Courses and publications

FOR NUJ London Freelance Branch working group on help for journalists

LONDON FREELANCE Branch is compiling this guide - initially as a contribution to the Branch effort to support exiled journalists. Not all will suitable for - or affordable by - all who need them. Please let us know of things we should add and your experiences of the courses and resources mentioned.

Courses

Many refugee and relocated journalists need support with improving their written and spoken language skills, especially if their first language is not English. We list here a directory of useful educational courses and other resource that might help with improving your journalistic talents. Good luck!

London Freelance Branch has a mentoring scheme - see here.

NUJ courses

NUJ Scotland Online English for Journalists Course This is a unique English-language course developed by the National Union of Journalists as an online interactive tool providing grammar and literacy skills.

English for Journalists comprises seven modules, with information pages and interactive quizzes:

Grammatical terms Get started! How much – or how little – do you remember?
Punctuation Here's how to avoid some punctuation pitfalls.
Spelling Top-notch spelling is crucial in reporting.
Abbreviations and acronyms acronyms are abbreviations using initial letters – for example, for the names of organisations: UN, HMG, UK etc - The long and the short of short-cuts.
What not to write Some dos and don'ts for writing.
Writing Hints for story construction.
Style This module outlines the main points to remember when writing an article.

The online course costs £25 for NUJ members and £40 for non-members. To subscribe contact scottishtraining@nuj.org.uk

Joan Macdonald - joanm@nuj.org.uk and 0141 251 0363 - is training manager for NUJ Training Scotland.

LFB members accessing the course would require a basic level of English as a starting point, since all the instructions are given in English. The course is mainly aimed at writing skills and was targeted at newspapers when originally commissioned. (There are no references to writing for the web, for example.) The core content was updated at the start of the cOVID-19 Pandemic. Other NUJ Scotland journalism courses can be found at nujtrainingscotland.com/professional-training-courses-2021

NUJ Course: First Steps in Freelancing Moving to freelance journalism can be daunting. This one-day course is aimed at members who are thinking about going freelance, or have recently done so, and provides practical advice on first steps as a freelance. As with the other three NUJ courses listed here, a fairly basic level of English would be needed.

Participants learn what is needed to progress from a first freelance commission to a first payment, along with introductions to planning, money, tax, legal issues, copyright, licensing, pitching and negotiating.

The course also includes advice about taking care of your health, setting up an office, IT, marketing and pensions, together with ideas on how to develop a freelance business once it is up and running.

The course trainer is S. A. Mathieson, who has worked as a freelance journalist full-time for more than 10 years. He has commissioned freelancers as an editor, including of the Guardian "Healthcare Professionals" section, and run training courses for the NUJ, the Federation of Entertainment Unions, City Lit and corporate clients. More at: samathieson.com/sa-mathieson

Cost: NUJ Members £40; NUJ Student members £30; Non-members £110

Next course: September 30, 10:00 am to 4.30 pm via Zoom

Further details from Laura Fagan: lauraf@nuj.org.uk and book here.

NUJ Course: Winning and Negotiating Freelance Work Freelances have to win/pitch for and negotiate their own work, but this doesn't come naturally to many journalists. This one-day course is targeted at members who have recently gone freelance, or want to brush up their skills, with ideas and practice on how to get new work and negotiate its terms (especially money!).

This one-day course is for members that have recently gone freelance, or want to brush up their skills, provides ideas and practice on how to win new work and negotiate terms.

Attendees must be prepared to take part in workshop-style exercises and talk about money.

The course trainer is S. A. Mathieson, as above.

Cost: NUJ Members £50; NUJ Student members £40; Non-members £130

Next course: October 14, 1:00 am to 4.30 pm via Zoom.

Further details from Laura Fagan: lauraf@nuj.org.uk and book here.

NUJ Course: Learn To Manage Your Tax And Finances Accountancy firm H. W. Fisher runs this course as part of its popular tax seminars. The course, free-of-charge to NUJ members, provides expert advice on tax for the self-employed and staff that recently have become freelance. It also covers National Insurance for the self-employed; self-assessment; allowable expenses; setting up in business; and operating via a limited liability company.

