London School of Journalism

"Our intern program allows students to take part in the workings of our largest bureau outside the US, with responsibilities for both production and news casting. Students from the LSJ consistently demonstrate a good grasp of practical skills and requirements and obviously have been taught what is needed to be successful."

Tony Maddox, Managing Editor CNN Europe, Africa and the Middle East.



London school of Journalism is a world-renowned journalism training institution. Established in 1920, the school has close to 90 years journalism teaching experience. They have full time and part time postgraduate courses. The courses can be taken both as on campus attendance and online. They also have distance learning diploma programme on several journalism and writing related courses. These distance learning diploma courses are going to be our focus today.



Because of the ease of the courses, the dexterity of the teachers and the structure and flexibility of the distance learning programme, I think this is the shortest and the fastest route for northern governments to produce journalist from junior reporters level to world class status.



I'll also say it's the cheapest. With an average of 300 pounds sterling, a student will have the best diploma in Journalism, Media Law or Children Writing possible.



Our governors can enroll our northern students in this programme without the fear of quality tuition because almost all the known and unknown media organizations have currently or in the past employed graduates of London School of Journalism or entrusted their staff to them for in-house workshops.



Who goes to London School of Journalism?



The following governmental, non governmental and media organizations are some of those who have benefited from the courses of London school of Journalism.

American Express(Europe), BBC, BBC Worldwide, Sabah Times, British Airways, The college of Law, Cap Gemini Ernst Young, European Central Bank, the British Council, Office of the Deputy P.M., World Bank, Hoffmann-La Roche, London Underground, Lehman Bros, Oxfam, HSBC Bank, Hong Kong University, Financial Times , Qantas Airways, Inland Revenue, ITN News, British Army, IBM, Main on Sunday, University of Macau, Oxford University Press, JWT, International Red Cross, Bloomsbury Publishing, International College of Music, Heinemann, Bank of America and United States Navy.





The two certificates available



The school basically awards two certificates; Postgraduate Diploma and Diploma. The postgraduate diploma is mostly attendance based and more expensive (about 3000 sterling) while the Diploma is through distance learning and cheaper (300 sterling). But besides the priviledge of meeting the tutors one on one by the attendance students, the contents of the two programmes are the same.



Distance learning diploma courses



Cartooning, English for Business, Enjoying English Literature, Freelance and Feature Writing, Freelance and Music and the Arts, Freelance and Sports Writing, Improve your English, Internet Journalism (complete), Internet Journalism(short) Journalism and Newswriting, Media Law, Novel Writing, Poetry, Short Story writing, Subediting and Design, Thrillers (Writing a best seller), Understanding English History and Writing for Children.



How much does it cost?



The average amount a student pays is 300 pounds sterling (N75,000). There's also the option of paying in installments. But paying in full attracts a discount of about 15 pounds sterling. For example, you pay 285 Sterling to study Subediting if you're paying in full but 300 Sterling if you're to pay three times. The foregoing is for distance learning by email.



There's an option of studying by post which expectedly costs more; about 370 Sterling . I have also noticed that two of the Diploma courses are more expensive than others. These are Journalism and Newswriting and Novel Writing. And these can also be got for a song; about 400 Sterling.



Thus, if a northern state like Niger is interested in sponsoring a hundred students to study Journalism and Newswriting, it will cost the state only 40,000 Sterling. That's 10 million naira that'll educate and empower 100 Nigerlites. But instead of Niger state government thinking in this direction, it's busy importing elephants to celebrate Sallah with. One wonders how an elephant will improve the well being or standard of living of the people.



Do graduates get jobs?



The graduates of London School Journalism didn't find it difficult to get employment with the following organizations:



BBC Children's website, Channel 4 News, Channel 4 Dispatches, ITV, Discovery Channel, Reuters, Gibralter Broadcasting, BBC World Service, The Times, China Daily, Arabian Travel News Dubai, Apollo, Practical Motorhome Psychologies, TV Plus, Broadcast Magazine, Human Rights Watch, UEFA.com, etc.

For more information on who has graduated from the school and where they work, visit: http://www.home-study.com/jobs.html.



Who are the teachers?



The tutors include award winning journalists like Ken Ashton who was one of the journalists that covered the 1966 World Cup Final where England defeated Germany. It was the daughter of Ken Ashton, Rachael who was made the editor of a UK based newspaper at the age of 26.



David Banks whose work is syndicated world-wide is another teacher. His work has been published in The Times, The Telegragh, The Spectator, New Scientist, Sunday Times and The Dandy amongst others.



Other teachers are Nick Barlay, Ross Biddiscombe,Peter Carty, Angela Catto, Chris Dukes, Gavin Evans, Paul Gogarty, Dominic Hyland, Margaret Knight, Ian Mackean, Terry McMahon, Julia Moffat, Sue Moorcroft, Paul Nathanson, Tony Padman, Colin Parkes, Nick Roberts-Alatti and Kenneth Morgan OBE who has been a journalist for over 50 years.

For more information, your Excellencies should visit: lsj.org or home-study.com/



Victimization of university students

Over the years our universities and other higher institutions have been torture centres instead of learning centres as our students suffer both deserved and undeserved punishments. The lecturers ask them to exchange sex for good grades, block their attainment of First Class or higher academic achievement, schedule and unschedule lectures at will, organize examinations for students when they are not ready or ask them to answer questions on the topics that were not taught.



All this while, the students have nobody to report to. That's beginning to change. Now students can post cases of victimization on the internet for the world to see. Please visit idooba.googlepages.com or email idooba@gmail.com. Please do not forget to mention the names of the oppressors!