Production Journalism

Duration: No time limit
Fee: £105 plus VAT

Tutor support: one hour

Production Journalism is one of the specialist options that makes up the Diploma in Journalism qualification and can be studied alongside, or following completion of the core skills.  The distance learning course builds on the introduction to editing in the reporting syllabus.

The course would also suit working journalists who wish to make the move to sub-editing, or equally for anyone wishing to get into journalism from another industry.

Production journalism is becoming an even more important skill as journalists are publishing stories without the luxury of copy being checked. The culture of getting it right first time needs to be instilled into trainees.

Studying the programme will enable candidates to sit the NCTJ's Production Journalism exam,
showing editors they have a wide range of subbing, publishing and design skills.

At the end of the course candidates submit a piece of coursework and sit a two hour on-screen sub-editing exam.  Candidates can choose either the news or magazine assessments.  In the exam, candidates have to edit one page lead, three fillers and listings as well as writing an on-line headline and a proof reading exercise.

For the coursework, news candidates should submit a tabloid news page subbed and designed solely by themselves. Magazine candidates produce a double page spread using an appropriate mix of stories, features, reviews, listings, factfiles or info panels written by themselves or their colleagues.  There is no time limit for producing the coursework but it must be certified in writing by an editor or training officer during work experience. 

Topics covered:

• The role of the sub-editor
• Desktop publishing
• Subbing news stories
• Subbing different types of stories
• Sub-editing and proof-reading online material
• Headline writing
• Typography
• Pictures and captions
• Proof-reading
• Design

Course book:  Waterhouse on Newspaper Style is included in the course fee. The book can also be purchased separately from the online shop

Related

Enrolment Form for EU customers (DOC, 134.00 Kb)

Enrolment Form for Non EU customers (DOC, 133.50 Kb)

Diploma in Journalism distance learning course details (PDF, 190.41 Kb)