Cost: Free

Next course: October 13, 3.20 pm to 5.30 pm.

Space can be reserved with the NUJ's Freelance Office or here.

Other courses

Breaking Barriers – Integrating Refugees though Employment WeWork Aldwych provides courses for developing English skills to assist with integration into the UK labour market. The courses are designed to assist with applying to jobs, writing emails and talking on the phone or chatting with new colleagues, at the following levels: Pre-beginner English: Course material includes the alphabet, numbers, introductions, to help students work on learning how to write in English. English for Work: Course material includes introducing oneself, asking and giving directions, talking on the phone, and preparing for the first job. Business English: Course material includes email etiquette, negotiations, ice-breakers, agendas and presentation skills. IELTS: Course material includes test strategies, mock assessments, listening techniques and writing practice.

The six/eight-week courses offer weekly classes - evening or weekends - with homework.

The organisers state: "Our education programme provides tailored English-language support and training courses that can increase your employability and help prepare you for entering the workplace. We provide small group classes led by trained teachers and supported by enthusiastic teaching assistants. Our goal is for you to both learn new skills and feel confident using them."

Also: "Breaking Barriers is a charity whose mission is to help refugees in London, Greater Manchester, and Birmingham acquire the knowledge, confidence and experience to get stable, fulfilling employment. We give a central role to businesses, involving them directly in finding employment solutions and providing the support that gets refugees into work. We partner directly with businesses who provide work experience placements and deliver skills-based workshops for refugees to gain vital work experience and develop the skills they need to secure long-term employment.

"We offer intensive, personalised one-to-one employment support on a weekly basis in three primary sites - Clapham Junction, Shoreditch and Hammersmith - with additional support also offered in partnership with organisations in Croydon, Balham and Ladbroke Grove."

Currently, the operation is able only to support refugees based in the London, Greater Manchester and Birmingham area. It aims to respond to all enquiries within 2-4 weeks. Breaking Barriers says that in the 12 months to September, 2022 it has supported 572 "people of refugee background" via 20 businesses, although it does not confirm whether or not any of the latter are in the media.

Contact: Breaking Barriers, WeWork Aldwych, 71 - 91 Aldwych, London, WC2B 4HN | enquiries@breaking-barriers.co.uk | 020 4541 0155.

Cost: Although we cannot locate clear information it appears that, rather than charging a fee, the organisers may well work with the companies that actually employ "people of refugee background" while they train.

See breaking-barriers.co.uk/refugee-support/education/english-language-courses

International Center for Journalists/IJNet, Washington, DC, USA offers news apps and tools "for non-native-English-speaking journalists", training opportunities and expert advice for professional and emerging journalists worldwide," IJNet follows the shifting journalism scene from a global perspective in eight languages" - Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Persian, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish. See www.ijnet.org/en/story/writing-tools-non-native-english-speaking-journalists

Educational toolkits can be found at www.ijnet.org/en/toolkits - these seem to be free but are very brief, with links to other resources. The courses are probably worth a look for information on particular aspects but may not take the applicant very far. Please tell us if you give them a try and your experience is very different, for better or worse. www.ijnet.org/en/opportunities has jobs, grants, awards announcements and more.

University of the Arts London/Central Saint Martins The London College of Communication offers tuition for refugee journalists as part of its masters, postgraduate diploma and postgraduate certificate courses. The online blurb states that LCC emphasises aspect of writing in terms of "understanding what it means to be engaged in social change." This is an online "open" course, meaning that participants do not have to take it as part of a degree. They state: "This highly practical Open Course places social justice at the heart of the creative writing practice" and "At the end of this course, you will produce a group publication with your fellow writers and designers."

See www.arts.ac.uk/subjects/open-courses2/pg-cert-writing-for-change

Cost: not announced in mid-September, but the Design For Visual Communication post-graduate certificate course costs £3850 to UK residents and £7870 to others.

