AddThis SmartLayers

March 2013 News

‘Larger than life’ former press photographer dies at 81

Former deputy picture editor worked at two daily titles during career

Historic newspaper pages go online in new archive

Regional publisher digitises papers from 1852 to 1912

Journalist in bid to avoid supermarkets for a year

Deputy news editor blogging every day about challenge

Law Column: Oscar Pistorius and the Law of Contempt

Our fortnightly look at legal issues facing the industry

Famous faces attend weekly’s 275th anniversary ball

An Olympic champion and a broadcasting legend helped a weekly newspaper celebrate its 275th birthday at a charity ball. The Western Gazette traces its origins back to the Sherborne Mercury which launched in 1737 and it celebrated the anniversary with

Editor axed after weekly posts 2.1pc sales rise

News chief faces redundancy in JP restructure

Dyson at Large: Back to the future with archaic weekly

Newspaper felt like ‘time capsule’ says HTFP blogger

Regional daily marks Kate’s visit with special edition

Royal occasion prompts live video streaming on website

Road accident causes regional daily three hour delay

Production problems at another daily title sees edition lost

Penalty shoot-out between journalists ends in stalemate

Cricket match planned to settle argument one and for all

Newspapers prepare to hand out £30m to local firms

Fund aims to create and safeguard around 3,500 jobs

Regional daily promoted on air in deal with radio station

A regional daily has formed a partnership with its local radio station which will see the paper’s news stories promoted on air. The Liverpool Echo has joined forces with Radio City 96.7 in a commercial deal which will see the

Journalists in spotlight as sales at weekly rise

Journalists at a weekly newspaper found themselves in the spotlight when they were filmed by a BBC television crew after celebrating a rise in circulation. The Sidmouth Herald’s circulation rose by 1.4pc to 6,402 in the latest ABC figures published

Would-be newspaper launches as ‘positive’ monthly magazine

New title will have print run of 15,000

Trainee journalist wins award for top public affairs exam

A trainee journalist has been recognised for her outstanding performance in a public affairs exam. Jenny Tregoning, left, has won the Public Affairs Award for 2011-12 from the National Council for the Training of Journalists and has received a certificate and

Full line up unveiled for regional editors’ conference

Auckland and Pickles join list of speakers

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.