Training

CLICK HERE FOR INFORMATION ON OUR FREE ONE DAY INTRODUCTION TO SPORTS JOURNALISM WORKSHOPS

SPORTSBEAT DIPLOMA IN MULTIMEDIA JOURNALISM - including National Council for the Training of Journalists examinations.

Based in Manchester and London. Starting September 2013

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WINNER: Former trainee David Jordan is a former winner of the Sports Journalist of the Year prize at the NCTJ Journalism Awards. He joined the Grimsby Telegraph after graduating and has since joined Sportsbeat as a senior reporter

Based in central Manchester - right in the heart of some of Britain's biggest sport stories - and our newsdesk base in London, Sportsbeat's trainee programme combines a highly-practical approach with solid academic credentials, thanks to our ties with sister company News Associates, currently ranked the UK's number one NCTJ journalism school.

See below for more information or call Rachel Bull, rbull@newsassociates.co.uk on 0870 445 0155.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW AND DOWNLOAD COURSE PROSPECTUS

‘I always turn to the sports section first. The sport section records people’s accomplishments, the front page nothing but man’s failures.’ Earl Warren

It’s a nice sentiment from the one-time US Senator but anyone who watched or, even worse, covered England’s football or rugby union team at their recent respective world cups might disagree.

Sports journalism is changing - the proliferation of dedicated TV channels, websites, radio stations, niche publications and, of course, newspapers offers a world of opportunity and has changed the nature of the job.

Gone are the days when you’d turn up, perhaps write one quick story for the first edition then revise it with a more considered take before heading off in the general direction of last orders.

Now you might be providing a live blog, snaps for a website and updating a Twitter feed before you get around to writing your story for the following day’s edition.

You might be juggling the demands of a website that craves immediate SEO friendly content with the requirements of a newspaper - which still wants the latest and freshest take on the story with a witty, punchy and original intro.

However, despite these changes, the key skills remain - and that is a key element of the training we will offer you.

The content for Sportsbeat’s Diploma in Multimedia Sports Journalism has been designed by our own editors, meaning you will be taught the skills that employers, not academics, think are relevant. In addition you will study and sit all your National Council for the Training of Journalists examinations, including the invaluable shorthand and media law, alongside our colleagues at News Associates, the UK’s number one ranked NCTJ journalism school.

COURSE OUTLINE

Sportsbeat’s Multimedia Diploma in Sport Journalism will involve you in a busy but rewarding academic year.
You will learn more about the business in one year with us than in three years at university.

This is not a course for the faint-hearted, so the emphasis is certainly on working hard. To become a successful sports reporter you require the skills any news reporter would have, but in a highly-specialised qualification.

The multi-faceted Sports Journalism module will be supplemented by Shorthand, Reporting, Video Journalism, Media Law and Public Affairs - and you will also produce a Portfolio of work throughout the year.

This will result in an NCTJ Diploma if exams and assessments are passed. In addition, there will be a Sportsbeat Diploma in which Sports Public Relations and Communications and Sports Production Journalism will be assessed internally.

We want to make sure that every one of our trainees leaves not just with a great understanding of the world of sport - but also with a qualification next to his/her name so they can be competitive in the job market.

The course will run four days a week, Tuesdays-Fridays. Hours will generally be 9:30-4:30 with a break for lunch, although we make sure the timetable is very flexible.

Saturdays will also be busy at stages during the course as football and rugby matches will be reported on for Sportsbeat during the winter months.

There will also be a host of guest speakers and visits to add a different dimension to the course.

Work experience opportunities exist throughout the course, covering matches and events, press conferences and news opportunities, with Sportsbeat and the Manchester-based Mancunian Matters website.

Mentoring is the responsibility of every member of the Sportsbeat staff, who will give you as much time as you need. This is a rich programme of study and one that will enable you to become a qualified journalist with a specialism in sport within one academic year.

WHAT NEXT?

A popular way for prospective students to get a feel for the Sportsbeat Multimedia Diploma in Sports Journalism is through our FREE Introduction to Sports Journalism workshops, which run regularly in Manchester and London.

These sessions are delivered by Sportsbeat staff and involve a lot of practical exercises and plenty of feedback on the written work completed on the day.

There is also plenty of time for personal career advice. Whether you are a compete novice testing the waters for the first time or someone with plenty of work experience behind you, the workshops will provide you with plenty of new information and will hopefully help you take the next step in your career.

For the full list of dates available through the year, please refer to our website or email training@sportsbeat.co.uk 

CLICK HERE TO VIEW AND DOWNLOAD COURSE PROSPECTUS

 HOW TO APPLY

The application process for the Sportsbeat Multimedia Diploma in Sports Journalism involves an interview with a senior Sportsbeat editor or reporter and a two-hour examination, which will cover sporting and current affairs knowledge.

There is no cost to sit the interview or exam. If a place is offered, a deposit must be made to finally confirm attendance on the course.

Although it is not a prerequisite, it is helpful if a candidate has gathered some work experience before they apply. This could be on anything from a student newspaper or magazine to a national daily or anything in between.

To book an interview and exam place at either our Manchester or London centre, please call 0870 445 0155 or email training@sportsbeat.co.uk

FEES AND FUNDING

The fees for the course are £4,950. Once you have been offered a provisional place on the course you are required to pay a £1,000 deposit within one month to formally accept and confirm the offer.

The balance payment of £3,950 needs to be paid by the first day of the course. If you are able to pay the course fee in full within a month of accepting a place (and if you apply more than a month before the course starts) you would be entitled to an early booking discount of £300, bringing the fees down to £4,650.

We do allow students to pay by instalments throughout the course if they prefer. The initial deposit would be £1,980, made within one month of offer.

Three payments of £990 can then be made at monthly intervals - with the final payment due by the halfway point of the course on January 31st.

If paying by instalments there is an administration charge of £200 which needs to be paid by the first day of the course. There are various funding opportunities available for students including the Professional and Career Development Loan (PCDL).

More information can be found at www.direct.gov.uk/cdl.

There are several other journalism bursaries and grants that you can apply for and we recommend the Prospects.ac.uk website as an excellent resource.

For further information on the full and part-time general journalism (NCTJ Diploma in Multimedia Journalism) training provided by News Associates, click here.

CLICK HERE FOR INFORMATION ON THE SUN SPORT JOURNALISM DIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIP, IN ASSOCIATION WITH SPORTSBEAT