University of London School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) Centre for Global Media and Communications SOAS is said to offer apprenticeships and placements in the industry. Further information: www.soas.ac.uk/global-media-and-communications

English language tests (with some learning too)

In terms of usefulness, IELTS or TOEFL levels are not high enough to meet the complex demands of much of the English-speaking journalism market. But any course or test can mark a stepping-stone en route to the goals of journalistic professional English writing and speaking. Note that TOEFL is currently not recognised by the Home Office as a suitable test, although it is by many other bodies.

IELTS tests online are free from the British Council. These have sections on listening, writing, reading, speaking, different tests according to whether the participant chooses "academic" or "general." Journalistic English-language courses lean to "general."

Preparation courses are listed at takeielts.britishcouncil.org/take-ielts/prepare/courses

Cost: One-to-one coaching is included at the expensive end, costing between £88 and £343. Free preparatory online seminars also are available – you need to book since numbers are limited (they include study packs). Free mobile IELTS apps and some "cheap" books are available via takeielts.britishcouncil.org/take-ielts/prepare/free-apps

Educational Testing Service TOEFL – Test of English as a Foreign Language. The preparation guide is said to be designed for use by English speakers from around the world. There are TOEFL tests for various stages of English-language proficiency "to guide learning, inform teaching and help students achieve their academic goals."

Pearson: PTE Academic UKVI or PTE Home.
PSI Services: "Skills for English UKVI.
Trinity College London: Secure English Language Tests for UKVI – Integrated Skills in English (ISE) or Graded Examinations in Spoken English (GESE).
IELTS SELT Consortium: IELTS for UKVI or IELTS Life Skills.
LanguageCert: LanguageCert International ESOL SELT.

More at www.gov.uk/guidance/prove-your-english-language-abilities-with-a-secure-english-language-test-selt#find-an-approved-test and at www.ets.org/toefl

GRE (Graduate Record Examination) courses These are aimed at "professional" standards of English around the world. They are aimed specifically at business school and law school, and mainly about entry into graduate schools in the US. The US-based examinations involve multichoice but also essay writing – they favour "logic and brevity not flashy writing" – to teach in class but have "prep materials" that cost $20-$100 each. Many practice tests are available, including a free exam from ETS itself: see www.ets.org/gre/revised_general/prepare

Books and other written materials

Prices here were valid in September 2022. Second-hand book prices may or may not include postage; e-edition prices are quoted here when available.

Straight educational and informational

Wynford Hicks is a former NUJ London Freelance Branch committee member, "freelance journalist and editorial trainer. He has worked as a reporter, subeditor, feature writer, editor and editorial consultant on magazines, newspapers and books."

Writing for Journalists – Media Skills by Hicks with Sally Adams, Harriet Gilbert and Tim Holmes (1999/2008/2016), 208 pages; published by Taylor & Francis and later Routledge | Hardback new £120 (!), but paperback latest edition second-hand £3.79 upwards.

Waterstones bookshop blurb:

"Writing for Journalists is about the craft of journalistic writing: how to put one word after another so that the reader gets the message - or the joke - goes on reading and comes back for more. It is a practical guide for all those who write for newspapers, periodicals and websites, whether students, trainees or professionals. This revised and updated edition introduces the reader to the essentials of good writing. Based on critical analysis of news stories, features and reviews from daily and weekly papers, consumer magazines, specialist trade journals and a variety of websites, Writing for Journalists includes advice on how to start writing; and how to improve and develop your style; how to write a news story which is informative, concise and readable; tips on feature writing from researching profiles to writing product round-ups; how to structure and write reviews; a new chapter on writing online copy."

English For Journalists (1993 but latest edition 2013), 213 pages, published by Routledge | New £15.40, second-hand £1.27 upwards.

Blurb:

"An invaluable guide to the basics of English in newsrooms the world over, focusing on the essential aspects of writing, from reporting speech to the house styles and jargon central to the language of journalism. Written in a highly accessible and engaging style, English for Journalists covers the fundamentals of grammar, spelling, punctuation and journalistic writing, with all points illustrated through a series of concise and illuminating examples. The book features practical, easy to follow rules, the correct and incorrect ways to report stories, and examples of common mistakes and problem words in journalistic writing. The twentieth anniversary edition adds a new introduction to the work from author Wynford Hicks, as well as updated examples throughout to improve accessibility, and a revised first chapter on the state of English today. This is an essential guide to written English for all practicing journalists and students of journalism today."

