" />Over the past five months, our Copywriting Executive, Meghan Glover, has been training part-time to be a journalist at the NCTJ journalism school, News Associates (NA) in Manchester. Here’s her account of what it’s like being a journalist in training.
I am working towards an NCTJ diploma, which will make me a fully qualified journalist in 12 months’ time. But by day, I am a Copywriting executive at Refresh.
The course consists of eight modules in total and two optional modules. At the end of every module, we have to complete the relevant exams as well as coursework for a few of the topics.
My schedule at the moment includes: one in-person class at the NA centre at the weekend, and two online classes after work during the week. While it has taken up a lot of my free time, I have already learned a lot about the industry, and it has aided me in my copywriting role at Refresh.
What have I been studying? And what is coming up?
Since starting the course in October, I have studied the following:
- Essential journalism
- Media law
- Data journalism
- Ethics
- Public affairs
- Video journalism
- Shorthand (optional module)
And coming up I have:
- Introduction to PR
- Journalism for a digital audience
With a real mixture of learnings, from the political aspects of public affairs to memorising statutes in media law, it has taken a lot of effort outside of the classes and my full-time role to get up to speed. Especially with shorthand. But overall, I have found all of the modules really interesting and eye-opening.
What are the exams, and have I sat any yet?
So far, I have sat my essential journalism, ethics, and media law exams, with the rest coming up in the next few months.
The essential journalism exam tested my ability to write from a series of press releases, as well as how to move a story on as new developments arise, and much more. Ethics then looked at what journalists can report on based on IPSO’s Editors’ Code of Practice, and this was a multiple-choice exam based on various different situations.
Media law was a chunky module, and the exam equally so, with scenario-based questions that required in-depth knowledge of appropriate statutes and their requirements.
And coming up, I have a video journalism exam, which just goes to show how multi-faceted being a journo really is. In this exam, I will edit videos under timed conditions and provide a few short articles as well.
When it comes to being prepared, my revision tactic for all of the exams was to use many, many revision cards and to do past papers. I also familiarised myself with the time conditions and the structure of the exam.
The coursework and portfolio element of journalist training
As if exams were not enough, some of the modules also require coursework!
For the video journalism module, for instance, we have had to create a web and social video – and this needed to include interviews. For mine, I decided to do a news piece surrounding International Women’s Day at Aviva Studios. Here, they had hosted an afternoon of poetry in collaboration with the Manchester-based organisation Poetry Place, with an all-female lineup of poets, so I went along to do some filming and to also interview the poets.
Aside from the coursework, we also have an e-portfolio to produce for the end of the course, and this includes ten published pieces, which includes another video piece. I’m slowly getting to grips with the sound of my own voice in voiceovers.
I have steadily been working on pieces for Mancunian Matters, which has included reviewing a Sundara Karma gig at the O2 Ritz, as well as a few more ‘newsy’ pieces that can be added to my portfolio.
As part of my experience on the music journalism side, I have also taken on a voluntary position at an online music magazine. Here, I have had several articles published, and I have also interviewed an up-and-coming Australian band regarding their new album. I am gradually working on my interviewing technique and have done a few more with other bands as I work towards doing a larger, longer feature.
Refresh’s role and the transferable skills
The Refresh team has been very supportive in my decision to undertake the part-time course alongside my full-time role as a copywriter. They kindly allowed me to have additional annual leave for my exams, which have all been on weekdays.
And while it has been tough balancing the class outside of a 9-5:30 job, the modules have had some great transferable skills that I have already begun to utilise in my role. For example, when feature writing for clients, the techniques that I have studied on the NA course have only helped to make my writing better, more concise, and to look for that ‘newsworthy’ angle.
Overall, my experience of the course so far has been great and has really pushed me out of my comfort zone, especially when it comes to editing videos and doing interviews.
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