BY

Journalists worth their salt will tell you that there are no 'fixed' rules on how to pass an exam exactly, or what makes good copy in a newsroom. Everyone is different, and approaches a story uniquely.

Infact, Wimbledon's sportsbeat news editor, Andrew Moorhouse, said: "News stories are generally an art, but passing an National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ) exam in many ways is closer to a science."

He added: "It is not 100% exact and not always a case of yes and no. The more common threads we can identify, the less chance we have of going wrong."

But, there are guidelines to copy writing which can impress an editor. So, pay attention.

And finally, Steven Ward, of <a href=”www.nosweatjt.co.uk>noSWeat Journalism Training</a>, London, commented of journalism on his website: "There is a great deal of work to do both on the academic and practical side. One needs to develop a reporting voice. In other words, the trainee needs to be able to view incidents and activities from an objective viewpoint. News reports must be concise, accurate, balanced, and accord with media law."

DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF JOURNALISM

Features:

A feature is different to a news story. Writing one can be approached in a number of different ways. Whereas news stories generally focus on generals, rather than specifics, features focus on the opposite. For example, if you are writing a feature on the rising decline of sales in the motor industry, you may approach several sources. A feature does not always have to focus on the latest NEWS – but the latest news can be linked to it – provided it is not a court case. They can also be a way of initiating debate and can lead to other ideas. A good way of addressing an idea for a feature is to pick a word at random, and think of all the words associated with that word, in this case, 'FOOD.'

Reviews:

A review is a personal opinion of something. Maybe you have gone to see a film. Maybe you didn't like a play. You do not always have to wax lyrical. The best reviews are balanced, and can stimulate debate in forums, and chat rooms. They do not always have to have verbatim quotes, either.

  Press Releases:

Journalists should refrain from over advertising and boosting a company's product, the NEWS is of primary concern here. Pick out what is newsy, and then, if time, make a brief comment on the credibility of the product being advertised.

Copy:

When submitting copy, make sure it has your name in the left hand corner, is visible in 12pt Times New Roman Font and has a brief catchline underneath your details. It is always worth submitting a headline with your story. A Journalist once told me a personal story of how one reporter was made redundant by job lay-offs partly because he kept forgetting to submit a headline to his news. Be warned!

Shorthand:

There is a huge debate going on about whether journalists actually need shorthand. Ofcourse, for newspapers, shorthand is vital. A good shorthand note will probably be the matter of life and death for a reporter who can prove what the interviewee said and when they said it. Remember to always log the date and time in your notebook, when making a note.

Blogs:

It seems everyone nowadays is blogging. Infact, many blogs are now catching national media recognition for their content. A blog should be made as interesting as possible through pictures, videos, statistics, and comment, both personal and from other sources. Make sure you do not get caught out by not attributing a

source. Make sure that you do not infringe any laws when taking pictures or videos.

Blog Your Way Into A Job

According to journalist and blogger Pat Thornton, who has his own blog called the Journalism Iconoclast, students who blog are more likely to clinch that all important job on a newspaper, magazine or website.

Thornton says that blogging shows a potential employer that you are active and creative - and cites a recent graduate Kyle Hansen, who scooped a job on the Las Vegas Sun because he had a skill set that was desired.

He said in his blog: "Yes, it is a tough time for journalism graduates — or anyone looking for a journalism job — but there are jobs available for people with desirable skills."

Thornton adds on the blog: "It doesn’t have to be the best or most popular blog, but having a blog shows potential employers that Hansen is willing to try out new tools and that he has an understanding of the power of blogging."

"It’s never too late to update your skill set." Thornton ends.

Visit http://patthorntonfiles.com/blog/ to view more articles from Pat Thornton.

If you want to start blogging, visit www.the-latest.com and sign up to start writing or start your own on blogger or wordpress.

ENDS

Freedom of Information:

The public can now request once kept secret information via the Freedom of Information Act 2000. This means that you can request information from any body that has a public function. Examples could be national government departments, or your local council, or Primary Care Trust. The list is endless. It is not just national media who are causing a stir with Freedom of Information requests. Many citizen journalism sites are making

splashes. *See the tips section on www.the-latest.com for examples of stories using Freedom of Information.

Impress an editor:

First things first, most people believe that being a journalist/writer means you have to be an aggressive gorilla, to get a story. This is far from the truth. Whilst journalists need to be pressy and confident, journalists are more likely to be given

information if they are tactful and respectful. However, don't be too NICE!

Editors look for three things:

Personality Cleansiness

And atleast some writing ability

*See stories below for more tips from experts such as journalism guru Cleland Thom, and Latest editor Marc Wadsworth, and Regional Press man Ed Oldfield.

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Journo Guru Offers Free Tips On YouTube

EVERY Journalist has their own writing style, and it is important to maintain that. According to journalism guru Cleland Thom, who is offering free advice via the popular video website YouTube, he says regardless of whether you are writing copy for an exam, or a job, there is no need to alter it. 

His series of videos are for students who are struggling to pass the British National Council for The Training of Journalists' preliminary certificates in law, public affairs and news writing.

Thom, who runs the Cleland Thom Online Journalism Training College (CTJT), demonstrates to students the key points which, he claims, will achieve them a solid NCTJ pass, which is the traditional gateway to provincial newspapers.

He said, starkly: "There's no need to vary your writing style, just because it is an exam."

Thom added: "As long as you write an accurate, bright story with the latest news at the top with a snappy intro, you will pass the exam."

So far, he has had more than 100 views on each topic. The highest number of hits has been for the news writing, ironically.

Thom's videos last around 10 minutes each. Visit them here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxzGyAwQTF0.

He has has also launched a new book, the How To - Media Law manual which has already sold 500 copies, according to his website.

Thom is legal adviser to the Manchester Evening News, Greater Manchester Weekly Newspapers, The Local Radio Company and Essex Independent Newspapers.

He writes regular articles on journalism training in the weekly 'journalists' bible', the Press Gazette - also advertised on popular growing citizen journalism site The-Latest (*see the top left hand corner of this site and click on links.)

Thom also ran the successful NCTJ course at <place><placename>Highbury <placetype>College, <city><place>Portsmouth, for 10 years.

The-Latest, edited by established Journalist/Broadcaster Marc Wadsworth, also offers journalism advice for would-be journalists. * See the left hand column 'Journalism Tips' on that site for help.

Visit http://www.ctjt.biz/html/index.html to view Cleland's site.

ENDS

 

Social Networking Hack Site Launched

MEDIA professionals in Kent have launched a social networking website for journalists this week.

The site, www.meejahub.co.uk is a one stop shop for anyone who wishes to network, discuss events, create leads for stories, and hook up with fellow professionals from the Tunbridge Wells area and further a field.

Three friends, including a national press journalist, web designer, and media professional will officially launch the project at the Hotel Du Vin in Tunbridge Wells today (July 23).

Those who sign up for free can write a blog, and debate issues in a forum section.

ENDS

 

 Training Site For   Would-Be   Hacks

Another Journalism Guru, Ed Oldfield, has also launched his own journalism training website for would-be journalists. He has been writing and subbing copy for more than 20 years on various regional newspapers.

You can visit Mr Oldfield's site by clicking on the Links column on this site.

Click on http://www.the-latest.com/so-can-you-hack-it to read what he has to say about the diverse and wonderful world of journalism.