Sustainable Journalism

Aren’t friends great? Aren’t friends especially great when they pull you up on things? And aren’t friends really great when they make you feel bad because they are so well read. And aren’t friends just downright splendid when they also happen to be on your course.

I just don’t know what I do with my time but I certainly don’t seem to be stretching it as far as some people I know. Usually this doesn’t bother me but at times I do let myself slip into a mild state of panic – only mild though so don’t you worry. I say all this as I haven’t in all honesty picked up a newspaper in a good few weeks, not the best seeing as I’m doing a Journalism course. I’ve been too bloody busy, as I had anticipated, trying to nurture my bloody Twitter and this fricking blog, but I have, I suppose, been getting my news online.

Yet sometimes this just isn’t as thorough as battling your way through the paper, and had I done so I wouldn’t have missed out on the few stories that I have been sent links to in the last couple of days. Stories which bear some direct relevance to my actions of the last few weeks. And seemingly to someone else’s amusement!

Remember me being partially brainwashed by some activists that I blogged about on Monday? Well if I’d read the Guardian that very same day I would perhaps have refrained from posting it. Apparently Big Brother (it feels as Orwellian as this when you read it) sorry i mean the Police, have been covertly monitoring and gathering data on law-abiding protesters.  Or as they have now dubbed them/us (do I include myself in this?) ‘domestic extremists’.  So shot myself in the foot with that one, my card has potentially been marked.

Secondly, my friend Julia, who clearly has her head in the papers more frequently than I, has sent me a lovely little piece about Moleskine notebooks. Now, I have recently purchased two of these dinky little things as they’re a nice pocket sized way to try and bring some order to the chaos that is my life. Apparently though, according to Rosie Millard in the Times, it just demonstrates how utterly middle class and white I am. Does it still stand as I got them for about half the price on amazon?

Moleskine notebooks

Much like almost everything else that white people like, these notebooks provide no additional functionality over regular equivalents that cost almost nothing. Thankfully, since white people keep only their most original and creative ideas in the Moleskine, many of them will be required to purchase only one per lifetime.

Since all white people consider themselves to be “creative”, they are constantly in need of products and accessories that will allow them to capture their thoughts. One of the more popular products in recent years has been the Moleskine notebook.

This particular type of notebook is very expensive and was quite popular with writers and artists in the olden days. Needless to say, these are two properties that are highly coveted in the white community. In fact, it’s a good rule of thumb to know that white people like anything that old writers and artists liked: typewriters, journals, suicide and trains are just a few examples.

The only problem is she is bang on. Tragically I’ve been putting off writing in them so as not to tarnish their beauty, and the OCD has kicked in that I must only write in them with my blue ballpoint Parker pen.

I need to get out more. And educate myself with the newspaper.

And not open links in emails from my friends.

I found myself in an unusual dilemma this weekend. I’ve been interested in environmental issues since my undergraduate degree in Architecture, and my projects were usually geared around sustainable technology and the like to satisfy this interest. I’m no treehugger however, I admit I do sometimes drive when I could probably walk, I shop at Tesco’s, I eat meat, I could try harder to recycle. I do however have a conscience and I believe that our general attitude towards the future (I do not exclude myself from this) needs to change so that we really don’t mess up the planet big time.

Well whats this got to do with journalism you are probably asking? My patch this year is covering environmental, climate change, transport and energy issues in South Wales, and being a bit keen this weekend I spent a fair bit of time with some activists from Climate Camp Cymru. There were some hardened campaigners, the like of whom I would more likely expect to come across every year at Glastonbury rather than Cardiff City centre. Think piercings and Doc Martens and dreadlocks. I rocked up in a leather jacket, which was perhaps a bit of a mistake.

However, we have a common interest and I want to figure out what environmental issues there are in South Wales, get under their skin, and in all honesty see if I can get some good stories from them. I was pretty candid with my intentions from the off, so as not to avoid any confusion, and I’m glad to say I was welcomed with open arms. I followed them on their protest as they went into banks and businesses armed with mops and feather dusters to give them an ethical cleanse; Climate Camp Cymru believe that they are directly funding open cast mining just outside Merthyr Tydfil. I followed them around, chatting to some of the protesters, but looking a bit odd and out-of-place. I didn’t really know what I should do.

As an aspiring broadcast journalist I am aware that I need to remain unbiased; is wielding a placard above my head with the slogan ‘Clean Coal: Dirty Joke’ daubed on it remaining neutral? I thought not. But it made me question, where do you draw the line. It was the weekend, and I wanted to go and see what they were doing and I do support their plight. We’ve been told that when we are going to do an interview with someone we need to leave our own opinions at home, but in this case I didn’t really know where I stood.

The line blurred itself even more the next day. I went along to some workshops that they held on how they would organise themselves in future protests, and how they would get publicity and deal with the media. And again I fessed up and I hope we bandied some ideas around which were mutually beneficial – I told them from my very limited experience what types of questions a journalist might ask and I got to see how a pressure group organised itself and some insider gossip on what actions they had planned in the run up to the Copenhagen summit. I felt a little of a Judas though. There was talk of trespass, getting arrested, scaling buildings, all pretty hardcore stuff. I don’t think I can commit to that. I just want to report it, however much the anarchy sounded exciting.

And that got me thinking, are broadcast journalists natural-born fence sitters, or should we be. Or let me rephrase that… can you be a broadcast journalist if you have an axe to grind? Surely if you did you’d be a rowdy print journalist wouldn’t you?

Usually Radio 5 live in the morning ends for me at 9 – the phone in subjects don’t normally warrant making me late. However yesterday was different, as listeners could have their say on the BNP’s forthcoming appearance on Question Time.  I don’t think there has ever been as much anticipation for the BBC’s flagship political programme as this, well not in my adult lifetime anyway. And its developing by the hour with opinion very much divided. The main dissenter is Welsh Secretary Peter Hain who’s latest move has been to lodge his objections to the BBC trust to try and convince them against letting Nick Griffin on the programme. Hain fears giving the BNP such a platform will award them political credibility if Griffin is allowed to appear on primetime television alongside the main parties.

All this on the subtext of last weeks court case that the BNP had broken the race relations act in not allowing non-white members to join the party, which therefore made them ‘illegal’. Apparently they will be recruiting non white members – I don’t reckon they’ll be inundated with applications, do you? Here’s Peter Hain being interviewed on Newsnight by Jeremy Paxman.

The phone in itself was fairly compelling, and there were surprisingly very few callers who thought that it was wrong for the BNP to appear. Arguments for included the fact that as soon as Mr Griffin gets going it’ll become clear what his party stands for; he’s going to need to spin their ideology to within an inch of its life to avoid being verbally ripped to pieces by the audience. Also that if you try and silence fascism it will only come back stronger, as happened historically with the rise of the Nazi’s in Weimar Germany. But the most poignant of contributors was a black muslim caller from Coventry, who said that freedom of expression and tolerance to hear their viewpoint should pervade in this case. It’s about 20 mins in, all makes for an interesting listen.

Anyway you haven’t got long until it disappears forever, or until i learn how to record off iplayer! Yet this morning the plot thickens, the Guardian (them again) have got their hands on a supposed database of BNP members, which has yet to be authenticated. It has been leaked online to the site Wikileaks who say they’ll be publishing it tomorrow, with an apparent snapshot of how the BNP’s membership stood in April this year. Most surprising in this for me is that the East Midlands seems to have the highest concentration of party members. All but my home county of Nottinghamshire appear in the top four including Derbyshire, Lincolnshire and Leicestershire. How have people become so disillusioned in the midlands?

Also today a number of former Army chiefs have denounced ‘extremist groups’ who hi-jack the success of the British military for their campaigns. ‘Stolen Valour’ have not named the BNP outright, but its obvious who they are targeting.  So if its downright campaigning for them not to appear, or undermining them before they do, there are plenty of attempts at derailment. The BBC are being extra cautious in terms of security for thursday night’s broadcast and are carrying out extra checks on the live audience before they arrive to ensure that protesters do not sabotage the recording, that itself taking place within the confines of television centre for the first time in 4 years.

I’d have to agree with Jon Snow though; if they have been elected democratically then it’s a broadcaster’s responsibility to report on it demonstrating impartiality and fairness. Nick Griffin may gloss over and give well rehearsed answers, but the majority of the room will be against him including the rest of the panel, so it’d be a miracle if he comes out of it on top. And moreover I think it’d be more damaging if it doesn’t go ahead, the sooner we face the BNP head on, the sooner they will crumble.

