Shorthand prize winners announced at seminar

Picture: Katie McGonagle, winner of the Newslink award for best shorthand note and transcription at 100 wpm.

100 per cent accuracy and speed were celebrated at the NCTJ Shorthand Seminar as the annual prize winners for outstanding shorthand were announced.

Katie McGonagle, a student from St Albans currently studying the NCTJ-accredited postgraduate diploma course at Cardiff University, won the prize for best shorthand note and transcription at 100 wpm, an award sponsored by Newslink.

 For the past two years Cardiff University has consistently ranked as one of the top shorthand providers in NCTJ results tables.

To win the award Katie’s shorthand outlines were clean and of high quality and she achieved 100 per cent accuracy in her final transcription.

Katie said: “I was really pleased to get my 100 wpm shorthand because I think it’s an incredibly useful tool that I’m sure I’ll use every day as a journalist.

“Our shorthand tutor, Marlene Lewis, was great at getting us to practise as we had to be in for 9 am shorthand lectures every day, which meant we got through the theory quite quickly and could really work on building up speed.”

Lindsay Watling, from Aberdeen, who completed an NCTJ-accredited fast track course at News Associates in London, won the prize for best shorthand note and transcription at 110 to 120 wpm at the seminar on Friday 18 June.

To win the award Lindsay took down the speech in clear, high quality shorthand and also achieved 100 per cent accuracy in her final transcription.

Lindsay said: “I was delighted to hear I had won the prize. It was a wonderful surprise and I didn’t expect it at all. It’s good to know the hard work paid off.”

Katie and Lindsay each receive a certificate and £250.