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Review of the NCTJ Diploma in Journalism Review of the NCTJ Diploma in Journalism A report on research commissioned by the NCTJ 1 Review of the NCTJ Diploma in Journalism Review of the NCTJ Diploma in Journalism 1 Introduction 1.1 Background The NCTJ is reviewing the structure and content of its entry level Diploma in Journalism qualification to ensure that it continues to meet the needs of the media industry. It is important that the diploma has the flexibility to equip people who hold the qualification with the relevant skills base for each sector. This review has taken the form of both quantitative and qualitative research across the media sectors. It is based on: an on-line survey of 84 businesses across a range of industry sectors; and follow-up, in-depth telephone interviews with a selection of 21 employers of journalists across the newspaper, magazine, online, TV, radio and PR and communications sectors. The individuals who took part in the interviews are listed at Annex 1. 1.2 The Diploma The NCTJ level 3 Diploma in Journalism is an industry recognised, entry-level qualification. Introduced in 2010, it can lead to eligibility for the National Qualification in Journalism (NQJ), the NCTJ’s professional, senior journalism qualification. The NCTJ accredits training courses at centres across the country to deliver the training for the qualification. Training centres can be based in higher education, colleges of further education or private training providers, but they all have to deliver the NCTJ Diploma in Journalism’s programmes of study. To gain the Diploma in Journalism, candidates must complete: six mandatory units - news reporting, essential media law and regulation for journalists, essential public affairs for journalists, practical journalism ethics, e-portfolio and shorthand for journalists; and at least two optional units, taken from media law court reporting, video journalism for online, production journalism, sports journalism, business of magazines, broadcast journalism and business and financial journalism1. The NCTJ diploma can be awarded two levels: 1 If they wish to follow a news reporters’ pathway they must ensure that one of the units is media law court reporting as this is a National Qualification in Journalism progression requirement. 2 Review of the NCTJ Diploma in Journalism the gold standard, which entails getting Grades A – C in all modules and 100 words per minute in the shorthand examination; the diploma standard, which entails getting Grades A –E in all modules, and 60 words per minute in the shorthand examination. Individuals who do not achieve these levels have yet to reach the required standard and their diploma attainment is not yet complete and re-examinations are necessary. 1.3 Labour market impacts and candidates’ view of the diploma Research2 by the NCTJ has shown that the NCTJ diploma is associated with positive labour market outcomes. This survey of individuals who had studied for the diploma showed that: 82 per cent of those who had completed the NCTJ diploma course were in work at the time of the follow-up survey. This is higher than the 70 per cent of leavers from UK Higher Education courses across all subjects. The higher the level of attainment of the NCTJ diploma, the more likely it is that the individual will be in employment – 96 per cent of those who attained the gold standard were in employment, compared to 90 per cent of those who attained the diploma standard and 72 per cent of those who did not complete their diploma. 79 per cent of those that had a full-time or part-time job were in a journalism-related job. The likelihood of having gained a journalism-related job varies according to the level of qualification gained – those with gold standard were more likely to be in a journalism-related job (86 per cent) when compared to those who had the diploma level (76 per cent) and 75 per cent of those who did not complete their diploma. the majority are in stable employment, with 58 per cent in a permanent or open-ended contract, with a further 13 per cent in a fixed-term contract of 12 months or more. Again, we see that those who had attained gold standard in the diploma were more likely to have these more stable employment contracts – 68 per cent with the gold standard were in a permanent job compared to 60 per cent with the diploma and 49 per cent who did not get their diploma. This research also found that the NCTJ qualification was regarded as being ‘required’ by their employers by 61 per cent of all respondents (with 29 per cent that it was a formal requirement and 32 per cent that whilst it was not a formal requirement it was an advantage). Amongst those individuals in journalism jobs, 77 per cent stated that having the NCTJ was required (37 per cent that it was a necessity, 40 per cent an advantage). 