Newspaper Journalism (NCTJ)
Do you love news? Can you work quickly and accurately, stay calm under pressure and still give a balanced and unbiased view of local and national events?
Syllabus and other details
The course leads to the NCTJ's Preliminary Certificate - the most widely respected trainee journalism qualification in the UK. It gets you on short-lists when it comes to job interviews.
The course is fully accredited by the Open and Distance Learning Quality Council and the Association of British Correspondence Colleges, and is listed by LearnDirect.
How the course works
Journalism
We will train you in every aspect of practical journalism, one module at a time. Teaching material will be sent to you online. Each subject unit is accompanied by appropriate exercises and assignments. You will study the module, email back any queries, problems etc and then complete the exercises and assignments.
Exercises will be paper-based - re-writes of handouts etc. Assignments: Once you have completed the exercises and assignments, you can email them for marking. They will be marked and returned to you with a Grade, comments etc.
A journalist’s job and qualities
Copy presentation
Notebook discipline
Contacts book
What is news?
Sources of news
Industry organisations
House style
Contacts and how to make them
Interviewing – face to face and by phone
Newspaper terminology
How to write in newspaper style
The intro
Story construction
Use of quotes
Ethics and the PCC Code of Conduct
Bread and butter news
Reference sources
Graphics
Covering emergency services
Human interest stories
Feature writing
Covering local government
Working from press releases and handouts
Covering meetings and speeches
Obituaries
Political reporting
Schools and education reporting
Job finding
Your CV
Preparing for job interviews
Covering courts
Reviews
Fillers
Opinion writing
Law
The course deals with every aspect of media law, one module at a time, in the same way as journalism (above). Some of the teaching will be from approved textbooks.
Exercises will be paper-based - mainly tackling old NCTJ Pt 1 and Pt 2 exam questions relevant to the subject.
Assignments: Once you have completed the exercises and assignments, you can email them for marking. They will be marked and returned to you with a Grade, comments etc.
Once you have completed the module to an acceptable standard, you will be sent the next module, together with exercises and assignments.
You will also be given specialist guidance to prepare you for your exams will be practical - you will go out and cover courts if you have the time.
Introduction
Copyright
Confidentiality
Inquests
Defamation
Children involved in crime and the courts
Sexual offences
Judicial Proceedings Act 1926
Public Order Act 1986
Classification of crimes
Criminal prosecution process
Contempt of court
Photography in and around court
Ethics and the PCC Code of Conduct
Employment Tribunals
Official Secrets Acts
Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1984
Wards of Court
Covering elections
Journalist’s sources
Divorce law
Magistrates Court and Crown Court procedures
Magistrates Court reporting restrictions
Court appeals procedures
Admissions to courts
Challenging courts
Human Rights Act 1998
Freedom of Information Act
Data Protection Act
Civil Courts
Bankruptcy law
Witness anonymity in court
Public Affairs
The course deals with every aspect of central and local government, one module at a time, in the same way as journalism (above).
Exercises will be paper-based, mainly tackling old Pt 1 and Pt 2 exam questions relevant to the subject.
Assignments: Once you have completed the exercises and assignments, you can email them for marking. They will be marked and returned to you with a Grade, comments etc.
Once you have completed the module to an acceptable standard, you will be sent the next module, together with exercises and assignments.
You will also be given specialist guidance to prepare you for your exams will be practical - you will go out and cover council meetings if you have the time.
Central government
The UK constitution
The Monarchy
Parliament at Westminster
The legislative process at Westminster
Devolution
The UK Government
The political process
Elections
The European Union
The NHS
Social welfare services
Employment, training and economic development
Industry and commerce
The Utilities
The Treasury
The Home Office
Culture, Media and Sport
International relations and defence
Local government
How different authorities are structured and what they do
Councillors and officers
Decision making, information and quality
Propriety and ethics
Elections
External relations and controls
Finance
Housing
Education
Town and country planning
Personal social services
Emergency services
Environmental health and consumer protection
Highways, transport and leisure
Shorthand
You will study T-line from a recommended textbook. We will provide voice files, podcasts and tutorial support.
We also provide you with a website where you can access free shorthand dictation passages to help you with your speed.
You will be encouraged to enrol at a local evening class to gain help and experience with writing at speed. Many of these courses are free.
If you are serious about shorthand, you may also wish to consider enrolling with our partner organisation
They offer horthand coaching, speed training and telephone or VOIP support.
The Teeline alphabet
Joining up letters
The Vowels
Blends and shortcuts
More blends and shortcuts
The C Factor
Word beginnings
Word endings
Writing figures
Exercises
Speed development
Study approach
You will study journalism and shorthand for the duration of the course and will study PA and Law one after the other in this order: PA 2, PA 1, Law 2, and Law 1.
The assignments and exercises are NOT compulsory, although it is highly recommended that you do as many of them as you can.
You will need to fit in as many as you can, according to the time you have available to do the course.
Attachment
You will be encouraged to find work attachment at appropriate media organisations, depending on how much spare time you have available. Support will be given in helping you find work attachment.
Exams
You will be told to enter the six NCTJ preliminary exams when you are ready.
The NCTJ will enter you at the nearest college or centre hosting their exams to your home, and arrangements will be made for you to sit the papers there.
Students living abroad may need to sit the exams with the help of the British Council.
You will need to give proof of identity before sitting the exams. The NCTJ Portfolio of work
Your Career path
The NCTJ qualifications are an open door to a career in journalism. And the online course will prepare you to work in every sphere of journalism: print, broadcasting, magazine and web journalism. Once you have completed the course and have passed your exams, you will be ready to begin looking for work. And we will give you help and advice on where to find jobs, how to apply for them and how to prepare for interviews.
Cleland Thom has wide-ranging contacts. He has helped hundreds of young - and not so young - journalists into jobs over the years. Many of his former students are now working on national newspapers like the Daily Mail, the News of the World and the Sun, work on TV stations like Sky News, or are holding senior positions on local newspapers, magazines, websites and radio stations all over the UK and abroad. In all areas of journalism and is well placed to help you find work.
Once you have completed the subject unit to an acceptable standard, you will be sent the next module, together with exercises and assignments.
Once you demonstrate an acceptable degree of competence, you will be sent old NCTJ News Writing papers to complete and return and will be given specialist guidance to prepare you for your exams. You will also be given help building your NCTJ Portfolio. You will have to go out and find a certain type of story (human interest, bread and butter news, reviews, features, emergency calls obtained from police tapes etc) and write them up.
