Throughout my time at the University of Winchester, I have been very fortunate to be afforded the opportunity to undertake a great deal of practical journalism. I have covered news, sports and features, and served as Sports Editor for WINOL.co.uk for one semester.
The following is my showreel, compiled of a variety of clips of my work from my time here, and including some great quotes from industry professionals about the course that I have attended.
Enjoy!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPs18ZbQX5I
Sheard's Winchester Journalism - The Blog
Wednesday 21 May 2014
Sunday 11 May 2014
Cancer changed my life... For the better - Confessional Interview
In December 2012, Sadiah Aalam was
diagnosed with breast cancer. It came as a shock to herself and her family, but
the disease turned out to be a blessing in disguise.
Before I was diagnosed I was rushed off
my feet. Between a full-time job, a family, choir practices, bible studies and
church services, my week was always fully booked. The only day I had to myself
was Saturday, and even that was jam-packed with grocery shopping and household
chores. I had almost no time to myself. With all this going on anyone would
feel tired, but the cancer in my body, at this point still undiagnosed, was
draining me even further. I was trying to keep up with everything I had to do,
but my body wasn’t cooperating any more.
As a Christian, my faith is a huge part
of my life, and so I didn’t want to sacrifice any of my many commitments to the
church. My whole life was based around my faith. I was involved in leading bible
studies, I attended church meetings and I even preached at the services,
sometimes three times a week. All this was adding to my exhaustion, but I was
not prepared to give it up. Instead, growing tired of the rat race, I began to
negotiate a four day week, to give me a little more time, as I could no longer
manage any more than that. I was growing weak, but I had no idea it was the
cancer.
A few weeks before I was diagnosed, I
had two different dreams that I was going to suffer with cancer. When the
diagnosis came, in December 2012, it came as both a shock and a confirmation of
what I had dreamt. This was no longer a dream, I had breast cancer.
Like most people, I had never in a
million years thought that I would go through something like this. You never
think it’s going to be you. It made me feel as though the rug had been pulled
from under my feet, and I was scared. But before long the cancer turned out to
be a blessing in disguise. Once I was diagnosed a lot of things fell into
place. I understood why I was so tired and because I had a reason for it
I stopped trying to keep on top of everything. I took long term sickness
leave from work and pretty much stopped doing everything else. I had
obviously needed a break from my hectic life, but without the cancer I might
not have taken one.
Dealing with cancer was still a struggle of course.
Once the treatment began I was bedridden for the best part of 18 months. I was
too ill to get out of bed most days, even if I had wanted to. I went through
six cycles of chemotherapy, and reacted badly to some of the drugs used,
leaving me hospitalised for the entire treatment. I then went through
radiotherapy, as well as four different surgeries, before doctors could give me
the all clear. It was a long and extensive course of treatment, and it took its
toll on me physically.
While my physical health was at its
lowest ebb, emotionally and spiritually I suffered much less. My faith was
still incredibly strong, but at times I felt confused. I was praying for
supernatural healing, praying that I wouldn’t have to undergo extensive
treatment, but things didn’t work out that way. Despite this, my faith stayed
strong, and if anything it was made stronger by my illness. I
understood that whatever was happening to me was not because God was unaware of
it but rather it was something that God was permitting to happen, and the
knowledge that God knew what I was going through really uplifted me. It helped
that I could see how the illness had helped me, by forcing me to rest and take
a break from the stresses of everyday life.
I don’t think that I would have been able to see
the positive side of my illness without God. I know for a fact that I would not
have come out of this relatively unscathed if I did not have my faith. I
often wondered when I was in hospital how people who did not know God got
through times like this. I know that people who don't have a faith also
go through the same trials as someone who does have a faith in God. They
also fall ill and get healed, but I found that for me knowing God meant that I
had come face to face with death, without fear.
During this time I was worse physically than I was
emotionally or spiritually. Emotionally I felt fine, in fact I was able to give
emotional support to my mum because she had really gone to pieces after my
diagnosis. I also was very strong in my spirit. I knew God was with
me and that was what got me through.
