NCTJ launches course on navigating the complexities of reporting on the Royal Family

The NCTJ is launching a new training resource on reporting on the Royal Family ahead of the King’s coronation in May.

The e-learning course will provide insight into the role of a royal reporter and highlights the complexities attached to reporting on the Royal Family including legal restrictions, royal protocols and ethical considerations.

It will also show how to report responsibly at a time when the Royal Family continues to dominate the global news agenda and the UK media faces ongoing scrutiny from the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

The course will be available on the NCTJ’s Journalism Skills Academy e-learning platform from next Monday, 20 March and is aimed at student journalists, news reporters and early-career editors and news editors.

Laura Adams, head of the Journalism Skills Academy, said: “The Royal Family is subjected to unprecedented levels of media attention following the death of Queen Elizabeth, the succession of King Charles and the publicity surrounding Harry and Meghan.

“Many people probably don’t realise that there are many complexities for journalists to navigate when reporting on the Royal Family. They must carefully balance royal protocols and legal and regulatory frameworks with public interest journalism.

“It is this dynamic that is explored in Reporting on the Royal Family.”

The course features case studies with royal journalists past and present including Victoria Ward, royal correspondent at the Daily Telegraph and Michael Cole, former BBC royal correspondent plus David Reeve who was a Royal Protection Officer to the Royal Family.

It also explores the history of the relationship between the royals and the media, the impact of the Leveson Inquiry and the inquest of Princess Diana on royal reporting standards.

Reporting on the Royal Family can be accessed here.