Students Protests continue- Town Takeover in Reading and overnight success of WINOL

Winchester News Online, week 9, 23rd November, News Bulletin 25th November LIVE BULLETIN II Covering this week’s story for our News Bulletin, I joined students from Winchester in their trip to Reading, where they combined the powers to raise awareness of potential changes to University fees payments for future generations. Lord Mandelson launched a tuition fee review stating that fees could potentially significantly increase under a major Government review of university finance. ("The review’s final recommendations are not expected to be published until next summer") It was amazing to be at the place of news happening and capture real emotions and be able to film the whole event to share it with the rest of the community of students.
It was so far one of the most enjoyable news making adventures I have experienced. The DV tape was full of material for great story for this week’s news bulletin. After careful scrutiny of my fellow colleagues’ reporters, editors and myself watvhing my package over and over I thought that I was given the final go ahead. Unfortunately, the next morning I found out that my package had to be changed, that meant that my deadline nightmare had not finished. After editors’ meeting it was decided that my package was not balanced enough to go onto the bulletin unless I found quote from Government’s side, it was not going to be put on air. From the piece I was proud of, my story turned to not broadcast able at all. After reaching Central Government’s press officer, I managed to find the missing quote from Lord Mandelson’s Review. Unfortunately, technical trouble of fitting my quote within my package did not allow me for meeting my deadliest of deadlines. My story did not make air.

However, on the other hand, my misfortune did not touch outcome of WINOL, thanks to our fantastic team’s work, another video package replaced my story. I was given exclusive story video insted, which would be put underneath the news bulletin in week beginning of 30th November. James decided that, the story would be given exclusivity and posted on our News website as soon as updated.



Despite my unsuccessful attempt to make air with the story I covered, I was proud of the general output of our News Bulletin. Row over students 'taking over' Stanmore was another of Stu’s great top stories; he surprised us with his fantastic walking shot when doing PTC. Erasmus Park story was full of shock factor pictures, especially with images of cracked walls and mushrooms growing in the kitchen. Kaileigh’s Children in Need was a pleasant addition “and finally story” that signed of our bulletin with a positive accent. Maxine did and amazing job as a news presenter and Tom continuously proves unbeaten title for an excellent sports presenter. Hard but accurate decisions made by James and Editorial as well as Production team during package making effected in an amazing and another best so far News Bulletin we produced.

We were also privileged to have heard a flattering feedback from our guest Ian Anderson. He emphasised that our headlines are becoming more accurate and attractive and advised for more flexible approach from imaginative camerawork on them. He also mentioned that that this week's lead story about road smash felt wrong for the audience and that “Tuition fees felt like the right lead for the audience and the interview off the back in the studio was editorially good - although framing could have been better.” He really liked our stripe lines but also added that there was still not enough pieces to camera or reporters 'involved' in stories.

Effectively, WINOL got 260 unique user sessions on Wednesday for the second bulletin, that could be justified with the technical problems (Rich tried his best to get it up) that we had with uploading the bulletin to the website but we still managed to overtake The Basingstoke Gazette in the Alexa rankings, and have left the Hampshire Chronicle behind.

The Real Lord Northcliffe in eyes of his personal secretary Louise Owen

“There has never been anyone just like him, and the world is poorer for his death.” (Louise Owen)

Alfred Harmsworth was seen as quite a snobbish and full of luxurious life type of person, he always said “I like to surround myself with beautiful things, and flowers give me great joy. I have them sent up from my country house twice a week.” But in eyes of his personal secretary, Louise Owen he certainly gained more value rather than just being a “demon for work”.

He was no ordinary man in his profession, he would turn up for work around 11am after reading all the newspapers and he would lead all his days with gift of looking ahead, “acquiring information” and great deal of knowledge about affairs. He would always say to Louise “My dear I attribute success as you all call it to seeing ahead. I didn’t think my schoolfellows were stupid but I could always see further than they could.”

