A Tale of Two Fast-track Courses: Press Association (Part 2)

By Keiran Southern, Journalism Diversity Fund recipient 2014 – 2015
Learning the skills needed to become a journalist in just 17 weeks isn’t easy.

Passing the core modules, including essential law, public affairs and 100wmp shorthand, will require hard work and dedication. You will spend the vast majority of your time studying and as a result you will feel the course fly by in no time at all.

Saying that, it’s an incredibly rewarding experience and one that provides excellent preparation for starting work in the newsroom.

The most important thing to get from your reporter training, however, is a job.

Competition is obviously fierce in the industry, especially for trainees, so any advantage you can get is invaluable. It could be the difference between getting the job and not.

Editors know that any trainee who makes their way through an intensive course has the capacity to become a big asset to the newsroom. It is a unique hallmark of quality that no other type of course, be it university or a masters, can offer.

Completing a 17-week intensive course is hard work but the results speak for themselves. I would advise anybody interested in becoming a reporter to take the plunge.

I studied at Press Association in Newcastle. The tutoring has been second to none and as a result I have been able to secure my first job as a reporter at the Newcastle Chronicle, Journal and Sunday Sun.

It’s been a once in a lifetime experience and despite all of the hard work, I have thoroughly enjoyed my time here.