The National Council for the Training Of
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JOURNALISM TODAY In association with the HOW to be a Journalist 2015/16 Inside n Advice from star journalists n Directory of courses Sponsored by n How recent graduates got their break START YOUR CAREER IN JOURNALISM AT LEEDS TRINITY UNIVERSITY Leeds Trinity University’s Centre for Journalism has an enviable reputation for innovative teaching, employer partnerships and getting its graduates into jobs. The Centre for Journalism produces graduates with the multi-media skills they need to succeed in industry, leading the way in teaching mobile journalism skills and developing a Student Newsroom with an industry partner which allows our highly experienced tutors to teach in the workplace. The result? Our alumni can be found in newsrooms and broadcasting studios across the UK. Join one of our NCTJ / BJTC accredited courses and kick-start your career. Our Postgraduate Journalism and Broadcast Journalism courses start in September. Interested in finding out more? Contact Lisa Bradley, Programme Leader, [email protected] www.leedstrinity.ac.uk @Leedstrinity /Leedstrinity @Leedstrinity PG Journalism advert A4.indd 1 01/07/2015 10:21 JOURNALISM TRAINING 2015 Contents 4-5 Think again if you’re after big money and 4 7 regular hours. Introduction from NCTJ chairman Kim Fletcher and Press Gazette editor Dominic Ponsford 7 Thank you to my bullying news editor: Times investigative journalist Andrew Norfolk on his NCTJ training 12 Funding to help students from diverse backgrounds become journalists 15-16 Editors reveal what they want from graduates. 19 Earn while you learn as a journalism apprentice 23-29 Complete listing of NCTJ courses 31 Pay for your training with a bursary or grant 16 19 SPONSORED FEATURE www.pressgazette.co.uk Press Gazette 2015 l 3 JOURNALISM TRAINING 2015 In association with NCTJ Think again if you want money, job security and regular hours Kim Fletcher is chairman for the NCTJ and a former editorial director of The Telegraph diploma was a necessity or an advantage. Their view mirrored that of the editors to whom we talk (and who, along with lecturers sit on our board). Editors have a queue of people wanting to get into journalism and can afford to be picky – and tend to pick people with an NCTJ qualification. Trainee journalists who attend the courses we accredit and take the examinations we offer have the practical skills to work in all areas of the industry. Our diploma entails mandatory units in news reporting, multimedia portfolio, ethics, media law and Are you looking for a career that will make way – dealt a crippling blow to newspapers. regulation, public affairs and shorthand for you big money, with a clear career path and The old economic model is broken, because journalists, and at least two optional units, job security? Then you are in the wrong people spoiled by free stuff online are such as media law court reporting, video place. There are good reasons to be a reluctant to hand over money. The upside is journalism for online, sports journalism journalist, but not too many that will make that the digital world offers more and more or broadcast journalism. The prize your mother or father happy. Want to do opportunity to be published and – one way qualification, the “gold standard” diploma, something that will bring you the respect or another – will find some dosh. demands grades A – C in all modules and of your peers? Then keep out of journalism. In those circumstances, the bright thing to 100 words per minute in the shorthand Like the idea of regular hours? Think again. do is maximise your chances of employment. examination. Our survey found that 96 per If you are still reading, then you are not One way is to enrol on a training course cent of those questioned who had the gold the person who is deflected by a few home accredited by the educational charity standard were working. truths. Maybe you don’t mind the possibility the National Council for the Training of Journalists with our qualifications are on that you will become a penniless, social Journalists, whether at MA, undergraduate, local and national newspapers; they report pariah, disowned by your relatives and academic year, part-time or fast-track level. I regional and international news for the BBC, shunned by sensible friends who are heading guess I would say that, as chairman. ITV and Sky and commercial radio stations; for finance, insurance and teaching. But there is evidence: in our recent they staff big news agencies, magazines, Your reward must come elsewhere, from survey, when students who had studied on websites. In short, they find jobs in all working in a gossipy, mischievous trade our accredited courses were asked what they outlets. You don’t have to have a qualification where no day need be like the one before were doing now, some 82 per cent said they to work as a journalist, but when you are it; being paid (a little) to witness what were in work, compared with 70 per cent looking for that first