Subediting For Journalists: Print, Digital & Social Hicks with Tim Holmes (first published 2002, latest editions 2013 and e-book 2014), 180 pages | New £29.99, second-hand 0.25p upwards Co-author Tim Holmes is senior lecturer in Journalism, Media and Cultural Studies at Cardiff University

Blurb:

"Subediting for Journalists is a concise, up-to-date and readable introduction to the skills of subediting for newspapers and magazines. It describes how subediting has developed, from the early days of printing to the modern era of computers and the web and explains clearly what the sub now has to do. Using practical examples from newspapers and magazines, Subediting for Journalists introduces the various techniques involved in subediting from cutting copy to writing cover lines. It includes:

House style explained with model stylebook provided

Examples of bad journalistic English such as misused clichés and pronoun confusion

Subbing news and features for sense and style

Editing quotes and readers' letters

Projecting copy by writing headlines and standfirsts

Checking pictures and writing captions

Principles and methods of proofreading

Making copy legally safe

Understanding production and using software packages

Website subbing

A glossary of journalistic terms and suggestions for further reading."

The Basics Of English Usage (2009), 192 pages, | Hardback new £147.05 (!), paperback new £16.99, second-hand 0.88p upwards, Kindle £15.99

Blurb:

"Including guides to further reading and online resources, The Basics of English Usage is an indispensable survival guide for anyone wanting to improve their writing and communication... Should I say, 'He is taller than I?' or 'He is taller than me?'... Do you spell it 'blond" or 'blonde?'

"If you've ever been stopped in your tracks by questions like these, then this book is for you. A complete pocket guide to the ins and outs of everyday English, The Basics of English Usage will tell you all you need to know about such topics as:

Correct spelling

Good grammar and style

Punctuation and how to use it

Problem words that everyone gets wrong.

"Including guides to further reading and online resources, The Basics of English Usage is an indispensable survival guide for anyone wanting to improve their writing and communication."

Quite Literally: Problem Words And How To Use Them (2012), 268 pages, published by Routledge | Hardback £38.99, second-hand £2.51 upwards, paperback £34 upwards, Kindle £35.09

Blurb:

"A guide to English usage for readers and writers, professional and amateur, established and aspiring, formal trainees and those trying to break in; students of English, both language and literature, and their teachers. In Quite Literally, Wynford Hicks answers questions like:

What's an alibi, a bête noire, a celibate, a dilemma?

Should underway be two words?

Is the word 'meretricious' worth using at all?

How do you spell realise - with an s or a z - and should bete be bête?

Should you split infinitives, end sentences with prepositions, start them with conjunctions?

What about four-letter words, euphemisms, foreign words, Americanisms, clichés, slang, jargon?

And does the Queen speak the Queen's English? [Editor: now read 'King' for 'Queen'; and wouldn't 'questions such as' be better?]

"The advice given can be applied to both formal speech – what is carefully considered, broadcast, presented, scripted or prepared for delivery to a public audience – and will even enhance your everyday language too! Practical and fun, whether to improve your writing for professional purposes or simply enjoy exploring the highways and byways of English usage, readers from all walks of life will find this book both invaluable and enjoyable."

Review: "Hicks has a good eye for otiose construction and puffed-up words... he trawls contemporary literature, blue pencil poised, marking down Margaret Drabble, Jonathan Franzen and even the Queen's Times Literary Supplement."

By other authors:

Universal Journalist by David Randall (2010, in 5th edition 2016), 304 pages, published by Pluto Press | hardcover £67.88, new £17.99, second-hand £3.79 upwards, Kindle £9.99

Author biography: David Randall is a British journalist and author who was chief news writer of the Independent On Sunday and has been news editor of three national newspapers.

Blurb:

"Fully updated, this handbook provides a basic introduction to all aspects of being a journalist, with new chapters on online journalism and handling statistics. It sets out to empower journalists to deal with an industry in which ownership and technology are rapidly changing the nature of the job."

