Accidental Journalist

I never intended to be a journalist.

At least, not when I started out…

I ran into Toks the other day. This blog post is the result of the conversation I had with him. I’m going to give you a summary of how I made Catch work for me, and hopefully there will be something here that you can use as well, wherever you are in your media career.

I don’t want to overload you with a life story but here’s some background information on how I ended up at Catch to put everything I write in context.

Backstory – Conned By Science
I applied to Catch because I wanted to be a proper freelance writer. My background is in science. I did a mixture of astronomy and physics at university. All of it was overly abstract information, which got me nothing apart from the opportunity to freeze my arse off on the Brecon Beacons and have interesting conversation at parties about supermassive black holes.

The study was mostly fun but essentially pointless if you want to get paid. And nobody tells you this when you are signing up to get a BSc. There should be a little disclaimer that says: “Job not guaranteed, big f***ing debt very much guaranteed.” But they don’t, and here I was…

As I said, I hadn’t even considered journalism at that point.

More Backstory – I Find Catch 22
Anyway, I was stuck in the catch 22 of wanting to be a writer. I’d worked for free for various people and was getting sick and tired of the ‘must have experience to get experience’ thing.  No doubt it pisses you guys off just as much as me. My experiences were in technical writing and science communication: eg. making stuff about space more interesting and readable for the general public. That’s what I thought I’d end up writing more of… eventually.

Then I found Catch, and because I really, really wanted to be a writer I applied…twice. They didn’t interview me first time around, but after some friendly but persistent emails and phone calls they interviewed me when the course re-opened, and then, here I was.

Experience at Catch 22 Academy
Anyway, so I did my time at Catch, working hard on all the assignments and embracing this journalism stuff in a crushing bear hug. I was not, and am not a very good technical journalist. My grades where OK, but many others did far better. I knew more about stellar nucleosynthesis than stenography. I knew next to sod all about the commercial publishing industry in the UK. But I absorbed all the info I could, like a sponge.

That said, I loved the whole experience and met a ton of interesting characters. My cohort were just a fantastic bunch of people, who I am sad to say I see much less of since we’re from all over the place.

I ‘Graduate’ Catch 22
So I completed the Academy portion of the course, but the main thing about Catch is the industry placements. This is where s*** gets real. The academy program is merely a prologue to the wonderful adventures that are to follow, if you are willing to (please excuse the American cliché) ‘step up to the plate.’

‘Cos, just in case you didn’t know, the enterprise is networked in to the industry like you wouldn’t believe. Formally and informally. For example, Toks and the admin staff have excellent working relationships with most of the major publishers in the UK, but the tutors have even more on top of this. Simmy, Matilda or Kate may be able to make you the informal introduction you need to get that foot in the door at your chosen publication. And all you have to do is ask them!

You want the placements like a malnourished man wants vitamins. But you knew that.

Where I Am Now?
Thanks to an intro from Catch, I’m at Bauer Media, the rather massive international publisher. I write for FHM Online and when I’m not doing stuff for them, I’m badgering the other publications (mainly Empire at the moment) with pitches and ideas. When this placement ends, I go to Incisive Media to work on Computer Active and wangle my way into the British Journal Of Photography. My overall goal of deriving a significant income as a freelance writer is taking shape.

All I can do is keep thanking Catch 22 for putting faith in me. And I do! The staff is most likely sick of it by now, but a little gratitude never harmed anybody, right?

Remember, as an alumnus or a current trainee, you are part of the Catch family and we have our very own little old boys/old girls network now. And it’s bloody powerful at that. Trainees are all over the place. As of yet there is no central place to connect with everybody who’s been on the course, but Toks implied there’s something in the works.

Conclusion
I’ve got far more out of Catch 22 in under half a year than all my time at university.  Clearly, someone needs to give Toks a goddamn medal for services to journalism and jaded young writers. However I think he gets enough satisfaction just from watching trainees kicking arse and taking names in media.  So if anything, do it for Toks!