job, people take you others would pay to see; rubbing shoulders of leavers from higher education courses seriously when you have. sometimes with the stars and sometimes across all subjects (let us gloss over, to my On the following pages you will find all with the fallen and – yes, journalism is point earlier, that the median salary was kinds of NCTJ courses and qualifications: important – finding out what is going on, £17,500, some £3,000 less than the level for at colleges, universities and independent bringing to account the rich and powerful, all graduates from higher education). providers, through apprenticeships and protecting democracy. And did I mention Most of those in work who responded to distance learning. Here are courses for how much fun it can be? the survey were in the creative media sectors school leavers, for undergraduates and The generation before you joined a media – 30 per cent in newspapers, 11 per cent graduates and for those looking to make a industry that made lots of money; you are in magazines, seven per cent in television, career change. Have a look, employ a little joining one that must work out all over again four per cent in radio and nine per cent journalistic scepticism, ask some tough how to make journalism pay. The internet in an online or digital sector. Of those in questions and work out your options. changed the way we live and – along the journalism jobs, 77 per cent said the NCTJ Good luck. 4 l 2015 Press Gazette www.pressgazette.co.uk JOURNALISM TRAINING 2015 You wouldn’t expect to lay a brick wall without training Dominic Ponsford practice, and writing a news story follows is the editor of journalism news website the same principle. Press Gazette Knowledge of media law will teach you That’s why, as editor of Press Gazette, I how to avoid getting sued and how to always advise any aspiring journalist to get Anyone with an internet connection and a write stories which are damaging to the an NCTJ qualification. And that’s why we computer can start a blog these days and call reputations of businesses and individuals have worked exclusively with the NCTJ on themselves a journalist. secure in the knowledge that they are legally this sponsored guide. And if you have ambitions to be a reporter sound. Whether you get that training as an or writer you should by all means start your Curiously, an understanding of the nuts apprentice, undergraduate, masters own website, start tweeting and experiment and bolts of local and central government student or via a diploma is up to you: the with video and photography straight away. is not something which we are taught in qualification is the same. The best way to learn journalism is to do it. school – but it is essential for any journalist There are good journalism courses which But it remains true that if you have serious covering local or national news. aren’t accredited by the NCTJ, but also many ambitions to be a professional journalist you Shorthand, a seemingly arcane skill which bad ones. will greatly improve your chances of doing enables you to take notes at a speed of 100 Journalism is a challenging career so with the right vocational training. words per minute or more, is still a basic which will push your brain, your heart and News writing is not a skill which we are prerequisite for any general news reporter your creativity to the limits. And it is a job born with, it is a craft which must be learnt in the UK (largely because you can’t take a where even the lowliest local newspaper and practiced. tape recorder into a court). reporter is given huge power and You wouldn’t expect to be able to lay These are all the skills which you will learn responsibility and the chance to change the a7442_Press brick wall gazette without advert a 140mmx201mm_Layoutlot of training and 1 16/9/15on an 11:35NCTJ AM course. Page 1 world every day. Take the next step to a career in journalism The Centre for Broadcasting & Journalism at Nottingham Trent University has been training aspiring journalists for over 20 years. Our journalism courses are among the most highly-regarded in the UK and are recognised by the NCTJ as the UK’s top performing journalism higher education courses. Undergraduate courses • BA (Hons) Journalism • BA (Hons) Broadcast Journalism Postgraduate courses • MA / PG Dip Digital and Newspaper Journalism • MA / PG Dip Magazine Journalism • MA / PG Dip Broadcast Journalism • MA / PG Dip Documentary Journalism Find out about our courses and open days at www.ntu.ac.uk/nextstep www.pressgazette.co.uk Press Gazette 2015 l 5 BA (Hons) Multimedia Journalism at Bournemouth University • Accreditation from professional bodies • Multi-disciplinary training in TV, radio, newspaper, magazine, and online journalism • Complete a year’s placement and make invaluable industry contacts • Vocational and innovative programme designed to meet both employer and student’s needs resulting in consistently high graduate employment rates of over 90% There are also a range of Master’s courses on offer at BU in Journalism and Communication.