A unique training course for web journalists, introduced by the Kent
Messenger Group 15 months ago, has produced its first graduate.
Andy
Winter, above, joined the KM Group’s digital media department in March
last year after achieving an MA in web journalism at Sheffield
University.
Winter, 24, signed up for a two-year traineeship that
required him to gain NCTJ preliminary exam passes in law and politics,
as well as 100wpm shorthand.
This he achieved, gaining distinctions in both law exams and shorthand.
The
final module of Winter’s training was the completion of a logbook of
competencies to demonstrate that he was able to put into practice all
the skills required of a web journalist.
The programme was
devised and administered by editorial training manager Neil Webber and
is the latest in a series of specialist diploma courses the KM Group
runs for trainees in newspaper reporting, sub-editing and broadcast
journalism.
“By designing and managing our own courses, we are
able to concentrate on the areas that we feel are most relevant, at the
same time providing qualifications that will stand up to scrutiny
throughout the industry,” Webber explained.
“We are also able to
make immediate changes to the training in response to developments
within the industry and we can demand and achieve higher standards.”
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