With the growing spectrum of the way in which we, as viewers, can receive our media, journalists alike are having to become much more multi-skilled in order to be successful and acquire to the public’s demands. It is no longer just about filing a short TV package to the newsteam, it getting broadcast and that be the end of it, as now journalists are expected to then upload this material to websites and write web-based stories to accompany this also.
There is evidently still a long way to go for the media industry to fully embrace converged journalism, however some websites, such as The Guardian and the BBC are arguably at the forefront of this modern phase of journalism.
During the convergence unit, I found that one of the main pitfalls were lack of communication between all four teams, and an unwillingness to share material, as I believe most people, including me, initially deemed it more important to get our own work finished before worrying about sharing it with the other teams. However, as the newsdays went on there became a clear emphasis on sharing material and staying well communicated with the other teams, and in hindsight this raised the quality of practically everyone’s work as the journalism became more varied and interesting.
During the 8 weeks of doing converged journalism, I found that one of my strongest roles was during both of the TV days. During the first newsday, Laurence, Jack and I were sent to Boscombe to cover a daylight robbery in the town centre. We carried out some initial research in the newsroom, where we studied the press release and gained all the necessary information in order to film a strong informative package. On arriving at the scene, we took some GVs of the area and I came up with some creative ideas for how we could improve the standard of the package such as pull focus’ etc. Laurence wanted to present the piece and I think he did a good job in doing so. On returning to the newsroom we still had the whole afternoon to edit the package, and we all chipped in with creative ideas of how it should be put together. We also got lucky with an interview in that we asked a resident who lived in the street where the robbery took place if we could chat with them and it just so happened that she was the Neighbourhood Watch leader for that road, giving our piece more substance.
I also think I excelled in the second TV newsday in which me and Jack filmed a package on a new golf simulator, however we should have communicated better with the editorial team in order to ensure they knew what we were doing and we could have got our package broadcast. Whilst filming this package, we also shot an interview with the Chamber of Commerce for Bournemouth, showing that we could multi-task and gather a range of material for a range of projects in one day.
I also think I worked well as the sport reporter on our last radio newsday, where I gathered stories, interviews and wrote the script also. The presenting was done to a good standard in the first bulletin, however in the second bulletin I did stutter over what I was saying. I think that throughout this day I stayed focused well and worked to a professional standard.
I think that one of my main strengths throughout the convergence unit was in making editorial decisions/ideas. I feel that I demonstrated a firm knowledge of what we should be broadcasting/which stories mattered the most throughout the unit. I also communicated well with the other teams throughout most of the newsdays, and shared much of my material to be put forward in other mediums of the industry. For example, during the last newsday, when working as radio sport reporter, I interviewed a lady who organised a walk to raise money for AFC Bournemouth. As soon as I had recorded this interview (over the phone) I gave it to the online news team who used it in one of their stories. I also, during the same day, used a recording of an interview with AFC Bournemouth player Danny Holland off of the TV team, which eventually went in both of our bulletins. I think it is communication/use of varied material that is essential for any journalist to succeed in an expanding industry.
During my experiences in this fresh and exciting unit, I have learned how communication is key to success in a media industry where everyone needs to be aware of what is going on, who is doing what, and when it will be ready by. Also, deadlines needed to be set and be more rigorous to ensure all of the team were back in the newsroom in time so that all of the material could be utilised in the most effective ways.
If I was to do this again, I would have tried to stay more focused throughout the long days, especially that of online features which in my opinion was too long for what was needed by the team. Being that most of the work in this team was typed up in the features room, there was not such a need for is to be in from 9-5, and at times I found myself sitting round not knowing what to do, whereas I could have been more productive with my time and written more features.
I would also have constantly kept in contact with the editorial team so that everyone knew what was happening/what time we needed to be back etc. I also would have been more authoritative when I didn’t agree with the editorial decisions that were being made, as often I found myself being sent on assignments that didn’t seem necessary to me therefore my motivation to create a quality piece of work may have diminished somewhat.
In the future, for me to improve my work, I will put more of an emphasis on original news. During newsdays such as online news, even though I was the deputy editor so had to be in the newsroom all the time, there could have been more of a drive to gain original news stories, even if it meant sending another member of the team out to cover it.
I will also carry out my own interviews to give my work a more original and unique touch, and I will also ensure that I plan ahead of any newsdays to ensure that I, along with my team, know exactly what is going on, who is covering which stories, how long they have to cover it/gather material etc.
I have found this convergence unit exciting, challenging, and most of all inspiring. It has shown me how important it is to share/gain material from other mediums and it can make web-based stories so much more interesting than just typed up copy.