"A new edition of one of the world's leading textbooks on journalism. Translated into more than a dozen languages, David Randall's handbook is an invaluable guide to the "universals" of good journalistic practice for professional and trainee journalists worldwide.

"Randall emphasises that good journalism isn't just about universal objectives: it must also involve the acquisition of a range of skills that will empower journalists to operate in an industry where ownership, technology and information are constantly changing. His acclaimed account challenges old attitudes and rejects cynical, sloppy journalism.

"The updated fifth edition ensures its relevance to contemporary readers by addressing issues such as problems of 'de-skilling' in the media and new tools for digital research."

Reviews: "Easily the best introduction to being a reporter I have come across... written by a true newsman and his enthusiasm for the task in hand is evident on every page" - Paul Jones, course leader, Press Association Editorial Training

"With lots of handy tips and anecdotes that aptly illustrate the points being made, it is a must-read for all budding student journalists" - Sue Featherstone, principal lecturer in Journalism, Sheffield Hallam University

"What I admire about this book is that it is not simply a 'How to' manual, it is also a wise, witty and extremely entertaining read. Anyone who aspires to be a journalist - in any of the media - should read Randall" - Dame Ann Leslie, British Journalism Review

The Newspapers Handbook by Richard Keeble and Ian Reeves (2007, latest 2014), 352 pages, published by Routledge, | Hardback £28.45 upwards, paperback £9 upwards, second-hand £0.01 upwards, e-book £30.95

Author biography: Keeble is Professor of Journalism at Lincoln University and has written many other books about journalism. Reeves is deputy director of Kent University's Centre for Journalism, former editor of Press Gazette, and co-editor of What Do We Mean By Local? Grass-Roots Journalism - Its Death and Rebirth with Neil Fowler and John Mair (2012). The handbook is designed and built around the Centre for Journalism's website and its iPad app, described as the first app for a university department to appear on the Apple App Store.

Blurb:

"An enlightening examination of an ever-evolving industry, engaging with key contemporary issues, including reporting in the digital age and ethical and legislative issues following the hacking scandal to display a comprehensive anatomy of the modern newsroom.

"Richard Lance Keeble and Ian Reeves offer readers expert practical advice, drawing on a wide range of examples from print and digital news sources to illustrate best practice and the political, technological and financial realities of newspaper journalism today." "Other key areas explored include:

The language of news

Basic reporting

The art of interviewing

Feature writing

The role of social media in reporting

Investigative reporting

Court reporting

Reporting on national and local government

Guidance on training and careers for those entering the industry.

Review: "Something quite unique in its attempt to untie theory and practice within a single volume ... Keeble is doing to journalism what John Berger did to art appreciation with the aim here of developing the reflective journalist in a global world ... The Newspapers Handbook will remain the definitive work because of the range, quality and depth of its content." - Rob Melville, Journalism Practice

Reporting for Journalists by Chris Frost (2010), 220 pages, published by Routledge | Hardback new £96.58 upwards, second-hand £86.39 upwards, paperback new £31.42 upwards, second-hand £1.99 upwards, Kindle £29.69

Author biography: Chris Frost was then Head of Journalism at Liverpool John Moores University, UK. A journalist and a teacher for almost 40 years, he chairs the National Union of Journalists Ethics Council and is a member of the NUJ Professional Training Committee. He is also the author of Journalism Ethics and Regulation (2007), Media Ethics and Self Regulation (2000) and Designing for Newspapers and Magazines (2003).

Blurb:

"Reporting for Journalists explains the key skills needed by the 21st century news reporter. From the process of finding a story and tracing sources, to interviewing contacts, gathering information and filing the finished report, it is an essential handbook for students of journalism and a useful guide for working professionals.

