Press Gazette has published a guide to journalism training working in association with the National Council for the Training of Journalists.
It includes tips from top journalists and rising stars, 10 pieces of advice which I would tell myself if I was starting out today and a full list of accredited NCTJ courses.
We’ve sent a print copy to the careers library of every sixth form and university in the UK – nearly 4,000 in total.
If you want to be a journalist, unless you are exceptionally lucky and exceptionally brilliant, you are going to need proper training to get your foot in the door. Skills like news writing, shorthand and media law can’t be busked.
This guide provides on overview of the NCTJ journalism training route and an introduction to the courses which are accredited by the NCTJ.
In the guide I explain that there are some good courses which aren’t accredited by the NCTJ (and many bad ones) – but the NCTJ badge is a guarantee that the training will cover the main bases required if you want to be a news writer.
Journalism has been a particularly challenging business in recent years as the recession and digital disruption have undermined the profitability of many newspapers and magazines.
We asked some leading journalists – including Piers Morgan, Jon Snow, Ian Hislop and Kay Burley – to say whether they would recommend journalism as a career to their children. All said they would (unlike Today presenter John Humphrys).
Guido Fawkes editor Paul Staines described journalism as "a life less ordinary" which is a quote we liked so much that we put it on the cover.
Download your free 24-page PDF here or else read as an interactive digital magazine below.
Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog
