Publish your own scoop, says Murnaghan

Posted by Dave Lee on 14 April 2008 at 15:35
Tags: Student Journalism

Sky News (and Eggheads! Woo!) presenter Dermot Murnaghan writes in the Media Guardian about how it’s different — easier? — to break into journalism with all the new oppurtunities at hand:

Sure, the demands of the new forms of delivery put more pressures on journalists. But they also offer more opportunities. Look at my own feeble efforts to break into print 25 years ago - relying on a time-pressured Alan Rusbridger to take my call. There was nowhere else to publish my “scoop” (whatever it was). Now there’s nothing to prevent you breaking your story online yourself, whether it’s print or video. But to break through, those journalistic rules will always apply: the story has to be good, and well told. No one’s going to take your blog seriously if it’s a tissue of unsourced, irrelevant witterings.

What do you think?

(On a side point: is anyone else dying under a big dissertation-sized pile? It seems hard to write academically when you spend all your life writing as a reporter. Grrr.)

YouTube your way to a job with Stuff

Posted by Dave Lee on 8 April 2008 at 17:52
Tags: Student Journalism

I’m a big fan of Stuff magazine, so delighted to see this little compo they’re running. Submit a good enough video and you could find yourself with a nice six-month contract and ten grand’s worth of home entertainment goodies. Lovely.

Have a butchers at their site for more infomation on getting stuck in.

There has been a couple of submissions so far, but none quite as dainty as this effort from a chap named “y2kjon”.

Greenslade on working-class journalists

Posted by Dave Lee on 7 April 2008 at 15:53
Tags: Newspapers, Student Journalism

Here’s a debate that strikes particularly close to the bone: Can working-class school-leavers get jobs in journalism?

I’ve just finished a great placement at Sky News. Wonderful experience. But, as is so often the case with placements, expenses are not covered.

I’m lucky — my Dad works for London Underground. I get really cheap fares. My commute — from Huntingdon, near Cambridge — cost about £15 all-in by the time I’d reached the Sky News Centre in Osterley. Not a horrific amount, but that did mean £150 on travel for the length of my placement.

Imagine if I hadn’t got that cheap card? My commute would have cost a lot more. I’d have probably found somewhere to stay down there — which would have cost a great deal too.

The point is, it’s an expensive business. But, without the experience I’d stand absolutely no chance of having a career at the end of it. So it’s no wonder that so many jobs are reserved for the rich among us.

I’ve seen some journalism job websites advertising year-long internships for up to a YEAR unpaid. Incredible. I can’t afford to not work for a fortnight — let alone a year. Crazy. A friend at a local newspaper told me she worked a year for free, before finally getting a full time job. Her salary? £14,000.

Shameful. How can journalism claim to be the ‘voice of the people’ when really, when it comes down to it, the ‘people’ can’t get jobs.

Mindy McAdams: Post-grads are a waste of time

Posted by Dave Lee on 3 April 2008 at 18:34
Tags: Student Journalism

Mindy McAdams takes no prisoners with her post on the true value of post-grad courses.

I’m an under-grad, and I don’t think I’ll be doing a masters. But what do you think? Here’s some of what Mindy had to say…

“Salary-wise, that master’s degree will make absolutely no difference in any journalism job. In fact, the other 24-year-olds will be making more money than you — yes, you, the dolt who stayed in school for two extra years.”

And…

“If you want to be a lawyer, heck, sure, get out of here and go to law school. But if you want to DO JOURNALISM as your career, your calling, your mission in life — then GO GET A JOB. The sooner, the better.”

Read the rest here, if you dare.

Want to work in newspapers? Take a look at this…

Posted by Dave Lee on 2 April 2008 at 09:30
Tags: Newspapers, Online

You don’t need me to tell you this, I hope, but if ever there was an obvious sign that online skills are a must, take a look at this news today (from Press Gazette’s Patrick Smith):

“The company was now seeking journalists with online journalism skills ahead of GNM’s move to a hi-tech, integrated newsroom in London’s King’s Cross at the end of the year”

That company is the Guardian, one of the country’s leading online news sources.

What this tell us is that not only are they planning something special with this new newsroom, but that they are so committed to online journalists that they are prepared to show the unwilling the door. If you don’t know online, you’re not needed. Simple as that.

I’m sure I’m not the only journalist that feels a little fuzzy inside when thinking of new hi-tech newsrooms. I wonder if the Guardian will take the same approach as the Telegraph with the ‘hub’ concept. More about that here.

And more about the Guardian’s redundancies can be found here.

NUJ Work experience survey

Posted by Dave Lee on 1 April 2008 at 09:00
Tags: Student Journalism

Work experience can be a big break into your dream career, or it can be a nightmare. I just got this message from the National Union of Journalists, and I urge you to fill it in for them:

The NUJ is conducting a survey on the subject of work experience and journalism.

If you have finished a journalism course in the last five years, we’d be keen to hear your views. Click here to complete the survey

It should only take a couple of minutes of your time and your responses will be dealt with in the strictest confidence.