Saturday, 24 April 2010
Friday, 18 December 2009
Radio - Package
Ideas for my radio package were quite difficult as the possibilities were pretty much endless. However I have a friend who just had her benefits stopped completely because of her leaving her last job, so I decided to focus on this as I thought of her case as rather unfair. Gaining authoritative interviews was also difficult, but I finally managed to secure an interview with a local councillor who dealt with benefits. To make my package better I could have included music beds and layered the audio so that it was more interesting and varied in sound, as going from sound clip to sound clip can become quite monotonous.
Thursday, 10 December 2009
Radio - Talbot FM Newsday
As we knew, the audience for this newsday was much younger than that of South Coast Radio. I was nominated as the editor for this newsday, meaning all the responsibility was with me. I found choosing stories for a younger audience relatively easier, and during this project I learnt some essential people managing skills.
Radio - South Coast Radio Newsday
The audience for this newsday was an older one, which presented us with some difficulty in choosing news stories and material. But we listened to other bulletins on Radio 4 and Solent to see what stories they were running with. My job was to go into town to gather vox pops on the stories that the rest of the team decided on, which as unnerving as I may have found it, added good quality material to our news day.
Wednesday, 11 November 2009
TV - News magazine show
The news magazine show was probably the simplest one to put together. As we all already had created our news packages, it was basically a case of writing the intro for our package and then cueing them up and deciding on the order. We also included images and clips for all our stories to make the show more interesting and in-depth. To spice it up a little bit, we took the imaginative decision to have the presenter throw a football across the studio to the sports presenter, myself. However, I resented this idea as the show was supposed to be aimed at adults and was a serious production, and I learnt that next time, to get my opinions across will have to be more assertive in what I say.
Wednesday, 4 November 2009
Tv - Package
I decided to make my package on the cancelling of the A bus route in Bournemouth, as it has potentially left many people in town stranded with no way to places such as Boscombe or university without getting a different/more expensive. I was also aware of a campaign ran by students to get this route back, so there are a number of options for interviews etc in relation to my story. On completion of my package, I realised that I had not gained enough footage to fill the required amount of time. It is now clear to me how much raw footage it takes to be able to fill just a small amount of time, and next time I will be sure to gain more interesting and varied Gvs in order to make my production more successful. Also, when I interviewed someone from the Student Union, the framing could have been done better as there was way too much headroom making the shot look unprofessional. The sound quality on this clip could also have been improved if I had held the mic closer to the subject. I think my package could have benefited if I had got some vox pops, gaining a more general opinion on the story and adding more variety to the production as a whole.
Wednesday, 28 October 2009
TV - Youth Show
For our youth show, we found it difficult to find news stories which were aimed at a younger audience, particularly the 15-24 year old age bracket. However we decided to go with Jack's story of the Boscombe surf reef as it is likely to attract younger people and is a softer news story, as well as Lucy's package on a library. My news story was also used as it affected students and is more light hearted. We used imaginative graphics for our youth show to make it more interesting and entertaining – a technique I did not know how to do before this project. We did encounter some problems throughout this project, for example the autocue was not being ran correctly by Sophia. This meant the presenter faced some difficulty in fluency, however luckily the problem was resolved before the final recording.
Wednesday, 21 October 2009
TV - documentary
At our initial group meeting we came together and discussed potential ideas for our production. We eventually decided to go with the idea of homelessness as it is a constant issue which usually tends to be disregarded by most people, mainly because of guilt, and if we focussed on one homeless individual it could evoke more emotion from our audience.
Our group of six split up into pairs, with me and Laurence going into town with some equipment in order to film GVs, try and get an interview with a homeless person and also to head to the Big Issue office. We managed to secure an interview with the Big Issue area manager which worked well because she is of course a major figure in relation to the story, and it helped give our documentary more substance and authority. We also gathered shots such as cutaways of myself nodding (filmed after the interview) with the interviewee in the foreground, and a number of good quality GVs of the office etc. However, after filming we checked the clip on the camera and discovered that there was no sound. This, unfortunately, made us look rather unprofessional and amateur, but luckily the woman was terribly nice about the whole ordeal and let us conduct the whole interview a second time, this time with sound! Here we learnt a valuable lesson of always checking the audio before recording - it's just a shame that we had to learn it the hard way! We also gained an interview with a Bg Issue vendor and a number of GVs in town and of homeless people, giving us more material to work with in the editing suite.
We then all rendezvoused in the editing suite with all the material that we had gained and began sieving through it to figure out which bits were most useful. During the editing process, we all pulled together quite well and chipped in with our own personal criticisms/praise of what we thought of the documentary so far, meaning that everyone had a positive impact on the quality of the production. We faced some problems whilst editing, such as the voiceovers were echoed, meaning that I, as presenter, had to go and record them again. During this project, I learnt a number of new skills, such as pull focus', which me and Laurence did quite well on our day of filming. We also used effective techniques such as blurs, for example when getting GVs of the Big Issue vendor. The bluriness kind of gave it a feel of disconnection with the outside world, almost summing up the life of a homeless person.
