Voices of London

I had a go at using the Dictaphone and adapted many of the interviewing techniques i have learnt from radio including how to approach people and giving them enough information to make them want to take part.

We made the mistake of telling one person that the recording would be online, they immediately said no, but the following people we approached we told them it was just an exercise and they were happy to help.

I did the editing on Nero soundtrax and wavelength, soundtrax to compose everything into one track and wavelength to edit out any long breaks and unwanted words.
Listen Here

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NEWSPAPER AND MAGAZINE PUBLISHING IN THE U.K.
Editors’ Code of Practice

The Code
All members of the press have a duty to maintain the highest professional standards. The Code, which includes this preamble and the public interest exceptions below, sets the benchmark for those ethical standards, protecting both the rights of the individual and the public's right to know. It is the cornerstone of the system of selfregulation to which the industry has made a binding commitment.

It is essential that an agreed code be honoured not only to the letter but in the full spirit. It should not be interpreted so narrowly as to compromise its commitment to respect the rights of the individual, nor so broadly that it constitutes an unnecessary interference with freedom of expression or prevents publication in the public interest.

It is the responsibility of editors and publishers to apply the Code to editorial material in both printed and online versions of publications. They should take care to ensure it is observed rigorously by all editorial staff and external contributors, including non-journalists.

Editors should co-operate swiftly with the PCC in the resolution of complaints. Any publication judged to have breached the Code must print the adjudication in full and with due prominence, including headline reference to the PCC.

1 Accuracy

i) The press must take care not to publish inaccurate, misleading or distorted information, including pictures.

ii) A significant inaccuracy, misleading statement or distortion once recognised must be corrected, promptly and with due prominence, and - where appropriate - an apology published.

iii) The press, whilst free to be partisan, must distinguish clearly between comment, conjecture and fact.

iv) A publication must report fairly and accurately the outcome of an action for defamation to which it has been a party, unless an agreed settlement states otherwise, or an agreed statementis published.

2 Opportunity to reply

A fair opportunity for reply to inaccuracies must be given when reasonably called for.

3 * Privacy

i) Everyone is entitled to respect for his or her private and family life, home, health and correspondence, including digital communications. Editors will be expected to justify intrusions into any individual's private life without consent.

ii) It is unacceptable to photograph individuals in a private place without their consent.
Note - Private places are public or private property where there is a reasonable expectation of privacy.

4 * Harassment

i) Journalists must not engage in intimidation,harassment or persistent pursuit.

ii) They must not persist in questioning,telephoning, pursuing or photographing individuals once asked to desist; nor remain on their property when asked to leave and must not follow them.

iii) Editors must ensure these principles are observed by those working for them and take care not to use non-compliant material from other sources.

5 Intrusion into grief or shock

i) In cases involving personal grief or shock, enquiries and approaches must be made with sympathy and discretion and publication handled sensitively. This should not restrict the right to report legal proceedings, such as inquests.
* ii) When reporting suicide, care should be taken to avoid excessive detail about the method used.

6 * Children

i) Young people should be free to complete their time at school without unnecessary intrusion.

ii) A child under 16 must not be interviewed or photographed on issues involving their own or another child’s welfare unless a custodial parent or similarly responsible adult consents.

iii) Pupils must not be approached or photographed at school without the permission of the school authorities.

iv) Minors must not be paid for material involving children’s welfare, nor parents or guardians for material about their children or wards, unless it is clearly in the child's interest.

v) Editors must not use the fame, notoriety or position of a parent or guardian as sole justification for publishing details of a child’s private life.

7 * Children in sex cases

1. The press must not, even if legally free to do so, identify children under 16 who are victims or witnesses in cases involving sex offences.
2. In any press report of a case involving a sexual offence against a child -

i) The child must not be identified.

ii) The adult may be identified.

iii) The word "incest" must not be used where a child victim might be identified.

iv) Care must be taken that nothing in the report implies the relationship between
the accused and the child.

8 * Hospitals

i) Journalists must identify themselves and obtain permission from a responsible executive before entering non-public areas of hospitals or similar institutions to pursue enquiries.

ii) The restrictions on intruding into privacy are particularly relevant to enquiries about individuals in hospitals or similar institutions.

