1.
What is Journalism UK?
A: Journalism
UK is a Web site run by one journalist and one techie. As you can see, it's
essentially a directory of links that we think journalists might find useful
in their everyday working lives. At the moment we don't make any money from
the site, which also means that we can be completely independent. We only
add links we think are worthwhile.
Again,
we'd like to stress that Journalism UK is not a professional body or an industry
organisation. That means we have no official or unofficial ties to the media,
except for the employer that one of us works for. It also means that we simply
have no information to send those of you who ask for it.
2.
What should I get paid for articles that appear in print or online publications?
A: How
long is a piece of string? Seriously, rates do vary enormously. Even people
writing for the same magazine are paid different rates, which in our opinion
is the way it should be. Some writers are simply more valuable and more experienced
than others. The most experienced newspaper columnists apparently receive
something like one pound per word, but most journalists work for a small fraction
of that amount. On small publications, writers may not even be paid at all.
They may be employed in other professions and write articles simply for the
prestige of doing so. National newspapers generally pay the most, and it's
naturally very difficult to get your work published in them.
If you
want to know roughly what magazines and newspapers pay their writers, check
out the National Union of Journalists' Freelance Fees Guide. It's online at
www.gn.apc.org/media/feesguide.
Also check Rate
for the Job - reports on what's actually paid: www.gn.apc.org/media/rates
To have
a chinwag with other writers about
rates, have a look at sites for freelancers such as Freelance Journalist (www.freelancejournalist.co.uk).
3.
I've written an article. Which magazines should I send it to?
A: To
be honest, this is not the way we'd do it. Unless you have studied a particular
magazine or newspaper carefully and tailored your article to suit its style,
it's very unlikely to be published. In our experience it's always better to
be commissioned by the editor of a particular magazine or newspaper before
you set pen to paper. Pitching ideas for features and other articles is something
you'll need to learn.
4.
Is there a union for freelance writers?
A: We
are not aware of a union specifically for freelancers. For more information
on joining the National Union of Journalists, visit its site at www.gn.apc.org/media/nuj.html
5.
How can I find a magazine on beekeeping/mountain climbing/accountancy?
A: This
is a very good question. Ever heard of books? They're those printed documents
that existed in the old days before we had the Web. Of course we're being
sarcastic, but there's a serious point behind our black humour. From the questions
we've had, it seems that many people use only the Web for research. We urge
all those people to make a trip to their local library or bookshop. Relatively
few magazines and newspapers have their own Web sites, because few can afford
the luxury. However there are thousands of UK and international titles listed
in the Willings
Press Guide: United Kingdom and Benn's UK Media Directory. Other books
that list titles include The
Guardian Media Guide: 2002 and The Writers' & Artists' Yearbook 2002.
Ask your library what media directories they keep on their shelves.
6.
Can you help me get work experience on a newspaper/magazine?
A: No
because we're not an organisation, remember? However we can tell you what
we'd do in your shoes. We'd contact the human resources or personnel office
at the company that publishes a particular newspaper or magazine. Perhaps
a local title, or just one that you admire. Make a phone call first and then
follow up with a letter if necessary. In our experience, letters to the editor
are easily overlooked, and email even more so. On a small magazine or paper,
such as a free local paper, you might try contacting the editor directly.
If anyone tells you it's press day, always respect that they are busy and
ask when it's convenient to call back.
As a
general rule of thumb, the very big and prestigious magazines have loads of
work experience helpers. If you really want to be a journalist, targeting
the smaller titles might pay off because you might get more proper work to
do.
On any
title you will likely have at least some menial chores to do, like filing
or making cuttings from newspapers. It doesn't matter. Do the chores, but
make every effort to do some writing while you are there or after you have
left. Take all the advice you are offered and go in with a good attitude and
you won't go far wrong. At the end of the day, getting your name in print
is the single most important outcome of work experience.
One
more thing: expect to do work experience for free. You may be paid a small
sum if you do get something published, but don't bank on it.
7.
I want to locate John Smith [or insert relevant name], who worked for The
Croydon Advertiser [or other paper] circa 1952 [or whenever…]. Please
help.
A: As
explained ad nauseum above, Journalism UK is not an organisation. If you are
trying to track down somebody we suggest you contact the magazine or newspaper
directly. We don't have their phones numbers to hand, but your local library
should have. You might also try contacting the NUJ, since newspaper journalists
may well have been members of the union. Especially if you go back a few decades
to the days when papers were based in Fleet Street.
8.
How do I find an article on earthquakes [insert your own subject here] from
The Telegraph from 1982. It's not on their Web site so how can I find it?
A: Most
newspaper Web sites have only been in existence for a few years, and most
of those don't have an archive at all. The Telegraph does, and an excellent
one at that, but even then it doesn't delve decades back into the past. Other
electronic archives similarly cover a relatively few years' worth of stories.
To find an older article, you'll have to contact the newspaper directly. You
might have to make a trip to their offices or pay a cuttings librarian at
the paper to find the information for you.
9.
How do I get a job in journalism?
A: Everyone
has to start somewhere, and we know you're passionate about breaking into
it. If you weren't you wouldn't be looking at this site, right? But first
let's be realistic. While there's a shortage of nurses, teachers and trained
scientists there is also an abundance of people wanting to join the media.
And because it's a sought-after job, it's can be hard to get into. That much
is indisputable. The first thing you, who asked this question, should do is
to seek professional career advice. An advisor will properly consider your
background and qualifications and suggest the most appropriate course of action
for you.
