Community reporters from around the country started their journey to a new senior qualification at Darlington College last week.
The 13 journalists working for publishers, Newsquest, Reach and JPI Media are based in newsrooms at Darlington, Sunderland, Bradford, Doncaster, Liverpool, Manchester, Lancashire and Peterborough.
The community reporters are working towards a Level 6 NQJ Community Reporter qualification as part of a new Community News Project between Facebook, The National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ) and regional publishers.
As well as a programme of digital training led by Facebook, the journalists will receive training towards the NCTJ qualification in Darlington and through distance learning.
Darlington College’s Curriculum Manager for Media Sam Eason said: “We are delighted to work with Newsquest, Reach and JPI Media on training for the new community reporters as they work to engage with audiences at the heart of their communities.”
Will Gore, head of partnerships and projects at the NCTJ said: “From the outset it was important that the Community News Project should be flexible enough to accommodate both completely raw recruits and those who had already completed the NCTJ’s Diploma in Journalism. The development of a new National Qualification in Journalism (NQJ) for community reporters meant publishers could choose the best candidates for each of the available roles and be assured that appropriate training pathways were available for all.
“We’re delighted that those who are studying towards the higher-level qualification with Darlington College are now underway on the academic front. They are already producing high-quality journalism; completing the NQJ – a key marker of a reporter’s development into the more senior ranks – will enable them to take their careers to the next level,” he added.
For more information on our NCTJ Journalism course and our Journalism apprenticeship click HERE