Tips based on what worked for me

• Always be pitching.
• Accept all challenges Catch throws at you; you are there to prove yourself.
• Take on more challenges. Laugh at your workload. Though Catch wants to help you, the one thing that the staff has stressed they want most in candidates is hunger. Devour your assignments and look for more.
• So if you aren’t hungry why are you here? You do want to be in the industry, right?
• Be open to new experience. Never discount anything. Before Catch, my little world was being a science communicator, but being open to all the opportunities, and trusting the staff to know what was best for me was critical. FHM wasn’t on the cards but I’m glad it is now.
• Don’t let any bullshit about the industry being overly competitive get you down. Only you have the unique experiences and skills that you do, and can do what you do. All you need to do is find a way to demonstrate your unique value to the market. Catch can and will help you do that.
• Give back to Catch when you can. For me, this has so far included being a complete evangelist about the whole thing to all the writers I know, spreading flyers around Croydon (lol), and writing a PDF doc for Catch about Twitter. I guess this little blog post counts too. Give to get.
• Help everybody you can. Earl was right.  Karma is real. And even if it isn’t, if everybody believed in it the world would be a lot nicer and easier.
• Have a personal angle. How do you demonstrate that you are different from everybody else? One of mine is the owl thing. I think it makes more sense when you meet me.
• Network to get work: just talk to people. No agenda. Just converse. Talk about publishing if you want! Learn stuff and make friends. Easy peasy.

I’m on Twitter (like everybody else) – follow me for a combination of useful journalistic discussion, utter gibberish, Zen fragments and razor sharp aphorisms.

Good luck with your journey, I hope to run into you guys everywhere. Let me know if I can be any help to you, cos we really are all in this together.

Breaking out of a Catch 22

After growing tired and frustrated with the lack of opportunities available in the media industry, the Catch 22 Academy programme has injected me with a renewed hunger for journalism and given me a solid platform to fulfil my potential as a writer.

Under the guidance of the widely respected and experienced journalists who tutor here at Catch 22′s north London HQ, I am currently learning about every aspect of journalism and gaining the tools needed to become a successful journalist.

Every day is uniquely different on Catch 22, with every task and activity challenging you to improve and learn new skills which will hopefully be put into practice in a busy news room sometime in the not too distant future. My fellow course mates are extremely encouraging and it is great to bounce ideas off fellow creative types.

The academy provides a practical working and learning environment for its trainee journalists who are put through a rigorous three month training programme designed to enhance every aspect of their writing and ultimately boost their chances of full-time employment in the media.

I particularly enjoy listening to the guest speakers who regularly come in and talk to us about different aspects of both online and print journalism, offering an invaluable insight into an industry we all hope to establish ourselves in.

From court reporting to interviewing, feature writing to pitching, I have enjoyed learning each of these essential skills which can be continually practised and improved upon.

I am looking forward to the rest of my time on Catch 22 and the challenges that await. I also hope to establish some media contacts and secure a placement with one of the academy’s established media partners.

Having studied Sport Journalism at university, I already feel I have learnt more in the short space of time I have been with Catch 22 than I did in my three years at college.

In my current retail job I had grown discouraged and frustrated, I am now gaining the confidence and belief needed to get ahead in this fiercely competitive industry.

Mark Molloy

Catch me if you can!

As the saying goes, time flies when you’re having fun. And that’s exactly how my time has been at Catch 22, it’s certainly been a journey. From the uncertainty of the first day, to bonding with the other trainees and tutors, it’s hard to believe there are only three weeks left. So what have I learnt? How to pitch features, writing features, developing ideas, court reporting, finding news stories… it’s a constant learning curve and a steep one at that.

What makes Catch great is that we’re set a task then, simply, sent out to do it. There’s no better way to learn, seriously! Matilda, Kate, Simmy, Mike and Toks push us hard, making each of us look within ourselves and develop self-belief, discipline and professionalism. A personal highlight was when my Michael Franti album review was considered the best in the class! It’s now being printed in the Independent thanks to Simmy. I just need to make sure I get paid… But all jokes aside, that just shows the opportunities that are here: make the most of them!