Its been twice in the space of a week that we have seen the ever powerful force that twitter commands to create a media storm. It might now be a good time to admit that I’ve spotted the humble pie and I’m not that adverse to a slice, in response to my previous misgivings. Jan Moir’s disgustingly insensitive and homophobic article in the Daily Mail being the more recent example, was first attacked using said social networking site. On this I will not dwell too much, Charlie Booker’s done a stellar job already, and I urge you to take a little bit of time to pay attention to the hint at the very end of his piece. It doesn’t take long. And he’s right, I’m sure the Daily Mail would love the attention.

Anyway, the occasion with which I am referring to is the super-injunction that lawyers Carter Ruck (acting on behalf of their client, British Oil giant Trafigura) tried to impose upon the Guardian at the start of the week. Until Tuesday I was blissfully unaware of this story at all, so if you’re as ignorant as me here’s a quick rundown. I had tried to explain this weeks furore in my own words in a previous edit of this post, but it made it almost 800 words long and I don’t trust my own ability to hold anyone’s attention for that long. Therefore I’ll bat you back over to the Guardian and Robert Booth’s ever so eloquent version of events instead.

So back to my consumption of that ever so small slice of humble pie. This whole debacle has demonstrated the power of collective wisdom and citizen journalism at work. Twitter was able to overthrow the courts, as on Thursday Carter Ruck backed down and the Guardian was free to print as it pleased. The Internet has completely bypassed the legal system, and this time has proved extremely powerful for the right reasons. Freedom of Speech in Parliament has been restored, but does it jeopardise the legal system at large? The answer is plainly yes.

When the Baby P scandal unearthed itself last year the court rightly placed an injunction on the media, preventing them from revealing the identities of those accused so as not to jeopardise the trial.  However, anyone can say anything they like on the internet, and if you so wanted you could find their names using a search engine and a few clicks of a mouse. In the old days all you had to do was silence print, radio and tv and such a media blackout would be more than capable of protecting those involved. This included witnesses and ensuring the jury could not be influenced by what they read in the paper or saw on the news. Now the almost omnipresent force of the internet can expose the details of practically anything, as it can be done anonymously and spread like wildfire.

What I am trying to say is, hoorah for twitter for unearthing the corrupt actions of massive corporations, and vilifying those trusted in the public eye for publishing extreme discriminatory views. But booooo for its potential to undermine the judicial system generally. With a lack of regulation, the Carter Ruck vs The Guardian case only demonstrates the futility of trying to keep sensitive information under wraps, and it poses rather wider questions on the inherent weakness that the entire legal system has against the internet.

Okay so after my severe attack of internet cynicism last night I’m pleased to say that after a bit of real interpersonal social activity I am today feeling a little more embracing of technology. That’s not just because I had a good laugh with an old friend last night down the pub, but I’ve been inspired in part by some of the 17 declarations in this manifesto, and some points made in Alison Gows reaction to it.

Yes, the use of the internet and digital media should excite todays journalist and we should not fear the unknown, it is a useful mechanism in which to discuss, debate and research. Whether, as suggested in point 3 of the manifesto that “They [social networks] are as accessible as the telephone or television” I might contest; plonking yourself in front of the TV as a window into the world is a much more passive activity than getting the kit to physically get yourself onto the internet. We certainly take this privilege for granted in the western world. However you could never deny the innumerable possibilities that the internet has given iin terms of contacting, producing and sharing information.

Alison Gow’s critique of the manifesto helps to contextualise to the modern newsroom, in terms of how new multimedia platforms should play an intrinsic part in todays newsgathering and distribution. A reluctance to get on board now will in the end prove futile. You have to keep moving forward. This I agree with, but in a world of 24 hour news channels and ever expanding platforms will the quality of the journalism suffer? I know its important to be a ‘jack of all trades’ but I fear that spreading yourself too thin may dilute the quality of the output. It’s a tough call, especially as money in the industry is tight, but each specialism should be given its own space to breathe with resources shared, rather than creating android journalists who are expected to do a lot more in much less time.