Despite his self-advertising image for others he was still showing boyish affection to his family, especially mother, who was as he often emphasised, his ideal woman, “All that I am, all that I ever hope to be, I owe to my mother.” (Abraham Lincoln)

Chief, as he always preferred to be called, always gave presents to his editors, passing them through their wives and expected no more in return than “simple message of love and loyalty” that pleased him enough. He was seen as a great friend of America and did a lot to bring the two nations together, but still preferred to be thought of as a “professional monster rather than warm hearted man he was”, says Louise.

Overwork during World War I resulted for him in Lord Northcliffe being sent to hospital in France to regain strength (1919). His temporary weakness was met with attacks from Prime Minister, for which Northcliffe’s response summarised “when every moment is of value in dealing with these world problems should occupy attention of the house. (...) It shows mentality of the Premier, and how he lacks all sense of proportion.”

When Lord Northcliffe died, “They buried him with her (his mother’s) picture on his breast, and his hands were clasped the little book, her gift to him which he had with him always”.

The Real Northcliffe, Personal Recollections of a Private Secretary (1902- 1922)
Winchester University Journalism Course History and Context of Journalism Part III

Charles Foster Kane in Citizen Kane movie – Journalism of 19th century

19th Century in Journalism was an era of publications of private lives and Charles Kane certainly fits within these times. Kane was not focused on making money but gaining popularity. Charles Foster Kane was one of the greatest newspaper editors of his times in US. Even though he was accused of being fascist and communist (“I have always been an American”) his newspaper did not loose on popularity, partly probably because his father covered expenses on his wavy start of the career. Kane allowed himself to make up his own rules in running a newspaper and always reminded his reports of importance of honesty and accuracy in news reporting.



Charles’s personal life did not prove equally his engagement into profession that took over most of his life. He has devoted himself fully to his newspaper but did that make him happy? It can make us question, how should we judge happiness... well, Kane was certainly fulfilling himself in his choice of profession but should he have had his whole life taken over by it. Should we call it insane or perfect love for journalism. How much of his suppressed sub-conscious unhappy childhood reflected in his career and lack of success in personal life.

Studying reasons for his popularity, I wonder how many people actually notice that perhaps his life was an effect of unhappy and cold childhood and not knowing how to create his own happy family he had to try to find a way to fill that gap with dedicating himself fully to profession he happened to choose.

He went through broken relationships, affairs and his last relationship seemed to have eventually lead his life to death. While he tried to compensate emptiness in his lack of ability to have a mature and happy relationship with uncounted collection of statues his partner was becoming more and more unhappy having a life filled with loneliness and meaningless money. That seemed like loosing a last real piece in Kane’s stone heart.

When dying his last words were the name of his sledge from childhood which he used to play on in the winter, called Rosebud.



It was the first and his last call for last happy memory he could remember, through which his real suppressed childhood memories came out.

In 1941 hundreds of people took part in the biggest funeral of all times. Even though he is seen as one of the most successful editor and journalist, ironically, his personal life was filled with stone monuments and funeral attracted significant number of people. Is that a success?

Winchester University Journalism Course
History and Context of Journalism Part III , lecture week 5
and movie Citizen Kane screening week 6

Car parking issue at Winchester investigated by WINOL

Winchester News Online experience, Story 3, week 8 at Winchester University

This week was another successful week for WINOL. Our bulletin went life for the first time and it reached a significant number of viewers. Our website becomes a competitor for other local news sites.
It was a fantastic achievement for students of Journalism from Winchester. My story about car parking issue currently troubling not only our students but also residents of Stanmore and West Downs. The story made air along with other great video packages produced by our students.
My interviewees (Councillor for Stanmore, James Stephens and SU President,Jimmy Weighell at our University) contributed greatly in my research for parking problems story. I tried my best to reach the essence of the issue and fulfilled an informative role for the community of our students.