The diversity of my fellow cohorts makes everyday interesting. With time you naturally warm to people. We’re just not classmates now, we’re very much a family. We’ve shared our knowledge, expertise and goals with each other. I’ll definitely be in touch with everyone once I’ve finished.

I came here and I wasn’t sure where I was going. Now I know, thanks to Catch, I’m ready to take flight.

Daniel Hall

80 words per minute (on a good day)

If you want to be a British print journalist, you are very, very, very, very likely to need the NCTJ Diploma in Journalism.

If you don’t believe me, ask every editor from every local, regional and national publication.

It’s on the NCTJ course that students are taught the practical elements which are essential when working in a newsroom.

The main disciplines learnt are Public Affairs (pretty easy), Media Law (a bit harder but still relatively easy), Reporting (Hard) and Shorthand (Ridiculously difficult).

The experience of the Catch 22 Academy draws a great parallel.

I would go as far as to say that the weeks spent training at Catch 22 provided a unique opportunity for me to ground myself with the mechanics of journalism.

IN PLAIN ENGLISH: Without Catch 22’s guidance I doubt I would be doing so well at NCTJ right now.

Students have been known to cry, laugh hysterically and lose the ability to use a pen during Shorthand lessons. To pass shorthand, you must be able to write 100 words per minute :/

A great skill to have but a nightmare to get!

Despite wanting to do an NCTJ, I couldn’t afford it.

HOWEVER ONE DAY……

Surfing the net reading everything from The Mirror to The Socialist Worker, I stumbled upon a website titled ‘The Journalism Diversity Fund (JDF)’.

To my astonishment I found out that these guys at The Journalism Diversity Fund, pay for your NCTJ course and even give you money to buy books and course related items.

My first Thought = Brilliant

However there was an obstacle in the way.

An application form!

I’m not a huge fan of application forms. I understand why employers use them but for the more lazy of us, it’s a hassle.

Unsurprisingly I left it until 2.59 (deadline was 3pm) to send in my completed form, which I felt was absolutely rubbish. And of course I felt that way because it was rubbish.

Well not according to the JDF, before I could call myself skippy, I had an email congratulating me on getting to the next stage of the application process.

WOOOHOOO              Queue: *PUSHING AIR*                                WOOOOOHHOOOOO

Anyways, so I had got through to the interview stage, which was great. I was only one step away from the Holy Grail (OTT I know).

Admittedly I felt very confident about the interview stage. Out of the tens of interviews I’ve had in the past, I’ve only been rejected once.

Additionally, I had been quite a few weeks into the Catch 22 experience, whereby I was growing in maturity and professionalism as well as in my journalistic skill.

After all, when you are being taught daily by experienced, top class journalists (who work for publications some of us can only dream of), you soon realise that the promise land isn’t so far from your reach.

But like most times in my life, there was a problem. I HAD NO COLLEGE TO GO TO! Before I knew it I was on the website, brochure and hotline of every NCTJ teaching establishment.

Soon I set my sights on the News Associates. At the time of my interview, they had just been crowned number 1 UK fast track centre by the NCTJ. So basically I was signing for Chelsea (for £50 million less than Mr Torres).

During my interview I spoke of the skills I had learnt at Catch 22. It’s a big understatement of the year to say they were impressed. You see it’s amazing how many people apply for jobs/courses in journalism and don’t even know what a ‘par’ is.

Unbelievable, I know!

Every features meeting and every lesson in sidebars, shortcuts, court reporting, etc built me into a more rounded journalist.

IN PLAIN ENGLISH: It made me a hell of a lot better than my competitors!

The NCTJ accredited Sportsbeat/News Associates course is run by a sports news agency in Wimbledon, London. I am doing the course full-time over 20 weeks for £3,500.

