Core skills for all journalists

Journalists need core skills to work in multimedia news environments found online, in TV and radio, in newspapers and magazines as well as those working in media environments of other sectors, such as PR and communications.

Essential journalism is designed to teach you the skill-sets needed from finding and telling stories, to harnessing the technologies of the digital age for reporting.

Your learning will focus on:

• News and how to find it
• Telling stories for different audiences and platforms
• Interviewing skills
• Reporting news events and meetings
• Interacting with your audience
• Finding stories in data
• Working safely
• Working to high ethical standards

The programme of study teaches the still-vital traditional skills, plus how to be a successful journalist in the digital age. Social media, using smartphones, understanding what the website statistics are telling you, finding buried stories in data are all included. You will also learn the most effective way(s) to tell stories to make best use of the available platforms.

This module is assessed by a two-hour online exam and completion of an e-portfolio of evidence. Please note, the exam for this module cannot be sat abroad due to software requirements and the technical support needed.

Please note: Essential journalism replaced the news reporting module in September 2016 and the NCTJ currently recognises the news reporting module as equivalent to essential journalism. 

From 1 September 2019, news reporting will no longer be recognised in place of essential journalism - so if you have passed the news reporting module but not achieved the Diploma in Journalism by this date you will be required to have the essential journalism module in order to do so. If you have any questions about this, please get in touch with [email protected].

All journalists must know the legal and regulatory boundaries of what they can and cannot report. This includes both the Editors' Code of Practice and Ofcom code.

The programme of study covers all the media law essentials as well as an introduction to court reporting. Assessment is by one examination which assesses candidates’ knowledge of media law and its practical application in a multimedia newsroom.

There are three different programmes of study and examinations for England and Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.

E-portfolio for journalists is an assessment that demonstrates the journalistic skills and abilities you will gain when studying the diploma and, in particular, the essential journalism module.

Alongside essential journalism, this module is designed to teach you the skill-sets needed from finding and telling stories, to harnessing the technologies of the digital age for reporting.

Your learning will focus on:

• News and how to find it

• Telling stories for different audiences and platforms

• Interviewing skills

• Reporting news events and meetings

• Interacting with your audience

• Finding stories in data

• Working safely

• Working to high ethical standards

The programme of study teaches the still-vital traditional skills, plus how to be a successful journalist in the digital age. Social media, using smartphones, understanding what the website statistics are telling you, finding buried stories in data are all included. You will also learn the most effective way(s) to tell stories to make best use of the available platforms.

You will have to submit online ten pieces of work adhering to a set of conditions depending on what media sector you are working towards.

Journalists are expected to work to high ethical standards. Students can expect learning from this module to be integrated into much of their practical journalism work.

This module does not seek to engage in a debate around moral philosophy. It is intended to bring forward ethical issues faced by journalists in their day-to-day work and how they might be resolved.

Regulation: Much of the learning and assessment of regulation is found in the essential media law and regulation programme of study. However, non-broadcast course students will face an online, multiple-choice regulation test. Broadcast students are tested on regulation in a separate broadcast regulation exam. 

Please note, the newspaper magazine regulation test cannot be sat abroad due to software requirements and the technical support needed.