We’ll be using the results as part of our campaign to tackle the exploitation of newly qualified and student journalists.

Many thanks for your time.
The NUJ Campaigns Team

Don’t worry, it happens to the best of us!

Posted by Dave Lee on 31 March 2008 at 09:00
Tags: Radio, Student Journalism

As student journalist Katie was preparing to do a weather report live to the studio, a few technical difficulties threw her concentration out the window. She needed Andrew. Andrew being the station controller and the man that would probably be able to solve her problems.

Unfortunately for Katie, her pleas for help weren’t heard by Andrew. Which is surprising, as they were heard by all the listeners of the station. Yes, poor Katie’s horror-story was broadcast on air.

Being a good sport, Katie has allowed me to share the clip with you all on one simple condition: If any of you are in the position to employ her, then you must erase this moment from your memory and focus on her other less gaffe-filled journalism portfolio instead. Take a listen here.

Greenslade: Hail City University’s student bloggers

Posted by Dave Lee on 27 March 2008 at 09:23
Tags: Courses, Online, Student Journalism, facebook

Guardian media commentator Roy Greenslade has been highlighting the fantastic efforts of City University’s student bloggers.

Among the posts, Matt Bolton’s interesting look into the Evening Standard’s coverage of the mayoral election raises some good points. Such a well written piece deserves plenty of publicity, so I hope readers of this blog will go and have a look at what Matt has to say.

The world of social-networking can be a bit creepy, reveals Kaya Burgess, who set up a fake Facebook account featuring an attractive female character he’d invented. A simple idea finely executed, Kaya’s article on the project reveals alot about the advancements of young men online.

Be sure to check out all the blogs Roy mentions in his post. If your’e not a blogging student already, it might just provide some inspiration.

What we REALLY think about the UK’s newspapers

Posted by Dave Lee on 25 March 2008 at 19:24
Tags: Newspapers, Online, facebook

British editors:Want to know what students really think of your newspaper?

Take at look at these gems, plucked from the Facebook-o-sphere. You may remember Axe Grinder’s look at the reputations of journalists on Facebook — we all hate Piers Morgan, apparently — a while ago, but let’s take a look at the newspapers themselves.

If you’re a tabloid editor, look away now.

“The Daily Mail really are a bunch of f****** t****” has, at the last count, 7,268 members. That’s some serious hate right there. I looked for a positive Daily Mail group, but the friendliest I could find was this: If I see someone reading the Daily Mail, I assume they’re a bit thick.

Right up there with the Daily Mail is The Sun who, with the group “I f****** hate The Sun newspaper”, achieves an impressive member tally of 5,882. Not bad. I wonder if such a group would be allowed to exist if ol’ Rupert ever gets his hands on the social-networking giant.

As you would probably expect, the Daily Express has taken a bit of a Facebook-hammering since its recent apology of the McCanns. Plenty of groups about that. In the interest of balance, how about this group: “I read the Daily Express and I’m proud of it!” 17 members. Ah well, it’s the taking part that counts.

On to the broadsheets. The Guardian seems to be free from too much vitriol, but one plucky chap named Chris addresses one of the problems all Guardian readers have with his group: “I read the Guardian/Observer and am not a snob.”

Just time for one more: the Daily Telegraph.

Our friends down under don’t seem to like their Daily Telegraph, but the English one survives well intact. In fact, 556 people have joined the group “Daily Telegraph readers”. Bravo.

1 comment

Student journalists want what’s best for this industry, so use us!

Posted by Dave Lee on 21 March 2008 at 10:36
Tags: Student Journalism

I had an intriguing chat with a leading news reporter for the Lincolnshire Echo on Wednesday. She asked what I wanted to do with my career, and I announced, slightly embarrassed, that I wanted to be sent to some grotty horrible corner of the world to report on human suffering.

What a weird wish!

Yet, to my surprise and, ultimately, my delight, this reporter shared the very same dream. Not because we revel in human pain or discomfort, but because we both viewed this sort of journalism as the most noble form of what we do.

Yesterday, I conducted a quick poll. A quick poll consisting of one journalism-studying friend. She agreed: If the editor of her favourite news outlet (be it a newspaper, TV station or whatever) asked her to fly to, for the sake of example, Iraq, she would. Straight away, without hesistation.

How many of us would do this? So far I’ve asked two people, and both have said yes. And, if you include myself, that’s three out of three. 100%. Help me expand on this figure.

In an era of ‘churnalism’ dictating the news agenda – allegedly – is it the fault of the new breed of journalists that reporting is in such a bad state? Or are we just not given the wings to do what we dream?

It’s five years since we invaded Iraq. You already knew that. But have you seen this coverage from the New York Times? Proof, if proof were needed, that online journalism has incredible power to really tell a story — if done right. Sure, TV can provide pictures. Radio can give audio. Print can provide words and images.

Which medium can use all of those? Online. But that’s besides the point.

What I really want to stress is our challenge to the journalism industry:

Use us. We’re more than willing.

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