Does the Diploma in Broadcast Journalism cover both television and radio?

Yes — both are core, with podcast work added alongside radio. You produce at least two TV packages, two radio packages and a podcast episode across the year. The Advanced Diploma in Television Journalism is the right next step if you want to specialise in TV.

Do I need broadcast experience to enrol in the Diploma in Broadcast Journalism?

No. The Diploma is designed for new reporters and career-changers. On-air training begins from the first weeks. What you do need is a willingness to be recorded, watch and listen back, and try it again.

Is the Diploma in Broadcast Journalism Ofcom-aligned?

The broadcast law and editorial standards modules are designed around the Ofcom Broadcasting Code, BBC Editorial Guidelines and election-period impartiality requirements. You graduate understanding the framework UK broadcasters work under.

Can I study the Diploma in 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 one intensive on-air week or a fully online equivalent.

Is the Diploma in Broadcast Journalism recognised by UK employers?

The Diploma is a recognised UK qualification at Level 5 and is structured around the skills regional and national broadcast newsrooms recruit for. Your portfolio and on-air showreel carry equal weight with the credential itself.

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

Course Overview

The Diploma in Broadcast Journalism at the London School of Journalism, Humanities & Modern Languages (LSJHML) is a nine-to-twelve-month UK qualification for new reporters and career-changers who want to work in television, radio or podcast newsrooms. From the first month you will write, voice and present working bulletins, build packages across TV and radio, and finish the course with a working multi-platform showreel and the editorial discipline a UK broadcast newsroom expects from a junior reporter.

Where the Certificate in Broadcast Journalism teaches you to step in front of a microphone with credibility, the Diploma in Broadcast Journalism teaches you to do that to a deadline, to a brief, and inside the legal and ethical frameworks that UK broadcasters work under.

Key Features

Weekly broadcast newsdays — write, voice, present and edit a working bulletin to a fixed slot every week.
Television and radio package work with structured assignments across the year — at least two TV packages, two radio packages and a podcast episode.
Studio and gallery training — desk, audio mixing, basic vision mixing, autocue.
Broadcast law module covering the Ofcom Broadcasting Code, court reporting on air, election impartiality and contempt.
Industry-led masterclasses from working broadcast journalists at the BBC, ITN, Sky News, LBC and independent newsrooms.
Final broadcast showreel — packages, a presenter piece and a podcast extract, presented to industry guests.

What You Will Learn

The Diploma in Broadcast Journalism is structured around the daily reality of a junior broadcast reporter — write for the ear, hold a deadline, voice cleanly, and stand in front of camera or microphone without losing the audience. You leave able to walk into a regional broadcaster, file to a half-hour deadline, and present a short live two-way.

News script writing for the ear — vocabulary, sentence length, the difference between print and broadcast.
Voice training — clarity, pace, breath control, microphone discipline.
Studio operation — desk, basic gallery, audio mixing, autocue.
Field reporting — on-camera presence, two-way live links, location sound, B-roll.
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.
Newsroom workflow — running order, lead-story choice, breaking-news protocols.
Podcast production basics — interview, structure, editing, distribution.

Who This Diploma Is For

Certificate-level broadcast or journalism graduates ready to commit to a substantial UK qualification.
New reporters and trainees at regional broadcasters wanting the structured training their workplace did not have time for.
Career-changers from print, online journalism, performance or in-house communications moving into broadcast.
International journalists relocating to the UK and needing a recognised broadcast qualification to enter the local market.

Career Pathways

Broadcast journalism is competitive, but a working showreel and a UK Diploma open doors at regional television, BBC Local Radio, commercial radio newsrooms and independent podcast production. Typical post-Diploma roles include:

Broadcast Journalist (BBC Local Radio, regional ITV, independent radio)
Radio Reporter (commercial newsroom, public-service radio)
TV News Producer (regional television, breakfast news)
Podcast Producer (longform current affairs, BBC Sounds, independent network)
Bulletin Editor (regional television, online video news)
Field Correspondent (regional or specialist patch)

The Diploma is the natural prerequisite for the Advanced Diploma in Broadcast Journalism, the Advanced Diploma in Television Journalism, and the Bachelor in Broadcast Journalism for students who want to push further.

Entry Requirements

Completion of secondary school (A-Levels, BTEC, or international equivalent).
IELTS 5.5 overall (no band below 5.0) for non-native English speakers.
Personal statement.
Mature applicants (21+) may apply with two years of relevant work experience.

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.