To my surprise few hours before my story was meant to go on air I was told that I had to find someone else to represent students’ side of the parking issue instead of Jimmy, because he was also interviewed by my fellow colleague for other video package. The pressure of a new even tighter deadline, not even one hour, to find equally representative interviewee, film, edit and fit it within my package again, so that our final News bulletin would look better. Thanks to a great team work, my new version of the package was put on air and fit within the deadline once again. I must admit that it would have certainly helped to had known that I couldn’t have an SU president as an interviewee in my package the day before when I was finishing my original package rather than unexpectedly be told that I could not use his interview.

If I did not find my 3rd interviewee in that last minute my package could have not be put on air, the day before none of us picked that there were two the same interviewees in our news bulletin till the last minute. Now I know that even before choosing my people for the video package I have to be aware of all potential interviewees for all next news in bulletin.

Additionally, what I was pleased to see was, even though my story from last week about 3rd Local Transport Plan didn’t make our dummy bulletin edition 2, my fillers and cutaways of trains for that package was used in other story this week.

As an overall we still had some sound issues but it was one of our best bulletins so far. The whole team worked incredibly hard, helping each other as usual to effectively, produce good quality news bulletin for WINOL. Catherine did an amazing job as a presenter this week and Tom proved again what a fantastic sports presenter he is.

Winchester News Online is starting its successful and certainly long lasting career as a geat local news provider for Winchester produced by students.

Press of XIX century “Interesting! Extraordinary! Amusing!“

Lord Northcliffe, Hearst and Pulitzer- characters of era of WWI

Time of dot press snobbish Daily Mail and picture based Daily Mirror. In 1907 Hannen Swaffer skilled photojournalist seen as a tabloid genius brought popularity to Lord Northcliffe’s newspaper(Alfred Harmsworth’s) with death bed pictures of Edward VII (world record sales at 2mln, Titanic pictures 1912). Swaffer also invented Sports Journalism and Paparazzi. He claimed to be a spiritualist invading privacy at the first time, saying that he could interview dead people. He published a book about interviews with Lord Northcliffe after he had died, and sold millions copies of Titanic. He was also a WWI photographer

In 1903 The daily Mirror, launched as Daily Mail for women and also re-launched as a picture paper moving onto printing first photos. Print was at the stage of “engravings” called cuts, Lord Northcliffe, famous editor of XIX century press was an author of wood comic cuts like “Chips” and “Tit bits” (other cartoon strips “The yellow Kid”- yellow press).

Photojournalism spread its popularity through American Civil War that was the first significant event presented in pictures, in time of American Civil War in 1860s, North America was unsettled in slavery decision. THE SLAVE MARKET painting by Jean-Leon Gerome
As an effect of the Civil War West opened up, California and Sanfrancisco became most polyglot in the world. In addition not long time earlier in 1849 Golden fever had started attracting even more people to come over. Effectively, NewYork was already on its way of becoming a modern centre of the world.

Joseph Pulitzer, a great journalist, who was an immigrant himself, set up a newspaper in a polyglot language crating a “laboratory for language development”. At the same time Times press represented language of New York which was simplified English, also to reach foreign readers.

On the other hand, William Randolph Hearst owner of New York Journal, represented right wing, racist character in charge of political propaganda and above all focused on making money. He was in favour of war in Spain and America becoming a conquer of South America, Philippines and China. He was aiming to provoke the war himself.

His famous words “You supply the story, I’ll supply the war”, illustrates perfectly how press is dominated by a constant chase after sensation even in time of war.

Inspiration:
Winchester University Journalism Course
History and Context of Journalism Part III lecture from week 5
and orientalist art from XIX century,THE SLAVE MARKET painting by Jean-Leon Gerome.

Winchester News Online, wk2 - this time story did not go on air!

