Do I need camera or editing experience for the Diploma in Television Journalism?

No. The Diploma in Television Journalism teaches shooting and editing from first principles. What you do need is a willingness to be on camera, to receive direct feedback and to keep practising.

What kit do I need for online and distance Diploma in Television Journalism study?

A laptop, a recent smartphone capable of HD video, a basic external microphone and stable internet. We supply software access for editing. The Diploma in Television Journalism includes recommended kit upgrades in the joining pack but they are not required.

Does the Diploma in Television Journalism cover digital video?

Yes. Digital video for news websites and social-first publishers is treated alongside traditional TV craft, with vertical-video and short-form formats integrated into the package production module. Many Diploma in Television Journalism graduates work in digital video first.

Is the Diploma in Television Journalism Ofcom-aligned?

The broadcast law and editorial standards modules are structured around the Ofcom Broadcasting Code and BBC Editorial Guidelines. You graduate the Diploma in Television Journalism understanding the framework UK broadcasters operate within.

What fees and instalment options are available?

Fees vary by mode and intake. LSJHML offers an instalment plan across the academic year and a small early-application discount. Contact admissions for the current schedule.

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

Course Overview

The Diploma in Television Journalism at the London School of Journalism, Humanities & Modern Languages (LSJHML) is a nine-to-twelve-month UK qualification for journalists training for television news, digital video and current-affairs production. The course is built in dialogue with the BBC Academy, the Royal Television Society and the Radio Academy, and is taught around package production, weekly newsdays and presenting practice.

You will script for camera, shoot on location, produce TV packages from raw footage to finished piece, present to studio camera, and build an on-air showreel ready to show producers in regional TV, current-affairs broadcasters and digital video desks.

Key Features

UK Diploma at Level 4/5 — recognised by employers and a credit-transfer pathway into the Advanced Diploma and BA in Broadcast Journalism.
Package production module — vox pops, location shooting, B-roll discipline, edit-suite work.
Presenting clinic with recorded practice and structured feedback from working presenters.
Gallery and vision-mixing at a working level — the kit a TV producer is expected to know.
Industry-led masterclasses from working BBC, ITN, Sky News and digital video journalists.
Final on-air portfolio — at least three TV packages and a presented piece, screened in front of industry guests.

What You Will Learn

The Diploma in Television Journalism is structured around the daily reality of a TV newsroom — script for camera, shoot to brief, edit to deadline, present with authority. You finish able to walk into a regional TV newsroom or digital video desk, produce a package, present a piece and stand by your editorial judgement.

News writing for the screen — vocabulary, sentence length, the difference between print and TV prose.
Scripting to picture — the voice-over relationship with B-roll.
Location shooting — composition, lighting basics, location sound.
Vox pops and two-ways — on-camera interviewing in field conditions.
Presenting — to camera, with autocue, in conversational and authoritative registers.
Edit-suite work — package construction, music-bed ethics, archive use.
Gallery and vision-mixing at a working level.
Broadcast law — Ofcom Code, election impartiality, court reporting on screen.

Who This Diploma Is For

Junior journalists wanting to specialise in TV and digital video journalism.
Working print or online reporters making a transition into screen.
Digital video creators and YouTubers ready to formalise their craft to industry-recognisable broadcast standard.
Career-changers from teaching, civil service or NGO work moving into TV storytelling.

Career Pathways

The Diploma in Television Journalism is the recognised UK route into entry-level TV reporter, producer and video-journalist roles. Typical first roles include:

Broadcast Journalist (regional ITV, BBC regional, commercial TV)
Television News Producer (entry role)
Bulletin Editor (junior or assistant role)
Field Correspondent (specialist beat TV role)
Digital Video Journalist (news website, social-first publisher)
Current Affairs Researcher (TV documentary, current-affairs strand)

Graduates progress to the Advanced Diploma in Broadcast Journalism, the BA in Broadcast Journalism, or specialist Master's in Documentary or International Journalism.

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.