Work experience tales two: Topless shopping in Sevenoaks

Posted by Dominic Ponsford on 16 February 2010 at 15:23
Tags: Journalism, Student Journalism

Roger Kasper, editor of the Sevenoaks Chronicle, has got in touch with another tale about adventures in work experience - following yesterday’s story about journalism student Chris Slater who had to ride into Tesco on a bicycle for The Sun.

When the Tesco superstore in Sevenoaks put up a notice telling customers to wear a shirt when they shopped, Roger decided to send in work experience trainee Matt Savage to test it out.

Explains Roger: “Off he went to get thrown out of Tesco, but served in Marks and Spencer, Co-op and Sainsbury’s. And a great feature was had by all. Ladies, check out his pecs.”

And this on one of the coldest winters on record! Somebody please give that lad a job.

New PA multimedia training course in London

Posted by Press Gazette on 16 February 2010 at 11:53
Tags: Newspapers, People, Student Journalism

The Press Association is to launch a new multimedia foundation training course in London.

The new course, which will run from the Press Association’s headquarters in Vauxhall Bridge Road, will be based on the schemes the news agency runs from its training centre in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. (more…)

Editors tell student conference: ‘Shorthand and legal training essential’

Posted by India Adams on 15 February 2010 at 12:17
Tags: Journalism, Student Journalism

Leading editors told student journalists that NCTJ qualifications, in particular shorthand and law, alongside a decent amount of work experience and enthusiasm by the bucket load, would ensure they could compete in the tough jobs market of today.

Editors Brien Beharrell from the Newbury Weekly News, Joroen Bergmans from easyjet Traveller, Graham Dudman (managing editor at The Sun), Dave King from the Swindon Advertiser and Dominic Ponsford from Press Gazette were quizzed by 43 members of the NCTJ Student Council at Guardian News and Media’s headquarters in London on Friday.

Graham Dudman, managing editor of The Sun, was on the panel and offered students this advice: “Number one is shorthand and number two is law. I want to know that you can write shorthand at 100wpm.”

He added: “Submit a CV that’s no more than two pages long. You might think you’re the most important person in the world; frankly you’re not. Any spelling mistakes would go in the bin and do some research into the newspaper before you apply.”

Rosemary Lowne, studying MA Journalism at Cardonald College, Glasgow, said of the day: “For me the highlight of the day was the Q&A session with the panel of editors as their advice was extremely helpful.”

Work experience tales: ‘Ride into Tesco on a bicycle’

Posted by Katrina McLachlan on 15 February 2010 at 10:37
Tags: Agencies, National Newspapers, Student Journalism

Journalism student Chris Slater was told to ride into Tesco on a bicycle as his first national press assigment whilst on work experience for Cavenish Press news agency in Manchester. (more…)

Dream Job: Local reporter @ £15,000 pa - really?

Posted by Press Gazette on 4 January 2010 at 11:46
Tags: National Newspapers, Newspapers, Regional Newspapers, Student Journalism

(UPDATE: Tim Dowling you’re in luck – Hackney Gazette is looking for a chief reporter…)

The Guardian has kicked the year off by sending its crack team of feature writers off to explore their dream jobs.

Imagine Press Gazette’s surprise when Tim Dowling – a writer sans journalism training - admitted to secretly hankering a desire to trade in his comfortable wage and two or three pieces a week for a bash as a local reporter, conducting death knocks and cranking out copy for a miserly £15,000. (more…)

John Humphrys’ shorthand. Any cop?

Posted by Press Gazette on 12 November 2009 at 12:02
Tags: Journalism, Student Journalism

 Time to celebrate. It’s shorthand week.

(more…)

Awards night throws up stab compensation scoop for Chorley Guardian

Posted by Gary Neale on 12 October 2009 at 10:03
Tags: Journalism, Newspapers, Regional Newspapers, Student Journalism, awards

The Chorley Guardian bagged another scoop when it covered the 02 Media awards held to recognise journalism in the North West of England last week. (more…)

City Uni provides free researchers for science journalists

Posted by Helen Potter on 10 September 2009 at 08:24
Tags: Journalism, National Newspapers, Newspapers, People, Student Journalism, press freedom

A new initiative from City University, London, will supply free investigative researchers from its Science Journalism Masters Course to working journalists.