I’ve now been given the all clear, and I
feel fine. I feel contented and full of peace. I am still suffering
from some side effects of the drugs that I was given and I struggle with
concentration and sometimes with fatigue, but that is just a phase, it will
pass too.
The illness has made me appreciate life more.
Probably for the first time in my adult life I have stopped to look
around and appreciate everything that is around me. I noticed that this
year there are a lot more flowers in bloom, but then I realised that before
this I have never really had time to appreciate the flowers. They had
probably always been like this but this year is the first time ever I have time
to myself to appreciate them and everything else around me. I have also
become more relaxed about things like keeping the house really, really clean,
and making sure that there is not a speck of dust anywhere. Somehow these
things don't seem that important anymore. I seem to be grateful for my
children being there to make a mess, so in a way I am grateful for the mess. I
have come to appreciate my family and friends even more than I did before. I
have a deeper appreciation of life but from very different angles. The
things that seemed so important before don't seem so important now.
My illness has also made my faith stronger. I could
see God at work throughout my illness in everything from my healing to my
finances. God has really made his presence known to me in this time.
I have become much more aware of the way that he has been at work in my
life and in the lives of others around me during my time of illness. I would
not have got through this without my faith.
The whole ordeal has really opened my eyes. Before
the cancer I was far too busy to appreciate the most important things in life,
but now I feel I have time to enjoy how wonderful my life truly is. Going
through the physical trauma of this disease has really strengthened me
emotionally and spiritually, I am a happier and more relaxed person than I was
before, and my prayers have been answered. I prayed for healing, but somehow
God has worked in me at a much deeper level than just physical healing.
He has healed me in many other ways. I trust God even more than I did
before now. My faith in him is stronger and deeper.
I feel truly blessed. Rather than taking it away,
cancer has given me the gift of time.
Innovation: Magazine journalism assignment
The
magazine industry is under threat.
Increasingly,
the internet is playing host to content that was once the exclusive territory
of the printed media, and with internet access seemingly ubiquitous, print is
becoming a redundant format. The question of how to combat this terminal
decline is the most important issue currently facing those in the industry. For
magazine editors, it is a case of adapt or die.
Successful
innovation is crucial to the long term viability of printed titles; however,
not all innovation is necessarily good. “Innovation’s important, but not
panic-stricken innovation for the sake of it” claims Q Editor Matt Mason, “the worst thing a printed publication can do
is try to take on online outlets head on.” Instead, it seems the most
successful approach for magazines is to embrace the internet, and develop a
strong online presence to complement the publication; “The magazine has to play to its strengths and use
the website and tablet edition to expand”. Altering the format of a successful
publication is not necessary, but engaging in the online world and expanding
through this is crucial to continued success.
Online editions offer printed publications a number
of options that would be unavailable in the original format. For monthly
magazines such as Q, who print two
weeks ahead of release, an issue has always been the inability to break news,
and attempting to create content that is still relevant when it arrives on
shelves. Creating a strong companion website for their publication can allow
weekly and monthly magazines to compete in the arena of breaking news, an
important extra dimension for such publications.
An online edition can also play host to a more
diverse range of content than a printed magazine can, as well as a greater
volume of content. Video and audio can be created exclusively for the website,
and pieces which did not fit in the magazine can find a home on the website. If
the additional online content is directly linked to that of the magazine, it
encourages the audience to both purchase the magazine and explore the website.
This gives the publication a broader appeal, and can help to retain and
strengthen the audience between issues.
Q’s
Matt Mason also believes a strong online product is vital in expanding the
magazine’s readership. “Increasingly new readers, particularly at the younger
end of the scale, will come in via our digital products. So the next key thing
for me is to develop our website to ensure it's something music fans feel they
have to visit and return to every day.” Creating new, unique content on a daily
basis is a challenging task, but signals a shift in focus towards the digital
aspect of the publication. The digital editions are clearly the future of the
magazine industry, and are essential in retaining and developing the readership
of the magazine itself.