Unlike most NCTJ courses, students don’t need to have a degree to be accepted onto the Sportsbeat course. You must sit an entrance examination and interview, conducted by the course director or one of the heads of journalism training and a senior editor.

After both JDF interview and News Associates interview, I was successful accepted by both. Suddenly, becoming a journalist seemed easy.

Then I started my first Shorthand lesson. It all goes downhill from there!

As for Public Affairs, News Reporting and Media Law make sure you keep your Catch 22 folder and notepad and they will be an absolute godsend.

While everyone else is scrapping around furiously in frustration you can recline (if it’s a fancy chair) and relax with your well-prepared and concise notes.

In all seriousness, I am into my 7thweek and I am having a fantastic time. I have learnt bucket loads and have met some great people.

I can even write (almost) 80 words per minute (on a good day) – Glorious times!

However, I can’t thank Catch 22 enough for preparing me for the rigours of the industry.

At a time, when journalism is shrinking and becoming more and more and more (and even more) middle-class, Catch 22 opens the side-door for working class candidates (like moi) who have the ambitious and determination to be a top journalist professional.

And as our very own Simmy once said, to me and my cohort:  “I LIKE people who have good ideas, but I LOVE people who are driven enough to make them happen.”

Jermaine

Think Ethically, Think Consciously, Think Publishing

Another Catch 22 alumni has stepped into the real world. I’m currently on a placement working on some of Think’s Customer Publishing magazines.

Doing interviews with socially conscious holiday-goers for the message board website http://www.stuffyourrucksack.com has really made me…

The site has an interactive map where you can find out what charity organizations are in the city you’re holidaying in and what donations would help them.

I interviewed a few of the backpackers on their experiences in Gambia, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Cameroon. It was very moving to learn how with a little bit of effort [taking stationary or paracetamol], you can make such a big impact on people’s lives.

I really have learnt so much, from Catch 22 that has helped me at Think.  Never be scared to pitch your ideas, just research them first. The subbing notes given to my class by Simmy have enabled me to sit with the Sub Editing team and work on London Whipsnade Zoo Guide and the Royal Yachting Association Magazine. It’s great to read for work and do puzzles to check they go out correct in the magazine.

As a bonus to the interesting work and inspiring people, I was told the cafe downstairs was a great place to do some celeb spotting. Oh yes, I was informed that the likes of:

• Jedward [Wuhu!]
• Skepta [Ask a 15 year old - Skepta is only the favourite MC of the moment],
• Alexa Chung [nice handbag]
• and Colin Firth [is that an Oscar in his pocket?!]

have all been interviewed there recently.

I don’t know if I saw anybody as famous as Skepta; some people I saw in the cafe were wearing shades inside so maybe :p

Before I started my placement I did some writing work for a Norwegian pop star and philanthropist, Deeyah who is producing a film documentary about honour killings.

Deeyah has just launched a new website on April 7 coinciding with International Honour Killings Awareness Day because it marks the public stoning to death of teenager Du’a Khalil Aswad in Iraq. Memini is an online site of remembrance and I wrote some of the biographies of the ladies memorialized at http://www.memini.co

The aim of the Memini project is to spread knowledge and awareness of this repressive mindset within some cultures, so police can intervene when young girls come to them for help; before its too late. Murders are often carried out on women by their fathers, husbands, brothers and uncles in an attempt to maintain family status or ‘honour’ within a community.  Women are murdered for going against tradition, against the family wishes, or expressing their individuality.

The Memini website is an attempt to expose the horrors of this mindset, and drill home the point that there is no honour in killing.  It’s a place to honour those killed and to shame the killers.

My work for Deeyah and Think Publishing has inspired me to travel the world, and to write people’s stories for them. I enjoy working on ethical projects with a social conscience. As my placement comes to a close I am hoping my career will continue in this direction.

Thanks Catch!