Our group of six split up into pairs, with me and Laurence going into town with some equipment in order to film GVs, try and get an interview with a homeless person and also to head to the Big Issue office. We managed to secure an interview with the Big Issue area manager which worked well because she is of course a major figure in relation to the story, and it helped give our documentary more substance and authority. We also gathered shots such as cutaways of myself nodding (filmed after the interview) with the interviewee in the foreground, and a number of good quality GVs of the office etc. However, after filming we checked the clip on the camera and discovered that there was no sound. This, unfortunately, made us look rather unprofessional and amateur, but luckily the woman was terribly nice about the whole ordeal and let us conduct the whole interview a second time, this time with sound! Here we learnt a valuable lesson of always checking the audio before recording - it's just a shame that we had to learn it the hard way! We also gained an interview with a Bg Issue vendor and a number of GVs in town and of homeless people, giving us more material to work with in the editing suite.
We then all rendezvoused in the editing suite with all the material that we had gained and began sieving through it to figure out which bits were most useful. During the editing process, we all pulled together quite well and chipped in with our own personal criticisms/praise of what we thought of the documentary so far, meaning that everyone had a positive impact on the quality of the production. We faced some problems whilst editing, such as the voiceovers were echoed, meaning that I, as presenter, had to go and record them again. During this project, I learnt a number of new skills, such as pull focus', which me and Laurence did quite well on our day of filming. We also used effective techniques such as blurs, for example when getting GVs of the Big Issue vendor. The bluriness kind of gave it a feel of disconnection with the outside world, almost summing up the life of a homeless person.
Thursday, 22 January 2009
court report
An alcoholic was given two years in jail today after leaving a nursery nurse needing 25 stitches to her face, a Bournemouth Judge has decided.
Carl Anthony Stanley, 23, had only recently been released after serving half of his 6 year sentence for stabbing two men at Poole Quay, prosecution barrister Stuart Ellacott told Bournemouth Crown Court.
Mr Stanley, who according to Judge John Harrow poses a ‘substantial risk of serious harm’ to the public, is likely to walk free in under two years, after which he would have also served the remaining year of his previous sentence.
The convicted criminal lost his temper with Miss Hiscock, 28, on 12th December last year, when he threw a drink over one of the victim’s friends, also a female, after which Hiscock retaliated and threw her drink over the defendant.
Mr Stanley then lashed out at Miss Hiscock, and ‘unfortunately’ shattered his glass into the left side of her face, causing substantial injuries, defence barrister Emma Southern told the court.
The attack happened at around 11.50pm on the busy dance floor of Wetherspoons Pub in Poole, and Allison told the court of how it had left the victim with extensive scarring to her face, to the point where she no longer goes out and ‘cries in front of the mirror’.
The defendant pleaded guilty at his first court appearance on one count of causing grievous bodily harm with intent.
His alcohol problem was ‘no excuse’ for this attack according to the Judge, who also said that Mr Stanley had caused ‘terrific psychological damage’ to the victim.
Carl Anthony Stanley, 23, had only recently been released after serving half of his 6 year sentence for stabbing two men at Poole Quay, prosecution barrister Stuart Ellacott told Bournemouth Crown Court.
Mr Stanley, who according to Judge John Harrow poses a ‘substantial risk of serious harm’ to the public, is likely to walk free in under two years, after which he would have also served the remaining year of his previous sentence.
The convicted criminal lost his temper with Miss Hiscock, 28, on 12th December last year, when he threw a drink over one of the victim’s friends, also a female, after which Hiscock retaliated and threw her drink over the defendant.
Mr Stanley then lashed out at Miss Hiscock, and ‘unfortunately’ shattered his glass into the left side of her face, causing substantial injuries, defence barrister Emma Southern told the court.
The attack happened at around 11.50pm on the busy dance floor of Wetherspoons Pub in Poole, and Allison told the court of how it had left the victim with extensive scarring to her face, to the point where she no longer goes out and ‘cries in front of the mirror’.
The defendant pleaded guilty at his first court appearance on one count of causing grievous bodily harm with intent.
His alcohol problem was ‘no excuse’ for this attack according to the Judge, who also said that Mr Stanley had caused ‘terrific psychological damage’ to the victim.
running story
A crazed killer ‘laughed’ as he shot a dog with a crossbow this morning, before going on to murder two people including his own mother.
