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Q&A thread - Journalism Courses

Hi,

Everyone seems to be asking the same questions so I thought it would be easiest to set up a Q&A thread about Journalism courses here. I will do my best not to be biased and will answer any questions as best I can.

Why do a journalism degree?

A lot of people also told me not to go for an undergraduate degree in journalism, and to try and specialise first and then do a post grad or a NCTJ only course but I don't regret doing what I did... I've been applying for jobs and getting work placements, even working as a paid freelancer whilst I've been on the course. The reason I picked this course is because I know after getting the experience whilst I'm on the course, I can walk into a job at a newspaper, a magazine, a tv station etc. and be able to do what they ask without too much training and thats what employers like. We do politics, law, news theory, media theory, news writing, features, broadcast, layouts, print etc. all of which you'd have to do about 5 degrees for to get skills in everything...

What to look out for when picking journalism courses:

- NCTJ accreditation - this is mainly for newspapers but definitely a must if you're doing a full undergraduate 3 year degree it's not worth doing a journalism course without it.

- BJTC accreditation - this is mainly for broadcast journalism but if you're unsure which area of journalism you want to go for, try and find one with both. As a person, to be more employable, the more skills you have, the more likely you are to be hired so any course which covers more than one area of journalism is best IMO.

- Graduation prospects - look at what jobs students managed to get when they left uni, this is usually an indicator of the uni's reputation and links to the industry which are very important.

- Make sure you like the uni itself - When I applied to Bournemouth I wasn't sure if I would be suited to the place but after an open day I could see myself being there and living there, which swung it for me. It has also pumped a lot of funding into the media school so the equipment is all top notch and new. - these are things you read about in prospectuses but you don't believe it until you've seen it with your own eyes!

What do you need to get into a journalism course?

- Most places ask for BBB from Alevels but you'd have to check individual prospectus' to check.
- Some sort of experience, this can be doing a week's work placement at your local newspaper, to running your own working journalism website, or just keeping a blog for you and your mates to read, it all counts.

Is it hard work?

Yes!! Journalism isn't like every other uni course where you only go in two or three days a week, it's a hard course at you will have 9am starts every day. They tell you when you start, if you don't have the willpower and aren't committed, you might as well leave. Having said that, I love it, the adrenaline of having such tight deadlines and not having to sit writing essays and being able to go out and talk to people etc. is much better than sitting in lectures every day. In my first year my hours were 20 contact (timetabled) hours a week, so you'll have stuff to do outside of lessons the rest of the time. Second year it drops to about 16 or 18 depending on modules etc. and third year is about 5 but you'll have a dissertation to do then too.

Hope this helps. Feel free to ask any more questions :smile:

Mods - can this be made a sticky thread?

Reply 1

Controversial

7

That was well written and informative, thanks :smile:

I'm hoping to get on to a course and do journalism next year...

Reply 2

Eden09

OP

13

Controversial

That was well written and informative, thanks :smile:

I'm hoping to get on to a course and do journalism next year...

Good luck! Do you know where abouts yet? What alevels are you doing?

Reply 3

raziell

1

NCTJ accrediation isn't vital, Cardiff and City, arguably the two best journalism schools in the UK don't offer it at undergraduate. There is a growing feeling that accredited undergraduate degrees are a waste of time and money - they don't teach you anymore then a NCTJ short course. Only when doing a practical journalism degree do you really want accreditation, while at Cardiff our degree is a theoretical course. As far as entry requirements go, Sheffield and Cardiff are probably the most demanding, which both ask for ABB.

Reply 4

apassingfeeling

17

Good thread :biggrin:

I was going to write the same sort of thing, because there are always SO many threads asking questions (especially that dreaded 'isn't a journalism undergrad degree useless?') and I have a list of questions that I was going to answer but I was too lazy to actually do it :tongue:

Reply 5

Eden09

OP

13

raziell

NCTJ accrediation isn't vital, Cardiff and City, arguably the two best journalism schools in the UK don't offer it at undergraduate. There is a growing feeling that accredited undergraduate degrees are a waste of time and money - they don't teach you anymore then a NCTJ short course.