"Reporting for Journalists explores the role of the reporter in the world of modern journalism and emphasises the importance of learning to report across all media – radio, television, online, newspapers and periodicals. Using case studies, and examples of print, online and broadcast news stories, the second edition of Reporting for Journalists includes:

Information on using wikis, blogs, social networks and online maps

Finding a story and how to develop ideas

Researching the story and building the contacts book including crowd sourcing and using chat rooms

Interactivity with readers and viewers and user generated content

Making best use of computer aided reporting (car), news groups and search engines

Covering courts, councils and press conferences

Reporting using video, audio and text

Preparing reports for broadcasting or publication

Consideration of ethical practice, and cultural expectations and problems

An annotated guide to further reading, a glossary of key terms and a list of journalism websites and organisations."

Review: "Frost (University of Central Lancashire, UK) provides pragmatic advice on traveling to obtain news. And a well-conceived discussion of the news-production process includes helpful diagrams. The book succeeds in fostering interest in news and a journalism career without hyperbole or ignoring the news media's shortcomings and challenges. Recommended for extensive collections supporting the study of news writing and reporting." - Choice June 2002

Writing for Broadcast Journalists by Rick Thompson (2010), 208 pages, published Routledge | Hardback new £32.99 upwards, second-hand £75 upwards, paperback new £15.99 upwards, second-hand £0.95 upwards, Kindle £28.77

Author biography: Rick Thompson has held senior editorial positions with BBC News at the regional, national and international levels in television and radio. He now trains journalists in central and eastern Europe and is the Visiting Professor of Broadcast Journalism at Birmingham City University.

Blurb:

"Writing for Broadcast Journalists guides readers through the significant differences between the written and the spoken versions of journalistic English. It will help broadcast journalists at every stage of their careers to avoid such pitfalls as the use of newspaper-English, common linguistic errors, and Americanised phrases, and gives practical advice on accurate terminology and pronunciation, while encouraging writers to capture the immediacy of the spoken word in their scripts.

"Writing for Broadcast Journalists includes:

Practical tips on how to avoid 'journalese,' clichés and jargon

Guidance on tailoring your writing style to suit a particular audience

Advice on converting agency copy into spoken English

Writing to television pictures

Examples of scripts from some of the best in the business

An appendix of 'dangerous' words and phrases to be avoided in scripts."

Review: "This is a superb book which combines the rare mixture of high-quality information with humour. The style of writing engages the reader from the introduction and the experience and insight of the author occasionally makes it difficult to put down, a rare feature of a textbook. I would unreservedly recommend this book not only to those studying journalism but to students of language and all who use the spoken and written word as the 'materials' of their work." – Barry Turner, Nottingham Trent University.

Review: "Rick Thompson's guidance manual is packed with advice to would-be writers for this medium. He's someone with years of experience at the top level of the national and international profession, and he's smack up to date with his references. The book is aimed at journalists, but anyone with a serious interest in developing their literacy will learn a lot about professional writing skills from what he has to say." – Roy Johnson, www.mantex.co.uk

News Writing by Anna McKane (2006, updated 2013), 208 pages, published by Sage | Hardback new £80.23 upwards, paperback new £30 upwards, second-hand £2.77 upwards, Kindle £28.83

Author biography: Former political correspondent, Reuters; former Reader in Journalism, City University of London.

Blurb:

"A pioneering book dealing exclusively with the all-important craft of writing news stories. The ability to write a good news story is the starting point for all starters in journalism and is the central test likely to be given to young people on work experience or doing trial shifts. The book deals fully with all aspects of writing news, including:

How to write a good intro, or first paragraph

How to order the information and assemble a winning story

What language to use.

"It provides a step-by-step guide to constructing a story, with good and bad examples and a detailed analysis of style, language and grammar. There are checklists to help inexperienced writers to measure their work.

"The book is written in a clear and practical way and provides guidance for students and trainee journalists to enable them to write everything from a snappy short agency-style news story to a more reflective piece appropriate for a quirky news item.

Review: "Deserves to be on every journalism student's reading list and every tutor's bookshelf. It is clear, straightforward and scholarly in a very accessible way... bursting with good advice and insight which should benefit all who all read it." - Kate Jenner, School of Journalism and Digital Communication, University of Central Lancashire

Career Paths: Journalism by Charles Moore and Jenny Dooley (published 2019), Express Publishing | £14-20 new and second-hand - this seems to come in different formats, print/online/app, for students and for teachers. ISBN: 978-1-4715-7812-0 | Level: A1, A2 & B1

Author biographies: none offered.