The murderer was shot dead just after noon when he began firing at police officers, but motives behind the killings are still unknown.
A fire was reported at Mr. Pascal Tonk’s home at around 11am, where his mother was found decapitated and his pet German Shepherd had died in the blaze.
Mr. Tonk shot his first victim at Horseshoe Common, a one-month-old Shitsu, and went on to kill a Belgian tourist by shooting him in the eye with the deadly, Olympic standard crossbow.
The 21-year-old began his rampage at 8am, when he hijacked a JCB digger at Chapel Gate Leisure Centre, using it to break into the Archery Range and stealing his high-powered murder weapon.
Senior Police Officer Alan Rose said Mr. Tonk was ‘mentally unstable’, and police helicopters along with 19 fire engines were on the scene to try and put and end to the bloodshed.
The Belgian national, Mr. Rattue, 32, was married with two young children, and was visiting the country for a Banzai growing convention along with close friend Dennis Landsbert, who said the tourists will carry on their trip ‘in tribute of Mels’.
Pascal’s mother, Louise Tonk, who is more affectionately known as ‘Lulu’, was 32, and had her head disjoined by her son with a machete.
The rampage ended with the death of Mr. Tonk at Talbot Combined School in Wallisdown, after fears for police officers’ safety arose after he began shooting at them with the crossbow.
The murderer was shot dead just after noon when he began firing at police officers, but motives behind the killings are still unknown.
A fire was reported at Mr. Pascal Tonk’s home at around 11am, where his mother was found decapitated and his pet German Shepherd had died in the blaze.
Mr. Tonk shot his first victim at Horseshoe Common, a one-month-old Shitsu, and went on to kill a Belgian tourist by shooting him in the eye with the deadly, Olympic standard crossbow.
The 21-year-old began his rampage at 8am, when he hijacked a JCB digger at Chapel Gate Leisure Centre, using it to break into the Archery Range and stealing his high-powered murder weapon.
Senior Police Officer Alan Rose said Mr. Tonk was ‘mentally unstable’, and police helicopters along with 19 fire engines were on the scene to try and put and end to the bloodshed.
The Belgian national, Mr. Rattue, 32, was married with two young children, and was visiting the country for a Banzai growing convention along with close friend Dennis Landsbert, who said the tourists will carry on their trip ‘in tribute of Mels’.
Pascal’s mother, Louise Tonk, who is more affectionately known as ‘Lulu’, was 32, and had her head disjoined by her son with a machete.
The rampage ended with the death of Mr. Tonk at Talbot Combined School in Wallisdown, after fears for police officers’ safety arose after he began shooting at them with the crossbow.
mock running story
Two pentioners have been found dead in the water just half a mile away from a ferry crash at Poole Harbour today.
The elderly pair, both in their eighties, are thought to have been poisoned by the toxic chemical Lindane which has leaked as a result of the collision, and it is now causing major environmental fears.
The poisonous chemical, which has spread across most of Poole Harbour, has resulted in an exclusion zone between Sandbanks and Hengusbury Head, where access is strictly banned.
Over 70 people have been taken to hospital in fear of contamination, including the panic stricken people that leaped from the Sandbanks Ferry to what they thought was safety.
A vast amount of sealife has also died, and what was described as an ‘extremely dangerous poison’ by an environmental specialist, has caused mass panic at the site of the ferry collision this morning, killing everything it has come into contact with.
Torben Lee, the Pollution Consultant for the Environmental Agency, said that the leak has caused ‘widespread ecological concern’, resulting in chemical boons - inflatable devices to slow down the spread of the chemical have been set up in the water.
All coastguard crews have been administered in protective clothing, and access to the area has been prohibited in fear of any more fatalities.
A spokesman for the coastguard said that everyone on board the two ships have now reached safety, but the trauma continues as emergency crews try and deal with the vast amount of people needing treatment.
It has been advised that no one should fish in the water for at least 3 weeks, and anything that is caught should strictly not be kept in case of further contamination.
Nick Gosley, Chief Loader for the Sandbanks Ferry, said that the crash was ‘pretty nasty’, and the roll-on roll-off cargo ferry, named the ‘El Taurus’ was on its first voyage today and has been sinking all morning.
The disaster happened as one of the major chains snapped on the Sandbanks Ferry, making it unable to avoid hitting the smaller roll-on roll-off ferry from Poole.
The elderly pair, both in their eighties, are thought to have been poisoned by the toxic chemical Lindane which has leaked as a result of the collision, and it is now causing major environmental fears.
The poisonous chemical, which has spread across most of Poole Harbour, has resulted in an exclusion zone between Sandbanks and Hengusbury Head, where access is strictly banned.