Selina

The fun of smashing glass ceilings

I’m not posting this to be smug about my new position. Don’t worry, I went to town on the Facebook status updates and sent a month’s worth of free text messages to send the news out to my friends. I am posting this because I got in. And even the most succinct blog poster in the world wouldn’t be able to accurately portray the happiness while keeping the reader genuinely interested.

So what do you need to know to get in? There’s quite a bit. More than I could possibly cover. But I’ll give it a go.

Journalism is an industry. And within any industry, your approach to the recruitment process bares great relevance to your successful navigation to your first pay packet. Before I landed the big one, I went on countless, pointless interviews. A lot of the time they were interviews for jobs that I really didn’t want (and that’s probably why I didn’t succeed at them). But as we all know, practice makes perfect.

Failed interviews sting but you can take something from every situation. Think about the areas in which you were stumped, how would you answer it a second time around? Fast thinking is key.

I’m sure you’ve done plenty of unpaid work. If you haven’t already, get a move on. Although it can be a pain in the ass reviewing CDs you don’t care for, for no money, it’ll prepare you for having to review CDs that you don’t care about for your future employer. And it also shows desire and dedication. These are highly sort after traits.

You need to know your CV inside and out. Writing a CV that looks good and reads concisely is one skill. Another skill is being able to go into an interview room and (with sweaty palms and a rapid heart beat) explain exactly what those bullet points mean. How and why you have done the things you’ve done; how can you apply these skills to the role; how many more questions can you think that they are going to ask about you? Preparation is everything.

This is why researching your prospective employer is so important. You won’t need to know what the weather was doing on the day that the first editor was born, but you will need to show your interest in the company you’re applying for. Buy (borrow or steal) copies of their publication and their competitors. This again shows initiative. What do you like/dislike; what do you think of the publication? We’re quick thinkers right. Come up with answers that catch the interviewer off guard and you’ll stick in their head.

Show interest, but don’t sound desperate. I had an interview for a copy controller position during the summer. The interview went perfectly. I had good vibes. I asked, ‘When will you let me know?’

When I didn’t hear on the Thursday, I waited till Friday. On Monday, after a few inquisitive emails, I called (to show determination). I was told that my conduct was out of line. I never heard back. I don’t think there’s an empty desk still waiting for me.

Believe in yourself. I was angry as hell after that situation. But you learn from your mistakes. I believed I was good enough for the job. I just didn’t get it. You’ll take a few hits along the way, but as Catch 22 trainees, I’m sure you already know that. It’s how you deal with them that counts. If you believe in yourself and you’re right to be in the painful situation of the interview room, they’ll believe in you. I need to move on to another paragraph before I get any more like Tony Robbins.

Apply for jobs every day. It would scare me if I found out how many positions I’ve applied for in the last two years. Out of the hundreds of applications I’ve sent, I’ve had three interviews for positions that I wanted. Three. Admittedly, there have more interviews for jobs that I didn’t want. But they all taught me something. And it’s a bloody good job I didn’t get them.

Two weeks ago, I worked in a bar. I received an email offering me an unpaid placement at the BBC on the Radio Times. I was ecstatic. Two days later, I was invited to interview for a full time editorial assistant role. Last week, I stood in an office’s car park audibly laughing to myself with a grin that hasn’t gone down.

I work for a publisher of adult entertainment. I write for porn magazines. I get paid to write and look at naked women. The elation is incomparable.

By Tim Horner – joined Catch 22 as part of the Spring 2010 Cohort)

Be careful, you might catch something!

It’s been nine months since it happened. I don’t normally do it on the first night but I did with Catch 22. I opened up and allowed it to impregnate me with its knowledge, spirit and enthusiasm. Now the big day is nearly upon us, the day I welcome success into my life. Hopefully it will be a boy… I mean a pass.
Pregnancy metaphors aside, the Catch 22 experience has been an important one. It came at a time where I was vulnerable (no pun intended), lacked motivation and had become stagnant. Yes, the course does teach you invaluable skills but more importantly it makes you believe. Believe that you can succeed in an industry that is set up to deny you the opportunity to.