For exercises and sample pages see this PDF. Comprises:

Student's Pack (with audio CDs) - ISBN: 978-1-4715-7812-0
Teacher's Pack (with T's Guide) - ISBN: 978-1-4715-7640-9
Audio CDs (set of two) - ISBN: 978-1-4715-7635-5
Teacher's Guide - ISBN: 978-1-4715-7634-8

More a "pack" than a "book" plus other material is presented as "an educational resource for journalism professionals who want to improve their English communication in a work environment. The authors seem to come from education rather than journalism. It

"incorporates career-specific vocabulary and contexts, each unit offers step-by-step instruction that immerses students in the four key language components: reading, listening, speaking, and writing. It addresses types of publications, parts of a newspaper, citing sources, Internet media, and career options.

"The series is organized into three levels of difficulty and with more than 400 vocabulary terms and phrases. Every unit includes a test of reading comprehension, vocabulary, and listening skills, and leads students through written and oral production."

More: www.careerpaths-esp.com/journalism

Hart's Rules for Compositors and Readers at the University Press, Oxford by Horace Hart (1893) - but latest version from 2016 is also available with the Oxford spelling guide, as the New Oxford Style Manual | Hardback new £11.75 upwards, second-hand £0.52 upwards, e-book £8.99

See global.oup.com/academic/product/new-oxford-style-manual-9780198767251 and also see the Wikipedia entry on Hart's Rules for background – it's an historic reference book, rather than currently essential.

Review: "Many years ago - before Apple Macs came on the scene - graphic designers designed and typesetters did the typesetting. Typesetters were a very knowledge bunch of people and knew all the rules included in this book. Sadly, this [understanding] no longer occurs. This book should be read by everyone involved in print - even graphic designers.

"It will teach you the correct formatting; where to correctly use Italic and Roman type; the difference between an en-rule and em-rule; correct use of Quotation Marks; why there should be a minimum of five characters on the last line of a paragraph; and that a divided word should not end a right-hand page. "This is just a small selection of the gems contained within this book.

"If you want to ensure your type looks correct on the printed page - then read this book."

Entertainments about journalism

Romps, Tots and Boffins... The Strange Language of News by Robert Hutton (2013), published by Elliott and Thompson | Hardback £8.99 upwards, second-hand £0.79 upwards, Kindle £0.99 upwards.

Author biography: Was - maybe still is – the UK political correspondent at Bloomberg.

Blurb from author's website:

"Where is drunken vandalism always a 'booze-fuelled rampage?' | Where is everyone in uniform a 'hero' and every thief 'heartless?' | Where are market towns always 'bustling' and villages 'sleepy?' Journalese is the language of news. It's a strange language, a little like English.

"I've been working around native speakers for two decades, living as one of them and learning their ways, and in my book, Romps, Tots and Boffins – The Strange Language of News, I make their secrets available to the public for the first time. You don't need to thank me. It was a Book of the Year in the Spectator, the FT, the Times and the Sunday Times. You can read some of the funny bits, see what people are saying or just take my word for it that it's a 'must read laugh-a-minute page-turner' and buy it from your local bookshop, Bookshop.org, Waterstones, or Amazon."

Review: "For readers, it promises to explain what journalists really mean. And for journalists, it also provides a guide to some of the hackneyed, arcane and clichéd phrases that are probably best avoided." - Iain Martin, former editor of The Scotsman and Scotland on Sunday. Review: "I'm loving a little book just out by my fellow political journalist Rob Hutton. It's called Romps, Tots and Boffins: The Strange Language of News but is so much more than a hilarious compendium of the ghastly cliché to which our trade is prone." – Matthew Parris, the Times

Not Many Dead - Sensational Sizzling and Soaraway Pieces of Non-News compendium, no author credited, (2006), 95 pages, published by Aurum | Hardback second-hand £2.57 upwards.

