You can become a newspaper journalist by doing a relevant course or by learning on the job. Either way you will be at an advantage with previous experience - keep copies of your published work to show employers.
Training before work (pre-entry) is the most common way to enter journalism and involves doing a journalism course then finding work as a trainee - choose a course accredited by the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ).
With a degree, you could do a Fast Track course or the NCTJ self-study programme - see the NCTJ website for details. All journalism courses include the NCTJ preliminary exams, which you need to pass before being taken on as a trainee.
The alternative is on-the-job training (direct entry) - you need a minimum of five GCSEs (A-C), including English, or equivalent qualifications - see the NCTJ and the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) websites for details.
There are no set qualifications for becoming a magazine journalist, although most have a degree. A common starting point is to work as an editorial assistant for a magazine publishing house to develop your skills and make contacts. You could do pre-entry or a degree before looking for work to develop relevant skills.
Qualifications recognised by the industry are accredited by the Periodicals Training Council, which is the training section of the Periodical Publishing Association (PPA), and the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ) - visit their websites for details.