Chequebook Journalism

After studying the idea of Chequebook journalism in Rob Melville’s class I decided to look a bit deeper into the subject.

The idea of tabloid newspapers paying for information to publish and possibly respectable newspapers doing the same, to me is ludicrous. Surely the job of a journalist is to find information his/herself and then produce a story from that information. This idea of paying for news seems lazy and incompetent and I followed up an example from www.journalism.co.uk

I feel that news generated via chequebook journalism should be better monitored if not banned from the media as it affects impartiality and integrity, as well as devaluing the profession.

Personal Evaluation

Last week I submitted my portfolio of work for Multimedia Reporting 1, worth 60% of my module total. Not only did I gain writing experience I also gained interview skills and design skills.

Personally, I feel that I have come along since my Princes Street interview when compared to my profile of Jane Laughry and even my BMI article. I do believe, however, that there are areas that I need to improve, especially my introductions and conclusions. I think that the main bodies of my articles are my strongest point but they may require more quotes in order to add humanity and to further support my articles. However, I must also remember that I have only been in University for 3 months and that I am progressing well in other areas.

My Study Skills course is going well with passes in 2/3 assignments so far, the 3rd being due next week. For Introduction to Journalism I have achieved a 1st in one of my essays and I am currently awaiting my 2nd mark.

I feel that I have progressed well in University so far and I hope this is reflected in my remaining assessments, particularly MMR1 as it is the practical aspect of journalism, which is essential.

Visit to Parliament

My visit to Parliament was one to be remembered. It started off interesting and it was exciting to see how MSP’s debate with one another. However, it did begin to get repetitive and tedious. Below is the article that I submitted based on the issue – Scottish Rural Housing.

Today saw another debate on the future of the Scottish countryside’s economy as the issue of the shortage of rural housing in Scotland was once again raised. However, it appeared that the issue was met with the unanimous view that housing is needed.

Maureen Watt MSP, the convener of the Rural Affairs and Environmental Committee, whose speech was greeted with applause by the public who were present, led the debate with her presentation of the problems that lack of rural housing is causing in the Scottish countryside. She said that although there had been “quite a few membership changes” since her joining in spring 2009, she was committed to the goal of providing housing and sustaining the rural areas through the ethos that “more needs to be done.” Although she joined when “Howard from Halifax was still singing 100% mortgages in our faces” Maureen showed confidence and a drive to do the best for young families who could not afford housing. She put the problems present down to procedures which were too strict and “bureaucratic” and this was supported by Liam McArthur who stated that “all parties were singing from the same hymn sheet on this issue.”

The main argument put forward by the parties, however, was the fact that there is a false perception by some that the countryside needs to be empty, as Maureen said, “It is ironic that Scotland lies empty, yet land is hard to get.” The main concern coming across was that the young families that could not afford housing in rural Scotland were moving to the cities, thus it needs to be recognised that the economic future of the countryside was in jeopardy. The issue of vacant housing in the countryside was also raised as it was deemed a “waste” of valuable space, yet legislation did not allow contractors to build more housing and this led to the recurrent wish from the MSP’s to hear “the minister’s thoughts.” It was also revealed that there is a £146 million budget to deliver 1,300 rural buildings in the coming years, with the aim to make “the public pound go further.” It was also called for a government reform on legislation and for “attitudes to be relaxed” in order to allow rural areas to develop for “long term sustainability.” Liam McArthur outlined that there “would be no need for homelessness legislation if houses were available.”

It appears that although the reports were unanimous from each party the issue of the minister’s “luke warm” response was brought up again and again, but the parties concerned are still pushing ahead to increase the amount of rural housing available in Scotland in order to protect the economy on a long term basis.

France vs Ireland: The 2nd Leg

The second leg of the World Cup qualifiers took place between Ireland on France last Wednesday and the game has caused controversy on a global scale.

The match, played in Paris, was another amazing game with Keane scoring in the first half giving Ireland a 1-0 lead. As the game progressed Ireland maintained possession over the French team and, as the 104th minute of extra time approached Thierry Henry, the French striker, stopped the ball from going out using his hand in order to set up France’s goal to take them to the World Cup in South Africa next year.

The Irish government, and football fans worldwide have appealed to Fifa for a replay of the match. Pesonally I agree as a world class football team should have the decency to admit to cheating. However, I do not agree with the Irish Government bringing the issue up with the French at the next EU summit as I believe that there are more important issues currently and football should not be used as a political tool.

There is currently Facebook pages dedicated to a rematch between the nations with around 300,000 people supporting it. A protest is also due to take place today in Ireland to raise awareness.

The moment that caused outrage

Ireland Defeated in 1st Leg

The atmosphere last night in The Three Sisters was electric, with the Republic of Ireland playing France in the 1st of their two matches in order to qualify for the World Cup 2010 in South Africa.

The game was surprisingly entertaining and Ireland appeared to have possession of the ball for most of the game. After three near goals for Ireland, France scored, but, after a minute it was declared Off side, stopping the French’s celebrations. The second half was even better than the 1st with Ireland once again nearly scoring several times in a short period of time. However, the Irish’s hope were shattered when France scored as the match climaxed, giving them a 1-0 advantage and ultimately a victory.

However, it is all still left to play for with the 2nd leg being held in Paris this Wednesday. A match not to be missed!

New UK Press Guidelines for Suicide

There have been new media guidelines introduced in the UK in regards to reporting on suicide, following an article published in Northern Ireland’s edition of the Sunday World, which showed a close-up of a man who had taken his life.

The picture, showing the man hanging from a bridge, was published on the front page of the newspaper with a description of various aspects of the death. The journalist also speculated as to whether or not it was suicide or murder. This goes against various guidelines set out in order to prevent the encouragement of suicide.

The new guidelines are an extension of the older ones set in place, and state:

• Avoid prominent placement of stories about suicide – specifically do not report them on the front page.
• Avoid explicit description of the method used as this may lead to an increase in the use of this method.
• Avoid providing detailed information about the site of the suicide as this may lead to an increase in the number of suicides at that site.
• Avoid using photographs and if any images are to be used ask permission of the family – bereaved family members are at heightened risk of suicide themselves.

Below you can find a link to the BBC news website which has published an article and has a video interview with various parties and their reactions to this article being published.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/foyle_and_west/8336911.stm

These changes are evidence that guidelines need to be constantly changed as the media are always challenging them and sometimes even breaking them.

 

The Impact of Technology

As we further progress into the age of technology it is becoming more and more apparant at how much newspapers have had to adapt.

As I scroll through The Guardian’s website (www.guardian.co.uk), the traditional newspaper being published online is no longer the case. I am able to access Podcasts, Blogs from the public and video footage, which would not have been there in past years. This is evidence of how technology has forced papers to adapt in order to survive, but they must be commended for their efforts in embracing these new medias in order to remain competitive and retain their audiences.

Some would argue that technology spells the end for newspapers, and journalism itself, however I have to disagree. Technology, if used by journalists correctly, will allow the industry to expand and grow further as news can be accessed 24 hours a day and exchanged worldwide. Citizen journalists can also contribute to real news in order to enhance it by adding humanity. The same applies to pictures.

Having a blog of my own, I believe that technology is helping journalism along and enabling it to bring more relevant news at a faster pace and I will personally be embracing it for years to come.