SoE08: New multi-platform journalism forum will 'converge' journalism training

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A new Joint Journalism Training Council forum (JJTC) will strive to help journalism training for the 'converged multi-media world'. The Society of Editors (SoE) has announced that after discussions involving senior executives in print and broadcasting organisations, the National Council for Training of Journalists (NCTJ), the Broadcasting Journalism Training Council (BJTC) and the Periodicals Training Council (PTC) will come together to form a forum to deal with common areas of media training.

New skills and awareness needed for the multimedia workplace, according to a release on the Society of Editors website , include:

• 'Basic knowledge and understanding of what convergence or multi-platform publishing means'
• 'Developing ideas for repurposing and adding to print or broadcast news material for use on websites, including the use of links, background material, writing for the website, the basics of search engine optimisation and use of basic content management systems.'
• 'Using video and audio equipment to produce content for websites and other platforms and publishing it.'

The release stressed that this is not an all inclusive list and that some employers may require specific and specialised skills.

The JJTC will be led by the outgoing SoE president, Simon Bucks.

"I am pleased the Society of Editors has brought the journalism training organisations and employers together to take action on new and converging journalism skills. We now have a coordinated and joint approach to achieving the high journalism standards we are all committed to," said Joanne Butcher, chief executive of the NCTJ.

"No question, this is the way forward", added Jim Latham, secretary of the BJTC.

"We have realistic, achievable targets and I think as a first priority we can deliver mutually agreed and accredited core skills pretty quickly," he said.

"The PTC expects the new forum will make real progress for the benefit of publishers, media owners and student journalists," said Loraine Davies, director of the PTC.