I am looking for a self-study/distance learning course in journalism
in the uk.  I would prefer to do a course that will end up in a
nationally recognised qualification, but this is not essential.  I
need to know details of course fees along with the courses.

Hello

Thanks for your question. I hope this answer will help with your
plans.  I've covered both newspaper and magazine writing since I'm not
quite sure which kind of journalism you're interested in.

There are two well-established institutions in the UK offering
journalism training.
The National Council for the Training of Journalists emphasises its
professional 'industry-based' approach.
The London School of Journalism is experienced in correspondence
courses and distance learning.


NCTJ training in writing for newspapers - 


Its newspaper journalism course should take 3-6 months in which time
you would complete 16 units of self-assessed work and make use of a
video on interview techniques, 8 audio tapes and a style book.  Then
you could take the NCTJ's six preliminary exams. (Further study
leading to further exams would be possible on the Council's college
courses.)

It costs £220 plus VAT and you need £50 worth of text books.

Find out more at:
http://www.nctj.com/distance.htm

An independent reviewer on the International Education Site points out
you would also pay £25 for each exam:
http://www.intstudy.com/articles/ukmedia.htm 

All the NCTJ courses are accredited by the National Union of
Journalists and the Open and Distance Learning Quality Council.

The NCTJ says certification is available on all its courses but
doesn't give details of whether that would be a "nationally recognised
qualification" or just a stepping-stone towards one.  (Reading between
the lines I think it may be the latter.)


NCTJ magazine writing course - 


If you're interested in writing articles for magazines you might
consider its 'Writing for the Periodical Press' course which they say
"covers the writing and collating of news and features; sub-editing;
layout and media law".
And they claim it offers a "solid base for those wishing to take up a
full-time career in periodical journalism".

This course has ten modules which are "tutor-based".  Presumably this
means the traditional correspondence course pattern of sending work
off to a tutor who sends you feedback. The NCTJ's preliminary exams in
journalism and law may be taken after this course.

The reviewer at the  International Education Site thinks it will be a
challenge to get through this in three months:
"Considerable effort and discipline will be needed to complete this in
three months, but it is worth remembering that journalism is a very
disciplined craft which involves meeting specific and often tight
deadlines, or risk being unpublished."


This course costs £415 (plus £72.68 VAT).


London School of Journalism - 


The LSJ offer distance-learning students extra support via:
online lectures with real-time student participation,
a student bulletin board,
and the opportunity to attend Wednesday lectures in London

There are three courses that might interest you.  For each one I'll
quote two prices.  Both prices are 'email' prices - i.e. without the
cost of post and packing for course material - but the second is the
total for paying by deposit plus instalments.

Journalism and Newswriting:    £385 or £410 (You have a tutor unlike
the NCTJ course)
Freelance and Feature Writing: £285 or £300 
Internet Journalism:           £335 or £350 

Here's what they say about accreditation and the LSJ diploma:

"Individual home study courses are not 'accredited' by the NUJ.
However, the content of each of the individual distance learning
journalism courses is the same as that used on our Journalism
postgraduate course which, being an attendance course, is NUJ
recognised. Any students completing all three journalism distance
learning courses plus the media law course will have covered the same
syllabus as those taking the postgraduate course.

Successful completion of any course denotes an understanding and grasp
of the fundamentals of the subject concerned, and students should be
capable of evidencing such knowledge to a potential employer by use of
their work portfolio and Diploma."

Find the LSJ at:
http://www.lsj.org/frame.html

and the info on accreditation at:
http://www.lsjinfo.net/docsinfo/


While you're mulling all this over, you might be able to make use of
two websites and a book that look as if they could be helpful.

There's quite a bit of general information on becoming a journalist at
'Hold the Front Page', "Europe's best journalism site", winner of a
Net Media Award in 2002:
http://www.holdthefrontpage.co.uk/training/trainingbecome.shtml

A site pointing to a variety of journalism resources:
http://www.journalismnet.com/search/tutorials.htm#resources

Teach Yourself Journalism, by Geoff Pridmore. Teach Youself Paperbacks
(2000)
is availablle online for £6.39:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0340781483/qid=1026769315/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_0_1/202-3458836-9253434

Good luck with your studies and your writing.  Hope to see you in
print before too long.
If any of this needs clarification, let me know.

search strategy terms:
distance learning, UK, journalism, correspondence course, self-study,
teach yourself, open university

---

Clarification of Answer by leli-ga on 15 Jul 2002 15:12 PDT

Sorry - mistakes crept into my bit about the Teach Yourself book. I
meant to say you could buy the book online, not suggest it might be
published on the net.  And apologies for the spelling error.

---

Clarification of Answer by leli-ga on 15 Jul 2002 15:37 PDT

Need to apologise again - this time for lack of clarity in the first
sentence of my second paragraph.  It should say:
"There are two well-established institutions in the UK offering
journalism training by distance learning.".

I had found details of these courses before, but I was hoping that I
might be missing something!  I am very impressed by your standard of
work.  Well done, and thank you!