9 * Reporting of Crime

i) Relatives or friends of persons convicted or accused of crime should not generally be identified without their consent, unless they are genuinely relevant to the story.

ii) Particular regard should be paid to the potentially vulnerable position of children who witness, or are victims of, crime. This should not restrict the right to report legal proceedings.

10 * Clandestine devices and subterfuge

i) The press must not seek to obtain or publish material acquired by using hidden cameras or clandestine listening devices; or by intercepting private or mobile telephone calls, messages or emails; or by the unauthorised removal of documents, or photographs; or by accessing digitally-held private information without consent.

ii) Engaging in misrepresentation or subterfuge, including by agents or intermediaries, can generally be justified only in the public interest and then only when the material cannot be obtained by other means.

11 Victims of sexual assault
The press must not identify victims of sexual assault or publish material likely to contribute to such identification unless there is adequate justification and they are legally free to do so.

12 Discrimination

i) The press must avoid prejudicial or pejorative reference to an individual's race, colour, religion, gender, sexual orientation or to any physical or mental illness or disability.

ii) Details of an individual's race, colour, religion, sexual orientation, physical or mental illness or disability must be avoided unless genuinely
relevant to the story.

13 Financial journalism

i) Even where the law does not prohibit it, journalists must not use for their own profit financial information they receive in advance of its general publication, nor should they pass such information to others.

ii) They must not write about shares or securities in whose performance they know that they or their close families have a significant financial interest without disclosing the interest to the editor or financial editor.

iii) They must not buy or sell, either directly or through nominees or agents, shares or securities about which they have written recently or about which they intend to write in the near future.

14 Confidential sources
Journalists have a moral obligation to protect confidential sources of information.

15 Witness payments in criminal trials

i) No payment or offer of payment to a witness or any person who may reasonably be expected to be called as a witness - should be made in any case once proceedings are active as defined by the Contempt of Court Act 1981. This prohibition lasts until the suspect has been freed unconditionally by police without charge or bail or the proceedings are otherwise discontinued; or has entered a guilty plea to the court; or, in the event of a not guilty plea, the court has announced its verdict.
* ii) Where proceedings are not yet active but are likely and foreseeable, editors must not make or offer payment to any person who may reasonably be expected to be called as a witness, unless the information concerned ought demonstrably to be published in the public interest and there is an over-riding need to make or promise payment for this to be done; and all reasonable steps have been taken to ensure no financial dealingsinfluence the evidence those witnesses give. In no circumstances should such payment be conditional on the outcome of a trial.
* iii) Any payment or offer of payment made to aperson later cited to give evidence in proceedings must be disclosed to the prosecution and defence. The witness must be advised of this requirement.

16 * Payment to criminals
i) Payment or offers of payment for stories, pictures or information, which seek to exploit a particular crime or to glorify or glamorise crime in general, must not be made directly or via agents to convicted or confessed criminals or to their associates – who may include family, friends and colleagues.

ii) Editors invoking the public interest to justify payment or offers would need to demonstrate that there was good reason to believe the public interest would be served.

The public interest
There may be exceptions to the clauses marked * where they can be demonstrated to be in the public interest.

1. The public interest includes, but is not confined to:
i) Detecting or exposing crime or serious impropriety.
ii) Protecting public health and safety.
iii) Preventing the public from being misled by an action or statement of
an individual or organisation.
2. There is a public interest in freedom of expression itself.
3. Whenever the public interest is invoked, the PCC will require editors
to demonstrate fully how the public interest was served.
4. The PCC will consider the extent to which material is already
in the public domain, or will become so.
5. In cases involving children under 16, editors must
demonstrate an exceptional public interest to over-ride
the normally paramount interest of the child.

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Tutorial reviews

Blogger Tutorial - How to Start Blogging with Blogger




photo:screenshot of the video uploaded on youtube.com

The voiceover is very clear and very helpful. He explains each step clearly and explains jargon that blogger may use. Simultaneously, he offers general tips.
Short concise and straight to the point. The only problem is that you can't see the words in the video properly only large, bold words are noticeable. The best idea would be to actually create an account whilst listening to the video in the background.