Over 70 people have been taken to hospital in fear of contamination, including the panic stricken people that leaped from the Sandbanks Ferry to what they thought was safety.
A vast amount of sealife has also died, and what was described as an ‘extremely dangerous poison’ by an environmental specialist, has caused mass panic at the site of the ferry collision this morning, killing everything it has come into contact with.
Torben Lee, the Pollution Consultant for the Environmental Agency, said that the leak has caused ‘widespread ecological concern’, resulting in chemical boons - inflatable devices to slow down the spread of the chemical have been set up in the water.
All coastguard crews have been administered in protective clothing, and access to the area has been prohibited in fear of any more fatalities.
A spokesman for the coastguard said that everyone on board the two ships have now reached safety, but the trauma continues as emergency crews try and deal with the vast amount of people needing treatment.
It has been advised that no one should fish in the water for at least 3 weeks, and anything that is caught should strictly not be kept in case of further contamination.
Nick Gosley, Chief Loader for the Sandbanks Ferry, said that the crash was ‘pretty nasty’, and the roll-on roll-off cargo ferry, named the ‘El Taurus’ was on its first voyage today and has been sinking all morning.
The disaster happened as one of the major chains snapped on the Sandbanks Ferry, making it unable to avoid hitting the smaller roll-on roll-off ferry from Poole.
original news story
A Bournemouth man paid £1200 to apologise to his girlfriend on a billboard, it emerged last week.
The message, in which the opening sentence reads ‘I have been stupid, I have lied, I have been selfish and wrong’ was Ben Hillman’s last port of call at winning his girlfriend of four years back.
The extravagant act became necessary after Mr. Hillman,
24, had broken his
girlfriend’s trust by cheating on ‘the love The billboard that Mr. Hillman forked out for on Oxford Road, Bournemouth
of his life’ for over a month.
The billboard, which is at Oxford Road, Bournemouth, is set to stay there for another three weeks, as Mr. Hillman paid for a two month board.
His ex-girlfriend, who has apparently seen the board, still can not forgive him for what he did, and he remains a single man.
He said: “I had run out of ideas. This was my last ditch effort.”
When asked about whether he regretted the rather expensive and somewhat unorthodox apology he said: “It was worth the risk. But you know, I can’t expect her to forgive me for what I’ve done.
Mr. Hillman now lives with his parents as he searches for a new home, since his ex-girlfriend kicked him out of their two-bedroom apartment.
The love affair, which Ben claims was the ‘biggest mistake of his life’, came out as he admitted it to her in a fiery argument, and he said: “I have no confidence that I will ever get her back. I can only pray”.
The message, in which the opening sentence reads ‘I have been stupid, I have lied, I have been selfish and wrong’ was Ben Hillman’s last port of call at winning his girlfriend of four years back.
The extravagant act became necessary after Mr. Hillman,
24, had broken his
girlfriend’s trust by cheating on ‘the love The billboard that Mr. Hillman forked out for on Oxford Road, Bournemouth
of his life’ for over a month.
The billboard, which is at Oxford Road, Bournemouth, is set to stay there for another three weeks, as Mr. Hillman paid for a two month board.
His ex-girlfriend, who has apparently seen the board, still can not forgive him for what he did, and he remains a single man.
He said: “I had run out of ideas. This was my last ditch effort.”
When asked about whether he regretted the rather expensive and somewhat unorthodox apology he said: “It was worth the risk. But you know, I can’t expect her to forgive me for what I’ve done.
Mr. Hillman now lives with his parents as he searches for a new home, since his ex-girlfriend kicked him out of their two-bedroom apartment.
The love affair, which Ben claims was the ‘biggest mistake of his life’, came out as he admitted it to her in a fiery argument, and he said: “I have no confidence that I will ever get her back. I can only pray”.
vox pops
With a hotly debated and controversial presidential election just around the corner, we could see either the first black man or the oldest president ever in office. We ask the British public what they think of the current candidates and who they would like to see voted in on 4th November.
Poppy Lane, 18, charity worker from Norman Hill in Huddersfield.
‘I don’t know who the candidates are. All I know is that there’s a woman who keeps going on about hockey mums - I don’t like her. I think it’s unlikely to affect us who wins until they start interfering with our own countries decisions, which I guess they eventually will do. Politics really doesn’t interest me.’
Neil Smales, 49, Maintenance man from Holme on the Woods, Hull.
‘I’m really not bothered with it but I think Obama will win because of the way he’s been portrayed in the media, like some sort of hero of something. I don’t know if either of them will make a difference over here but I suppose they cant do a worse job than Bush.’
Grace Carley, 17, Student from Launceston Place, South Kensington, London.
