Best Evening course in Journalism/Media?

miryan · 19-08-2013 11:13am #1

I work full time but want to do an evening course in Journalism/media in Dublin - Am thinking of the year long course with DBS. Anything better in your opinion? I'd like to obtain a similar qualification in less time, but if this is the best that's out there??? Any advice appreciated!
Thanks in advance everyone.

bobbaggio · 20-08-2013 10:55am

miryan wrote: »

I work full time but want to do an evening course in Journalism/media in Dublin - Am thinking of the year long course with DBS. Anything better in your opinion? I'd like to obtain a similar qualification in less time, but if this is the best that's out there??? Any advice appreciated!
Thanks in advance everyone.

I am in the same boat. Did you find any information? Seems hard to differentiate between all of them.

miryan · 20-08-2013 11:45am

Not much more bobbaggio - Am going to go to the Open evening later today at DBS though to talk to the lecturers and see whether I have a "good feeling" about it or not! Are you going to it?

bobbaggio · 20-08-2013 3:45pm

I was in there recently and got their booklet and asked for some help. Nothing too groundbreaking was mentioned to be honest. I am just using this as a way to gain advanced entry in D.I.T's journalism degree. Can you let me know how you get on tonight?

tri3 · 20-08-2013 4:36pm

Hi,

I'm in the same boat to both of you. From what I've found out so far there are three very similar courses available in Dublin:

1) DBS - Diploma in Journalism and Media Studies (starts 30th Sept, runs until April 2014, Cost: €1,990, two classes per week and 6 Saturdays)

2) CMI (Communications and Management Institute) - Diploma in Journalism and Media Studies (starts 8th Oct, runs until April 2014, Cost: €1,650, one class per week)

3) Independent College - Diploma in Journalism (starts 7th Oct, runs until April 2014, Cost: €1,650, one class per week)

All three award the diploma through the ICM (Institute of Commercial Management) so there seems to be no differentiation between the outcome of each course. The difference is that DBS is more expensive although you have way more classes with them. The content of each course appears to be virtually indentical.

So I'm trying to figure out which is best. There's not much point asking each institution as obviously they will promote their own course in order to get you to do it. So we need a neutral opinion as to which is the best course. I'm not sure where we can get that though?

Let us know how you get on in the open day today. I can't make it myself.

bobbaggio · 20-08-2013 5:11pm

I contacted Dr. Brian O'Neill in D.I.T (Head of the School of Media) and he said he would email me with the colleges that prepare you best for year 2 in D.I.T but I presume he is on holidays because I haven't gotten anything yet. I will let you know if I hear anything back.

The one class per week? How long is the class do you know?

tri3 · 20-08-2013 5:39pm

bobbaggio wrote: »

The one class per week? How long is the class do you know?

The class is from 6.30pm to 9.30pm for Independent Colleges and CMI.

It is from 6.15pm to 9.30pm for DBS and they have two classes per week plus six Saturdays throughout the year (full days).

So clearly a lot more classes with DBS but you still only get the same qualification at the end of it so is it worth it? That's the question.

bobbaggio · 21-08-2013 11:00am

I wonder what the six saturdays are? If they are all the same qualification, then I presume it doesn't matter.

I think the advanced entry will come down to more than just qualifications anyway like how much you want to do the course and how much of an aptitude you have for the field.

Any news on the DBS open night?

miryan · 26-08-2013 10:52am

Sorry that I disappeared for a few days!!
I went to DBS open evening and the guy that was there for the journalism area wasn't a lecturer on the course so to be honest, I didn't gain much more information from attending it... The 2 classes a week plus some Saturdays is good in that you get more class time- and so you might think that you will learn more from the DBS course, however is it a lot to take on when you're working 8-5 every day???
From speaking to friends in journalism and looking at the NUJ website and smaller pages like http://homepage.eircom.net/~kennedyr/college/2-journalism.html I can see that none of the 3 evening courses we're looking at are accredited by more serious journalism societies...!! DIT, Griffith, Balyfermot, Coolock all mentioned. I'm not sure about your bobaggio and Tri3, but I'm not looking to be a full-time journalist following the course, rather just to learn how to best write articles for the general public, and need some structure behind me before starting to sned off pieces!

Sorry again for the late reply, normally not as bad as this!

Whirlie · 09-04-2014 10:21pm

Hi,
I am just wondering if anyone went ahead with this diploma, and if so how you got on? The CMI College has the course starting at the end of the month, which I am strongly considering. I know you were leaning toward a different college but as the qualification is the same was just wondering what you thought of the content?
Thanks!

miryan · 10-04-2014 9:07am

Hi Whirlie
I went with the Independent colleges one and happy enough I did it - I thought beforehand that 1 night a week wouldn't be sufficient, but it turned out that it was all I could manage with a full time job! If you work full time and want to devote a couple of hours per week to assignments outside of class time then this level may be best for most people.
Re the content, my opinion is a little divided.... All of the lecturers (5 taught) were excellent at their job, giving great insights into their work and I enjoyed the discussions however they all tended to have different styles which meant that some gave little or no notes which I thought was a pity- as I only have notes from a few classes to take away with me. Other than that, I would recommend this Diploma.
I think you need someone who did the ICM college diploma to comment here too! Why don't you ring up and ask them to put you in contact with a former student (it will likely be one who they know gives a glowing reference, but when you get him/her on the phone you may be able to coax out further useful info!)
Good luck with your decision making....
M