Hmm.. I would have to disagree. Whilst Cardiff and City are good courses, if you want to walk into a job at a newspaper you'll be hard pressed to find one that will accept you if you've not done the NCTJs. Also, it makes much more sense to do an all-rounded course (inc NCTJs) than to spend another 6 months after uni doing another journalism course, doesn't it? (assuming you want to be a journalist when you've finished at uni)

Also, there is a lot more to an undergraduate degree course (which is 3 years full time) than just 6 months worth of NCTJs...There are only 4 parts to the NCTJ exams, news writing, law, public affairs and shorthand. The rest of the course is: layout workshops, online workshops, media and society theory, news theory, reading the media theory, broadcasting - tv and radio news production, features...

Reply 6

Eden09

OP

13

apassingfeeling

Good thread :biggrin:

I was going to write the same sort of thing, because there are always SO many threads asking questions (especially that dreaded 'isn't a journalism undergrad degree useless?') and I have a list of questions that I was going to answer but I was too lazy to actually do it :tongue:

LOL I just thought it was a good idea because I didn't know about TSR when I was applying and I could have really used something like this to help me decide. Also thought it would be good for my karma :p:

Reply 7

Controversial

7

Eden09

Good luck! Do you know where abouts yet? What alevels are you doing?

I haven't

Ive got a NVQ in childcare, which i passed with a distinction, and i am currently finishing 3 OU courses in law, psychology and child psychology. I'm hoping that'll be enough, or but I'm very scared that it won't. I've been published a few times, though, so hopefully that'll help!

I've applied for Chester and Birmingham City. Nervous!

Any tips if i do get accepted?

Reply 8

raziell

1

Eden09

Hmm.. I would have to disagree. Whilst Cardiff and City are good courses, if you want to walk into a job at a newspaper you'll be hard pressed to find one that will accept you if you've not done the NCTJs. Also, it makes much more sense to do an all-rounded course (inc NCTJs) than to spend another 6 months after uni doing another journalism course, doesn't it? (assuming you want to be a journalist when you've finished at uni)

Also, there is a lot more to an undergraduate degree course (which is 3 years full time) than just 6 months worth of NCTJs...There are only 4 parts to the NCTJ exams, news writing, law, public affairs and shorthand. The rest of the course is: layout workshops, online workshops, media and society theory, news theory, reading the media theory, broadcasting - tv and radio news production, features...

Many students on my course and I assume many other courses, the vast majority not being journalism ones, have little trouble finding work in journalism with just an undergraduate theory degree. Although I'll admit many students on my course are put off once they realised how poor pay is for prospective young journalists and enter graduate schemes, PR etc instead.

The NCTJ is seen by many as an outdated institution (the decline of the use of shorthand being just one grievance), and if your good enough a paper is usually willing to pay for your NCTJ (although growingly, only local papers actively ask for it).

And it isn't very common for people to do the NCTJs short course after their degree anyway, usually they'll take a typical arts degree then finish it off with the 1yr postgrad course at Cardiff, City, Sheffield etc. I wouldn't say practical courses are useless though, especially where you study as Bournemouth has a growing reputation for producing very good broadcast journalists. It's a huge shame however when many students are throwing themselves into thousands of pounds of debt though for alot of courses (usually at lower-ranked institutions) to realise papers aren't on the whole interested in alot of journalism degrees and prefer older candidates who have complete a PG course.

Reply 9

Eden09

OP

13

Controversial

I haven't

Ive got a NVQ in childcare, which i passed with a distinction, and i am currently finishing 3 OU courses in law, psychology and child psychology. I'm hoping that'll be enough, or but I'm very scared that it won't. I've been published a few times, though, so hopefully that'll help!

I've applied for Chester and Birmingham City. Nervous!

Any tips if i do get accepted?

Law will be very useful and getting published is a big achievement as well so you'll stand a fighting chance.

