Need help with all things Journalism?

Not sure if there's anyone still around who's willing/able to respond to this, but here goes.

I've been trying to break into journalism now for a couple of years (freelance, since I live overseas and the French, being French, are unlikely to employ anyone but a French national who's done their three-year requisite journalism course here ) but have had little or no luck.

This is despite having not one but two good degrees (2.1 in English & Classics from Exeter, Master's in Linguistics from Oxford), and a truckload of experience (at multiple IPC publications, as well as three years straight at Exeter's student paper and blogging for nearly 3 years now in association with a large American beauty website, which has brought me loads of good PR contacts). I just don't know what to do now as everything I do gets knocked back (my emails are either ignored, or I'm talked down to, or I'm led up the garden path and then dropped unceremoniously, or people hang up on me or are rude to me on the phone).

The closest I've come to getting anything published is having an idea for a regular FT feature being put on the pile for when he next needs one (but how likely is that to actually happen?) and having an article being accepted for review at Intelligent Life (but he seems to be taking a very long time to tell me if he actually wants it or not - I sent it in in October, emailed again in November, was told it was still on the list for consideration, sent an email again to the editor to say happy new year to them and the team in the hope of eliciting a further response - I know, vomit - but it didn't work). Understandably this doesn't make me feel great, hehe.

So beyond knowing if there's anything that it sounds like I could do better, I've also been looking into distance NCTJs, which seem to be good value for money, but I'm hesitant to sign right up as I really don't know how much benefit these bring.

Any words of advice would be much appreciated Cheers folks

Hi,

I'm starting a course in Journalism and Criminology in September and in the meantime am looking to get ahead on shorthand.

Can anyone recommend a "teach yourself" book to get me started? Bearing in mind shorthand is all very new to me! I've looked on Amazon briefly but I don't really know where to start.

Thanks

I would say Teeline Fast by Ann Dix is a good shorthand book to get started with. I assume by your post that shorthand is going to be taught on your course? But it's good idea to get familiar with the easier outlines now.

I'm hoping to have another crack at my shorthand after leaving it since I finished Uni last year.

I don't have the money to spend on a course as such but have the Tee Line book by Ann Dix and know the basic grasp of it but am nowhere near the 100wpm requirement.

So, what can I be doing in my own tuition to improve and possibly, what extra tools (books etc) might help?

Cheers

Not sure if this question has already been covered because there was sooooo much to go through that i couldnt possibly read it all...but you said you did your NCTJ course straight after A-level and this is something I am interested in although i'm not really sure how to go about it could you give me some more information please?

But thankyou for everyting you wrote on this thread it has been extremely helpful!

Hello,

Sorry you're having such a hard time. That does sound like quite a confidence knocker.

I'm not entirely sure why you're having such bad luck, but as I'm sure you know, you're by no means alone. It is currently the worst time to try and break into the media industry. Newspapers and magazines - both local and national - have cut back on their freelance employment given the industry's uncertain and, in some respects, dying nature right now. You'll find that most publications are sticking to the freelancers they know are trustworthy, talented and will stick to deadline. A lot hold the attitude that a risky investment - i.e. an unknown writer - really isn't worth it right now.

I'm afraid that while your degrees are impressive, they don't hold much in the media industry. It's about quality writing, being able to interview, being capable of sniffing out a good story and, importantly, making good contacts.

I could be wrong, but from your post you seem quite isolated. Have you made many media contacts in France? Have you taken on some some work experience, perhaps when you're back in the UK? It is key that you meet some of the right people and demonstrate your capabilities in a 'full time' media environment.

Freelance is a really tough job to tackle even when you have the contacts and it's a bit chicken and egg: you need to be respected to get the work, but how do you get the work without being respected? The best thing you can probably do, if you're really set on this career (do you have another source of income?) is to get some work experience when you're back, impress, make contacts and start from there.

By the way, I wouldn't do a distance NCTJ. I always think a journalism course should be about meeting people and making future contacts as much as it is the formal training (i.e. shorthand, media law) which, to be fair, you can learn yourself.

Hey, bit of advice needed here.

I graduated with my Journalism degree last year but since then haven't done much with it. Mostly being down to the way every industry has been affected with the economic downturn. Since then, I've been trying to do the odd voluntary writing here and there and working full time to earn abit of money.

At a recent interview which I didn't get (was a marketing position), it just started to bring into focus what my next step is. I definitely harbour hopes of becoming a journalist but I just would like advice as to what the next move would be in terms of maybe getting more qualifications (NCTJ perhaps? Towards the end of my course, we were getting prepared for taking the NCTJ's but doubt I will remember most of that stuff and I'm guessing the Law revision has changed abit). Or I was thinking of doing a post grad course but I don't feel like adding more debt to what I have already.

Any thoughts?

Cheers