Essential Reporting
The NCTJ Guide for Trainee Journalists
- Jon Smith
- Joanne Butcher - NCTJ Training Ltd
Journalism
- Times Higher Education
"Precisely what it says on the cover - a down-to-earth essential handbook for anyone embarking on a career in journalism. All you need to know about avoiding newsroom minefields and attracting the editor's attention for the right reasons. If only it had been around in my day!'
- Bob Satchwell, Executive Director, Society of Editors
Although the world of journalism is changing fast, as technology blurs the boundaries between newspapers, radio, television and web-based media, the reporter's core role remains the same: to recognise news, communicate with people, gather information, and create accurate, balanced and readable stories. Essential Reporting, written by an experienced NCTJ examiner, explains how to do this. Contents include:
- what makes a good reporter
- what is news, and how to find it
- how newsrooms work
- day-to-day life as a reporter
- key reporting tasks
- covering courts and councils
- successful interviewing
- writing news stories
- specialist reporting
- handling sound, pictures and the web
It also contains a wealth of advice, tips and warnings from working journalists, a guide to NCTJ training and examinations, a glossary and a guide to further reading.
It will be invaluable to anyone embarking on a career in journalism and is the NCTJ's recommended introductory text for all students on college and university courses preparing them to become successful reporters.
'Precisely what it says on the cover - a down-to-earth essential handbook for anyone embarking on a career in journalism. All you need to know about avoiding newsroom minefields and attracting the editor's attention for the right reasons. If only it had been around in my day!' - Bob Satchwell, Executive Director, Society of Editors
'... an excellent practical guide to the whole business of reporting.' - Writing Magazine
This book talks you through everything you need to know to be a good journalist, it is what you would expect from the NCTJ and no one can fail as a journalist if they follow the NCTJ
Mixing factual information with witty anecdote, and designed in a very accessible way, this book painstakingly covers all corners of local reporting which, as we know, is the best training you can get.
The text in general covers the basic skills in news reporting but was set as an essential text for our MA in Multimedia Journalism students because this is NCTJ-accredited. Otherwise, I'd like to have a text with a more intellectual approach to news research and writing.
The book is very relevant to the objectives of the course. It also covers the essential topics in News Writing. It is user-friendly and has a lot of activities for students. A definite YES for my students.