As for tips, do lots of work experience whilst you're on the course, at the local paper, local radio station and you'll get your name out there, build up some industry contacts. Also do lots for the student paper and radio station too, they're always good to bulk up the CV. Also start a blog and put a link to it at the bottom of your emails etc. sometimes people like to have samples of work they can read rather than you just telling them how good you are in a CV :smile:

In terms of finding contacts and interviewees for stories, don't tell them you're a student, tell them you're a freelance journalist, most people don't want to help students :rolleyes:

Reply 10

Eden09

OP

13

raziell

The NCTJ is seen by many as an outdated institution (the decline of the use of shorthand being just one grievance), and if your good enough a paper is usually willing to pay for your NCTJ (although growingly, only local papers actively ask for it).

If you want to do court reporting, one of the key (and most highly paid) types of journalism, you can't do it without shorthand. Even news agencies charge more for a freelance report of a court proceeding than most other types of stories.

raziell

It's a huge shame however when many students are throwing themselves into thousands of pounds of debt though for alot of courses (usually at lower-ranked institutions) to realise papers aren't on the whole interested in alot of journalism degrees and prefer older candidates who have complete a PG course.

I agree with part of this... I think it is a shame that people run up debt going to a not-so-well-recognised degree but that's the case with so many courses at so many unis, not everyone can get the grades to go to Cardiff, City, Sheffield and Bournemouth and don't have a choice. :o:

I do think though, if you're good at what you do, you'll find a way in a good job anyway.

I disagree with your comment about employers being interested in older candidates. Having spent one year more in education won't necessarily make you a better journalist, or better at any job... it all depends on what skills you can muster up doing the course that you've chosen and I felt that doing 3 years of journalism, rather than 1 would make me more experienced and better qualified as a journalist.

Reply 11

Magic Potion

11

Good thread. I'm going to do a journalism degree at LJMU, hopefully. I do kind of agree with raziell though that employers tend to 'prefer' those that have done traditional arts degrees and then a PG. According to an article in Jan 2009 that I read on the net (I'm sorry I can't source it but I have read it) 'The Guardian' hasn't employed anyone with an undergraduate degree in journalism in the last three years. Gah, national newspapers. Still its a fairly new degree maybe the snobbery will soften with time. PS My favourite columnist has to Giles Coren of 'The Times', just thought I'd let you know. I love broadsheets too. I look forward to the demands of journalism, it should be fun....

Reply 12

Eden09

OP

13

Magic Potion

Good thread. I'm going to do a journalism degree at LJMU, hopefully.

Good luck!

Magic Potion

I do kind of agree with raziell though that employers tend to 'prefer' those that have done traditional arts degrees and then a PG. According to an article in Jan 2009 that I read on the net (I'm sorry I can't source it but I have read it) 'The Guardian' hasn't employed anyone with an undergraduate degree in journalism in the last three years. Gah, national newspapers. Still its a fairly new degree maybe the snobbery will soften with time.

Really? I had no idea... It's odd 'cause they still accept students from Bournemouth's undergrad course on work placements...

Magic Potion

PS My favourite columnist has to Giles Coren of 'The Times', just thought I'd let you know. I love broadsheets too. I look forward to the demands of journalism, it should be fun....

Mine's Charlie Brooker from the G2 :biggrin:

Reply 13

apassingfeeling

17

Eden09

Good luck!

Really? I had no idea... It's odd 'cause they still accept students from Bournemouth's undergrad course on work placements...

Mine's Charlie Brooker from the G2 :biggrin:

Love Charlie Brooker's Newswipe! Its so funny.

Reply 14

Dynamitri

14

It's funny that the newspapers are being mentioned... An astonishingly outdated medium that does not have much future to be honest - and yes, I know that some newspapers have been here for 100 years plus, but truth be said, the sale of newspapers is constantly declining. Who knows how the market will look like in 3-4 years' time, in terms of astonishingly fast developing media this period of time is almost an eternity. The future lies in on-line content - audio and video, written content is taking a "slight" decline - people don't have and won't have either time or patience to go through several pages of written text. Sorry to say that, but it's good to be aware of the fact that newspaper journalism is not as an excellent of a career as it has been 10-20 years ago, and probably never will be again :yep:

Of course there are still gonna be newspapers in circulation, probably for the next dozen years or so, but methinks they don't have much future anyway :smile:

Reply 15

Eden09

OP

13

Dynamitri

It's funny that the newspapers are being mentioned... An astonishingly outdated medium that does not have much future to be honest - and yes, I know that some newspapers have been here for 100 years plus, but truth be said, the sale of newspapers is constantly declining. Who knows how the market will look like in 3-4 years' time, in terms of astonishingly fast developing media this period of time is almost an eternity. The future lies in on-line content - audio and video, written content is taking a "slight" decline - people don't have and won't have either time or patience to go through several pages of written text. Sorry to say that, but it's good to be aware of the fact that newspaper journalism is not as an excellent of a career as it has been 10-20 years ago, and probably never will be again :yep:

Of course there are still gonna be newspapers in circulation, probably for the next dozen years or so, but methinks they don't have much future anyway :smile:

Wow, you have some very strong views. :woo:

IMO newspapers are the most traditional form of news, but not really outdated. There are some people who feel that newspapers are the only true form of media left as broadcast news isn't allowed to be subjective, print is, and for the press to fulfil their role as scrutinising the executive (fourth estate if you want to google it) then it has to be subjective.

Reply 16

Dynamitri

14

Eden09

broadcast news isn't allowed to be subjective, print is

IMO print is as much "subjective" as broadcast news and vice versa.

On the other hands - I always thought that it's objectivity that matters and should be encouraged (however hard to achieve as the final outcome), not the subjectivity, i.e. "bias" (of whatever sort). :yep:

(do they not mean more or less the same? correct me if I'm wrong, I'm not a native speaker so lol :confused:

)

Reply 17

Eden09

OP

13

Dynamitri

IMO print is as much "subjective" as broadcast news and vice versa.

On the other hands - I always thought that it's objectivity that matters and should be encouraged (however hard to achieve as the final outcome), not the subjectivity, i.e. "bias" (of whatever sort). :yep:

(do they not mean more or less the same? correct me if I'm wrong, I'm not a native speaker so lol :confused:

)

Not really, most newspapers lean towards one end of the political spectrum, right or left, and a few hover in the middle. This is what I meant by them having subjectivity, their aim is to attract a particular audience and so they would bring up the issues that are of concern to that audience. Does that make sense?

Edit: just wanted to add that by law the broadcast media isn't allowed to be subjective because they are viewed by such a mass audience.. I'm not sure what the laws are, I just know they're a lot tighter about what they are allowed to broadcast.

And yeah, usually objectivity is what's 'talked about' I was trying to make the point about the press being subjective and that it's their aim not to be objective in the first place...

Subjectivity and objectivity are opposites really, being subjective is taking a side or being biased and being objective is being as middle road as possible and not taking a side (or a political slant).

Reply 18

Dynamitri

14

Eden09

Edit: just wanted to add that by law the broadcast media isn't allowed to be subjective because they are viewed by such a mass audience..

That's pretty interesting - where I'm from (Poland) the broadcast media are pretty much subjective, e.g. the state-owned, public broadcaster basically leans towards the direction that the party that has the majority in the government is from. It has changed recently, but has been pretty much this way since Poland has regained independence.

Also, there are several, privately-owned news channels, that represent left, right, centre and catholic point of view :yep:

Good to know that, had no idea that there actually is law here that explicitly forbids public broadcasters to steer off-centre :wink:

Reply 19

Eden09

OP

13

Dynamitri

That's pretty interesting - where I'm from (Poland) the broadcast media are pretty much subjective, e.g. the state-owned, public broadcaster basically leans towards the direction that the party that has the majority in the government is from. It has changed recently, but has been pretty much this way since Poland has regained independence.

Also, there are several, privately-owned news channels, that represent left, right, centre and catholic point of view :yep:

Good to know that, had no idea that there actually is law here that explicitly forbids public broadcasters to steer off-centre :wink:

Yea I can imagine it being very different in other countries, you only have to watch FOX news to realise, I didn't believe it was actual news the first time I saw it, you can find some funny clips on youtube about how shockingly biased they are about some issues, and it is worrying because some people might only watch fox and not know any better..

Thinking about it, I'm not sure if it's just the BBC who're obligated to remain objective or all broadcasters... anyone else have any idea? (I should probably know this being a journalist lol :rolleyes:

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Q&A thread - Journalism Courses

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