The intention of the scheme is to provide research support for in-depth scientific investigative journalism as part of a joint partnership between the Journalism Department at City University and ABSW (the Association of British Science Writers). (more…)

Journalism grad with no schooling bags Guardian feature

Posted by Dominic Ponsford on 9 September 2009 at 09:19
Tags: Journalism, National Newspapers, Student Journalism

A recent journalism graduate who didn’t go to school bagged a four-page feature in the Guardian’s G2 section.

Roxy Freeman, 29, wrote a first hand account of growing up travelling around ireland in a horse-drawn wagon. After gaining an Open University degree she did a 10-week sub-editing course at the Journalist Works in Brighton.

She gained a work placement at The Guardian under a scheme which supports aspiring journalists from ethnic minorities.

NCTJ awards diversity fund training bursaries

Posted by Martin Dominguez on 3 September 2009 at 09:51
Tags: Journalism, Newspapers, Photography, Student Journalism

The NCTJ has selected seven budding reporters to receive training bursaries from its journalism diversity fund. (more…)

NUJ slams ‘bogus work experience’

Posted by Neil Vowles on 22 July 2009 at 10:54
Tags: Journalism, National Union of Journalists, Student Journalism

The NUJ has heavily criticised “bogus work experience placements” for exploit aspiring journalists as free labour.

NUJ general secretary Jeremy Dear said too many employers used internships as a way of getting work done for free and welcomed new Government plans to improve internship standards.

Dear’s comments follow the publication of the Government’s Unleashing Aspiration report on equality which highlighted internships as one of the ways hopefuls from poorer backgrounds were excluded from entering professions such as journalism.

In a letter to the Guardian, Dear said: “While on-the-job work experience is an essential part of media training, bogus work experience placements are increasingly being used to fill long-term staffing gaps with free labour.”

This resulted, Dear said, in only those with the financial security of well-off families or a willingness to build up massive debts can get into careers in journalism.

“Just when we should be nurturing and supporting the people coming into the industry, media employers are exploiting  dreams and excluding new talent.”

He added: “By ordering proper enforcement of the minimum wage in the media, it could help make our industry a far fairer place.”

Reuters makes its editorial bible free online for the first time

Posted by Dominic Ponsford on 17 July 2009 at 16:47
Tags: Agencies, Journalism, Student Journalism

Reuters has made its Handbook of Journalism available for free online for the first time.

It’s an amazing resource and something which all journalists should stick on the favourites list.

It kicks off by saying: “Everything we do as Reuters journalists has to be independent, free from bias and executed with the utmost integrity.”

Well said.

The ten absolutes of Reuters journalism are also worth repeating:

• Always hold accuracy sacrosanct
• Always correct an error openly
• Always strive for balance and freedom from bias
• Always reveal a conflict of interest to a manager
• Always respect privileged information
• Always protect their sources from the authorities
• Always guard against putting their opinion in a news story
• Never fabricate or plagiarise
• Never alter a still or moving image beyond the requirements of normal image enhancement
• Never pay for a story and never accept a bribe

European journalism students to meet in Lincoln

Posted by Tom Gillespie on 27 February 2009 at 11:12
Tags: Journalism, Student Journalism

The Forum for European Journalism Students will be held at the University of Lincoln from April 2-7, and will be attended by more than 100 students from over 27 European countries.

Representatives from the Press Association and the BBC will hold debates on the roles of blogging, social-networking and video journalism in the future of the industry, and guest speakers will include the Hull Daily Mail editor John Meehan.

The event, which has been running since 1986, has never been held in England before.

The organiser, third year journalism student Gina Davies said: “It will make the city (Lincoln) the capital for European journalism in the UK, which should be great for tourism and the economy.”

Bridgestone journalism competition now open for entries

Posted by Tom Gillespie on 19 February 2009 at 14:23
Tags: Journalism, Student Journalism

Bridgestone has announced that the 2009 ‘e-reporter’ competition for young aspiring journalists is now open for entries.