When Mason speaks of ‘digital products’, he is not
only referring to the website. The development of a mobile app and mobile edition
of the magazine is also crucial to expanding into the digital world. The growth
of tablet computers and internet enabled smart phones presents the magazine
industry with the opportunity to put their products into the hands of the
consumer at the click of a button. By creating a variety of digital products,
magazines can tailor their services to the lifestyles of the consumer, giving
them greater ease of access to the content.
In terms of digital expansion, the magazine
industry still seems to be lagging behind compared to most news providers, with
The Sun a particularly strong example of digital development of the print media.
While The Sun still produces a daily newspaper, it
has also developed a successful website and app, with all the content of the
paper itself, as well as vast swathes of additional video, audio and written
content. This allows The Sun to report on breaking news immediately, and
supplement stories with additional content, giving the reader a multimedia
experience. The Sun has also demonstrated that digital expansion can provide an
extra stream of revenue. For magazines, physical sales represent an important
source of income, and so to make the same content available for free online
would be disastrous. The Sun charges a subscription fee for access to the
digital formats, meaning that they still earn directly from their content being
viewed.
This model is an innovative, ideal way for the
magazine industry to move forward. By creating exclusive digital content that
supplements that of the physical magazine, print titles can garner new readers,
whilst offering a broader range of content to their existing readership. This
is the direction in which Q are
looking to head; “We’re working hard to expand and improve the website and it's
important that we use the tablet edition to provide additional unique content”
explains Matt Mason.
Along with creating digital content, it is also
increasingly important that magazines engage in the digital world through the
use of social media. Websites such as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram provide a
platform for titles to promote not just the publication as a whole, but
individual articles and pieces of content. Social media is playing an
increasingly crucial role in advertising magazines, as they can be used to
spark interest in specific items. Used successfully, this can cause a piece to
‘go viral’, gaining great exposure for the publication and bringing the title
to the attention of a huge audience.
Whilst digital development is clearly an incredibly
important innovation in the field of magazine journalism, there are other
methods of expansion being explored. Matt Mason emphasised the importance of
intelligent marketing. “Few titles can afford TV advertising these days but
there's still plenty you can do to remind the world that you're there. Our
shoots and interviews are so good that the national papers will pick them up
and run fully credited excerpts. Our festival partnerships underline how much
we love and identify great music.” Newspapers running credited segments from a
magazine give greater exposure to that title, especially with most newspapers
already having a strong digital presence. Q’s
festival partnerships give them exposure specifically to their target audience,
and this is also a method utilised by NME
magazine, who sponsor a stage at the Reading and Leeds festivals. For
specialist magazines such as these, such direct marketing is an ideal way to
promote their product, and in the digital age, it is easier than ever.
Clearly, all print publications must be looking to
digital development as a means of moving forward and expanding. While
innovation in this field can be of great importance for any title looking to
develop, it is also crucial that the magazine continues to produce the high
quality product for which it is known. As Matt Mason says; “We can't break news like a website can. We can't stream music or play
videos like a website can. We can do what we've always done better than anyone
else though: brilliant, considered long-form feature writing;
stunning photoshoots; authoritative, witty reviews; and provocative,
agenda-setting opinion”. While their foray into the digital world will
allow Q to break news, stream music
and play videos, that is no reason to abandon the pillars that have helped make
the magazine one of the best known music magazines in the country. Any
publication with a strong reputation must, therefore, look to progress, but not
at the expense of the original article, which built their reputation and
readership in the first place.
The future of these print titles relies upon a
combination of intelligent, innovative digital expansion; targeted marketing
strategies; and maintaining a high quality, reputable product. Those that
manage this balancing act successfully will thrive in the increasingly
internet-dominated media market.
