Back in May 2010, a team from Winchester University’s Journalism course covered the General Election vote counts live across Hampshire.
I’m delighted to post this video of BBC Elections Editor Sam Woodhouse complimenting our marathon night shift. At 3 minutes 40, you can see me trying not to look sleepy during a live outside broadcast at 5am.
This week’s effort was my most successful yet. It wasn’t perfect, but it was more successful than Week 2 because I actually produced something. and more successful than Week 1 because it was actual news.
I was in court for the verdict on a high-profile child abuse case: Sitting through the Judge’s summing-up wasn’t the easiest thing, but the course thus far prepared me as much as possible for the inevitable time I would have expose myself to difficult subject matter. I think the best way to cope with it is to keep myself as emotionally distant as possible. If I can treat it as just information and nothing more, I don’t get wrapped up in the ordeal. Hopefully, this colder approach will also mean the news piece I produce will be less likely to have errors in things like balance, libel, contempt or the tricky Section 39.
Having put a rough script together, I set my gear up outside the courthouse and delivered a piece to camera. This was made slightly testing by my lack of footage. Without the funds of a professional news organisation, I was unable to buy Tracy Dawber’s mugshot or any other images; this meant that I would have to speak to the camera for 45 seconds without tripping over my own words or any legal issues. This wasn’t made any easier by the usual problems of failing light and people wearing very loud shoes click-clacking across the shot, but eventually I cracked it.
Or so I thought. Back in the newsroom, my footage laughed at my vain white-balancing efforts with a yellow grin. Just in case my work wasn’t completely unusable, my inability to monitor my own sound (headphones don’t look good on camera) meant I didn’t hear my self-inflicted mic-rattle until it was too late. Into the bin with it.
The following morning, I rushed back to the courthouse, this time with the capable hands of John on camera and his capable ears in the headphones. Even so, with just three hours until deadline I had a challenge.
I rattled off my script again and again. I never managed to get it exactly the way I wanted, but time was short and I managed to get something which, while not great, was good enough.
This time, the editing software revealed something which was delightfully short on technical problems. I needed a shot that would introduce the location, make the package more interesting to look at, avoid opening with a piece-to-camera and show a little bit of camera ability, so I began the clip with a decent pull-focus shot (see video) I’d taken.
Everyone was happy enough with it, and it was placed second on the news agenda. Not bad for a 45 second piece. I still need to work on my voicing and my delivery to camera though, and I need to be quicker and slicker with the equipment. It was okay for my second attempt at producing a news package, but I expect more from myself and will be striving to improve each week.
Journalism students at the University of Winchester have the ongoing task of producing a weekly news bulletin. This 10-minute program is put together in the same way a TV news program is created; everyone has a job to do, and if the reporters and presenters do their jobs, then the people in production roles should be able to put this content together in time for a live broadcast at 3pm each Wednesday.
The patch I have been given to report is ‘Crime and Community’. I’m pleased to have been given this opportunity as it is challenging for a number of reasons: Firstly, the subject matter is often difficult. It isn’t easy to get hold of people for interviews when dealing with trauma or controversy, and I feel this will prepare me for a career in reporting. Getting information from a press office is like trying to nail jelly to a tree.
Secondly, this kind of reporting presents a person with a fabulous selection of legal hurdles and pitfalls. For example, when reporting court cases, you have to be constantly mindful of committing contempt by publishing something which could be seen to be likely to influence a jury on an active case. A moment of absent-mindedness leading me to refer to a convicted burglar as a ‘robber’ would land me in trouble. Why? Because ‘burglary’ means unlawfully entering a building as a trespasser. ’Robbery’ means that threat or use of unlawful violence has been used to take someone’s property. Calling a burglar a robber is defamation.
Finally, Winchester doesn’t see a great deal of crime. I’m not complaining about this fact- a low crime rate is a good thing. I’m just saying that being a crime reporter in Winchester is a bit like being a restaurant critic in the Atacama Desert.
My first piece of content for Winol was less than successful. I heard that a pathway in Winchester was very poorly lit and a quite frightening place to be at night. I took myself down there at 10:30pm and found myself wishing I brought a torch. I thought I’d get some GVs (general views) and took out my camera. I found that shooting at night was trickier than I thought and decided to come back with Maddie later on.
Still, I decided I’d found my story and decided to run with it. I spoke to students about their feelings towards the area, I chased the council to find out the reason to the lack of lighting, and I called the local police to see what they had to say. Students were happy to talk, but police and Council were harder to pin down and my deadline was looming.
I carried on putting together what little material I had in between phone calls, all the time hoping that the authorities would have something to say. Alas, very late in the day I received the news: Both sources got back to me, but neither of them were available for interview. The police confirmed that the path, while creepy, is historically as safe as the Cathedral. The Council said it had tried to get some lights down there but had run into problems which it would not elaborate on.
So I ended up with something of a non-story that explained that a bit of Winchester is dark at night, students aren’t keen on it but the council can’t do much to help. What little controversy was there on existed because I asked for it.
