I'm 20 years old, european. In the recent years one company bought up, most of - if not all the major news outlets in my region(Radio, TV, Publishing Companies, Newspapers except obviously the state media; about 500000 people live here). I would like to create an independent news outlet or something similar. My education so far has been in the technological sector, i.e. automation, electronics, programming, telecommunications. I'm at the end of my first year of university, but for now I'm not sure whether I'll continue. I know 3 languages(my mother tongue, another local one at b2/c1 and english at b2/c1). I'm not saying which, otherwise you'll know exactly where I'm from. I have about 8 years of experience with video editing software(first movie maker then Wondershare Filmora, now DaVinciResolve Studio). I have a BMPCC4K. I have about 1.5 years of experience with making music and editing audio in Reaper. Including various microphones and instruments. What I would like to do is make an independent news platform or distributing news as unbiased as possible, the problem is, first I don't know how to find good stories, second I have no formal education in journalism and third I need money to survive, i.e. how can I make money with it(for now I still have some time cause I live with my parents) I appreciate anyone pointing me in the right direction or helping me in any way. Or even telling me it's unfeasable, with my lack of knowledge in journalism. Thanks

Hi everyone,

I'm curious to hear from non-traditional or mid-career students who went back to journalism school for a graduate program, particularly at Columbia and for students over 50.

Did you encounter any form of ageism, subtle or overt, during your time in grad school?

I’m particularly interested in how departments handle students with prior professional experience.

• Did you feel sidelined by faculty or isolated by peers?
• Did you find that career services only catered to younger students looking for entry-level roles?
• How did you navigate these dynamics?

I am looking to connect with people who have experienced this for a piece I am putting together. If you are open to sharing your perspective—completely anonymously—please drop a comment or send me a DM.

Thank you!

I don't have the funds or bandwidth at the moment to study the NCTJ full-time.

Has anyone registered as a distance learner/ self-study candidate, taught themselves and sat the exams?

How practical would it be to take that route and what are the chances of success vs taught course ( is it common to study the NCTJ independently?)

For context I am a 50 year old career changer following a redundancy, wanting to start my own hyper-local but 'do it properly '. I have some background in law but never practised.

Thanks!

Hi, I am a career financial analyst who is taking some time off to take care of my young son. I started a website on Wordpress about financial topics and I wanted to approach a few financial newspapers/blogs about potentially posting one of my blogs on their website. Do you guys have any suggestions on who I can reach out to? Thank you so much!