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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 - ...

18 September 2012

IR: Tale of the Talent Vampire?

Don't get me wrong, I love commercial radio. I worked in it for 22 years, plus a further two as a consultant, and during that time I took great delight getting one up on the BBC and our other media rivals whenever I could.

I've also been a strong, often isolated, defender of the commercial sector in the academic world where the default position tends towards 'public service good - profit bad'.

But I've reached a position where I think it has to be said that UK commercial radio news has become a vampire industry, sucking in talent whilst putting next to nothing back.

12 September 2012

NewsBreakers - Breaking Into Radio News

Today I'm delighted to have signed a partnership agreement with Bauer Radio in Yorkshire which will, hopefully, attract more applicants for my postgraduate journalism course at Leeds Trinity.

It's a small but significant step. Bauer will promote the course and steer suitable candidates in our direction. They'll also provide additional voice and presentation sessions for our trainees.

We're not building a new wing on the media centre but it's a welcome gesture from a major player in an industry where investment in new talent is miserly. I'll be commenting at length about that very soon.

So I believe this is something to celebrate. The text of the official announcement is reproduced below.

06 September 2012

On Brain Dead Jocks

So did you fall for it yesterday?

In one of those crazy social media moments a tweet did the rounds purporting to be a cutting from The Sun in 1991 ... in which Britain's leading tabloid supposedly gave a sneering reception to the birth of the internet.

It was a hoax. A pretty obvious hoax, given that the byline was one 'Dot Comme'.  But it has serious implications for anyone seeking 'content' for a radio show.