Kelvin Mackenzie, Roy Greenslade and the 'third way' in training journalists

By Janet Jones, senior lecturer in journalism at Glyndwr University, former journalist and editorial trainer with the Midland News Association and a chief examiner with the National Council for the Training of Journalists

At first sight the great journalism education debate seems to be a clear-cut battle - university and college courses versus on-the-job training.

Kelvin Mackenzie says journalism is not a profession but a knack and talent best learned by keen 18-year-olds straight from school. In the opposite corner Roy Greenslade argues for an academic route which sharpens critical faculties as well as offering a grounding in basic skills.

The debate is only taking place because the cash strapped industry, with few exceptions, has stepped away from journalism training leaving universities and colleges to fill the void.

Most follow the National Council for the Training of Journalists route wrapping academic courses around the NCTJ subjects of news sourcing and writing, law and public affairs and shorthand using programmes shaped through consultation with senior journalists.

Many courses are staffed by journalists who may have swapped their old jobs for better pay and working conditions but who display huge amounts of enthusiasm and expertise and who genuinely want to give would-be reporters a leg-up into the career.

Many courses have fantastic resources – well equipped university news rooms, state-of-the-art video, design and editing facilities as well as top notch studio and broadcasting kit which would make most news editors drool.

But can a university newsroom, however sophisticated and well-staffed, realistically recreate the deadlines and demands of the real thing?

And where are the employers in all this? What role is being played by the news organisations whose editors regularly complain that journalism degree students are not up to the job?

There is a “third way” - where a university and news organisation share training responsibilities to produce potential young journalists with both a strong academic grounding and a realistic grasp of “the knack”.

The industry may still be on its uppers but getting involved in producing newsroom-ready young journalists with a realistic idea of what journalism is all about does not have to be a huge strain on the budget. However, it may take some time and commitment.

At Glyndwr University, Wrexham, we have set up a new partnership with our regional newspaper group NWN Media.  The university provides the academic and theoretical side of the training getting the students through their NCTJ qualifications. The newsroom experience comes on the job with students spending two days a week through the 35-week course on placement with various NWN Media titles.

The newspaper group is involved in selecting candidates and each student has a senior journalist mentor to guide them and make sure they get the experience they need.

Students effectively become part of the editorial team volunteering to go in to their placements during university holidays. Senior journalists welcome the chance to pass on their skills to enthusiastic youngsters.

There are drawbacks. Places on the programme are limited to work placements available but then so are the number of jobs in journalism. It would be irresponsible to run a course where students did not have a realistic chance of getting a job at the end of it. More than three-quarters of our students are now working as journalists, most with NWN Media.

Some students drop out after seeing what real life is like in a newsroom. But because of the way the partnership works at least they have been able to make an informed decision.

For NWN Media, it has given them a source of trainees, who they already know, to recruit into vacancies as they arise and a sense of pride in helping to “grow their own” young journalists.

Partnerships mean news companies can still make sure trainee journalists have the knack and talent for the job. And for universities partnership working is all the rage in the new world of higher education.

It can (and does) work. The time is right for dialogue between the old sparring partners, dialogue which could herald a bright new future for journalism training.

Janet Jones is a senior lecturer in journalism at Glyndwr University, former journalist and editorial trainer with the Midland News Association and a chief examiner with the National Council for the Training of Journalists