‘Obama for president! I like him because he seems to be neutral; he just wants what’s best for America I think. McCain’s a bit of an idiot and some of his views are just ridiculous, like no abortion, what’s that about? I loved it when he said he was going to “find Osama Bin Laden” I thought that was hilarious, shows he was desperate though, making claims like that.’
Gillian Merrett, 55, Care worker from Keswick Road, Boscombe.
‘I’m not really interested at all, if I had to pick a favourite it would probably be Obama. Whoever gets in though, I don’t think anything they do over there is going to affect us. Not any more than it has done already.’
James Keighley, 27, Restaurant manager from Ruskin Road, Tottenham.
‘Obama to win because everyone’s had enough of Republicans, I wanted Hilary Clinton in to be honest, I thought she was a better suited candidate, but I suppose as long as the Democrats win its alright. Obama is obviously better for the world in general but there are a lot of right-wing Americans over there that just aren’t ready for a black president, its going to be tight I think but I hope Obama scrapes through.’
Simon Jones, 30, Fireman from Celtic Crescent Dorchester.
‘I hate McCain he’s far to conservative and America needs some fresh ideas at the moment, that’s why I want Obama to win. The other side have been trying to paint a bad picture of him lately though, which shows how worried they are I suppose. Like pointing out things like the fact he’s Muslim and stuff like that, you really shouldn’t use things like peoples religion against them, especially when McCain’s views like the whole pro-life thing are so far-right, it’s a pretty silly game to play.
Sharon Reid, 40, housewife from Bagshot Road, Ascot in Winchester.
When they debate I don’t think there’s much to choose between the two really. I don’t agree with a lot of McCain’s policies though like his views on guns and war, I think Obama would have a stricter view on the gun laws, which would be good. Sarah Palin doesn’t really seem to know what she’s doing either; McCain just plucked her from the middle of nowhere as a publicity stunt. McCain’s been too involved before as well, I think he’s probably been corrupted already, at least Obama has a chance not to be.
Dennis Grainger, 53, retired business manager from Marble Street, Salford in Manchester.
‘Obama, if McCain gets in he’ll pop his clogs or something. I don’t like Palin, there’s something about her that I don’t trust. To be honest I haven’t really been following it although I saw something in the paper about a neo-Nazi group planning to assassinate Obama because he’s black, I think that’s disgusting, I think that just shows everything that’s wrong with America really.’
Jackie O’Tool, Dementia care trainer, 50, from Upper Hinton Road in Bournemouth.
‘I really hope Obama wins; there’s a real need for change over there. I think he’s a peace loving man and Americans are really too gung ho with their guns, so maybe he can do something about that. I don’t like McCain, I’m not too keen on his proposed war, I think it would be really bad if he got into office.’
Diana Marsh, 45, social worker from Boscombe, Bournemouth.
‘I don’t feel that the American election will affect me this time around.
Obviously Bush really ruined things for the whole world, and Blair was
basically his pet. I think the Americans will vote for Obama this time around. I
think the Republicans have got a backlash on their hands after eight years of,
you know, basically total danger!’
Becky Jackson, 25, Teaching assistant from Fleet, Hampshire.
‘I think you’d have to be crazy to want McCain to win – his views are insane.
Having said that I do think that the sort of, Deep South Americans strongly
believe in him, although surely they can’t be pro-life! Obama is the change
America needs – the change the world needs really. It’s terrifying to think of
another four years under a Republican president because it affects the entire
world.’
Robert Wirrall, 36, Businessman from Dorchester, Dorset.
‘Well obviously I want Obama to win. Apparently the hype for him over
in New York is incredible, but New York is one of the liberal states, so
you can’t really read too much into it. McCain’s views scare me, and
that Sarah Palin has no experience in the field at all. I read somewhere
that her degree is in journalism, which is bad for a woman who could
potentially be president – no offence! But McCain is so old you know? I
don’t know if he’s got four years left in him, and if Palin becomes
president, I cant see how anyone could sleep at night!’
Poppy Lane, 18, charity worker from Norman Hill in Huddersfield.
‘I don’t know who the candidates are. All I know is that there’s a woman who keeps going on about hockey mums - I don’t like her. I think it’s unlikely to affect us who wins until they start interfering with our own countries decisions, which I guess they eventually will do. Politics really doesn’t interest me.’
Neil Smales, 49, Maintenance man from Holme on the Woods, Hull.
‘I’m really not bothered with it but I think Obama will win because of the way he’s been portrayed in the media, like some sort of hero of something. I don’t know if either of them will make a difference over here but I suppose they cant do a worse job than Bush.’
Grace Carley, 17, Student from Launceston Place, South Kensington, London.