Editor Interview: Q's Matt Mason
Matt
Mason is a busy man. By his own account he is “snowed under with work”, and it’s
hardly surprising. As Senior Editor of the UK’s biggest music monthly, there is
plenty to do.
Every
month Q hits shelves and doorsteps
packed with news, reviews and features, and making sure that this content is of
the highest possible quality is an incredibly important task for Mason. “Like
every title, we’re having to deal with a general decline in magazine sales. So
we have to ensure our product is consistently strong and compelling” he
explains.
But Mason wants more than to simply maintain Q’s own high standards. “The aim is to
keep our loyal core readership happy and bring in new readers. Increasingly those
new readers, particularly at the younger end of the scale, will come in via our
digital products. So the next key thing for me is to develop our website to
ensure it's something music fans feel they have to visit and return to every
day. I think a lot of that will come through turning the magazine's access to
music and artists into unique, compelling online content.”
Mason’s position is clearly a demanding one.
Overseeing Q’s transition from a
print powerhouse to a multimedia publication, whilst retaining the high quality
journalism that has made Q such a
successful title, is no easy task. It is the job of a man at the top of his
field, and Matt Mason has worked hard to get here.
Mason took his first steps towards a career in
print when, on leaving university, he enrolled on a post-graduate course in
magazine journalism. Having studied
history and anthropology, he felt that this was a logical progression. “It was the research, writing and the study
of people that really fascinated me, so journalism seemed like the ideal way to
carry on doing those things and get paid” Mason explains. Despite the course
focusing on magazines, Mason found himself heading in a different direction. “I
wanted to be a feature writer but the most valuable thing it taught me was
subbing. Knowing how to sub makes you a better writer and when I was starting
out, there were more subs’ jobs advertised than writers' jobs.” After taking a
role as a TV listings sub for the Press Association, Mason moved into
magazines, working as a staff sub/writer. It was a valuable experience for him,
and one which he believes had a significant influence on his career. “I
definitely wouldn’t have got to where I am today without learning to sub.”
As well as crediting his sub editing education with
helping him to progress, Mason also believes his career has been shaped by a
fair amount of good fortune. “There's been a lot of luck, lots of being in the
right place at the right time. You do make your own luck though.” Out of eight
magazines and newspapers for which Mason has worked, he claims he only applied
and interviewed for three. The rest of those jobs he got “because someone I’d
previously worked with recommended me or someone there had seen my work and
approached me.” This, he says, is one of the great things about being a
journalist. “Your work is out there, bylined, for everyone to see – so you can
quickly build up a reputation.”
This comes with its own pressures, however: “Every
single thing you write has got to be as good as you can possibly make it
because it could be the key to your next job opportunity. I got offered some
shifts as a football reporter at the Daily Mail because the sports editor had
read something I'd written as a staff writer for Total Sport magazine. He heard
later that day that the magazine was closing, so he gave me a call. It was
fortunate that he'd read the mag when he did, but I'd also worked harder on
that feature than I had on anything I’d ever written, so I helped make my own
luck.” Not that such events always turned out to be a success: “As it turned
out, I was terrible at tabloid football reporting so I don't think the Mail
would consider it a particularly lucky event.”
His spell at the Mail aside, Mason has enjoyed
success in both sport and music journalism. He believes the key is a genuine
interest in the subject matter. “Music and football have always been two of my
biggest passions so it's always felt like a privilege to write about them –
that's why I've pursued those two areas. It’s wise to write about what you know.”
With his passion for music undimmed, Matt Mason has
worked his way to the top of music journalism, with Q one of the most popular and respected music publications in the
country. He believes there are two reasons why the magazine continues to be so
successful. “I think Q really stands out in the music market for its access and
variety. No-one gets the time with – and insight into the lives of – rock and
pop stars that we do. We’re also broader than everyone else, covering the whole
waterfront of music.”