Still, I did learn a great deal. As well as practising camera and editing work, I learned that reporters should be reporters and not try to be writers. It’s okay to look for news, but trying to make the news is a fool’s game (unless you’re working for a tabloid, perhaps). The mistake I made was failing to recognise the point at which my story ceased to be news. To be fair to myself, I thought there was going to be more to this story, and by the time I realised this wasn’t the case I was too close to deadline to put anything else together; but from now on I’ll be chasing hard facts, not whispers.
So the following week I found something better. Winchester Crown Court was to hand down a sentence after a man pleaded guilty to GBH. This was my chance to put together an interesting court report and demonstrate that I can tiptoe around tricky laws. The complainant in the case was facing a criminal charge of his own, so I would have to be careful not to identify him even though the case I was reporting was no longer active, or I would be at risk of prejudicing the jury in his own trial. I hoped to score some points for spotting that one.
Unfortunately, on the morning of the sentencing I felt more unwell than I can ever remember feeling before. (This was thanks to an overpriced sandwich I purchased- but as I can’t prove it I must resist the urge to warn any local readers about the vendor.) Still, with some kind help from Charlotte, a very generous coursemate, I made it to the court, sat through the trial and reminded myself how bad my shorthand is. I even asked the defendant, who was given a suspended sentence despite stamping on someone until they suffered organ failure, for a quote after the trial- which I didn’t really feel like doing while my body’s reaction to some malevolent bacteria had me sweating and shivering uncontrollably. I hoped that would score me some points as well.
I thought that if I could manage that on Tuesday, I should be able to do a quick piece to camera and submit my edited package on Wednesday. I was wrong. Tuesday’s triumphant story became Wednesday’s sob story when I found that a small sandwich had rendered me unfit to drive into uni and incapable of any kind of activity (and I hate admitting that). I ashamedly called in to let the editors know, and asked if I could deliver my report over a phone link in the hope that it would go some way towards redeeming my “It Gets Dark at Night” story the week before. This offer was declined and I now face Winol Edition 3 with additional pressure. This pressure comes only from myself, but that’s the best and worst kind of pressure there is.
High, Low and Mass Culture
A critical discussion by Andrew Giddings
The purpose of this essay is to critically discuss whether it is possible to distinguish between ‘high culture or art’ and ‘popular media’ (It must be noted that words such as ‘media’ and ‘culture’ and ‘art’ sometimes have interchangeable meanings between some of the reference materials used). The way in which to do this is to discuss whether the categories themselves can be clearly defined. If so, can they be defined as individuals or only as part of a whole? Could one exist without the other, or is each category defined by that which it is not? Various statements and theories will be analysed and held against each other in an attempt to reach an agreement. Once the criteria for each category become clear, the lines draw themselves. If agreeing criteria proves impossible, then it is only reasonable to conclude that it is also impossible to clearly categorise a medium.
‘Mass media’ has been defined in many ways. Strinati suggests that “mass culture is produced by mass production industrial techniques and is marketed for profit to a mass public of consumers.” (Strinati, 1995, p. 10), rather than for the sake of art or expression. This definition covers two criteria; the motives behind the production and the target audience. But using motive as a defining characteristic presents a problem. In modern times, very few things are produced if profit is not to be made. And not only produced, but reproduced. Symphony orchestras play the ‘high culture’ music of classical composers to houses packed with people who each paid a fee. That fee is determined by a simple calculation that ensures that the income gained from ticket sales will exceed the cost of the production. If demand for tickets is not high enough, the show is cancelled. If CD sales are too low, production ceases. Does this mean that Chopin and Beethoven are ‘mass media’? If not, then why not? When they produced their works, they certainly did not do so for free. Nor did Shakespeare and nor did Mozart. In addition, it is impossible to explore the motives of all creators of media; the fact that profit is generated does not prove that profit is the driving force behind the production. This kind of speculation is not enough to make an airtight distinction. It is best to work only with the second part of Strinati’s definition: the consumer.
It is a chilly spring morning, and some of the key players in the Conservative effort to retain their Devizes seat are gathering at a country house near Marlborough. The constituency covers an expanse of rural Wiltshire and includes the market towns of Devizes and Marlborough, along with dozens of small towns and villages. It has been a Conservative stronghold since 1924, and the last MP, Michael Ancram, has recently decided to stand down from his unassailable position after 18 years. Today, the Tories will continue their efforts to fill his empty seat with Claire Perry .
The meeting place is the home of the Constituency Chairman, Ken Carter. At 8:30am he is joined by Terry Ralph, a long-time supporter, and James Earle, Claire’s aide. James is a cheerful 23-year-old who worked for the MoD after reading Middle Eastern Languages at Oxford. Later, he turned down a job in the City in order to work with Claire, putting around 70 hours per week into the campaign.
After a run-through of the day’s tight schedule, it is time to set off to meet the rest of the team. James travels in his car, while Ken and Terry take the Battlebus, a shiny, gunmetal grey Land Rover Defender. “Vote Perry” posters adorn the windows, and the roof is crowned with a PA system, a donation from Mr. Ancram.