Winchester News Online week 2, Dummy edition 2
Despite the fact that it was only our second attempt to produce the News bulletin, the news room felt like a tense workplace with the strictest deadlines in the world.
This time our team of reporters produced a higher variety of Video News packages which was an incredible achievement. The atmosphere felt tense but professional, editors had everything under control. We took the previous weeks feedback onboard and began showing more understanding and appreciation towards each others’ roles. Everyone turned up on time and editors could rely on spare reporters covering breaking news or support for other departments.

“We can do more for less” – 3rd Local Transport Plan launched for Hampshire



This time story did not go on air!


This week I researched a topic from a press release about launching a 3rd Local Transport Plan on 2nd November 2009. I decided to find out whether the plan is looking to bring a successful changes to Hampshire transport, what sort of improvements were going to be proposed and how would the council ensure of reducing Carbon Dioxide emissions to not only improve the quality of life for residents but also maintain environment preparing for the climate change. In order to find the answers I Video-interviewed Hampshire County Council’s Executive Member for Environment, Councillor Mellvile Kendal.

I found it quite challenging to find a right angle to produce a good Video package for our bulletin and I believe that, it effected in the story not being put on air. This week I was also competing against quite a few better stories and eventually I didn’t win my time on air and my story was turned into a 20sec nib which was read by a presenter. A valuable part in my package was excellent cut-aways and fillers of trains which I filmed on the purposes of producing a package.

The idea from the previous week about Figures of Unemployment in Winchester was edited by my colleague Maddline(investigative reporter for WINOL) and also turned into a 20sec nib. Both the nibs took part in the bulletin, however due to technical problems neccesary cuts had to be done and a lot of material was lost when putting it onto the website.

My first experience of having to put a lot of effort and time to producing a Video package and turning out not to be strong enough to be fully on air was quite a valuable lesson. In a week full of good stories we have to be fully aware of the strength of our story and be able to “sell it to our editor” gaining as much time on air as possible. However, also although the story may not be strong, the package was ready within the deadline and waiting as a backup just in case something goes wrong- and this sort of Video packages are also important even though, eventually they will be turned into nib or not used at all.

Disappointment and hurt pride will hit quite strongly but that is how the weak stories will be dealt with in the real work place so we need to learn how to face it and find further motivation to carry on despite the failure and prove to deserve a place within a team next time and learning from past mistakes. Working in a newsroom demands incredible stress management skills and always leaves room for improvements.

Winchester News Online experience- Week 1, Dummy Edition I

My role: Reporter for Hampshire County Council and Winchester City Council

WINOL created an amazing new experience which connected students of year 2 and 3 BA Journalism students at the Winchester University. Being part of an authentic atmosphere of the News Room makes a great work experience. It is an incredibly intense, challenging and highly valuable experience for all the students.

Hard work and professionalism of third year plays vital role in WINOL experience.
Everyone present from year three was willing to help, give advice or give a hand with editing. They are all giving us important lessons for the future.
Our Video interviews should be usually finished relatively early to give us sufficient amount of time for editing, and then preparing written versions attached with pictures as well as links for the News presenters in addition to our Packages. Our articles will be uploaded to Joomla where they will be edited and published onto the website.

In week one I took inspiration partly from City Council’s and Hampshire County websites and also from my own research:

1. More people were set to qualify for Housing and Council Tax benefits from November 2nd, was unfortunately to early to be investigated on and had only small impact on the community.

2. Small businesses in time of recession on example of The Winchester News Café which was accepted to go on air as a Video package I made that went onto the bulletin unfortunately, because of technical errors on WINOL production side the bulletin was not recorded.



3. Unemployment figures falling, what plans did the Council have to improve it further, which was postponed and not used in week 1.

News Editor, James Kenyon, managed to put together most effective stories and keep our spirits up till our very deadlines. Omar Mussa was of great help in editing. James made a decision to leave to film a story which shouldn’t have happened as there should have been enough reporters to send out when needed. However as we could see Rich Taylor and Ben King tried their best to handle the situation well in his absence. Despite an inexperience, Claire and Tom did really well in the roles of presenters. Sport Reporters team seams to stay on top of the news quality and reflecs their great potential.