Whirlie · 10-04-2014 3:28pm

And you have looked for or gotten any work in the area since Miryan, or did you do the course for your own sake rather than career?
That's a good idea about asking to speak to a past pupil, will try that. I'm not working full-time at mo, but as I don't live there would be travelling up for the course so realistically could only do it one evening a week anyway.
Thanks for responding, appreciate it!

miryan · 10-04-2014 4:02pm

Hi Whirlie
No worries. I haven't done anything really since finishing up a few weeks ago- I did it for my own sake more than career progression, a means to see whether I'd like to go down that route. I do have more know-how and ideas on what I can write about since doing the course, so well worth it in that respect

M

ivytwine · 16-04-2014 8:18pm

Hi all, ex journo here.

Tbh I think it is less about the course than the contacts you make out of it. Having done a year full-time masters in journalism, if you have common sense and good writing skills you will pick it up. Tech skills such as radio and media law knowledge are the most important skills you will be taught.

To be frank, I would take a look at the credentials of those who are giving the course and what organisations they are connected to. If you want to make a career from it you will need to become as well connected as possible.

Best of luck

Whirlie · 25-04-2014 1:12am

Thanks for the response. Why ex-journo? Is it that bad a career choice? Interesting to speak to someone in the career who left it?

ivytwine · 25-04-2014 9:46am

Whirlie wrote: »

Thanks for the response. Why ex-journo? Is it that bad a career choice? Interesting to speak to someone in the career who left it?

I suppose I dunno can I say I really left it, did I ever really get started...

It was something I really wanted to do, and I did my MA in Galway. Might have been better off in Dublin, the course in Galway wasn't great. I got into an internship in a local paper in Galway. It was one of the few places that wasn't struggling financially. I enjoyed the internship but there were warning bells in that the senior members of staff, one in particular, were struggling with enormous workloads and not getting paid what I would consider fair compensation for it.

After the internship and not being able to afford to live in Galway any longer, I moved home for what I thought would be a couple of months max. I applied and applied and applied. Name a media organisation in Ireland and I've applied for it. Meanwhile I wrote for websites and newspapers, all unpaid. One particular local paper promised me payment but never delivered.

A year later, after an unrelated jobbridge and going back to my old part-time retail job (in a chain company) I got a job in customer service in the head office of my company. I figured if I moved up to Dublin I'd be better placed to continue searching. I also applied to two major media companies in the UK (the biggest names going in TV) on a whim, and I got an interview in London. I didn't get the London job, which was fair enough, and in fairness that company were incredibly professional and nice, which is something a hell of a lot of media organisations in Ireland could learn from.

The last straw for me was going to an interview in Stillorgan during the Darwin storms, getting so soaked that I ended up sick for a week, and having to endure a passive-aggressive, bitchy interview when I got there. Best of all, they never even told me I hadn't got the job, instead I found out on LinkedIn that someone else had got it.

For me at that point I decided it wasn't worth it. I would be more creative than journalistic, so I decided to head back into a more creative arena and go back to college part-time up here in September.

So that's my story and sorry for rambling on for so long!

I'm not saying it's impossible to make it. However a lot of the people in my MA are in my shoes, retraining or doing something else or going into the Devil's Work (PR) or even jewellery-making. There are some of us still in journalism.

So if you're serious about it, be aware that you will need to be able to work unpaid/jobbridge. This is the norm now.

Companies in Ireland can be cliquey, rude and unprofessional. There are thousands of candidates and they couldn't give a crap if they offend one candidate because there are 20 more in their place. Which is why you need contacts, contacts, contacts.

IF you are willing to move, the UK seems to be a better option. While there are internships there, the whole unpaid culture doesn't seem to have taken hold the way it does here. The BBC in NI as well as good for opportunities.

Hope this helps and please don't feel too discouraged!

Whirlie · 25-04-2014 1:31pm

Thanks Ivytwine, that is a slightly scary description of the current state of the industry but forewarned is forearmed!! Best of luck with your course in September, hope it goes well.
Have signed up for CMI diploma, starting next week. I took voluntary redundancy last December so am in the lucky position where I can work unpaid, for the duration of the course at least, to get a foot in the door of the profession. Fingers crossed.

ivytwine · 28-04-2014 9:20pm

Whirlie wrote: »

Thanks Ivytwine, that is a slightly scary description of the current state of the industry but forewarned is forearmed!! Best of luck with your course in September, hope it goes well.
Have signed up for CMI diploma, starting next week. I took voluntary redundancy last December so am in the lucky position where I can work unpaid, for the duration of the course at least, to get a foot in the door of the profession. Fingers crossed.

I hope I didn't scare you too much Whirlie!

I think you are coming from a good position, in that you have a bit more experience. I think the industry is a bit dismissive of young grads straight out of college.

Plus you are in the right place and you will get good contacts so hopefully it will all work out for you

Enjoy the course and thanks!

Best Evening course in Journalism/Media?

Comments