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December 2012 News

Journalism course claims employment rate of 94pc

Graduates from a journalism course have achieved an employment rate of 94pc, a university has revealed. Glasgow Caledonian University claims 17 out of 18 students who completed its 2011/2012 MA Multimedia Journalism course had found employment by the time of

Reporter sacked after naming sex abuse suspect on Twitter

Savile cops interviewed man in his 80s under caution

Act now to save local newspapers, ministers urged

Debate in Parliament highlights struggle facing industry

Former deputy editor retires after 35-year career

Journalist has spent 12 years at weekly title

Regional daily fights against free parking axe

Title calls for council U-turn on decision

Newspaper PR man bags 50 peaks in 50 weeks

Man and wife team tackled mountains across Europe to raise cash

Regional editors to meet ministers over Leveson report

Local press praised by MPs in Commons debate

Regional publisher extends online deals site

Regional publisher DC Thomson has expanded its online deals site BeezerDeals to cover more of its titles. The company launched BeezerDeals earlier this year in Tayside and Fife but has now extended its reach to Aberdeen, where it will operate

Journalists to name top sportspeople ahead of BBC

Sportswriters awards to be held tomorrow

Leveson and data protection – a hidden threat

Our fortnightly look at legal issues facing the industry

Photographer takes to skies to capture flooding

Eye-catching aerial images gained by weekly snapper

Press photographer badly hurt while covering riot

Injuries thought to have been caused by police baton

New editor appointed for regional magazine firm

A new editor has been appointed at Bristol-based Projects Magazine. Journalist and science editor Kirsty Kelly, 26, will head up a team of scientific and technical editors, production staff and designers at the magazine, the flagship title for Insight Publishers.

Schoolgirl could be UK’s youngest sports reporter at 12

Budding journalist writes match reports for football club

Sportswriter hits out at journalists as he quits industry

Columnist leaves newspapers after 37 years

Act now or face statutory regulation, editors warned

Government warning as editors attend Downing Street summit

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.