Blurb:

"Worker, 58, cuts finger. On a recent visit to the Lake District Prince Williams opened the door to a newspaper shop for two friends who wanted to buy lottery tickets. Not Many Dead.

"This hilarious compendium of news items reveals how often national newspapers feel obliged to pass on the most boring and banal information about nothing significant. Sometimes, it is the endless diet of news about celebrities, in which the minutest fact is deemed worthy of interest. Other times - as in the theft of two packets of peanuts from a building site in Dewsbury - the news item says something about the prevalence of crime in sleepy areas. And sometimes, as in the BBC website's revelation that people could save money by switching off electrical devices, the non-news says a great deal about the redundancy of many statistical surveys. From Lech Walesa shaving off his moustache to the bending of a Skoda's windscreen wiper in Brightlingsea, here is the ultimate collection of heart-stopping and world-changing news."

Eats, Shoots and Leaves – The Zero Tolerance Approach To Punctuation by Lynne Truss (2003), 228 pages, published by Profile Books | Hardcover new £8.99 upwards, second-hand £2.22 upwards, paperback new £5.20, second-hand £0.95 upwards, Kindle £3.99

Author biography: Author, journalist (sport, TV), novelist, and BBC radio broadcaster and dramatist. She is arguably best known for her championing of correctness and aesthetics in the English language. The book was inspired by a BBC Radio 4 show about punctuation, Cutting a Dash, which she presented. (Apparently no relation to Liz Truss, Tory politician, and current UK Prime Minister.)

Blurb:

"There is one chapter each on apostrophes; commas; semicolons and colons; exclamation marks, question marks and quotation marks; italic type, dashes, brackets, ellipses and emoticons; and hyphens. Truss touches on varied aspects of the history of punctuation and includes many anecdotes, which add another dimension to her explanations of grammar. In the book's final chapter, she opines on the importance of maintaining punctuation rules and addresses the damaging effects of email and the Internet on punctuation."

Reviews: "I laughed, I howled, and I immediately wanted to join the militant wing of the Apostrophe Society. This is great stuff: genuine, heartfelt and rousing." – Jenny Colgan

"Enchanting, full of jokes and anecdotes and information. It makes you love punctuation; you want to conserve what is left and perhaps call for more of it." – Sunday Telegraph

"It can only be a matter of time before the government seizes the chance to appoint [Truss] minister for punctuation. The manifesto is already written." – Guardian

For Who The Bell Tolls by David Marsh (2013), 304 pages, published by Guardian Books |Hardback new £4.99 upwards, used £0.90 upwards, paperback new £5.99 upwards, second-hand £0.55 upwards, Kindle £4.79

Author biography: 40 years a newspaper journalist from local weeklies to the Sun, the Financial Times and the Guardian (production editor).

Blurb:

"This is a book that explains the grammar that people really need to know, such as the fact that an apostrophe is the difference between a company that knows its s*** and a company that knows it's s***, or the importance of capital letters to avoid ambiguity in such sentences as "I helped my Uncle Jack off his horse.

"David Marsh's lifelong mission has been to create order out of chaos. For four decades, he has worked for newspapers, from the Sun to the Financial Times, from local weeklies that sold a few thousand copies to The Guardian, with its global readership of nine million, turning the sow's ear of rough-and-ready reportage into a passable imitation of a silk purse.

"The chaos might be sloppy syntax, a disregard for grammar or a fundamental misunderstanding of what grammar is. It could be an adherence to "rules" that have no real basis and get in the way of fluent, unambiguous communication at the expense of ones that are actually useful. Clear, honest use of English has many enemies: politicians, business and marketing people, local authority and civil service jargonauts, rail companies, estate agents, academics ... and some journalists. This is the book to help defeat them."

Again, please let us know of things we should add and your experiences of the courses and resources mentioned.

13 September 2022 expanded version posted
13 November 2023 added link to mentoring scheme

Branch mentoring scheme

Branch training page

Courses and publications

FOR NUJ London Freelance Branch working group on help for journalists

Courses

NUJ courses

Other courses

English language tests (with some learning too)

Books and other written materials

Straight educational and informational

By other authors:

See also: free online style guides

Entertainments about journalism