As I’m immersing myself into my Broadcast course I find that I am beginning to drown in accounts for this that and the other. My email accounts have increased fourfold; from my trusty hotmail account one month ago to now having a google, yahoo, and university accounts to contend with. Annoyingly this is so that I can participate with the portfolio of social networks I now need to somehow infiltrate. Alongside that old friend facebook there is now twitter, a googlegroup, flickr and this blog to manage. Oh and how can I forget myspace which I attempted in late 2006 but has been defunct since summer 2007.

Cardiff Student media ambush the phonics

In blagging terms this time I have really outshone myself. As soon as I got a whiff that my new course mate Julia was struggling to sort an interview with the Welsh band I have loved since my heady teenage years, I thought it necessary to lend a hand. A call to London here, an email there, and somehow we find ourselves being ushered into a rather resplendent looking Cardiff Castle with a cohort of South Wales’ media organisations, awaiting Kelly and the boys to take their seats in front of us.

Exactly two weeks into the course, sat in a Press Conference with the big boys; ITV Wales, Red Dragon, the pressure is on to impress the room with some probing questions. Tomorrow the band will be recreating their infamous 1998 gig in the Castle grounds. Julia is fine, she’s done her research, almost to a stalkers standard. I am winging it, the basis of my knowledge being merely the fact the Stereophonics were my first love when I was 16, and listened to their first three albums religiously. So when it comes to my turn what pertinent question do I decide to ask? I nervously nab one off Julia’s sheet and say “What would go in a stereophonics cocktail?” Rock bands don’t drink cocktails! I’m done for.

Luckily for me, they list their liquor and my face is saved, by giving the odd anecdote about drinking alot and mixing spirits together, all that Rock ‘n’ Roll business.

My peers around me, maybe one day my colleagues (although this seems far off at this point), must be thinking ‘this guy from Cardiff Student Media is a complete loser’. That’s exactly what I’m thinking. With the press conference over, and feeling a little bruised, we get word that if we hang about for ITV to do their telly stuff there might be a bit of time for us to interview the band on our own. What a coup! Hopefully redemption is within my grasp.

All of a sudden it feels like Julia and I are T4 presenters; now this is weird and scary, but really exhilarating.

Kelly, Richard, Javier and Adam explain their way through favourite welsh beaches, how the set list will pan out tomorrow and possible festival ideas for next year perhaps including Glastonbury’s 40th anniversary. But moreover they come across as more down to earth than I could have ever imagined. The nerves have vanished. It is evident they all get along because they have a laugh together and that’s why they are still hungry to keep going after all these years.

What have I learnt from this experience? Well, that old maxim knowledge is power springs to mind i.e. er prepare some questions next time. But also, not to be scared – I was bricking it when we first arrived, but underneath the Rock Band glean the Stereophonics are just people, very talented ones but human all the same. Its instilled in me some confidence for when the next time comes, although its most likely not to beat this.

The best part is not only are the ‘Phonics excited about the new album and their homecoming gig in the Castle grounds tomorrow, but I am too – with Julia’s help I’ve bagged tickets for that as well!

So I have finally plucked up the courage to begin blogging. After spending the last few months talking myself in and out of it, today is the day I decided to eternally bind myself to a keyboard. And as I haphazardly touch type my way through this post (no more two finger typing now I aspire to be a proper journalist), I am hoping that it will all be worth it.

Well okay, I’ll fess up, we were pushed into it for our Online Journalism module, but sometimes I need a proverbial kick up the backside to turn intention to reality! And in all honesty, I’m quite surprised I’m not the only one on my Broadcast Journalism Postgrad who hasn’t yet got a blog on the go.

So where will my focus lie? I suppose it’s just a forum for me to chart the highs and lows of my first few steps into the profession, and seamlessly linking in thoughts from lectures concerning the strident technological advances that continually chase todays journalist.

There are a few people I’ve spoken to with  similar attitudes and anxieties to the world of online blogging. Is it self indulgent? Will anyone read it? Do I want to lay down my thoughts to the  scrutiny of others? Or even am I worthy to do so? As long as I have something interesting to point out, or even discuss, then hopefully I won’t go too wrong. Who knows I may even learn something. Hopefully in a couple of months the answers to all of the above will be an unequivocal yes, right now I’m still a tad undecided…