Radioactive - The Final Cut

A female student from the University of Winchester was sexually assaulted last night as she walked home.  The incident took place between 10.30 and 11.30 pm on Stanmore Lane. Police are investigating the incident. Seb Miell, President of the Student Union for the University of Winchester urged students to stay safe as they walk home late at night.

Audio cut – Seb miell

In “incidents such as these…”

Out “…be safe and make sure you are walking in groups”

Length: 0:19

Police Officer David Rathband has been found dead in his home, in a suspected suicide. PC Rathband was shot and blinded by gunman Raoul Moat in one of this country’s biggest manhunts, and has been blind since.  He had been struggling to come to terms with his blindness and leaving the police force, and it is has been suggested this may have caused him to kill himself.

A murder suspect has been found hanged in his cell in a Manchester Prison.

Barry Morrow, aged 52, was awaiting trial for double murder, accused of killing his landlady and her mother last year.

This is the second high profile prisoner to be found dead at Manchester prison in recent weeks.

A post mortem is due to take place later.

Householders across the UK are being called to restrict water usage after one of the driest winters on record.

Drought is expected this summer after little rainfall through the winter months, and Hampshire residents will be affected. Southern Water have asked customers to conserve water, despite saying hosepipe bans are unlikely.

With the need to conserve water, the idea of timed showers has been suggested. I asked Winchester residents what their recommended shower length would be.

Audio Cut - VoxPops of Winchester Residents.

In: “you should only need about 5 minutes…”

Out: “…normally about 4 minutes.”

Length: 0:20

Above is the script, separate audio cuts, and then the final bulletin. Hope you enjoy it, feel free to let me know how I could improve if you've got any suggestions.

Radio, Live Transmission - Radio Assignment Week 2 Piece

Householders across the UK are being called to restrict water usage after one of the driest winters on record.
Drought is expected this summer after little rainfall through the winter months, and Hampshire residents will be affected. Southern Water have asked customers to conserve water, despite saying hosepipe bans are unlikely.
With a possibility of restricted shower times, we asked Winchester residents how long a shower should be.


Audio Cut - VoxPops of Winchester Residents.

These Voxpops will be added soon, as equipment was not available to conduct them this week.

Philosophical Idealism: Kant and Hegel

Kant, Hegel and Schopenhauer emerged from the German Idealist movement. This school of Philosophy was partly influenced by post-revolution French Romanticism, and partly a reaction to British Empiricism, which they despised, believing it had damaged Metaphysics as a worthwhile pursuit.

KANT

Wrote 'A Critique of Pure Reason', in which he discussed how humans acquire knowledge. He argued that knowledge comes both from logical reasoning and also ideas with no foundation in logic, but all knowledge comes from experience.
Logical knowledge comes in two forms - 'synthetic' and 'analytic'.
Synthetic knowledge is that which we only know to be true by experience, which can be stated without evidence other than experience. Analytic knowledge is that which is known to be true based on the concept of contradiction, for example "an equilateral triangle is a triangle" is true, as to say it was not true would be self-contradictory.
Kant then divided synthetic knowledge, into that which we know 'empirically', and that which we know 'a priori'.
Empirical knowledge is that which relies upon sensory data, whether our own or that of another. History, Geography and the laws of Science all are examples of such knowledge, as they have been experienced through senses and recorded. A priori knowledge however may be first understood through sensory perception, however need not be every time, knowledge which can be learnt through the senses but has a certainty which surpasses the need for assurance. Mathematics is an example, as 2 + 2 = 4 is true, regardless of whether there is a physical example of it.
Here we return, as we always seem to in HCJ, to issues of causality.
Kant accepted Hume's proof that the law of causality is not analytic, and as such its truth could not be guaranteed. Kant accepted it to be synthetic, but also believed it was a priori, and so set about trying to prove that something could be both synthetic and a priori. It took him 12 years, but he cracked it.
Basically, it is the world itself which causes sensation, but we interpret it through our mental apparatus. It is our eyes and our minds which interpret what we experience and order them into space and time, concepts which we understand. The things which themselves cause our sensation cannot be truly known, as they are not in space and time, it is our interpretation which places them there. The example Russell uses is that if you always wore blue glasses, everything would appear blue, however the objects themselves would not necessarilly be blue, that would simply be ones interpretation and perspective. Kant says that space and time are not concepts, they are forms of intuition. There are also a priori concepts, which comprise Kant's 12 'categories'. Theses categories are divided into four sets of three
1 - of quantity: unity, plurality, totality.
2 - of quality: reality, negation, limitation.
3 - of relation: substance-and-accident, cause-and-effect, reciprocity.
4 - of modality: possibility, existence, necessity.
Kant maintains that, if we attempt to apply space and time, or the categories, to things that have not been experienced, we are troubled by 'antinomies' - mutually contradictory propositions, each of which can apparently be proved.
Kant gives four examples, each of which consists of a thesis and an antithesis.
1 - Thesis - 'the world has a beginning in time, and is also limited as regards space'
      Antithesis - 'the world has no beginnings in time and no limit in space; it is infinite as regards both time and space'
2 - proves that every composite substance both is, and is not, made up of simple parts.
3 - Thesis - there are two kinds of causality, one according to the laws of nature, the other of freedom.
Antithesis - there is only one causality according to the laws of nature.
4 - proves that there is, and is not, an aboslutely necessary Being.

