police stood by and watched

Five budding journalists awarded training bursaries

Five budding journalists have been awarded bursaries to allow them to complete training courses. The Journalism Diversity Fund has awarded grants to Laura Cronk, Sophie McCoid, Liam Moffett, Andreas Mullings and Lamiat Sabin so they can take part in courses

Sacked chief sub who won £21k damages dies aged 44

Journalist had long battle with alcoholism

Editor hits back in advertising blackout row

Paper seeks to refute council’s scathing attack

Journalists walk out again after bosses confirm pay dock

Industrial action by NUJ members leads to day’s pay being deducted

New Johnston Press entertainments website goes live

Publisher’s new portal promises ‘wow’ factor

Pickles pledges law to curb council freesheets

Move comes after authorities continued to flout code

Reporter wins prize for best Scottish NCE results

A reporter at a regional daily has been awarded a prize after gaining the best results of a Scottish journalist in the National Certificate Examination. Laura Paterson, left, a senior reporter with Aberdeen’s Press and Journal, has won the TS

Ex-journalist celebrates shorthand in first art show

A former regional journalist has used Teeline as her inspiration in her first exhibition

Journalism student dies of suspected meningitis at 21

Tributes paid to keen sports writer

Northcliffe editor to bow out after 43-year career

News chief to retire shortly after 65th birthday

Regional daily honoured for its Plain English

Midlands newspaper wins plaudits for grammar

Reporter cast as naughty schoolboy in pantomime

Journalist challenged to take part after team objected to story

New titles to be launched by hyperlocal paper series

Journalism students will be given paid roles as reporters

Paper’s appeal wins new scooter for war veteran

Campaign launched after 97-year-old’s savings stolen

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.