The problem with being 22...

...is all of a sudden, I no longer qualify for most youth-led initiatives, which all seem to terminate at age 21. Does that mean youth ends at 22? Discuss.

In the meantime, for budding journalists under the age of 21, check out 'The Cut' -a free quarterly newspaper who are always on the look out for the next breed of journos.

For the older fogies, Catch 22 (absolutely no pun intended) happen to be recruiting. The deadline is 24th September, send it over asap at: http://www.catch22mag.com/academy/trainees-work/get-involved.

Good Luck!

(Un)written Rules: The Dos and Don'ts of Journalism

Eight weeks of Catch have flown by, and each week I learn something new. Most times, its the little things learned that I hang onto - and it's stuff that wasn't taught in school. I'll definitely keep  adding to this list as the course continues.

Let's get rid of that, shall we?

It's used to covey strong emotion, volume, or action. But in Journalism, I've learned it cheapens the text. And after hours slaving over my articles, I can't afford to let this happen!
Put simply, my beloved exclamation mark has been put to death.

How I got my Journalism break...

Polly Vernon is deputy editor of The Observer Magazine. She's interviewed the likes of N Dubz and Piers Morgan, regularly informs readers what she's worn each week, and has even had a pair of jeans designed for her by high-street fashion brand, River Island. The question on everybody's lips: just how did she get her foot through the Journalism door?


"I didn't wake up and think, 'I want to be a journalist'. I started as a barmaid, then went into Fashion PR where I met other journalists. I then started writing fashion press releases, and freelanced from then on.
"I'd say I've always had an interest in writing, although journalism didn't initially cross my mind per se. I landed my first paid job at 25, but have been in the industry since I was 24. As I mentioned, I started as a freelancer, so began by pitching to magazines.


"My best advice to aspiring journalists is to become a good a writer as possible. Make sure you enjoy the writing process! Lastly, try not to be stunted by fear of ambition or anything like that - just write as much as you possibly can."


Find out more about the notable deputy editor at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/pollyvernon.

Caught in a Catch 22

Judging by the choice of blog title you should be able to guess two things about me:

1. I'm a(n) aspiring  journalist
2. My name is Alison 

...and just because you've been so nice and read till this point, I'll also let you in on another fact: I'm currently a student at Catch 22 Academy; in a nutshell: journalism training for young adults who want to be journalists, but haven't got enough experience to do so...that's right, it's a catch 22! The best part: my idea, will be birthed into a whole article, featured in the homegrown Catch 22 magazine.

An average day's emotions at C22:

Morning Feature Meetings - Lights up! (sometimes it takes just one idea to spark the whole creativity process)

Throughout the day:

See Armstrong there? That's how I feel each day: 
s t r e t c h e d. 
This course is not for the faint hearted! 

And the smile on the chubby kid's face? That reflects my tutors: Kate, Simmy, Matilda,Toks and Mike..who are probably enjoying every moment of the gruelling (yet necessary) process. (Muahahaha and all that.)

4pm deadline: 

Pretty self-explanatory.

Yep, I'm caught in a Catch 22, and loving every single moment of it. The stretching, pulling, lightbulb moments and dim ones alike, this vid best describes my Catch 22 experience: 

like Dizzee says, you gotta have a dream, man! Join me in pursuit of mine.