This is the part of the Critique that greatly influenced...

HEGEL

Hegel is in many ways a bridge between Kant and Marx, two of the most influential philosophers of the 20th Century. This is not to say that Hegel was not himself important.
Hegel believed that we were not viewing the world in its truest sense as it must be viewed as a whole.
Hegel's system relies on two forms of logic:
- that which is not self-contradictory.
- that which fits in the dialectic triad.
The dialectic triad was used by Hegel to discover the true nature of reality, and was composed of three elements: the thesis, the antithesis and the synthesis of the two.
In this case, the thesis was that the whole is a "pure being" because it has no purpose other than containing all that is within it.
The anithesis is that the absolute cannot exist without properties, so the absolute is nothing.
The synthesis is that, as the whole is both 'pure being' and 'nothing', it is 'becoming'.
In Hegel's view this makes the whole of nature "becoming", and lead to him saying "change is the only constant".
Scientifically speaking, Hegel was bang on, as our cells are constantly dying and being replaced. Despite the constant change though, everything retains its "geist", the soul or being of an object. As an example, if you took an existing ship and replaced every single plank on the ship, it would remain the ship, even though all constituent parts had been replaced. Similarly, the Universe must have a geist, despite its constant change. According to Hegel, the purpose of the geist is to know itself.

Right, that seems to be the important bits covered.

Radio Ga Ga

Here is my radio piece on Memphis and the Elvis obsession. Listen, or don't, your choice. Cheers



And here is a written piece for my radio assignment:

A murder suspect has been found hanged in his cell in Manchester.

Barry Morrow, 52, was awaiting trial for double murder in HMP Manchester. He was accused of killing his landlady and her mother last year, and his the second high profile prisoner to be found dead at Manchester prison in recent weeks.

A post mortem is due to take place later.

HCJ Semester Two - Playing Catch Up

As anyone reading this blog will have noticed, it's been all quiet on this particular front for far too long. A mixture of being busy and a lack of motivation means that i've been radio silent for about 3 months. This is despicable behaviour for which I apologise, and I intend not to let this happen again.
So now to the real business of blogging my notes and observations from a month of HCJ lectures this term.
It's been interesting stuff, and we started off with William Cobbett, Charles Dickens, and a tale of two Revolutions.

The two revolutions in question are the French Revolution, and the Industrial Revolution, two major turning points in the formation of the modern world. The French Revolution changed the face of European politics, with a variety of political systems implented in a short period. The Industrial Revolution meanwhile completely changed methods of production and distribution of goods, beginning a culture of mass production.
These two revolutions allowed the British Empire to flourish into the great power of the world, however the British Empire almost failed to exist at all, as Scotland attempted Central American colonisation in the late 1600's.
The attempted Scottish colonisation of Darien - New Caledonia was a disaster, with one fifth of Scottish wealth invested in a malarial swamp, where the settlers suffered from starvation and fever, and soon fled. This failure led to a bankrupt Scotland surrendering their sovereignty to England in the 1707 Act of the Union, the first step towards a powerful British Empire.
An attempted uprising at Culloden in 1746 was the final straw for Scotland, defeat by the English resigning them to English rule.