2 Destinations of NCTJ Diploma in Journalism students, 2015, NCTJ, 2015 3 Review of the NCTJ Diploma in Journalism In the main, the individuals who have studied for the NCTJ diploma believe that it prepares them well for what they choose to do next. 77 per cent state that it has prepared them well for employment, 80 per cent that it prepared them well for further study and 60 per cent that it had prepared them well for self-employment or starting their own business. These ratings are at a very similar level to those found by HESA to HE courses across all subjects. In more detail, the core skill areas of reporting, law, shorthand and public affairs are all rated highly in having been helpful in preparing respondents for employment. Even amongst those who were not working in a journalistic capacity, high proportions found the journalistic core skills to be still valuable in preparing them for work. Telephone interviews with the employers show that they are generally supportive and positive about the diploma: ‘Generally the Diploma in Journalism is fine. As a rule, we are happy to recruit people who have an NCTJ qualification. We can choose to be fairly picky – and one of our sieving mechanisms is whether they have an NCTJ qualification on their CV. It’s obviously not the be all and end all but it’s a starting point as a criteria – want to see a pass on an NCTJ-accredited course.’ TV ‘The Diploma is doing the job. They generally come in with the right skills.’ Newspapers However, the employers in the telephone interviews are also supportive of the Diploma Review, with a need to: update the content of the diploma so that it continues to be relevant for journalists working in the modern working environment that they are now working in. Indeed, to future proof the diploma: ‘The diploma is important and it’s therefore also important that it covers the right areas.’ Broadcaster ‘There should be a statement that they are designing the diploma so that it covers what the key attributes/skills of a journalist will be in 2020: future proof it so it is fit for purpose in five years’ time. If not, and you try and design it for today’s journalists you’ll always be running to stand still. Broadcaster 4 Review of the NCTJ Diploma in Journalism broaden the appeal of the NCTJ diploma, making its content more attractive to those areas of industry which are increasingly employing journalists, such as PR and Communications: ‘The diploma has to broaden its appeal – it feels that it’s aimed very much at traditional mainstream media, which is shrinking. It’s PR companies – such as the sports organisation I work for, which are growing.’ PR & communications Respondents also expressed a need for clarification of the qualifications landscape, in particular the relationship between the diploma and the apprenticeship programme. There is some confusion as to whether the diploma and apprenticeship are competing qualifications, or whether they are in some way complementary: whilst it is clear that there is progression from the Diploma through to the NQJ, the links and/or overlaps between the diploma and the apprenticeship is not clear: ‘We have an apprenticeship programme and it would be better if all the various skill development schemes fed into each other.’ Television 1.4 Research methodology Whilst we have information from individuals on the NCTJ diploma, this research was designed to obtain information from the employer-side. An on-line questionnaire was developed and an invitation to participate to 700 NCTJ employer contacts (not all of which necessarily employ people with the diploma). From these we have received 84 complete responses. One of the main variants in skills needs is the sector that the business is located in. Respondents were asked to nominate their main sector: the main area is newspapers, with 45 per cent of respondents nominating this as their main sector. The second largest group of respondents 14 per cent gave TV, eight per cent as radio, eight per cent as on-line and six per cent were magazine companies. 5 Review of the NCTJ Diploma in Journalism Table 1: Main media sector n % Newspapers 38 45 Magazines 5 6 TV 12 14 Radio 7 8 Online 7 8 PR and communications 15 18 Base 84 100 Source: NCTJ Diploma Review Survey Note: bases is all respondents Nine companies entered a response into the ‘other’ options. These do not alter the distribution figures above and in the main reflected the multi-sector nature of businesses employing journalists. In the main companies chose this option to indicate the cross-sector nature of their businesses, with responses including: ‘Online, mobile, print and social media’ ‘We have strong digital presence too - we haven't been just a 'newspaper' for a couple of years now’ ‘TV, online, mobile’ ‘Both newspapers and online’ ‘Newspapers are as much online as print’ ‘The fact that you can't tick newspapers AND online speaks volumes I'm afraid.’ Other responses suggest that the responding companies also operate in areas such as ‘consultancy’, ‘content provision for brands/agencies’ and ‘Broadcast training’, all related areas to the main ‘media’ sectors which have been identified.

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