You
should also consider what journalism is. It varies quite considerably, from
newspapers and magazines to radio and television reporting. The journalists
are the ones you see on the TV news, not presenting programmes (apart from
Jeremy Paxman, of course). Which of these do you want to do?
If you
think newspapers or magazines is for you, check out the National Council for
the Training of Journalists Web site at www.nctj.com and the Periodicals Training
Council site at www.ppa.co.uk/ptc.
Now
we're going to add a few words of wisdom of our own. Experience is everything.
No, really. We came upon this very same Catch 22 situation ourselves when
applying for jobs in journalism. You can't get experience before you get a
job, yet you can't get a job without experience. So what do you do?
There
are two ways you can gain experience. One is to do as many work experience
placements as you can manage, and to write for school, college and university
newsletters, specialist magazines and local free papers. In short, for any
media that will print your name next to an article. If you can edit newsletter
or magazine for a club, or even as part of a job you're already doing, don't
pass up the opportunity.
The
other way to get experience is to do a course - whether it's a training course,
an undergraduate course or a postgraduate course - of which work experience
is a mandatory part. These two shouldn't be exclusive. A would-be journalist
should write as much as he or she can, whether or not it's mandatory.
Some
of the training courses run by newspapers and publishers end with a job. Academic
qualifications just end and leave you looking for a job. Even if you don't
do any training, it's still possible to get a job in journalism. We've known
people who are experts in some field who become known to an editor by writing
for a specialist title. Eventually, they end up working for it. You could
do the same by writing for specialist Web sites - for free at first, if needs
be. There may be other ways too. Just remember that your portfolio of cuttings
means everything.
10.
How do I get funding for a journalism course?
A: That's
a million dollar question. Perhaps it's not actually worth a million, but
if we knew the answer we'd be a few thousand pounds richer than we are. The
simple answer is that we don't know. On-the-job training courses may provide
some funding, but to find out you'll have to look at the sites mentioned in
the answer to question 9 above.
There
may be bursaries provided by particular universities or companies to certain
courses. To find out you will need to contact the courses directly. Do we
think it's likely? Frankly, no. It's hardly surprising that funding predominantly
goes to train teachers and other areas where there is a shortage of staff.
Even where courses do have some grants to dish out, they may only have enough
cash to fund one or two students. Literally.
Alternatively,
some postgraduate courses are eligible for career development loans. This
is the route we took. To find out more about career development loans, check
out www.lifelonglearning.co.uk/cdl.
Finally,
you may strike lucky with a charity. Some small trusts provide funding for
people from particular towns or from particular backgrounds. It would be like
finding a needle in a haystack, but your local library will have a directory
of charities and charitable trusts that you can plough through on the off
chance.
11.
Is it better to do a first degree in media studies, or a postgraduate course?
A: This
is another million-dollar question and one we can't answer. If you haven't
already read our answer to question 9, then please do. Oh, and see a career
advisor while you're about it.
Some
people in the media believe it's better to do a first degree in a subject
that isn't journalism. That way, you'll have knowledge of some other aspect
of life beyond the media, which in theory makes you a more rounded person.
If you
want to follow media studies because it sounds better than all the other first-degree
courses, we can't really argue with that. We know how exciting the media seems
in comparison to other professions. Whatever you decide, do make sure that
some real-world work experience is included as a mandatory part of any course
you take. That way you'll probably stand a better chance of getting a job
at the end of it.
12.
I am doing a school/college project on tabloid journalism - please tell me
how stories in The Sun have changed from 1963 to the present day.
A: Look,
we're sorry but you'll really have to contact The Sun directly. We don't have
any information on particular newspapers or magazines because we're not associated
with any of them. The same goes if you're looking for an expert comment on
some matter connected with journalism. We are not experts, and you should
approach people who are better placed to answer academic questions. In fact
this is one of the basic tenets of journalism - always quote the experts.
13.
Where are the best places to study journalism?
A: We
can't answer this personally because we'd only upset the courses we left out
of our own list. However there are people that can advise you on places to
study, and bodies that accredit courses. For magazines, try the PTC's Web
site at www.ppa.co.uk/ptc and for newspapers
the NCTJ at www.nctj.com.
14.
I have written a childrens' book. Where can I get it published?
A: Writing
a book is not journalism at all, it's publishing. Contacting book publishers
is the self-evident thing to do. Move along please (and no, we don't know
any publishers).
15.
Are there any awards for investigative journalism?
A: We'll
be honest here. OK we've been honest all along, but this is the time to confess.
We loathe awards ceremonies. All of them. Even the Oscars. We'd like to smash
each and every tacky glass statuette against a brick wall and rip all those
golden envelopes into tiny little pieces. Ahem, we've calmed down a bit now.
Sorry, where were we? Oh yes, awards…
If you
really are interested in that kind of thing (and who cares, really!), the
Press Gazette (www.pressgazette.co.uk)
runs the British Newspaper Awards. There is also a ceremony, which is broadcast
on TV, conducted by the BBC's What The Papers Say, while the PPA (www.ppa.co.uk)
runs one for magazines.
For
information on other awards ceremonies, try Press Gazette or the other UK
trade publication, Media Week www.mediaweek.co.uk.
16.
Where can I find circulation figures for newspapers?
A: The
circulation figures for UK newspapers and magazines are measured by the ABC
(Audit Bureau of Circulations) and are available online at www.abc.org.uk.
The ABC also produces data for new media. ABC Electronic (www.abce.org.uk)
provides viewing figures for those online publishers that have signed up to
its standard way of measuring Web audiences. In our view, the sooner all Web
sites sign up to the ABC Electronic standard the better.
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