It is now 9:30am, and the warm lounge of the Bear Hotel in Devizes finds itself host to a Tory gathering. Ken, James and Terry are joined by Deputy Chairman Ann Merrett, Paula Winchcombe, a councillor and former mayor, and Councillor Sue Evans. They chat about the campaign and discuss the BBC’s coverage of David Cameron. Today is market day, and the busy town centre can be seen through the window, crowded with people wrapped tightly in coats but enjoying the sun while they browse the stalls. Claire Perry enters with a white smile. She is over six feet tall and wears a white knee-length coat with a floral design along with a green scarf, loose dark trousers and blue suede slip-on shoes. She greets everyone before firmly placing a copy of the Gazette and Herald open on the table. The article introducing the main candidates lays out Lib Dem plans for the community, but speaks only about Claire’s home life. She says that she’ll be back shortly, and walks to the newspaper’s office to have a word with the editor. Read the rest of this entry »
Here are five audio clips I’ve made as part of my course, along with accompanying script to make a short news bulletin. If I get time, I’m going to read the script and have the whole lot as a single piece of audio.
The headlines will not be graded, fortunately, or I’d be losing points for bad puns. I’m just practising in case I end up writing for a tabloid.
STORY 1: Local Council Steamrolled by Government
Test Valley Borough Council is being forced to build more houses than its water works can cope with.
Despite the council’s protests that the local water works can only cope with 5000 more houses, the central government planning arm is forcing the council to commit to over six thousand over the next fifteen years, leaving unanswered questions about the future.
Council Planning Manager Graham Smith explains:
STORY 2: Council Locks Horns with Housing Charity
And Test Valley Borough Council’s housing woes continue with a damning report from the charity ‘Shelter’.
The housing and homeless charity has released a league table which tracks councils’ performance on delivering affordable housing. But in response to Shelter’s claims of poor performance, the council have hit back by questioning the accuracy of the reported figures and branding Shelter “irresponsible”. Test Valley’s Head of Housing, Brian Cowcher, offers his thoughts:
STORY 3: Hampshire Researcher Banks Blood Bonus
Winchester’s BioPharma research group has won a share of a cash grant to carry develop a new method of preserving donated blood. Currently, around forty percent of blood held by the NHS goes off before it is used, making blood storage both costly and wasteful. But BioPharma’s Chairman, Andrew Cowen, believes they are on their way to a solution.
STORY 4: Winchester Planetarium Wins Star Prize
From blood-bottling to planet-watching now; Intech Planetarium has scooped the title of Business of the Year at the Winchester Business Excellence Awards. The top trophy came as one of a pair of gongs for the charity, which also picked up the Excellence Through Technology award. Intech’s Marketing Manager, Andy Lane, describes how the win has been a boost for the planetarium.
STORY 5: Food Bank Hunts for Easter Eggs
And finally, a charity in Andover is appealing to members of the public for donations of Easter eggs.
The Andover Food Bank is gathering the chocolate eggs in preparation for Easter Sunday, when they will be handed out to children who might otherwise get nothing.
To make a donation, or for more information, visit andoverfoodbank.org.uk
Test Valley Borough Council is being forced to build more houses than its water works can cope with.
Despite the council’s protests that the local water works can only cope with 5000 more houses, the central government planning arm is forcing the council to commit to over six thousand over the next fifteen years, leaving unanswered questions about the future.
Council Planning Manager Graham Smith explains:
Click to hear the recording: FoodBank Story.
The link above is to the audio clip for a news bulletin, recorded as a university exercise. Here is the script:
A charity in Andover is appealing to members of the public for donations of Easter eggs.
The Andvoer Food Bank is gathering the chocolate eggs in preparation for Easter Sunday, when they will be handed out to children who might otherwise get nothing.
AUDIO: Food Bank Clip.
30″
OUT: …”from all the agencies that we work with that work with children”
To make a donation, or for more information, visit andoverfoodbank.org.uk
For a university exercise, I was asked to observe a local council meeting and write a short report. I attended a cabinet meeting of Test Valley council.
As I was warned, council meetings can be a test of willpower for a reporter who, for every minute of print-worthy information, will most likely have to endure twenty minutes of rather mind-numbing regurgitation of figures. I suspect that gleaning nuggets of information from that particular news mine is a skill which comes with practice. A reporter with more experience may well have found noteworthy items in addition to my efforts, which included the following:
Council tax to increase by 2.5%.
Test Valley Council to join the Hampshire Home Choice scheme.
Poor sewage treatment works are holding up further town development.
A car park will be resurfaced.
Riveting stuff, I’m sure readers will agree. But just as the discussion appeared to be heading in a direction of real (local) interest, the press were asked to leave. No explanation was given.
When I mentioned this to my tutor, he explained that the ability to exclude the public from council meetings is one which should only be used in exceptional circumstances, though this is commonly abused so that counsellors can discuss things that they don’t wish to be public knowledge, but should be. Counsellors wages was one example offered.
I’ll be sure to check on the rights of the public in situations like these so that I may confidently offer a challenge next time I am asked to vacate my chair.