All the team worked incredibly hard to fulfil their roles, however there was also few students that approached our task of first edition rather light, with lack of passion and engagement. An issue also lied in student’s low attendance, as we realised later all of us should be available and willing to help in whichever area it is needed.

Some of us experienced difficulties from the side of getting through the Press Officers which can certainly be an issue that could ruin our plans for the story and effect in missing the deadline or even not completing the Video Package at all. Some of the students found it challenging when it came to editing part and other even finding a story.
Our deadlines seamed incredibly tight, yet as we all found out they were loose for the production team and directory to work on the script and prepare better News bulletin.

In overall, there were both good and bad points that effected our bulletin however, with the joined efforts of the whole team we managed to put our first Dummy Edition of WINOL News bulletin together with valuable lesons for the following editions.

Ulysses- politics, parallel narrative, Bible and never ending story

Part III of the Post 'Joyce’s world of mind writing'

The Novel is full of political ideas and thoughts (Irish Revolution and WWI), episode 12 introduces the Citizen, known from his anti-Semitic and chauvinist theories, whose disorientated views correspond symbolically with Cyclop - one eyed creature from Odyssey.

The novel should be seen not only in a valuable artistic light but also in historical, religious and political context. The war in chapter 6 shows naturalistic descriptions from World War I, bodies in trenches, “bottles to become hero” as well as reference to the times when movements towards Irish Revolution began (naturalism). “Before Nelson’s pillar trams slowed, shunned (…)” – Irish fighting for Independence which was very much a battle for Identity. Pillars - symbol of British power (Nelson). Joyce also tries to show brutal ideas of the past- high ideas and concepts that caused the war.

In episode 5, Stephen and Bloom’s character become connected through Stephen’s father Simon (Dedalus). Leonard and Simon have a conversation on various forms of death on their way to the funeral. “Inked characters fast fading the frayed breaking paper. (…) Sadly missed. To the inexpressible grief of his. Aged 88 after a long and tedious illness. (…) Oh whose soul sweet Jesus have mercy.” Biblical references are used numerously in the Novel, “ Drown Barabbas! Mr Dedalus cried. I wish to Christ he did!” (Barabbas, the apostle, betrayer who was paid 30silvers to give out Jesus to the King Harold’s soldiers by kissing Jesus on the chick)

Novel uses parallel as a narrative tool. Moly is set to be having sex with her lover, Boylan, at 4pm, while Leonard who is in the other side of the city is buying her a present. At the same time Stephen on the other site of the city, meets his sister Dilly and uncle Ritchie Goulding.

Sexual acts reflect suppressed needs and forbidden desires through Leonard Bloom as well as his wife Molly, cheating on each other; Molly’s sexual scenes with her lover and sexual fantasies especially in the last episode with Molly’s inner monologue (Another stream of consciousness, 8 big sentences with no punctuation, flow of the mind) that finishes the novel at the end of the day (17th June 1904), before she falls asleep.


Inspiration:
Ulysses, James Joyce
Winchester University Journalism Course
History and Context of Journalism Part III, Lecture week 3 and 4 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulysses_(novel)

Ulysses - repressed desires and religion

Part II of the Post 'Joyce’s world of mind writing'

The plot is filled with sexual graphic descriptions as well as visions of physiological needs, “Touch me. Soft eyes. Soft soft soft hand. I am lonely here. O, touch me soon, now. What is word known to all men? I am quiet here alone. Sad too. Touch, touch me.” (Ref.1, Episode 4, Stephen urinates behind the rock or when Stephen and Bloom urinate by the wall after drunken night out)

