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What a Journalist Isn't

I'm sick and tired of the abuse journalists are getting at the moment. They don't deserve it, at least real journalists don't - ...

27 September 2011

Striking off in all directions ....

Labour seem very keen to strike.

Strike people off, that is. A week or so ago it was Ed Miliband, promising to 'stike off' rogue bankers who fail to observe proper standards whilst getting obscenely rich with other people's money. Then today (albeit briefly) it was Ivan Lewis wanting to 'strike off' errant journos.

The phrase has a nice ring to it. A GP gropes a patient in his surgery - strike him off.

A lawyer fleeces her client - deserves sriking off by the Law Society as unfit to practice as a solicitor. It's doing what politicians like best; a decisive, headline grabbing gesture.

24 September 2011

Why?

On Monday just short of a hundred young people will start a three-year course in Journalism or Sports Journalism at Leeds Trinity. I'll be very interested to find out why they're doing it.

21 September 2011

Born Again Twitterer

A respected colleague ... old school journo, works in print media ... was persuaded to join Twitter recently. His first and only tweet to date: "what now?"

Mission Statement

All institutions have them. Something impressive to put in reception, next to that plaque from Investors in Green Folders. An ethos in a soundbite. Philosophy at tweetable length. What's needed to start my first blog is a declaration of intent. A mission statement.

I've been a journalist all my adult life. I've been in love with radio since I can remember. For some reason I was usually the one in the radio station nominated to 'look after' the work experience kid, and that role has evolved over the years until I find myself as the world's least likely academic, required to give my charges the best possible start to their radio careers. And this is my first-ever blog.

So ...
  • I'll aim to follow Valerie Geller's advice to 'tell the truth, and never be boring'. 
  • I will seek to be a critical friend to those I comment on in radio and in journalism, never forgetting it's a much tougher world in the industry than out of it. 
  • I will be fearless in promoting the practical and the vocational over the theoretical and the abstract.

 I hope that'll do for a start.

20 September 2011

Site Under Construction

Please bear with me whilst I change ISP - after a long period of inactivity I'll be blogging soon about the radio industry, journalism training, and maybe some personal observations as well as restoring the information about my media skills training activities.

It's an exciting time and we'll get going very soon .....