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Celebrity Mastermind
Specialist subject: Laura Ingalls Wilder
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Category Archives: journalism
Don’t be cynical about news, by a cynical news hack
Last night I went on Newsnight to debate whether news is bad for us and what would make it better with Alain de Botton and ex hack turned spin doctor now writer, Alastair Campbell. You can watch the discussion … Continue reading
Posted in Crime and Justice, journalism, Media, Religion, TV, Uncategorized
Tagged Alain De Botton, alastair campbell, BBC, fred goodwin, news, newsnight, NHS, staffordshire hospital
25 Comments
Kingston University Class Notes: Spin, Politics and PR
These are links to some of the stories I discussed in today’s classes. You’ll also find the VT on the Action Aid/South Africa Corrective Rape story on the Featured Videos page: Political reporting (James Morrison’s MA Class) This one I … Continue reading
Missing news: A tale of an NHS rally, zombies and security guards
Should the BBC have given more attention and coverage to a mass protest rally over NHS changes outside Tory party Conference in Manchester on Sept 29th last weekend that attracted over 50,000 marchers? The rally, organised by unions, was mentioned. But like other … Continue reading
Posted in journalism, Media, Politics, TV, Uncategorized
Tagged BBC, Conservatives, journalism, Manchester, media, Newswatch, NHS, politics, zombies
72 Comments
Why you need to look at Acid Survivors
I’m doing the Radio 4 Appeal this weekend for the Acid Survivors’ Trust. It’s the only organisation dedicated to ending acid violence and is focussed on helping women and girls who’ve been attacked. The chances are you already know about acid violence. … Continue reading
Posted in Crime and Justice, Education, journalism, Media, Radio, Religion, Uncategorized
Tagged Acid Survivors Trust, Acid violence, Bangladesh, Cambodia, feminism, Pakistan
10 Comments
Why Be A Journalist?
I spent a curious, but lively morning at News International today. The organisation hosted a one day conference for many state school students on behalf of the Young Journalists’ Academy, encouraging them to consider entering the trade. I was asked … Continue reading
Posted in journalism, Media, Uncategorized
Tagged Ally Ross, Guto Harri, journalism, media, News International, politics, The Sun
17 Comments
Lessons from Italy’s Mafia Republic
Every weekend when I was 10 years old, I had to write an English composition for homework. It was 1978 and drawing on the daily news on my TV screen for source material I wrote one imagining I was the … Continue reading
Posted in Books, Crime and Justice, History, journalism, Politics, Uncategorized
Tagged cosa nostra, Giovanni Falcone, Italy, John Dickie, Mafia, Mafia Republic, Naples, ndrangheta, Paulo Borsellino
23 Comments
But it’s news… Some questions about Woolwich coverage
I’ll be discussing questions about BBC TV’s news coverage of the horrific Woolwich street murder of a young soldier on Newswatch with the head of the BBC Newsroom, Mary Hockaday on Friday May 24th. This blog post lays out some … Continue reading
Posted in Crime and Justice, journalism, Media, TV, Uncategorized
Tagged BBC, crime, journalism, media, terrorism, Virginia Tech
47 Comments
This England
I often talk to journalism students about the under-appreciated joys of great news in brief writing. So I wanted to share this one, that I ripped from the bottom right hand corner of a page of Friday’s London Metro newspaper. … Continue reading
Posted in journalism
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Hacks on Film: Essential viewing and reading
This is an updated version of an article I first wrote for The Spectator blog, that formed the basis of a lecture to journalism students at Kingston University in October. It has links to scripts, films and articles about all … Continue reading
Posted in Film, History, journalism, Media, Politics, TV, Uncategorized
Tagged conspiracy thriller, culture, film, Frank Capra, Jessica Savitch, journalism, newspapers, politics, Robert Redford, tv
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Troublesome slags: What Rochdale reveals about our attitudes to teenage girls
Heywood, Rochdale (Photo by Peter Byrne/PA) A provisional multi agency report into the scale of sexual abuse of young girls in Rochdale published today admitted there were issues about the legitimate sexual “consent” of 13 year old girls that the … Continue reading
Posted in Children, Crime and Justice, journalism, Uncategorized
Tagged crime, culture, feminism, media, Rochdale, tv
2 Comments