Edinburgh Zoo Cuts

Following my article published on www.edinburghnapiernews.com The Scotsman have found that the decline in visitor numbers by 10% and bad weather, as claimed by the zoo itself, has led to significant losses. Staff have claimed that pay cuts are being threatened and that up to fifty jobs could be lost. The full article can be found here.

I would just like to add that when I saw this story on the front page of The Scotsman I was both annoyed and filled with confidence. I was annoyed because I had found the first part of the story with the zoo struggling and the figures I had found matched those a respectable newspaper had used. If I had of followed the story closely I may have broke this myself and had an even better story.

However, I was filled with confidence because I had found an original news story by myself and made contacts in the process of researching it further. When it comes to finding another story I will hopefully be able to take it further.

Recession has mixed effect on Edinburgh Tourism

Nearly a month after the close of Edinburgh’s Fringe festival, the figures are in, and, once again, records have been broken. However, this was not the case for all tourist attractions.

Figures released, which claimed that two million tickets had been sold, a 5% rise from 2009, blasted critics who suggested that the festival would suffer due to the recession. This could possibly sway the planned budget cuts for the coming year’s festival. However, it has been revealed that, tickets given free to visitors, were included in the numbers, possibly suggesting that the festival did not do as well. Fringe spokesman, Neil MacKinnon defended this decision, saying that: “We’ve been quite consistent with our methodology in adding up figures at the Fringe, and we have no plans to change that. Despite this, visitor numbers on an annual basis are still rising, with Paul Allison, a senior insight analyst for Visit Scotland, stating, “Visitor numbers have risen by 118% in the past ten years.”

Despite the Fringe’s apparent success, Edinburgh Zoo has suffered at the hands of the recession during this festival season. Claire Richardson, a press officer for the zoo, told me that “visitor numbers had fallen by 10% this season” but went on to defend this due to possible adverse weather conditions. She continued that the “Three yearly budget did not leave room for this.” The zoo did not wish to comment further.

The mixed affects of the recession this year will not be fully apparent until a full list of figures are released in early 2011 and with the current results, it is not clear what these will reveal.

 

One of the many free performaces during the Fringe.

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.

Princes Street Gardens Interview

Below is the article that I wrote on Jean Higson, the lady who I interviewed in Princes Street Gardens.

Walking through Prince’s Street gardens I came across an elderly lady, sitting alone, and dressed in white. At first she seemed reluctant to talk to me, but when she began to share her opinions with me that resistance quickly faded.

Jean Higson, from Glenrothes in Fife, is married with two sons and a grandson. She has been a practising Jehovah Witness for fifty years. As I conversed with her on a bench in the bustling gardens, it became apparent that Jean had extremely strong opinions on other religions, in that, she does not agree with them. She told me that religion, in her eyes, causes unnecessary trouble and will be the downfall of man in the next twenty years, in accordance with Jesus’ prophecy. She explained her belief in this as her sons were sent to Belfast, Northern Ireland, as “peacekeepers” with the armed forces in order to try and calm a country going through a crisis. Jean said that “for religion to bring once country into civil war is enough proof of its troublesome nature.” Her husband and his family are also from Northern Ireland and they have not been back due to the rife Sectarianism.

Jean went on to explain how many people claim to be religious or to be proud of their religion, yet they are not. She used the “Lord’s Prayer” as an example of this, claiming that most people did not understand its meaning. She also believes that religion is a tool used by people as a scapegoat for Sectarianism, which she puts as another reason for not supporting religion. However, she does not criticise or judge anyone who follows a particular faith.

Profile: Jane Loughrey

Jane Loughrey told me that her most difficult report, and the one that affected her the most, was the Omagh bombing in 1998. She said that it was “traumatic and harrowing to witness the pain but I had a job to do and it was my duty to deliver the news with humanity, and that was difficult.” Jane said even to this day she still finds it “amazing that people invite me in during times of grief.” She has been brought in more than she has been turned away, a true example of the trust she has gained from the public in Northern Ireland.

 A single mother of one from Belfast, Jane is the principal reporter in Ulster Television and has been a journalist for the past twenty years. However, it appeared that Jane stumbled across this career by complete accident, and she has not looked back since. Jane’s interest in becoming a journalist was sparked when she began working with the “Student News” in Queen’s University Belfast, even though she was studying business management. She was unsure which area of journalism she wanted to enter and was torn between broadcast journalism and print; however she believed papers to be “yesterday’s news” which made her disinterested in this aspect of media, although she still “respects newspapers” and feels that there will always be a place in the world for them. After a number of years Jane applied for a place in the London College of Arts for a course in broadcast journalism which had twenty places, and with over two thousand applicants it did not look hopeful, however she did get accepted. After graduating she worked for free for many papers in order to gain experience and was rejected from seventy five radio stations as her Irish accent was seen as “not acceptable at the time.” But, she got her lucky break when Classic FM took her on to work behind the scenes which later resulted in her having to read the news and this set her on the path to a successful career. Jane said that the experience from working on the radio was “invaluable, as you are on your own and the vital experience is gained. There will always be a part of my heart that belongs to radio.”

 Jane moved on from radio to work for Ulster Television where she has covered a vast range of stories, from The Troubles to features for the programme. She still finds it as interesting as when she first started, but she believes the nature of news in Northern Ireland has changed, making it different and somewhat more difficult to find news worthy stories. Jane’s passion for broadcast journalism was evident in how she spoke about it, saying it was “in her blood” and that she “loved it.”

 When asked how the recession has affected the industry Jane said that it has not directly affected her except when she is on stories. She told me that “rather than having a camera man and a sound man, you now only have the camera man,” which shows the cut backs in the industry. Jane also went on to explain how specialist correspondents are no longer sent out to America or Europe to report on events and instead they receive the pictures and stories from ITV.

 Even after twenty years Jane Loughrey is still “always nervous” before her story is aired. She said to never abuse the power that you are given as the public trust you and this must be gained and retained. Jane said to never make mistakes when doing a story and to finish she said live by the rule “If in doubt, leave it out.”