Some 97 journalists taking their NCTJ National Certificate Examination in March made the grade to become senior reporters, a pass rate of 52 per cent.
In the news report section of the exam candidates’ shorthand and news writing ability was tested by asking them to report on a speech given by a fictional union official Chris Turner following an airline industrial dispute.
The senior examiner for this section said in their exam report: “The news report featured one of the most topical stories on the current news agenda, so there was no excuse for candidates who did not understand the scenario.
“It was disappointing to examiners to find that a number of candidates had little knowledge of industrial affairs and produced stories saying UK Airways staff were ‘going on strike’ or would be ‘walking out’ on 29 March. This was not what the union said its members would be doing – they would be working to rule, which is something completely different, and claiming overtime which was owed to them.
“However, it was not all doom and gloom in the news report section. There were some very impressive comprehensive reports which were a delight to mark.”
The news interview section centred on a family who were speaking out after the inquest of 19-year-old Dawn Brannigan who had died of a heroin overdose on New Year’s Eve.
Candidates were asked to interview the cousin of Dawn’s mother to discover details of Dawn’s death which were not revealed at the inquest and to uncover a story about an anti-drugs campaign planned by the family.
The senior examiner for this section said: “The family were keen to show that Dawn was not ‘a sad, lonely drug addict’ but ‘a party girl who dabbled in drugs’. Candidates needed to include this line in their story but the best angle focused on what the family was going to do in getting across an anti-drugs message.”
“As usual, examiners were looking for candidates who had taken more than a superficial interest in the story and written an engaging article with a strong intro using dynamic verbs and adjectives, an early key quote followed by a well-organised story that included a mix of accurate quotes and reported speech.
“Inappropriate or ineffective use of quotes – no matter how well-selected – went unrewarded, or even penalised. However, candidates who used quotes to add pace and rhythm to their stories received extra marks.”
NCE award winners
Four journalists taking the March NCE exams were awarded for their outstanding performance with £250 prizes from the NCTJ.
Robert Garret of the Eastern Daily Press won the prize for the news interview section of the exam. He said: “I remember leaving the NCE with an impending sense of gloom because I thought I had left some details out, so I’m surprised.”
The Esso award for outstanding news reporting was won by Timothy Sculthorpe of the Scunthorpe Telegraph.
The moderator said: “His report had a strong introduction, good pace and an entertaining style which clearly conveyed the story to the reader”.
The Ted Bottomley award for outstanding newspaper practice paper was won by Adam Cornell of the Maldon & Burnham Standard.
Cornell said: “I sat a law degree before I decided to become a journalist, so I have always been interested in the law and its application. But I had to learn how to answer legal questions as a journalist, using and needing the law on a daily basis, rather than in-depth as a lawyer.”
The Newsquest award for outstanding logbook was won by Matt Meade of the Dunfermline Press.
Meade said: “Working at the Dunfermline Press has given me a wide range of stories to cover, from court to sport and I’m very grateful for that.”
List of journalists who passed the NCE for reporters on Friday 5 March – 97 Candidates:
Name Newspaper
Katie Adams Wiltshire Times
Rachel Allen Wiltshire Times
Chinwe Akomah Congleton Chronicle
Inderdeep Bains Slough Observer
Alexandra Barham St Albans & Harpenden Review
Jennifer Bell The Press, York
Laura Blyth Express & Star, Wolverhampton
Elizabeth Broughton News and Star, Cumbria
Cadisha Brown Kidderminster Shuttle and Times
Adam Burling Kidderminster Shuttle and Times
Paul Cahalan Wandsworth Guardian
Hana Callard Monmouthshire Free Press
Lisa Campbell Keighley News
Joanne Charlton Croydon Advertiser
Paul Christian East Herts Herald
Rachel Clare Stroud News and Journal
Jennifer Coombes Ilford Recorder
Alexa Copeland Bridlington Free Press
Adam Cornell Maldon & Burnham Standard
Andrew Coulson Morpeth Herald
Marijke Cox KOS Media
Lucy Cramer Thurrock Gazette
Natalie Crockett South Wales Argus
Charlotte Cross Express & Star, Wolverhampton
Laura Crothers Scarborough Evening News
Daniel Darlington Maidenhead Advertiser
David Deans South Wales Argus
Faye Dickson South Wales Argus
Anna Dowdeswell The Bucks Herald
Adam Drummond Berwick Advertiser
Frances Duckett-Pike The News, Portsmouth
Andrew Edgeworth Grimsby Telegraph
Sonia Elks Clacton Gazette
Sarah Elliott Express & Echo, Exeter
Suzanne Elvey East Kent Gazette
Lauren Everitt Bracknell News
Simon Faulkner Grimsby Telegraph
Leanne Fender Freelance
Amy Fenton North West Evening Mail
James Fisher Bridgnorth Journal
Robert Garratt Norwich Evening News
Thomas Gibbon Banbury Guardian
Claire Hack Epping & Ongar Guardian
Laura Hammond Belper News
Claire Hardy Newbury Weekly News
David Hemming Bridgwater Mercury
Elizabeth Henzell Sidmouth Herald
Charlotte Hester Shrewsbury Chronicle
Sarah Hickinbotham Evesham Journal
Trudi Hodges Clevedon Mercury
Sarah Holt Lincolnshire Echo
Esther Hutcheson Linlithgowshire Journal & Gazette
Scott Inglis East Fife Mail
Rebecca Inman Northants Evening Telegraph
Caroline Jones Derby Telegraph
Megan Jorsh News and Star, Cumbria
Jonathan Jurejko Doncaster Free Press
Daniel Keel News Shopper
Joanna Kilvington Richmond & Twickenham Times
Stacey Lewis Wiltshire Gazette & Herald
Molly Lynch North West Evening Mail
Richard Marsden Northants Evening Telegraph
Hannah Marsh West Sussex County Times
Guy Martin Surrey Advertiser
Jonathan Mattos Hull Daily Mail
Ian Matuszczyk Cheddar Valley Gazette
Matt Meade Dunfermline Press
Delia Monk Nottingham Evening Post
Edward Moore The Herald, Plymouth
Christopher Morris Macclesfield Express
Sara Morton Driffield Times
Karen Moss Barking & Dagenham Post
Martin Naylor Derby Telegraph
Alistair Nelson Saffron Walden Reporter
Ruth Offord Doncaster Free Press
Catherine Phillips Redditch Standard
David Pickthall North West Evening Mail
Christopher Richards Welwyn & Hatfield Times
Ben Robinson Lancashire Evening Post
Mark Round Express & Star, Wolverhampton
Timothy Sculthorpe Scunthorpe Telegraph
Petra Silfverskiold News Guardian, Whitley Bay
John Sommers Aldershot News
Susan Stephenson Scarborough Evening News
Christiana Symmons Telford Journal
Charlotte Talbot Woking News & Mail
Ben Thompson Wimbledon Guardian
Joanna Till Surrey Advertiser
Jacqueline Turley Isle of Man Newspapers
Victoria Turton Wakefield Express
Kirsty Whalley Croydon Guardian
Oliver John Williams Leamington Spa Courier
Amanda Williams Oxford Mail
Richard Williams Courier Newspapers
James Willoughby Northumberland Gazette
Aamina Zafar Slough Observer
Yamurai Zendera Dover Express
List of journalists who passed the NCE for sports reporters on Friday 5 March – 2 Candidates
Nicholas Banks Express & Echo, Exeter
Andrew Sloan Bristol Evening Post
List of journalists who passed the NCE for sub-editors on Friday 5 March – 1 Candidate
Sarah Stead Reading Chronicle
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