Boycott the NCTJ? If only.
For many years the Association for Journalism Education (AJE) has debated whether its institutions should boycott the NCTJ. And for many years the NCTJ has all but ignored it. At this year’s AJE AGM the issue cropped up once again.
The complaints are copious, and I won’t list them all here, but revolve around some core issues:
- an increasing lack of relevance of the NCTJ training to the modern news industry;
- lack of academic rigour;
- and a lack of representation on the NCTJ board of the higher education sector, the NCTJ’s biggest customer.
Earlier this year AJE Chairman Chris Frost listed these complaints in a lengthy letter to the NCTJ. The reply disconcertingly resembled the automatically generated missives you get when you complain to a pub chain, largely ignoring the issues Chris raised.
The problem for journalism departments in the AJE is that NCTJ accreditation is not about education, but marketing. And as the market for journalism courses expands, the NCTJ logo becomes an important way to quickly establish new courses and differentiate older courses from the increasing competition. Courses become afraid to break away for fear of the impact on applications, and the result is that the NCTJ exercises power without responsibility.
The NCTJ is a private and commercial organisation. Its latest move - to establish a ‘gold standard’ accreditation for courses with a 60% pass rate - raised hackles both for its stench of league tables, and for the possibility that it will become yet another way of raising money, like the ‘awards ceremonies’ which require you to shell out for your gold statuette.
Colleagues on recently NCTJ accredited courses tell me that their contacts with the NCTJ revolve entirely around gathering money. Many have had to run the NCTJ courses in parallel with a full degree course, as they are unable to justify how learning shorthand is equivalent to first year degree study. The journalism degree I teach on, at UCE, decided not to accredit many years ago in large part because of this problem. We arrange shorthand courses for journalism students separately rather than incorporating it formally, and not having to accredit means we were flexible enough to offer subjects (including the critical analysis integral to any degree level study) that the NCTJ, with its particularly local, print ideas of journalism training, balks at. But we’re lucky: we’ve been established long enough to build a reputation and healthy application numbers.
The need for an NCTJ ‘badge’ seems to be something of a self-perpetuating myth: regional press editors continue to say that they require it, despite evidence that half of the new journalists they take on don’t have NCTJ training. Students and parents turn up at open days asking about it, thinking the NCTJ is a pass into journalism. Who tells them this? Careers advisers?
Magazines, the national press, broadcasting and online news operations generally couldn’t give a stuff about NCTJ. In conversation, editors on local newspapers are increasingly dissatisfied with the quality of NCTJ-trained applicants, while at the same time becoming more interested in applicants with video and online skills.
Meanwhile, the lack of career structure in local papers means we need to be training our students for the second, fifth and tenth years of their careers, when (unless things change) they have left their local reporting days behind and where flexibility, creativity, entrepreneurial ability and intellectual rigour - not just shorthand or local government - will have proved central to career progression.
If the NCTJ continue to refuse to listen to - or represent - their customers, if they continue developing at a pace that makes glaciers look nimble, and if they continue to put income before education, they may find universities’ patience runs out very soon indeed.
UPDATE (Sep 21 07): The Press Gazette editor’s blog contains some interesting comments about the NCTJ:
Written by Paul Bradshaw - Visit Website“Having recently finished an NCTJ course in newspaper journalism, I wasn’t overly-impressed. Whilst the course was fast-track, it mostly consisted of going over past exams papers - something which I could have done in my own time and saved myself the £1000+ fee. Shorthand was the only real skill that was passed on. Thirteen people failed the news writing exam despite good portfolio grades (surely some kind of scandal?) Resits cost £30 a piece and the NCTJ refuse to let you see where you lost marks unless you furnish them with further cash for the privilege. There needs to be a thorough investigation into whether the NCTJ is offering value for money to journalism students.”
15 Comments, Comment or Ping
Steve Hill
Hi Paul, I agree with many of your comments, but perhaps would say you’re a tad cynical on the marketing.
I also question your opinion that the NCTJ is not “academically rigorous.” A pass in an NCTJ exam, in say PA or Law, remains an impressive achievement despite any other criticisms we may have about the way it operates. Most people know that these certificates are not given out like candy - our students work bloody hard for it and it is certainly valued in many sectors of the industry.
But I also have real concerns about the way the the NCTJ operates. It’s brief (essentially to train students and existing journalists in the skills to be a reporter working in print media) is ridiculously limiting in this day of convergent journalism.
It has introduced a new online journalism exam, but the NCTJ still based it lives in a world where people read on paper.
