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February 2013 News

Law Column: EU regulation of the UK Press, anyone?

Our fortnightly look at legal issues facing the industry

Trinity Mirror urged to avoid compulsory job cuts

Union asks publisher to slow down content-sharing proposals

Standard wins bid for London local TV licence

Bid by consortium of regional publishers loses out

Editor apologises over ‘case of mistaken identity’

Death of local football stalwart wrongly announced in column

New editors named for North-East dailies as JP reshuffles pack

News chiefs announced for Sunderland and South Shields titles

Weekly set for revamp as district offices close

Cover price to rise 30p to £1

MPs urge debate over Trinity Mirror job cuts

Commons motion tabled in protest at cutbacks

Local newspaper ad seals couple’s engagement

Groom-to-be bought ad space to pop the question

Welsh daily to give away 5,000 copies in circulation drive

Trinity Mirror title to target city centre

Weekly scoops three prizes at annual media awards

Newspaper recognised for £1m fundraising campaign

Award for best farming journalism open for entries

An awards scheme which aims to find the best farming and rural affairs journalism in the regional press has opened for entries. The Stuart Seaton Award is run by the British Guild of Agricultural Journalists to recognise consistently high-quality reporting

Deputy steps up to top job at Scottish daily

News chief hails ‘best job in Scottish journalism’

Change in law follows weekly’s safety campaign

Newspaper collected 45,000 signatures after teenager’s death

Former daily editor to head up charity’s campaigns

New departure for ex-journalist after 30-year career

Johnston Press journalists to be surveyed on industrial action

Consultative ballot will ask union members’ views on pay freeze

Fresh threat to regional papers’ use of FOI

Cost-cutting plans could see requests grouped together

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.