‘Obama for president! I like him because he seems to be neutral; he just wants what’s best for America I think. McCain’s a bit of an idiot and some of his views are just ridiculous, like no abortion, what’s that about? I loved it when he said he was going to “find Osama Bin Laden” I thought that was hilarious, shows he was desperate though, making claims like that.’
Gillian Merrett, 55, Care worker from Keswick Road, Boscombe.
‘I’m not really interested at all, if I had to pick a favourite it would probably be Obama. Whoever gets in though, I don’t think anything they do over there is going to affect us. Not any more than it has done already.’
James Keighley, 27, Restaurant manager from Ruskin Road, Tottenham.
‘Obama to win because everyone’s had enough of Republicans, I wanted Hilary Clinton in to be honest, I thought she was a better suited candidate, but I suppose as long as the Democrats win its alright. Obama is obviously better for the world in general but there are a lot of right-wing Americans over there that just aren’t ready for a black president, its going to be tight I think but I hope Obama scrapes through.’
Simon Jones, 30, Fireman from Celtic Crescent Dorchester.
‘I hate McCain he’s far to conservative and America needs some fresh ideas at the moment, that’s why I want Obama to win. The other side have been trying to paint a bad picture of him lately though, which shows how worried they are I suppose. Like pointing out things like the fact he’s Muslim and stuff like that, you really shouldn’t use things like peoples religion against them, especially when McCain’s views like the whole pro-life thing are so far-right, it’s a pretty silly game to play.
Sharon Reid, 40, housewife from Bagshot Road, Ascot in Winchester.
When they debate I don’t think there’s much to choose between the two really. I don’t agree with a lot of McCain’s policies though like his views on guns and war, I think Obama would have a stricter view on the gun laws, which would be good. Sarah Palin doesn’t really seem to know what she’s doing either; McCain just plucked her from the middle of nowhere as a publicity stunt. McCain’s been too involved before as well, I think he’s probably been corrupted already, at least Obama has a chance not to be.
Dennis Grainger, 53, retired business manager from Marble Street, Salford in Manchester.
‘Obama, if McCain gets in he’ll pop his clogs or something. I don’t like Palin, there’s something about her that I don’t trust. To be honest I haven’t really been following it although I saw something in the paper about a neo-Nazi group planning to assassinate Obama because he’s black, I think that’s disgusting, I think that just shows everything that’s wrong with America really.’
Jackie O’Tool, Dementia care trainer, 50, from Upper Hinton Road in Bournemouth.
‘I really hope Obama wins; there’s a real need for change over there. I think he’s a peace loving man and Americans are really too gung ho with their guns, so maybe he can do something about that. I don’t like McCain, I’m not too keen on his proposed war, I think it would be really bad if he got into office.’
Diana Marsh, 45, social worker from Boscombe, Bournemouth.
‘I don’t feel that the American election will affect me this time around.
Obviously Bush really ruined things for the whole world, and Blair was
basically his pet. I think the Americans will vote for Obama this time around. I
think the Republicans have got a backlash on their hands after eight years of,
you know, basically total danger!’
Becky Jackson, 25, Teaching assistant from Fleet, Hampshire.
‘I think you’d have to be crazy to want McCain to win – his views are insane.
Having said that I do think that the sort of, Deep South Americans strongly
believe in him, although surely they can’t be pro-life! Obama is the change
America needs – the change the world needs really. It’s terrifying to think of
another four years under a Republican president because it affects the entire
world.’
Robert Wirrall, 36, Businessman from Dorchester, Dorset.
‘Well obviously I want Obama to win. Apparently the hype for him over
in New York is incredible, but New York is one of the liberal states, so
you can’t really read too much into it. McCain’s views scare me, and
that Sarah Palin has no experience in the field at all. I read somewhere
that her degree is in journalism, which is bad for a woman who could
potentially be president – no offence! But McCain is so old you know? I
don’t know if he’s got four years left in him, and if Palin becomes
president, I cant see how anyone could sleep at night!’
what it takes to be a good reporter
BBC Chief Correspondent for Somerset, Clinton Rogers, last week gave his view on what it takes to be a good reporter, saying that “you don’t need to be a good writer”.
He told of how above all the necessary skills, good writing wasn’t essential, as these days it has become “so formulaic”.
Mr Rogers, 52, who left school at fifteen with no qualifications, told of how good reporting is all about your personal qualities, “enthusiasm more than anything”, and “round the clock commitment” are vital skills.
This year alone Mr Rogers has missed two of his four childrens’ birthdays due to his job, and he stressed that everyone needs to be aware of these responsibilities when wanting to be a reporter, or at least a good one.
It’s dedication like this that has earned Mr Rogers a salary in excess of £35,000 a year – the average for a BBC correspondent.