The competition aims to provide students with ‘invaluable experience’, and will help them to establish careers within the media.

The competition is open to European students aged 18-30, and is for those with a passion for motorsport, or who are simply keen journalists. (more…)

Broadcast journalism student scores scoop with Nazi initiation ceremony

Posted by Dominic Ponsford on 3 October 2008 at 10:04
Tags: Broadcast, New Media, Student Journalism

Well done to University of Gloucestershire broadcast journalism student Natalie Sutton who secured a scoop with the BBC yesterday with her video footage of a student intiation ceremony involving students downing pints of beer with carrier bags over their heads directed by another student in Nazi garb.

(more…)

Journalism students taught to write press releases

Posted by Patrick Smith on 30 September 2008 at 09:30
Tags: Journalism, National Newspapers, Student Journalism

Journalism students at the NCTJ-accredited course at Highbury College in Portsmouth are to be taught the basics of writing press releases. Holdthefrontpage tells us that the would-be reporters are taking part in a scheme with the college’s marketing department to write press releases on its behalf and see what stories they can get into print. Some will see the scheme as a sensible idea - many journalists end up moving over to PR, lured by the shorter hours and better pay and it could benefit journalists to understand how communications staff work. Though no doubt some traditionalists would argue that the two disciplines should be kept as far apart as possible, especially during training.

Journalism student from London college raped whilst investigating immigration camp

Posted by Rachael Gallagher on 28 August 2008 at 15:58
Tags: Journalism, Student Journalism

Police are investigating claims that a female journalism student from a London college has been raped whilst reporting on an illegal immigration camp in Calais, reports The Telegraph.

The woman, said to be in her 30s, was working alone interviewing immigrants in the makeshift camp called “The Jungle”.

A local police spokesman said: “She appeared to be working alone, which was clearly a very dangerous thing to do.

“We fear that the men she was reporting on attacked her in the wood where they were staying.”

Princess Beatrice to join FT on work experience

Posted by Patrick Smith on 4 June 2008 at 19:29
Tags: National Newspapers, Student Journalism

It may be the king of business newspapers but the Financial Times is set to get some help from a genuine royal.

According to MediaGuardian, Princess Beatrice, daughter of Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, and the fifth in line to the throne, is to join the old pink lady on work experience.

Beatrice, 19, will reportedly write for the paper’s Alphaville blog and How To Spend It lifestyle supplement, proving that even Royals have to do a little work for free to get a foot on the Fleet Street ladder.

The Guardian also reported in February that Prince William was considering a work placement on a national paper.

Press Gazette offers work experience to students from all walks of life - Royal Family members also welcome - and interested parties should read the guidelines and get in touch.

Tickets still available for Commons charity night

Posted by Dominic Ponsford on 20 May 2008 at 09:19
Tags: Broadcast, Journalism, Law, Magazines, National Newspapers, New Media, PR, Regional Newspapers, Student Journalism

A note from the Journalists’ Charity:

Some tickets are still available for the Journalists’ Charity’s summer party at the House of Commons on the evening of Thursday, 29 May. To purchase tickets, phone 01306 887511 or check the Journalists’ Charity web site.

Educators debate: Do journalists still need shorthand?

Posted by Martin Stabe on 8 May 2008 at 09:17
Tags: Agencies, Journalism, Magazines, National Newspapers, Online, Regional Newspapers, Student Journalism

Journalism educators validating various courses yesterday discussed whether journalists still need to be taught shorthand, Charlie Beckett of the Polis journalism thinktank notes on his blog.

Beckett sums up the debate as being about course priorities when teaching time is limited: “In a world of new media where everything is digitised and where so much of journalism is about re-working material, do you need to devote 100 hours to teaching 80 words per minute of scribble?

Both he and the Observer sports journalist Denis Campbell were firmly in the pro-Teeline camp. But Beckett also wonders: “Those of us who have shorthand like to think that it is vital, but is it any more important than an ability to type fast enough for Twitter?”

Update 22/5: As the debate rumbles on, Beckett has noted in the comments below that he would not consider himself “firmly” in the pro-shorthand camp, as I wrote. He has also added a longer extract to the original post.