Leading writers are informing aspiring journalists to go elsewhere. Simon Heffer, columnist and Associate Editor for The Daily Telegraph, has stated that "my standard advice for any young person who wants to study journalism is don't. My son wants to study Journalism, but I am trying everything I can to talk him out of it."
He revealed only momentarily afterwards that he felt that public schools were not even teaching English properly. Anyone who was listening into the conversation I was having with Mr Heffer, suddenly turned in horror as if he had said something that no man had ever dared mention.
"English public schools cannot teach English. They are appalling at teaching basic English and they merely overlook the topic of 'spelling' as something which is not needed."
Although this was a rather bold and extreme view that all public schools cannot teach English, there were definite reasons for his beliefs in the form of spelling tests.
The mentioning of 'spelling test' brought Mr Heffer hastily on to the topic of his interviewing process. He regularly examines people for the graduate trainee scheme in the Daily Telegraph and as you can imagine he is very strict about whom he does or doesn't choose. He explained that each candidate had to endure a 45 word spelling test.
"Last year, I interviewed a man who had gained a double 1st at Cambridge having studied English. We short listed him and put him through a series of tests. Having had a spotless CV with absolutely no errors and to finish off we gave him the usual spelling test. He only managed a dismal 18 out of 45."
This does prove Mr Heffer’s point that spelling is not taught properly at school or university and that maybe they should focus teaching students the core basics rather than advanced analytical texts.
In order to pass one of his interviews, not only do you need to have a stunning CV with a spotless set of results but you have to "load yourself with qualifications". He highly recommends that you work in a newspaper abroad before coming to see him.
"American newspapers are stultifyingly boring but they have the best journalistic training."
He then went on to say his first light hearted comment of the evening.
"Jokes must be illegal in American newspapers, as I've never read a joke in an American paper, or nothing that made me laugh anyway."
The interviewing process conducted by Mr Heffer does not always look at what a candidate has studied but where they have studied.
"After securing a good degree, I would highly recommend getting a post graduate journalism course or a MA at places such as; City University, Cardiff or even Sheffield University. However, the best place in the world is Columbia University in New York.
"My first degree in English was utterly irrelevant to being a journalist as I never learnt how to write properly. I therefore prefer future employees to have a broad knowledge and be generally rounded people who have done degrees in other subjects."
As the interview came to a close, Mr Heffer looked around with a sense of satisfaction as if he had let a huge amount of steam off his chest that afternoon. For a moment one may have thought that the interview would have finished on a rather solemn note. However it wasn’t to be as he concluded that the journalistic business is just around the corner from a complete and utter melt down.
"Newspapers as we understand them will not exist in 20 years due to uncontrollable technical advances. It is therefore a declining business and I urge anyone I meet who is thinking of becoming a journalist to reconsider."
By Max Monteith
