News and journalism
NCTJ set to make shorthand optional for journalism students who don't focus on news
Dominic Ponsford, Press Gazette, 2016
Read the originalRead on October 16, 2026
- What it is
- A November 2016 report on changes to the National Council for the Training of Journalists syllabus. It says a shorthand speed of 100 words per minute stayed a requirement for the NCTJ news pathway, and that shorthand had been moved out of the mandatory modules.
- How much weight it carries
- A trade-press report written about a specific syllabus change in 2016. It is dated, the NCTJ syllabus has been revised since, and the NCTJ's own site blocks automated reading, so check current NCTJ rules before relying on it.
Facts taken from this source
- In 2016 the Press Gazette reported that a shorthand speed of 100 words per minute remained a requirement for NCTJ news students seeking the gold standard pass.
“A shorthand speed of 100 words per minute remains a requirement for those taking an NCTJ in news journalism who want to achieve a” (Article, first paragraphs)
- In the same 2016 report, shorthand was no longer one of the mandatory skills modules of the NCTJ syllabus.
“But shorthand will no longer be one of the” (Article, first paragraphs)