Patrick Smith at the Press Gazette reports the latest effort by the NCTJ to modernise their courses. This time it’s Photography.

Yorkshire Post picture editor Ian Day, also an NCTJ photography board member, said: “Newspapers are changing very quickly and we need to ensure that future press photographers and photo-journalists meet the demands required by the industry. Multimedia and video products are now a core part of newspapers and this consultation document demonstrates how the NCTJ intends to modernise the photography syllabus which will enable students and trainees to meet their changing role in newspapers.”

Andy Bull has been asked by the NCTJ to look at what needs to change and he’s openeing up consultation via a blog – nctjphotography.

Given that reporters often take routine pictures, that video journalists almost always come from a reporting background, and that readers now take dramatic pictures of fires, cashes and other newsworthy events, what should the role of the professional press photographer be? And what training should photographers receive?

The NCTJ wants to find answers to these questions, and we need the industry to help us.

It’s an important debate to get involved with considering the split that has appeared in many newsrooms, here and abroad, between reporters and photographers.