One of the main characters Stephen (compared to Telemach from Odyssey), rather obscure and high thinking man whose inner dialogue of thoughts lead the story of one day in Dublin brings first comparisons of the book to an iconic peace of literature- Odyssey (lesson of History, Episode2). In episode I, Stephen finds himself being rudely provoked by few boys, “(…) Come up, you fearful Jesuit.” (ref to Ireland, “that has never extensively prosecuted Jews as they were never let into country”) (ref.1)

After Stephen ignores the anti-Semitic jokes we find him going into the world of his own thoughts about his late mother, and here in the book we can rather stop trying to understand the set up of the plot, it is clear that we cannot make anyone’s flow of thoughts understandable. They are chaotic, floating away to wherever our mind takes us reaching not only the conscious more down to earth thoughts but also sub- conscious hidden desires, needs, fears, emotional and strong feelings from the past as far as childhood and many other feelings that have impacted our lives. The structure of the stream of consciousness of the book is particularly exposed through Stephen’s interior monologue.

In Episode II the narrative jumps to beginning of the day (8am) across the city onto Eccles street no7 introducing another intriguing character Leopold Bloom, Irish Jew from Hungarian family, down to earth thinker.

His wife (Odyssey’s- Penelope) also plays a big part in representing modern, liberal and quite immodest and sexual idea of an unfaithful wife of an unfaithful husband. They both seem to show their affairs as a set of natural events in marriage. The Blooms sub- conscious guilt (dual marriage life) is brought out in episode15, when after drunken night out he hallucinates.

James Joyce often references to the Bible ( Episode 4, Sodom and Gomorrah, cities of indictment that were burnt by God as a punishment). In Episode 5 Bloom thinks of an idea of guilt, confession and morality, “Confession. Everyone wants to. Then I will tell you all. Penance. I’unish me, please. Great weapon in their hands. More than doctor or solicitor. Woman dying to. (…) And why did you? Look down at her ring to find an excuse. Whispering gallery walls have ears. Husband learn to his surprise. God’s little joke. Then out she comes. (…) Lovely shame. Pray at an altar.” (ref.1)

References:
1. Ulysses, James Joyce
2. Lecture week 3 and 4 History and Context of Journalism
3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulysses_(novel)

Ulysses, Joyce’s world of mind writing- unlimited style in modern literature

Part I of the post

James Joyce brought literature for people and wrote the unwritten, talked about banned problems and described an indescribable without boundaries of the grammar, punctuation or style. He attempted to show the flow of thoughts coming out of ones consciousness and those from the past repressed in sub-consciousness(Freud), hidden emotions that still have an impact on an individual’s adult life as well as those that influenced the history.

Joyce separates the narrative for three main characters (Stephen, Bloom and Bloom’s wife Molly), this structure corresponds with Homeric parallel as in Odyssey. Some of the pages are written in poetic style some like newspaper stories with the headlines and other in a form of a play’s script. The novel reflects the language of the body rather than mind and is highly consensual. It is deep, spiritual and touches controversial topics like racism and religious concepts.

It shows range of skills of the author beginning of linguistic knowledge (episode14- play with words and different styles of English) and also falling image of Roman Catholic Church. Episode 13 is quite characteristic for Joyce’s style describing stream of consciousness of Gerty Mcdowell(seen as Virgin Mary), young girl that is being watched by Bloom from the distance.

The girl encouraged by Leonard exposes herself purposely. The long rocket corresponds with Blooms manhood as he is masturbating to Gerty’s display. Eventually both of them reach the climax as the roman candle explodes. The scene is compared to the Benediction of Blessed Sacrament that was happening at the same time in a Catholic Church across the road. It gives away Joyce’s vision on the ceremonial display of the “Body of Christ” while Bloom was acting out his “Adoration”. Gerty’s final act of being “lame” reads as opinion of the state of the Catholic Church, especially in Ireland. (ref.3)

Inspiration:
Ulysses, James Joyce
Winchester University Journalism Course
History and Context of Journalism Part III Lecture week 3 and 4
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulysses_(novel)