The French Revolution
The French Revolution arrived at the end of the 18th Century, and the UK was incredibly successful throughout, their aboslute naval power allowing blockades of French ports, leading to a boom in British exports as French trade was destroyed. The British even manufactured the uniforms of the French army, such was their industrial dominance. With Europe in turmoil and the armies of other major European powers occupied, Britain set about constructing a worldwide empire, claiming the territories of India, South Africa, Singapore and Sri Lanka, and building a trade monopoly which continued to boost the UK economy. The Transatlantic Triangular Trade was also established, a hugely profitable trade route moving goods and slaves across the world, further compouding Britain's global dominance.
With the end of the war came the end of the boom, the Corn Law was introduced in 1815, placing a tariff on imported grain to protect the UK economy. These laws were widely unpopular, as combined with high unemployment and low wages it made basic food unaffordable for the working classes. The Law was repealed in 1846.

The Industrial Revolution
As unbelievable as it may seem now, in the mid 1800's Manchester was the most important place on earth. It had become the centre of the Industrial Revolution, its population soaring from 17,000 in 1760 to 180,000 in 1830. It became the 'workshop of the world', as Industry thrived and factories appeared in great numbers. Despite the importance of the city it was essentially hell on earth, the quality of life was incredibly poor, with overcrowding, low wages and awful pollution, many fell ill, with cholera common. Such conditions are described often in the work of Charles Dickens, particularly in Bleak House.
Cotton was the key to the revolution, harvested by slaves in the American South, and brought to the UK by the transatlantic triangular trade, it was the raw material used in the mass production factories.
The horrible conditions, combined with a flawed political system caused uprisings and protests, as the people of these newly established great industrial cities sought political representation. Violent repression was utilised by the state to quash such protests, as seen in the Peterloo Massacre and the Tolpuddle martyrs. These tactics were effective in the short term, however the growing dissatisfaction lead to the Reform Act of 1832.

Farming
The idea of landholding peasantry disappeared with the introduction of enclosures. This meant that all farmers became essentially labourers that could be easily transferred from the country to the city, to join the industrial workforce. As the industrial revolution brought advanced technology to farming, workers rioted in the 1830's. With the repeal of the corn laws came cheaper food, however the lower price of bread meant lower wages, as the cost of living decreased.

The Poor
Workhouses were introduced as part of the 1834 Poor Law, which stated no able bodied person was to receive any support from the poor commission outside of a workhouse. These workhouses were developed with a Utalitarian view by Bentham. He believed that as people sought pleasure and avoided pain, the best way to keep the poor from entering workhouses was by making them as repulsive and horrific places to live.

Cobbett - The Rural Rides
Cobbett was an anti-radical who became radical, believing that rapid industrialization was destroying traditional ways of life, observing the plight of 19th Century farmers.
Claimed "When farmers became gentlemen, labourers became slaves."
Opposed the government, the army (whom he had served with) and the Church, as he resented their greed.
Wrote the Political Register, which was read by the working class and had a circulation of around 40,000.
He was imprisoned for sedition and fled to America to avoid further prosecution. On his return he was accused of libel three times.

Freedom Of Information - Media Law

As a journalist, one of the most powerful tools in acquiring information for a story is using the Freedom of Information act.
The act allows any citizen, including journalists, the right to information held by public authorities, such as the police, government and hospitals. Under the act, if one of these public bodies receives a request for information, they must respon within 20 working days, either with the information or a reason why it cannot be provided. The information is provided free of charge, providing that it costs the holder £600 or less if they are a government body, or £450 or less for other public bodies.
There are several exemptions under the act however, divided into absolute exemptions and qualified exemptions.
Absolute Exemptions: These are exemptions that do not require an explanation for the information not being disclosed. This covers:
- Information reasonably accessible by other means
- Information supplie to the public authority by or relating to bodies dealing with security matters
- Court records
- Personal information
- Information provided to the authority in confidence by another party
- Information which the disclosure of is forbidden by other law
These are pretty straightforward, information that falls under these categories does not need to be disclosed, an a reason for the lack of disclosure is not required.