And why do the NCTJ feel the need to continually attack the teaching of journalism in HE? The article by Andy Bull in the current issue of British Journalism Review (Vol 18, No.3 - get the plug in, I discuss it in detail on my blog) does little for its attempt to sign-up more universities. It also makes the NCTJ, dare I say it, look pretty foolish. It can’t continue to attack the very people that feed it.
Sep 13th, 2007
Louise
Having just decided to quit an NCTJ course in newspaper journalism at a ‘well regarded’ training centre, I can say that I think the NTCJ course, although interesting,IS mostly about cramming for prelim exams, as oppossed to learning what is going to be relevant in a newsroom.
To this end,I managed to get a refund on my course fees (over £1000) and have re-entered for the NCTJ prelim’s as an external candidate.This gives me the opportunity to work while I am completing the course and to go at my own rate, instead or rushing everything and simply failing all the exams first time round (which, as someone mentioned above, is what happens in quite a few of the modules-especially news writing).
I’m not trying to put people off from doing this course,but what I am saying is that there are other ways to get the ‘gold standard’ qualification under your belt,without having to fork out a lot of money and risk receiving little real teaching to do it.
Nov 4th, 2007
Ben
Criticisms of the newswriting exam are particularly valid. I have worked in the industry for several years (without training) before I resigned myself last year to rushing through a fast-track course which finishes next month: I was worried that all the job adverts seemed to demand it. Although it’s dreary, however, I can understand the need to be familiar with public affairs and law - but the newswriting section verges on the ridiculous.
From my experience with mock exams, the marking scheme seems to have been produced by some kind of random fact generator, spurting out a list of points that have to be included in a prescribed order and ranking quotes by how “emotive” they are, regardless of a balanced story. It takes no notice of the angle being attempted by the candidate or even the quality of writing.
I hope it’s not just my hurt journalistic pride after being handed a few average marks, but the exam is, to my mind, deeply flawed and contributes nothing to the course that is not already covered by the portfolio.
The exam encourages cliched, write-by-numbers journalism at its very worst; the sort that gives local newspapers a bad name. I fear it will create a bland reporting orthodoxy and the industry will lose the vital difference between pubications that makes it so lively.
Jan 12th, 2008
Student
I’m a student on an NCTJ course. Like the commenter above I wish that I was teaching myself in my own time. NCTJ certificates are exercises in memorising and regurgitating facts. All you need to pass PA and law are good memory and revision techniques. What they have to do with real journalism, I don’t know.
Jan 26th, 2008
BlondeAmbition
Dear student. What law and PA have to do with real journalism is build a solid grounding of factual knowledge that you’ll need to a) legally protect yourself as a journalist and b) ensure you have the knowledge necessary to write with authority about the myriad of issues you’ll need to get your head around as a journalist. This business is not just about writing, it’s not fluffy. You’ve got to know what you’re writing about and it’s more than just good grammar. When you’re learning anything - be it for school or a professional qualification - that involves having a good memory and revision techniqyes, yes - that’s what makes it learning, not the passing of information from one ear, through the head and out the other side. It’s possible you have much to learn about journalism, I wish you luck.
Apr 28th, 2008
Faye Lewis
As an MA Journalism student, the NCTJ proves more trouble than it is worth. Having worked for a number of newspapers all of which were content with a natural aptitude and ability to quickly adopt the stylistic features of the newspaper - the nctj news writing exam is unnecesarily pedantic in its method of enforcing a news style that must meet with their angle. There is no room for any sort of creativity or dare I say it any real chance to show off talent and flair. Like everyhing else it is just another box to tick in the monocultured world of modern newspaper journalism. No wonder editors are dissapointed with the standards of nctj rained reporters emerging!
May 12th, 2008
Mixtape
I have been seriously considering taking an NCTJ accredited course in journalism, starting in January 2009. I’m rapidly going off the idea though, having met a number of people who operate as journalists with little accredited training behind them. I want to work as a journo in Asia and the Middle East, working for english language publications and newssites, freelance or otherwise. I’ve 5 years plus with international NGOs. I am struggling to find affordable, relevant training however. Any suggestions?!
Jun 3rd, 2008
paulbradshaw
I’d speak to the employers you’re interested in - the NCTJ is largely supported by the regional UK press; magazine publishers and broadcasters rarely ask for it (the PPC and the BCTJ are equivalent bodies to the NCTJ in those areas). I’ve no idea what the policy would be in Asia and the Middle East but would love to know what you find out.
