Is the Certificate in Print Journalism still relevant given the decline of print?

Yes — for two reasons. UK print still recruits in regional, specialist and magazine sectors, and print-trained reporters move more easily into digital newsrooms than the reverse. Print discipline (attribution, structure, sub-editing) is the strongest writing foundation a journalist can have.

Will I get to sub-edit other students' work on the Certificate in Print Journalism?

Yes — peer sub-editing is built into every news workshop. You sub-edit one colleague's work each week and have your own copy sub-edited in return, with tutor moderation.

How is the Certificate in Print Journalism different from the Certificate in News Reporting?

Print Journalism includes feature writing and substantial sub-editing alongside news. News Reporting is faster, more bulletin-focused and covers broadcast/digital news output as well as print. Both are practical and complementary.

Can I take the Certificate in Print Journalism fully online?

Yes. Live newsdays run over video; sub-editing exercises and portfolio work are submitted in shared workspaces with structured tutor feedback.

Will the Certificate in Print Journalism help me get into a magazine?

The feature-writing module is built around magazine craft, and the portfolio piece is often a magazine-style feature you can pitch directly to UK consumer or B2B magazines. Magazine entry is competitive — the Certificate strengthens the case but doesn't guarantee placement.

Certificate in Print Journalism in London | LSJHML | Harold International College of London

Course Overview

The Certificate in Print Journalism at the London School of Journalism, Humanities & Modern Languages (LSJHML) is a three-to-six-month UK qualification in the craft of writing and producing for print — newspapers, magazines, and the long-form print-derived work that still drives much of the UK's editorial culture. You will write news stories and features, sub-edit your own and others' work, and develop the column-inch discipline that print imposes and that digital writing often lacks.

Print as a medium has contracted but its discipline remains the gold standard for clear, attributed, deadline-driven writing. This Certificate trains you in that discipline whether you go on to work in print, online or both.

Key Features

News and feature writing — short news (300 words), longer news (600 words), feature writing (1,200–2,000 words).
Sub-editing workshop — cutting copy to fit, headline writing, fact-checking, common print-error patterns.
Print production basics — page layout, column widths, type, the editor's chair.
House-style training in the major UK style traditions.
Working portfolio — six published or publication-ready print pieces by course end.
Three study modes — on-campus, fully online with live newsdays, or distance learning.

What You Will Learn

The Certificate in Print Journalism is built around the daily craft of a print reporter, sub-editor and features writer.

News story structure — intro discipline, attribution, balance, the discipline of cutting.
Feature writing — angle selection, scene-setting, structure, ending.
Sub-editing — cutting to fit, headline writing, fact-checking, house style.
Print production basics — page architecture, column widths, type sizes.
Interviewing for print — preparation, transcription, quote selection.
Defamation 101 and reporting restrictions at a working print level.
The economics of UK print today — national, regional, specialist, magazine.
Print-to-digital adaptation — taking the same story across both forms.

Who This Course Is For

New reporters wanting to learn print discipline early in their career.
Digital journalists looking to add print craft to their portfolio.
Bloggers and freelance writers wanting to pitch print magazines.
Communications staff who write for in-house or member publications.

Career Pathways

UK print has contracted but still hires for regional, specialist and magazine roles, and print-trained reporters move readily into digital newsrooms. Typical applications include:

Junior Reporter (regional newspaper, specialist title)
Sub-editor (regional press, specialist magazine, contract sub-editing house)
Magazine Editorial Assistant (consumer or B2B magazine)
Features Researcher (national newspaper, longform magazine)
In-house Editor (membership or trade publication)
Continued Study (Diploma in Journalism, Diploma in Magazine Journalism)

The Certificate articulates into the Diploma in Journalism at LSJHML for students continuing.

Entry Requirements

Minimum age 16.
Secondary school qualification (GCSE/O-Level or international equivalent).
IELTS 5.5 (or equivalent) for non-native English speakers.
No prior journalism experience required.

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.