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The Start of Citizen Journalism

The orgins of citizen journalism has become more apparent with the progress of new technologies.
people have been campaigning and making news. The Mclibel Trial in which a former postman and a gardener from London took on Mcdonalds in a court case on various grounds including, the effect Mcdonalds has on rainforests,food poisoning and the treatment of empolyees. The trial lasted two and half years and became famous. The verdict was released on 19th June 1997, it had shown that McDonald's "exploit children" with their advertising, falsely advertise their food as nutritious, risk the health of their long-term regular customers, are "culpably responsible" for cruelty to animals reared for their products, are "strongly antipathetic" to unions and pay their workers low wages."
This case showed the impact and the change ordinary people had on large, dominating companies. The Mclibel two were able to publicise their campaigns through protests which eventually led to media acknowledgment.
Today with the growth of media technologies, news is published in many ways by people, through blogging, websites, and social network sites.

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The Progress Of New Technology Hazes The Lines Between Journalists and their Audience.

Online newspapers and obtaining news online may seem like a thing of the norm today, but what’s changing is readers are able to make comments about the news stories they read and witness themselves.

It can be argued that a newspaper is becoming more dominated by their readers and unlike the past where proprietors and editors had the controlling say on what the paper contained it is now almost derived by readership.
Simon Waldman, director of digital publishing at the Guardian said: "If newspapers want to remain exciting it will be essential for us to rewrite the rules on how we engage with our readers and users.”

It is apparent that newspapers are introducing more video, audio and interactive services online and broadcasters are starting to move to the web, it can be argued that it is predictable that the industry including print, radio and television will become more interlinked.

All three areas of journalism (print, radio and television) also rely or appreciate ‘Citizen Journalism’. This term is defined as ordinary people who play an dynamic responsibility in the development of reporting, assembling, evaluating and publicising news and information. It continues to grow as the progress of new technology hazes the lines between journalists and their audience. Citizen journalism goes by many names. Some call it "Participatory journalism," while others name it "we media" or "grassroots journalism." Dan Gillmor, the author of “We the Media” (O'Reilly Media, 2004) , notes that “this independent journalism stretches through American history from the pamphlets of Tom Paine to the investigative newsletters of I.F. Stone.”

In 2004 the Tsunami in South Asia highlighted participatory journalism's ability to cover breaking news in places with few regular reporters. Tourists and residents with digital cameras and camera phones quickly transmitted images of the disaster, and witnesses.

More recent disasters include the mini-London tornado in December 2006. The BBC encouraged the readers to post comments on eye witnesses and publishing ‘eye witness accounts’ 'I can see my room - from the street'
People were also able to send in photos and videos many captured on mobile phones.

The innovation executive at The innovation executive at BBC Innovation, has previously stated: "Our job is to expand the BBC's future media services, encourage awareness of trends in technology and social behaviour, and plan new products that will keep the BBC at the cutting edge of new developments in media technology."

The different forms of the internet, including citizen journalism and news technologies, have been criticised. In one of Tony Blair’s speeches he argued that internet journalism had become "more pernicious and less balanced" than traditional political reporting.” He had mostly harsh words for non-traditional media outlets, particularly the internet.

Again links can be seen with other media technologies which coincide with citizen journalism. The mix of mobile phones, social bookmarking and blogging.
Social bookmarking or tagging websites allow users to suggest notable stories from elsewhere on the web, categorise them by attaching keywords ‘tags’ and determine their importance by voting.
Del.icio.us, is not strictly a news site but it contains social bookmarking tools which are logical, able to tag and share with others.

Therefore citizen journalism is changing the way journalists work. To some extent journalists need citizen journalists for eyewitness quotes and testimonies and obtaining real stories but in another light can also be viewed as belittling a journalist’s job. Newspapers now take advantage of the fact that most readers own a camera phone and have access to the internet and so are able to post comments and send in pictures and videos of both hard and soft news. Traditionally, a journalist’s job is to inform the democracy. However their future will depend not only on the performance they report but how well they promote and enable discussions with citizens.

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