New Journalists lacking some of the basics

Another interesting piece that has come out of the Society of Editors conference is the consensus that a lot of new journalists are coming into the industry without the necessary skills.

A study by the NCTJ reveals that

found that 71 per cent of employers felt there was a skills gap for journalists to work and be trained across multiple platforms.

I have to admit that I find this strange having had the multi-platform requirements literally forced down the throat whilst at UCLAN.Perhaps the journalism school is in the minority.

Of the 217 employers surveyed, 59 per cent said new entrant journalists lack sufficient video recording and editing skills, while 57 per cent found a skills gap amongst trainees in writing for search engine optimisation (SEO).

Perhaps even more worrying though is the news that

More than 200 media organisations and 50 training organisations were surveyed. The research identified a skills gap in the ability of new entrants to find and write stories, with 64 per cent of those asked highlighting it as a problem area. Use of language came in second as a trouble area with 51 per cent.
The report found that ‘old-fashioned’ skills such as gathering facts and a tight writing style were still paramount, and interviewees said that the basic journalism skills must not be lost as new skills such as video recording are taught.