Qualified Exemptions: This is yet another use of the 'public interest'.
Essentially, if a public body denies the request for information, they must satisfy the 'public interest test' to justify it, which basically states that the public interest in witholding the information is greater than that of releasing it. The 'public interest' is not defined in the act, however, in 'The Freedom of Information Act: An Introduction, the Information Commissioner lists a number of factors that should encourage public bodies to disclose information:
- Furthering the understanding and participation in the public debate of issues of the day.
- Promoting accountability and transparency by public authorities for decisions taken by them.
- Promoting accountability and transparency in the spending of public money.
- Allowing individuals and companies to understand decisions made by public authorities affecting their lives.
- Bringing to light information affecting public health and safety.
The Qualified Exemptions cover categories such as:
- Information which if disclosed is likely to prejudice national security
- Information which if disclosed is likely to prejudice international relations
- Information held by an authority for law enforcement functions
- Information which relates to formulation or development of Government policy
- Information the disclosure of which is likely to prejudice effective conduct of public affairs
- Protecting commercial interests.

All these exemptions can lead to a delay or a prevention in the release of information.

Despite this, public authorities are obliged under the act to advise parties in their wording of requests, so that they are more likely to be accepted.
Anyone requesting information can also appeal to the Information Commissioner against any authorities refusal to supply information. Appeals against the commissioners decision can be heard by the information tribunal.

The Environmental Information Regulations have the backing of the European Union, which requires public bodies to provide information about environmental matters. These powers far exceed those outlined in the Freedom of Information Act.

Investigative journalism - Media Law

I wrote this entry a while ago but forgot to post it, so here are notes on our law lecture from a couple of weeks ago on Investigative Journalism.

The key difference between investigative and everyday journalism is who sets the agenda for the piece being written. Whilst in mainstream journalism jobs the agenda is set by the editor, and is based on events that are either planned and anticipated, or surprise events that need to be reported, investigative journalism is far more independent. For an investigative piece, the agenda is set by the journalist themselves, who then seeks to uncover a story which someone, somewhere, does not want published. Investigative journalism aims to reveal hidden problems and plots in public organisations, companies or society for the benefit of the community. A good example of this is the MP's expenses scandal, revealed by The Daily Telegraph in 2009.
Of course, an undercover journalist has to be incredibly careful to do all research within the law, however when this is done correctly, it leads to some of the most incisive and important pieces of reporting.

Alongside this, the reading covered how journalists must behave when covering elections, terrorism and photography and film footage in journalism. I'll make it a quick summary.

Election coverage - under the Representation of the People Act of 1983, it is a criminal offence to make or publish false statements about election candidates as it may affect the number of votes the individual receives. The only defence is the genuine belief at the time of publishing that the statement was true. It is punishable by a fine of up to £5000. It is also illegal to publish any data gathered from exit polls before polls have closed. This is again punishable by a fine of up to £5000, or a prison sentence of up to six months.

Terrorism - under the Terrorism Act 2006, it is an offence to publish any statement or material that can be seen to 'glorify' or encourage terrorism or terrorist organisations. If a journalist conducts an interview with someone who glorifies terrorism, the journalist is protected as long as it is clear in the publication that the journalist themself was not encouraging terrorism, and it was reported neutrally.
It is also a crime, under the Terrorism Act 2000, to fail to disclose to police any information acquired that could help prevent an act of terrorism, or information that could assist in the apprehension, prosecution or conviction of a terrorist. This is punishable by up to five years imprisonment. Of course journalists must be aware of this in their work, especially if interviewing or researching anyone linked to a terrorist organisation or terrorist activities.
Further, it is an offence to elicit information that could be beneficial to any person in preparing or committing an act of terrorism, or to publish information about a member of the armed forces, UK intelligence services or a police officer that may assist a terrorist.
Under counter-terrorism law, the police have far more power than under any other law to compel a journalist to surrender research material, and so this is a delicate area for a journalist to work in.

The use of Photography and Filming - If one person is persistently followed by photographers they may successfully sue the photo journalist for breach of privacy or for harassment, this particularly affects the paparazzi. The Press Complaints Commission Code of Practice also states that journalists should not photograph individuals anywhere were they have a reasonable expectation of privacy, unless it can be justified by public interest.