Mason describes Q’s
broad scope of coverage as “a double-edged sword.” “You appeal to a wider base
of readers but it's hard to make them all feel that everything in the mag is
worth their attention.” Mason’s solution is “to make sure our writing and
photography is of such a high-standard that the reader knows that Q’s take on a
band or artist will entertain them – even if they aren’t particularly
interested in that act.” This, he feels, is one of the key strengths of the
magazine. “I think Q’s very good at telling the stories behind the music. I
want every reader to feel that if Q’s covered something, it's got to be worth
reading.”
While Q
is a well respected, successful magazine, Mason acknowledges that there are
challenges facing the publication, especially in an increasingly digital world.
“Music fans get so much online content for free that Q has to be really special
to justify £3.99 of someone's money every month. We can't break news like a
website can. We can't stream music or play videos like a website can.” With the
ever growing number of online publications and blogs, Mason is aware of the
need to adapt.
“The worst thing a printed publication can do is
try to take on online outlets head on. The magazine has to play to its
strengths and use the website and tablet edition to expand.”
Expanding the online element of Q is important in overcoming the
challenges facing the publication, but Mason also believes that the magazine
must stick to the formula that has made it so successful. “What we can do is what we've always done
better than anyone else: brilliant, considered long-form feature writing;
stunning photoshoots; authoritative, witty reviews; and provocative,
agenda-setting opinion.”
With an increased digital and online presence,
paired with a continued dedication to top quality music journalism, Matt Mason
believes that Q is still a relevant
and important publication. The proof, it seems, is in the product. “Our shoots
and interviews are so good that the national papers will pick them up and run
fully credited excerpts. Our festival partnerships underline how much we love
and identify great music. We still feel like an essential part of the music
fan’s world.”
Saturday 12 April 2014
Copyright and Fair Dealing
Copyright is the element of law that protects the intellectual property of an individual or organisation. It is copyright that prevents anyone using another persons work for their own benefit without permission from the creator or rights holder. Copyright is an area of civil law, and anyone believing their rights have been breached can sue for damages.
Copyright covers such things as music, literature, film and photographs. Undeveloped ideas, short slogans and catchphrases are not protected.
Copyright is vitally important in journalism both in protecting the work of a journalist, and dictating what journalists can use in their own work.
Without copyright law, the journalism industry could not exist, as there would be no value to the work done, as anyone could recycle it. Equally, journalism must not encroach on others copyright, and must strive to be original.
The one exception to this is 'fair dealing'. Fair dealing allows the use of part of a protected work in the interests of reporting current events. Fair dealing does not have specific limitations, but it is accepted that only a small portion of the original article should be used, and should only be used in incidents of public interest. Fair dealing can also be used in the context of a review, using a section of the reviewed work to supplement the piece.
In all cases, anything that has been used under fair dealing must be properly attributed to the original source, and not passed off as original work. This does not apply to sport, where rights to footage is extremely expensive and cannot be used under fair dealing.
An interesting and complex area of copyright law is that of works of parody. Music, in particular, is often used without authorisation for the purposes of parodying the original work. In such circumstances, the rights of the owner are often infringed upon, but the material is changed. These situations have worked out in vastly different ways, with some such pieces of work being unaffected by the rights holder, while others have had to remove their parody pieces from publication due to claims against them.
A recent incident in this area of law happened in America. The law regarding parody is somewhat clearer in the USA, where parody is exempt from copyright law.
A store called 'Dumb Starbucks Coffee' was opened in California, which used the Starbucks logo and trade marks, as well as providing a near identical menu. The store did not sell their products, instead giving them away for free, and claimed on its website that it was a work of parody, so as to protect itself from the famously litigious coffee chain. Situations such as this highlight interesting areas of copyright law, and in which circumstances copyrighted material can be used.
Copyright covers such things as music, literature, film and photographs. Undeveloped ideas, short slogans and catchphrases are not protected.
Copyright is vitally important in journalism both in protecting the work of a journalist, and dictating what journalists can use in their own work.
Without copyright law, the journalism industry could not exist, as there would be no value to the work done, as anyone could recycle it. Equally, journalism must not encroach on others copyright, and must strive to be original.
