Presentation on the value of accreditation to journalism employers presented at the AJE conference 2015.

1. Chasing the accreditation dream:
Do employers value accredited courses or are
higher education institutions pursuing an
archaic endorsement scheme?
Dr Lily Canter
Subject Group Leader for Journalism
Sheffield Hallam University

2. Why this research?
• Approx 110 courses accredited
NCTJ = 40 (+30 FE/fast track)
PPA = 20
BJTC = 50
• Graduate occupation
• Perception of ‘added value’, ‘high
quality’ and ‘superior’
• But how does it fit with employability agenda?

3. Research gap
• No research in UK
• Limited literature
globally
• One longitudinal US
study found no
evidence of superiority
(Seamon, 2010)
• Only benchmark is NCTJ
commissioned report
(Gunter, 2011)

4. Method
Interviewed 14 employers (editors / section editors)
• About My Area
• BBC x 3 (online, radio, TV - regional and national)
• BuzzFeed
• ITN News
• Johnston Press
• My Student Style
• Press Association
• Progressive Media Group
• Regional Magazine Company
• Sky Sports News
• Slimming World
• The Guardian

5. Key findings
• Accreditation is not a key factor in the
recruitment of entry level journalists
• Some training – accredited or otherwise – is
desirable although not always essential
• Writing and digital skills are both top priority
• NCTJ core skills (media law, public affairs,
shorthand) not as prevalent in responses
• Work experience prevalent expectation
• Half of employers would employ someone with
no training at all
• But other half said no training was too risky

6. More findings
• Most respondents aware of NCTJ, but only 5 of
BJTC and 3 of PPA
• Knowledge of functions of these bodies largely
limited
• Accreditation not part of recruitment selection
process for two thirds of employers
• When accreditation is part of recruitment
selection process it is a desirable not an essential
• Half felt accreditation bodies had valuable role in
preparing students for the working news room

7. Demonstration of experience is key
“Rather than a first class honours from a BJTC
course I would be more impressed with
someone who has written a blog or has
10,000 Twitter followers or runs their own
website or YouTube channel and I can look
and think yes, that is good stuff, they’re a
good journalist,” (national broadcaster).

8. What next?
• Paper in AJE journal
• Industry survey?
• Marketing value
• Value to students / parents
• Role of journalism education?

9. References
• Gunter, Joel (2011) 'Editors still prize traditional skills,
finds NCE review' Journalism.co.uk [online]. Available
from: https://www.journalism.co.uk/news/editors-still-
prize-traditional-skills-finds-nce-review/s2/a545729/
[Accessed February 19th 2015].
• Seamon, Marc (2010) 'The value of accreditation: An
overview of three decades of research comparing
accredited and unaccredited journalism and mass
communication programs’ Journalism and Mass
Communication Educator, 65:9, 10-20.