Not content with having its wicked way with me, Catch 22 also pimped me out its friends. Meaning I now have a long list of valuable contacts in the industry. The course gave me the opportunity to do work experience at the Daily Mirror, where I gained much needed insight and confidence.
It wasn’t my proudest moment but when I was with Catch, someone else caught my eye, I felt dirty cheating but the NCTJ was attractive. Thankfully, Toks later told me that I could date both at the same time.

A rep from the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ) came to talk to us about the Journalism Diversity Fund (JDF). The JDF is a fund that helps ‘diverse’ students get the NCTJ qualification. The fund pays for your course and gives you money to live on.
I was interested, but put it to the back of my mind.

Fast forward a few months and I was at another crossroads, I had just finished work experience and wasn’t sure what the next step was. Then I remembered, a voice told me JDF, I hadn’t heard voices since that mad weekend in Liverpool.

I was reluctant to listen to it, but I did anyway. I applied, and to cut a long story short I got it. Now I’m knuckle deep in shorthand and media law. The NCTJ course is moving at super speed and its sink or swim time.

But I’m happy because I have a better chance of succeeding and that’s all because I didn’t use protection on the first night. How ironic.

By Jimmy Nsubuga (Joined Catch 22 as part of the Summer 2010 Cohort)

Catch 22: My big fat flu

Hi all,

Well it finally got me!! I tried to avoid it as much as I could, I tried to be careful: I hid behind scarves, under thick coats and hats but it still found me. Yes, I mean the dreaded flu.

The pesky so-n-so was with me for over two weeks and I was not happy! I hate being sick, as I’m sure everyone does, because there is absolutely nothing to do. You’re stuck in bed with a bunged up nose, sore throat, coughing so much it feels like you’ve done a months worth of sit-ups, hot then cold, then immediately back to hot again-no wait, cold.

I read in the paper that 75% of people claiming incapacity benefit are just skiving. Why? I mean, I know why because no one wants to have to work, but surely you’d die of boredom. There’s only so much TV you can watch, shopping you can do, only so many times you can have the same conversation with your friends and there’s only so long you can laze around the house.

I had only been off a couple of weeks and I was bored out of my mind. I was bored of the telly, bored of online shopping, I had no one to talk to because everyone was either at work (the world definitely did not stop for me) and I could no longer find a comfortable position in my once cosy bed.

I think I might ask the trainees to do a vox pop in the next issue, the question: “What’s Your Best Flu Killing Remedy?” For me it was mum’s honey and lemon, sleep and my King of the Hill box set.

I always like to have a good book or magazine to read in bed when so, of course, I was reading Catch 22 Magazine. I loved the lap dancing feature in the winter/autumn issue. It was interesting reading why girls turn to lap dancing. It’s a shame that some feel its the only way to pay for tuition fees or support their families. I’ve always said if you’ve got it flaunt it but I could never flaunt that much.

Either way, the whole two weeks made me realise how much I love being outside and love being at work and how much I loved being back a Catch. I will (try to) never be at the mercy of flu again.

On another note, I know one thing that had tongues wagging here in the office and kept my Tuesday nights interesting – four words – Big Fat Gypsy Weddings. Whoever had the brainstorm of documenting such a culture was pure genius!! I can’t wait till it’s back next year!!

Anyway, I found this cute little film on how the flu virus invades the body – Damn you pink molecule!! Damn you purple membrane!!

Enjoy

Karine
x

1,460 days later…

Yay it’s our birthday today!!! It’s four years to the very day that a leap of faith was taken and this venture was born.

On 1st March 2007 I was filled with anxious energy and every inch of carpet in our office was covered with branded C22 gift bags. At this point C22 had a staff team of just me, myself and I. With the help a couple of mates we got the bags filled in a matter of hours. This was while the phone was ringing off the hook from people wanting to get on the guest list that had closed days before.