The one exception to this is 'fair dealing'. Fair dealing allows the use of part of a protected work in the interests of reporting current events. Fair dealing does not have specific limitations, but it is accepted that only a small portion of the original article should be used, and should only be used in incidents of public interest. Fair dealing can also be used in the context of a review, using a section of the reviewed work to supplement the piece.
In all cases, anything that has been used under fair dealing must be properly attributed to the original source, and not passed off as original work. This does not apply to sport, where rights to footage is extremely expensive and cannot be used under fair dealing.
An interesting and complex area of copyright law is that of works of parody. Music, in particular, is often used without authorisation for the purposes of parodying the original work. In such circumstances, the rights of the owner are often infringed upon, but the material is changed. These situations have worked out in vastly different ways, with some such pieces of work being unaffected by the rights holder, while others have had to remove their parody pieces from publication due to claims against them.
A recent incident in this area of law happened in America. The law regarding parody is somewhat clearer in the USA, where parody is exempt from copyright law.
A store called 'Dumb Starbucks Coffee' was opened in California, which used the Starbucks logo and trade marks, as well as providing a near identical menu. The store did not sell their products, instead giving them away for free, and claimed on its website that it was a work of parody, so as to protect itself from the famously litigious coffee chain. Situations such as this highlight interesting areas of copyright law, and in which circumstances copyrighted material can be used.
Privilege, Qualified and Absolute.
Privilege is
the legal allowance for defamatory or untrue statements to be published, protecting
the publisher from any legal action.
There are
two types of privilege, Qualified and Absolute.
Absolute
privilege applies in court, and allows the events of a trial to be published,
provided the reports are fair, accurate and contemporaneous.
Qualified
privilege protects areas of public concern, such as meetings of public bodies.
This provision requires reporting to be fair, accurate and without malice.
The ‘without
malice’ element here is crucial. Privilege will not apply if the published
material contains any malice, and so it is important that any piece published
is balanced, to prevent unintended bias.
Privilege
only applies in certain circumstances within these events. For example,
privilege covers what is said within the events of a council meeting, but
anything said privately, either prior to or after the meeting, is not covered by
privilege, and therefore may not be publishable.
Where privilege does apply, and the guidelines are correctly followed, it is a great allowance for journalists to publish material they would not otherwise be able to, and report in detail on matters of importance.
Sunday 6 April 2014
Defamation
Defamation
is the area of law that protects individuals and organisations from having
their reputation damaged by another party. This is clearly a very dangerous
area for journalism, and one that requires great care navigating. Any statement
that is defamatory to an individual or organisation, and is broadcast to a
third party, is susceptible to a libel action.
For a libel action
to succeed, one of the following criteria must be satisfied:
A person is:
- exposed to
hatred, ridicule or contempt
- caused to
be shunned or avoided
- lowered in
the estimation of right-thinking members of society
- disparaged
in his or her business, trade, office or profession.
As
defamation is a civil matter, the burden of proof is lower (‘on the balance of
probabilities’). Therefore, the onus is not on the claimant to prove damage has
been suffered, rather the Defendant must demonstrate a successful defence. The main
libel defences are as follows:
- It is true
- It is the
honestly held opinion of the defendant
- The
information is in the public interest
- The
information is protected by privilege.
If the
defendant can prove one of the above, then the claim will not be successful.
In 2013, a
new defamation act was introduced, in order to tighten the law surrounding
libel. This act has brought about two major developments.
The first is
that, prior to suing, the defendant must prove that ‘serious harm’ has been
caused. This has been introduced in an attempt to protect freedom of speech and
expression, and prevent major corporations taking out lawsuits against small
organisations and individuals for minor slights.
The second
development is a stricter test for libel cases being heard in England and Wales
as to their link to this country, preventing ‘Libel tourism’. ‘Libel tourism’
refers to bringing actions under the stricter defamation laws of England and Wales,
despite the claim not originating within this jurisdiction.
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