How is the Higher Diploma in Television Journalism different from the Higher Diploma in Radio Journalism?

Both are broadcast journalism qualifications at the same level, but television adds the visual dimension — cinematography, on-camera presence, gallery operation. Choose television if you want to specialise in TV and video news; radio if you want microphone-led work without the kit overhead.

Can the Higher Diploma in Television Journalism be done online?

Yes. Online students complete field-shoot exercises in their own location with kit guidance, use software-based vision mixing in remote studio sessions and submit weekly packages for tutor review. Distance learners visit campus for two intensive on-air weeks.

What kit do I need for the online route of the Higher Diploma in Television Journalism?

A recent phone capable of HD video is acceptable for early field work; a dedicated camera (DSLR or mirrorless) is recommended from Term 2. A basic external microphone and editing software (we supply licences) complete the working kit. Optional upgrades are listed in the joining pack.

Is the Higher Diploma in Television Journalism Ofcom-aligned?

The course's 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 television broadcasters work under.

Does the Higher Diploma in Television Journalism progress to a Bachelor's degree?

Yes — direct entry into the final year of a UK BA in Broadcast Journalism at LSJHML or a partner university. Admissions reviews your transcript and broadcast portfolio and maps credits at the application stage.

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

Course Overview

The Higher Diploma in Television Journalism at the London School of Journalism, Humanities & Modern Languages (LSJHML) is a fifteen-to-eighteen-month UK qualification at Level 5/6 for journalists specialising in television and video news. You will script, shoot, edit and present TV news packages, work in studio gallery operations, and produce a substantial on-air portfolio across the academic year.

Television is the most kit-heavy and most editorially exposed broadcast discipline — voice, presence, footage choice and edit are all under the audience's eye. By the end of the course you will have a TV portfolio a regional ITV newsroom, BBC regional team or independent production house can hire on.

Key Features

Authoritative UK qualification at Level 5/6 — fifteen to eighteen months full-time, twenty-four to thirty months part-time.
Weekly TV newsdays from Week 1 — script, shoot, edit and present packages to a fixed slot.
Gallery operation module — vision mixing, autocue, running order management, breaking-news intervention.
Field reporting strand — to-camera presence, two-way live links, location lighting and sound.
Industry-led masterclasses from working TV journalists at BBC News, ITN, Sky News, regional ITV and independent production houses.
Direct top-up into the final year of a UK Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism.

What You Will Learn

The Higher Diploma in Television Journalism is structured around the daily reality of working in a TV newsroom — script discipline, on-camera presence, edit-suite competence, and the technical literacy that lets you work the kit instead of fighting it. You leave able to walk into a regional TV newsroom and contribute from day one.

News script writing for television — voiceover discipline, picture-led writing, the working TV package script.
On-camera presence — to-camera links, two-way live, studio presenting, autocue.
Cinematography for news — composition, lighting, shot variety, B-roll discipline.
Field sound and location interview — wired and wireless mics, ambient sound, on-the-record management.
Edit-suite work — package cutting, voiceover laying, archive use, music-bed ethics.
Studio and gallery — vision mixing, autocue operation, running order management.
Broadcast law — Ofcom Code, election impartiality, court reporting on air, contempt.
Newsroom operations — bulletin construction, breaking-news intervention, lead-story choice.

Who This Higher Diploma Is For

Advanced Diploma graduates in broadcast or journalism ready for a television specialism and a Bachelor's top-up.
Working radio or online reporters wanting a credible transition into TV newsrooms.
Production assistants and runners at broadcasters stepping into editorial reporting roles.
Digital video journalists wanting the broadcast-discipline training their online roles rarely provide.

Career Pathways

Television journalism is competitive, but a strong portfolio and broadcast-discipline credentials open doors at regional television, national newsrooms and independent production houses. Typical roles include:

Broadcast Journalist (regional ITV, BBC regional television, independent newsroom)
Television News Reporter (national news, breaking-news desk)
TV News Producer (current-affairs production company, national newsroom)
Bulletin Editor (regional broadcaster, breaking-news operation)
Field Correspondent (regional television, breaking-news stringer)
Digital Video Journalist (newspaper video desk, social-first publisher)

The Higher Diploma articulates directly into the final year of a UK BA in Broadcast Journalism.

Entry Requirements

An Advanced Diploma (Level 5) or equivalent in a related subject, OR a Diploma plus two years of relevant work experience.
IELTS 6.0 overall (no band below 5.5) for non-native English speakers.
Personal statement and CV.
Mature applicants (25+) without standard qualifications may apply with significant senior-track 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.