Fast forward to the evening and I was running late for my own launch!?! When I finally reached the ICA on Pall Mall it then really dawned on me that it was actually happening, C22 had arrived. The night went well and was a great way to kick off the journey. Looking back now, having a launch party down the road from the Queen’s pad for a start-up social enterprise that had a grand total of about £1.80 in it’s bank account was crazy… champagne taste on beer money in full effect!

You see the name Catch 22 fitted on so many levels, not only did it relate to the young talent we aimed to nurture it also epitomised the status of the organisation itself. I tend to pay attention to detail so I didn’t just start C22 on a whim, in fact the birth came only after being pregnant with the idea for about 24 months. During this period I went to a number of potential investors and funders and the response was near enough the same every time. “Great idea, however for us to support we need to see it up and running first etc etc”. Perplexed by their responses I replied: “I get I’m a start-up, but it is exactly this reason in the first place that I need your support?!?”. I was stuck in a vicious circle with two options 1) C22 remains a cute idea on the shelf 2) proceed with it anyway with ‘sweat equity’ as my only form of investment.

I obviously chose the latter, so you can understand why on the 2nd March I was mad nervous as well nursing a killer hangover (note to self: mixing champagne the endless bottles of free Cobra beer is never smart or sexy!). I was nervous because I had just given birth to this beast of an entity that would need constant feeding and I had jack all in my fridge to satisfy its hunger. Thankfully the very next week I was due to start a course at the School For Social Entrepreneurs, the 12-month experience was like a finishing school experience that helped me turn C22 in a robust model that has changed the lives of over 100 young adults to date.

To say the last four years has been tough is the understatement of the year and we’ve just hit March. There were MANY points when I just wanted to tap out. Thankfully I didn’t, because now I’m proud to say at this very moment we have a number of our trainees working their way into the fabric of some of the biggest media outfits in the UK.

What started out as just a magazine showcasing new talent, has now transformed into something amazing. I’m excited about the future, coz it’s bright, in fact it’s red, blue, green…and orange!

Eager smiles and News of The Hack

When the News of the World saga started in 2007, little did I imagine that four years on, the whole corporation would be recovering from the collective amnesia that had gripped them all this while.

Ian Edmonson’s suspension and subsequent sacking after an “internal inquiry” and Andy Coulson’s resignation have all come as a shock. Perhaps it’s the sequence of events, or my questioning mind’s insistence to connect the two events. Why did it take so long for this internal inquiry to take place? Is this the end or are we going to see more resignations and job losses connected to the print media industry?

Our October batch of trainees came in for their last day yesterday. It has been twelve weeks of intense sessions to push their eager backs up the ladder of journalism. Although two are currently on placements with our media partners, some of them didn’t make it to the end. Their eager smiles vanished after a couple of weeks. The glamorous ladder was not what they expected it to be.

The ones who stayed still have the smiles. They also have a certain ambitious gleam in their eye, like they will stop at nothing to get to the top of the ladder.
I wonder if they will stick to the hard grind of sourcing stories, the long nights of writing and rewriting copy. Will they master the art of interviewing and pitching stories? Will they aim to satisfy the endless appetite for salacious stories about celebrities?

If the going gets tough and they can’t find the sensational stories that the Joe Public likes to read, would they resort to scavenging rubbish bins for stories, will they hack some poor soul’s phone or employ a private detective? Will they take any opportunity that is presented ethical or otherwise to get a story?

I assume Ian Edmonson didn’t start his career with the aim of getting involved in shady practices like those reported. He probably had the eager smile and the ambitious gleam in his eye like our trainees. However he worked in an industry where the line between private lines and public information is so blurred its hardly recognizable. It is an industry that is under constant pressure to feed the endless voyeurism to the public.

Nevertheless there are scores of journalists who have stayed on the straight and narrow and still write amazing articles. I know this because our Academy tutors put in nothing but hard work to produce their stories and pass this value onto the trainees every week. As bleak as news about journalists seems at the moment I am holding onto my experience of journalism at Catch 22 and the future looks very bright indeed.

Antoinette