Jun 3rd, 2008
James
My NCTJ course lasts a year. So: a year of learning shorthand, Government, Media Law, Journalism…is all a waste of time? Hmmm….
Just because they don’t teach how to write a blog or shoot an online video, I think it’s important to remember the vast amount of academic ground the course covers - all of which feels highly important to help report on a story with confidence.
Dec 21st, 2008
Nat
I agree James. I’m on a 10-month course at the moment. I think its easy for people to criticise the NCTJ but the course actually takes over your life and people work damn hard to achieve good results. I know the grades aren’t relevant, editors just want to know if you have the qualification or not but many people in the same situation as me believe that if you are going to do it - your are going to do it well. The course is giving me confidence and the ability to rely on myself and not on others when i’m doing work placement at a local paper.
I must agree that I struggle to see the benefits of the news writing - I seem to be loosing my own style of news writing but it’s nothing that wont repair itself after 10 months.
Dec 22nd, 2008
James
Hello Nat - yes I agree on the effort front. It is the hardest, most academically gruelling thing I have ever experienced.
Dec 22nd, 2008
Tom
I’m really glad that I read this article. The careers branch of my university ran a seminar on how to get into journalism, or so I thought. Basically it was a marketing talk from a NCTJ representative. I was pretty disheartened at first because I have always aspired to work in journalism, or a field where I can write for a living and according to NCTJ writing ability isn’t that important - ‘you just have to be able to string a sentence together’ is a direct quote from their representative. I remember reading an article online about different routes into the journalism profession and as I listened to her speak, a point that the article made about accredited courses came to mind. At the end, I asked her if the course was industry standard to which she replied emphatically that it was. Next, I asked her if the course is really necessary and that surely work experience was more valuable to employers. She told me that I most likely would not get any work experience without the NCTJ accreditation and then ended the lecture before I could ask any more questions.
Feb 19th, 2009
paulbradshaw
Thanks Tom - it’s depressing that a careers dept would not be transparent about the vested interests of the speaker. I can assure you that you will get work experience without NCTJ accreditation - I know many students and applicants who have done so.
I am aware that *some* newspapers restrict access to their work experience programs on the basis of NCTJ, but in those cases would recommend persistence (try someone else in the organisation for a start) and demonstrating why you’re a damn good journalist.
Feb 19th, 2009
James Parry
Interesting article Paul, despite being penned a year and a half ago now, it still seems worryingly relevant.
I am on the eve of taking NCTJ exams in News Writing, Law (paper 2 resit) and Public Administration (paper 2) in an attempt to achieve the NCTJ Prelims certificate for Magazine Journalism.
Despite the course I’m on being accredited, I am very much in the minority in taking these exams, only 10 or 20 students out of 100 or so are going in for either Newspaper or Magazine NCTJ routes (though obviously the 100 includes broadcast students).
I think one of the reasons for this is the price of the exams. To pay over £100 for end of year exams, in this year’s case, for me, it was £111, is extortionate. I am lucky enough to have parents willing to pay for these exams for me, even when I fell short of a pass on the Law paper last year, but most others are not.
After having numerous people come to visit the university this year for our Ethics and Regulation module, including people from the NCTJ and PCC, it has become clear that journalism is becoming increasingly more complicated. For it to survive it must innovate or die, and it will need people coming in at the bottom who are willing to adapt to changes, as well as having a decent academic foundation of knowledge.
From my experience with the NCTJ so far, which includes the Sub-editing exam, I am not convinced their standards are in line with the real world, and it is the real world skills which will increasingly prove to be more essential.
Nonetheless, I still intend to spend the next month or so revising fairly solidly to ensure all the definitions, cases and style points are firmly in my head before the triple-whammy of exams in as many days at the end of May.
Let’s hope the end result will pay off in the real world, because that is, after all, why I decided to come to university in the first place.
Apr 15th, 2009
Diane
I am currently doing an MA in Journalism (NCTJ Accredited) which is due to end in September. I have to agree, the Law and PA exams are really tough, but I believe that they will be extremely beneficial for any journalism career, whether print or broadcast.
I hope to enter broadcast journalism at the end of the year, and I must say it was never an option up until I was halfway through my course. I always believed that I would only ever be good for print having gained most of my journalism experience on a newsdesk.
But as excited as I am about embarking on a career in broadcast, I am also very nervous about passing all of my exams. Shorthand for me is proving to be the most demanding task in my life, and I have only reached a speed of 50wpm with daily practice. Although I know that it will probably not even be of use to me because of the field I wish to enter, having sat through classes for a whole year has prompted me not to give up.
May 10th, 2009
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