Does BA Broadcast Journalism cover both television and radio?

Yes — both are core in years one and two. In year three you specialise in TV, radio or podcast news with a sustained portfolio project, although students are encouraged to keep some multi-platform work in their final showreel.

Can I study BA Broadcast Journalism online?

Yes. The online route mirrors the on-campus newsdays with remote studio sessions, software-based vision mixing and structured filming exercises in your own location. Distance learners attend two intensive on-air weeks per academic year.

Do I need broadcast experience to apply for BA Broadcast Journalism?

No. We assess potential as much as prior experience. A recorded voice sample helps the admissions team understand your starting point but is not a pass-fail audition — broadcast training begins from the first week of the course.

Is BA Broadcast Journalism NCTJ or BJTC aligned?

The course's broadcast law and editorial standards modules are designed around the relevant UK industry standards including the Ofcom Broadcasting Code, BBC Editorial Guidelines and BJTC curriculum guidance. We do not currently hold a specific external accreditation; the curriculum is structured around what UK broadcasters recruit for.

What kit do I need for the online route of BA Broadcast Journalism?

A laptop, a basic USB microphone, a phone capable of HD video and a stable internet connection. Editing software and remote studio access are supplied. Optional kit upgrades are recommended in the joining pack for years two and three.

BA Broadcast Journalism in London | LSJHML | Harold International College of London

Course Overview

The BA Broadcast Journalism at the London School of Journalism, Humanities & Modern Languages (LSJHML) is a three-year UK honours degree for students who want a working career in television, radio or podcast news. From the first term you will write, voice and present working bulletins, build packages for both screen and ear, and learn the editorial discipline a UK broadcast newsroom expects from a junior reporter on day one.

This degree is built around three years of broadcast practice rather than three years of broadcast theory. By graduation you have a multi-platform showreel — TV packages, radio packages, a live two-way, a podcast episode and a full bulletin — and the legal and ethical literacy to defend every choice you made about each one.

Key Features

Weekly live newsdays across all three years — write, voice, present and edit a working bulletin to a fixed slot, with tutor feedback inside ten minutes of going live.
Television production module covering scripting to camera, vox-pop interviewing, on-location shooting, edit-suite work and voice-over discipline.
Radio and podcast craft — studio operation, two-way live interviewing, panel chairing, long-form audio narrative.
Final-year specialism in TV, radio or podcast news with a sustained portfolio project.
Industry masterclasses from working broadcast journalists at the BBC, ITN, Sky News, LBC, Times Radio and independent production houses.
Graduating showreel screening in front of commissioning editors and recruiters from UK broadcasters and independent producers.

What You Will Learn

The BA Broadcast Journalism is structured around three working years — foundational craft in year one, sustained portfolio building in year two, specialism and final project in year three. You graduate able to walk into a regional TV or radio newsroom, file to a half-hour deadline, present a two-way live to camera or microphone, and run a desk shift competently.

News script writing for the ear — vocabulary, sentence length, the difference between print prose and broadcast prose.
Voice training — clarity, pace, breath control, microphone discipline.
Studio operation — desk, gallery, audio mixing, vision mixing, autocue.
Field reporting — on-camera presence, two-way live links, location sound, B-roll discipline.
Package construction — scripting, cutting, voiceover, music-bed ethics, archive use.
Broadcast interviewing — short-form for bulletins, long-form for features and podcasts.
Broadcast law — Ofcom Code, election impartiality, court reporting on air, contempt, defamation.
Newsroom management — running order, lead-story choice, breaking-news protocols.
Digital broadcast — social-first video, podcast distribution, multi-platform commissioning.

Who This Course Is For

School leavers who want a UK honours degree that trains them to be hireable in a regional or national newsroom on graduation.
International students looking for a UK broadcast journalism degree taught in the central-London media district.
Career-changers from teaching, performance, public-sector communications or community organising bringing a confident voice and a strong subject sense.
Mature students with podcasting, community radio or video-blogging experience ready to formalise their craft.

Career Pathways

The BA Broadcast Journalism feeds graduates into UK regional television, BBC and commercial radio, podcast production houses and the digital video newsroom market. The market is competitive; a strong portfolio and a UK honours degree open more doors than either alone. Typical first roles include:

Broadcast Journalist (BBC Local Radio, regional ITV, independent radio)
Radio News Reporter (commercial newsroom, public-service radio)
TV News Producer (regional television, breakfast news)
Podcast Producer (longform current affairs, BBC Sounds, independent network)
Field Correspondent (regional or specialist patch)
Digital Video Journalist (newspaper video desk, social-first publisher)

Graduates progress to an MA in Broadcast Journalism, Documentary Journalism or International Journalism, or into a graduate-trainee scheme at a UK broadcaster.

Entry Requirements

Three A-Levels at BBC or above (or international equivalent — IB 28 points, BTEC DMM, or accepted national qualification).
GCSE English Language at grade 5 or equivalent English proficiency test.
IELTS 6.0 overall (no band below 5.5) for non-native English speakers.
A short personal statement; a short interview or recorded voice sample may be requested.
Mature applicants (21+) without standard qualifications may apply with a portfolio and short interview.

Why Study at LSJHML

The London School of Journalism, Humanities & Modern Languages is a specialist higher-education provider based in central London. Our programmes are designed in dialogue with working professionals — journalists, translators, civil servants, academics, broadcasters, editors, publishers and policy researchers — so what you learn in seminar on Monday is what your future employer is using on Tuesday. We deliberately keep cohorts small, give every student named tutor support, and treat employability as a structural part of every programme rather than an optional add-on.

London is the work — politics, courts, capital markets, theatre, broadcasting, publishing, public service, the global press. Your studies are taught in the same square mile where the stories you read about happen. Whether you join us on-campus, online or by distance learning, the city is your classroom and our industry network is your launchpad.