Along with the obvious quality of being able to talk to people, Clinton explained how it is fundamental for a good reporter to understand the different ways of talking to a variety of people.
The BBC reporter, who has a monthly newspaper bill of £35, gave me an example of how one day he was interviewing at a convention of gypsies, and the next was spent questioning the Prince of Wales.
It became apparent that Mr Rogers does not feel that an academic background is at all necessary, and when talking about recruiting young reporters he said “it’s taken for granted these days, everyone’s got a degree. I don’t even look at the qualifications section on anyone’s CV”.
Words that are rather sickening for any students across the country.
Mr Rogers, after speaking of how he ‘loved his job’, joked as his wife brought him a cup of tea during the interview: “And don’t forget, you need a very supportive wife or girlfriend as well you know.”
He told of how above all the necessary skills, good writing wasn’t essential, as these days it has become “so formulaic”.
Mr Rogers, 52, who left school at fifteen with no qualifications, told of how good reporting is all about your personal qualities, “enthusiasm more than anything”, and “round the clock commitment” are vital skills.
This year alone Mr Rogers has missed two of his four childrens’ birthdays due to his job, and he stressed that everyone needs to be aware of these responsibilities when wanting to be a reporter, or at least a good one.
It’s dedication like this that has earned Mr Rogers a salary in excess of £35,000 a year – the average for a BBC correspondent.
Along with the obvious quality of being able to talk to people, Clinton explained how it is fundamental for a good reporter to understand the different ways of talking to a variety of people.
The BBC reporter, who has a monthly newspaper bill of £35, gave me an example of how one day he was interviewing at a convention of gypsies, and the next was spent questioning the Prince of Wales.
It became apparent that Mr Rogers does not feel that an academic background is at all necessary, and when talking about recruiting young reporters he said “it’s taken for granted these days, everyone’s got a degree. I don’t even look at the qualifications section on anyone’s CV”.
Words that are rather sickening for any students across the country.
Mr Rogers, after speaking of how he ‘loved his job’, joked as his wife brought him a cup of tea during the interview: “And don’t forget, you need a very supportive wife or girlfriend as well you know.”
old person interview
Mr Paul Jeffries, 59, was brutally mauled by a bull terrier when he was just 5 years old.
Mr Jeffries, who formerly worked as a computer system designer for British Aerospace and Siemens, said he was “just doing a good deed” when he was taking some vegetables to next door’s garden to help them out.
Things all changed for Mr Jeffries when the 3 year old bull terrier came running from the neighbour’s house and started ripping at his arm.
An ambulance arrived on the scene not long after the incident, where Paul received numerous stitches to recover the damage.
He said he was “shocked and confused” about how the day’s traumatic events had unfolded.
Mr Jeffries, who grew up in Queensbury, near Wembley, now lives in Bournemouth, where he spends most of his time “reflecting on all the things he had in the past”, as redundancy resulted in him becoming homeless at the age of 52.
His biggest regret since becoming homeless, he said, is losing contact of his son, whom he loves dearly.
Paul still loves dogs after his traumatic experience, saying “the poor little thing didn’t know what he was doing; he probably thought I was a thief. I can’t blame him for attacking me”.
The attack happened as Mr Jeffries was taking carrots and potatoes to next door, the sort of deed which has almost become obsolete in today’s world.
However this terrible attack did not make him stop doing these generous activities for his neighbours.
Paul, who is divorced with one child, said: “Dogs are harmless really, they do things by instinct so sometimes people get hurt in the process”.
Mr Jeffries, who formerly worked as a computer system designer for British Aerospace and Siemens, said he was “just doing a good deed” when he was taking some vegetables to next door’s garden to help them out.
Things all changed for Mr Jeffries when the 3 year old bull terrier came running from the neighbour’s house and started ripping at his arm.
An ambulance arrived on the scene not long after the incident, where Paul received numerous stitches to recover the damage.
He said he was “shocked and confused” about how the day’s traumatic events had unfolded.
Mr Jeffries, who grew up in Queensbury, near Wembley, now lives in Bournemouth, where he spends most of his time “reflecting on all the things he had in the past”, as redundancy resulted in him becoming homeless at the age of 52.
His biggest regret since becoming homeless, he said, is losing contact of his son, whom he loves dearly.
Paul still loves dogs after his traumatic experience, saying “the poor little thing didn’t know what he was doing; he probably thought I was a thief. I can’t blame him for attacking me”.
The attack happened as Mr Jeffries was taking carrots and potatoes to next door, the sort of deed which has almost become obsolete in today’s world.
However this terrible attack did not make him stop doing these generous activities for his neighbours.
Paul, who is divorced with one child, said: “Dogs are harmless really, they do things by instinct so sometimes people get hurt in the process”.
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