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A career in journalism
What do I have to study?
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What's it about?

We are looking here at newspaper journalists, who research and write news stories and feature articles in order to inform readers about issues and events in the news.

What skills do I need?

To convince an editor that you are worth appointing, you will need to be able to demonstrate the following:

• An interest in current affairs at all levels -
• A lively interest in people, places and events
• An ability to write in a style which is easy to understand
• Good spelling, grammar and punctuation
• An appreciation of the part a local newspaper plays in the community
• A willingness to accept irregular hours
• An ability to work under pressure to meet deadlines
• Determination and persistence

How do I get into the newspaper industry?

Trainees come into the industry by a variety of routes. Some are recruited directly by regional or local newspapers and carry out their basic training under the terms of a training contract. This is known as direct entry. Within this category are those who may have secured employment with a newspaper company or a group of companies who run their own training programmes.

However, most trainees are recruited after attending full-time vocational education and training courses for post A-level students and graduates. Such courses are generally held at colleges accredited by the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ). Some of these courses are for graduates only. This route is known as pre-entry.

What qualifications do I need?

The usual entry requirement for newspaper journalism is a minimum of five GCSE passes (grades A-C) or equivalent. However, in recent years it has become rare for a trainee to come into the industry at this level. Over half the recruits are university graduates and many of the others have achieved at least two A-levels or equivalent. One of the passes at GCSE must be in English. Five GCSEs (grades A-C) is also the minimum NCTJ requirement for the pre-entry courses. However most colleges require two A-levels.