Thursday 3 December 2009

County Council Launches Campaign Against Driving Under the Influence

Hampshire County Council is launching a new countywide campaign, beginning 30th November, to raise awareness of the dangers of drink and drug driving.

The County Council is using taxis displaying slogan ‘’You drink, I’ll drive’’ in a bid to encourage people to take a taxi home.

The campaign follows on from the charity, Brake’s, Road Safety Week. Brake revelaed at least 15,935 people in the UK were killed or injured in 2007, by drink and drug drivers.

Sergeant John Dainton from Hampshire Constabulary’s Roads Policing unit said ‘’If you’re foolish enough to drive under the influence, the chances are you will be caught. It’s simply not worth the risk to yourself or other road users.”

If caught, drink and drug driving both carry the same penalties, which could include a £5,000 fine, a year long driving ban and six month imprisonment.

County Councillor, Mel Kendal said “The message is simple, don’t drive if you have been drinking alcohol or taking any prescribed drugs that could affect your ability to drive safely in any way.”

The taxi campaign will station five cabs each in Basingstoke, Gosport, Winchester, Andover and three cabs each in Aldershot, Farnborough, Petersfield, Alton and will continue for six weeks.

Tuesday 1 December 2009

HCJ. Jonathn Swift: A Modest Proposal

This is by far the most entertaining piece I have read, although to begin with, I was slightly oblivious to Swift’s mocking tone and did take it quite seriously!

‘For preventing the children of poor people in Ireland from being aburden to their parents or country, and for making them beneficial to the public.’
• Swift opens the proposal by expressing his displeasure about females with a number of children, who are ‘forced’ to beg as means of money.
• Swift describes the’ prodigious number of children in the arms’ as an ‘additional grievance.’ He wishes to find a ‘fair, cheap and easy’ way of putting these children to use.
• He proposes not only to support the children of ‘professed beggars,’ but children of a certain age whose parents are unable to support them, supposedly Swift is speaking financially.
• Swift wishes to provide for the children from one year of age. Sees it as a bigger scheme which would eventually contribute to helping thousands.
• Swift thought the scheme would prevent voluntary abortion and women killing their unwanted children. He attributes the afore mentioned to women avoiding expense rather than shame.
• Swift adopts a mathematical approach to calculating how many women would have children/ continue to have children they could not support. He also tried to take into account those that would die from disease or natural causes. Swift estimated 120,000 children were born of poor parents annually.
• Swift explored and rejected options such as employment.
• Swift then approaches his suggestion in a reassuring manner by referring to his ‘very knowing American friend’ who suggests... EATING CHILDREN!
• Swift proposes that of the estimated 120,000 children born into poverty, 20,000 should be reserved for ‘breeding,’ one fourth of which should be males (again quite a mathematical approach).
• Swift suggests selling the children to the people of ‘quality and fortune,’ which in turn makes money for the parents.
• ‘A child will make two dishes at an entertainment for friends.’
• Swift estimated a newborn would weigh approximately 12Ibs and if nursed well could increase to 28Ibs.
• ‘Infants flesh will be in season throughout the year.’
• ‘I believe no gentleman would repine to give ten shillings for the carcass of a good fat child...’
• Swift continues in a drastic manner, stating that the skin of the child could be use to make gloves and boots.
• Swift also suggests the ideas of specified child butchers, so the children would not have to be brought alive.
• Then are the advantages of this ‘modest proposal,’ they are as follows:
1. Lessen the number of papists
2. The poorer tenants will have something valuable of their own
3. Money will circulate, nations stock will increase
4. ‘Constant breeders’ would be rid of the charge of maintaining the children after one year and would make a profit
5. The food would bring greater custom to taverns
6. ‘Men would become more fond of their wives during the time of pregnancy as they are now of their mares in foal...’
• ‘I can think of not one objection, that will possibly be raised against this proposal.’
• Swift does not take into account maternal instinct or human emotion. How does it differ from murder?
• Although he has considerable logistics and states the positive impact the proposal could have, there is lack of emotion and it is merely put forth as a business proposal.
• The way Swift writes, he makes it seem entirely achievable.
• Swift does, however, appear open to other suggestion, not narrow minded.
• Swift’s motive... ‘The public good of my own country by advancing our trade, providing for infants, relieving the poor and giving some pleasure to the rich.’
• Interestingly, Swift points out that he has no children young enough to sell and his wife is past child bearing age. No personal gain for him, but no compassion either.

Monday 30 November 2009

News Agenda- A brief overview of what has been covered so far.

News agenda is basically an exploration into what the news is, its sources and its intended audiences.
Generally, it seems to be a common conception that journalists have a love-hate relationship with audiences. They do of course have some level of respect for their audience because they make the news interesting and ensure that all information presented to the public is one hundred per cent accurate. However, there is perhaps little respect for audience interaction. The public, for the most part, will not view a news story the same way a journalist will.
We are all, I assume, fully aware that the internet is becoming increasingly damaging to the newspaper business. Newspapers now all have their own websites, which are easy to navigate and the reader can choose which stories to focus in on, and of course refer back to archived stories. With the internet thriving, it is becoming tougher to find an audience and keep it, which is why media organisations now spend millions of pounds each year on audience research. The internet even overtook television in the advertising revenue this year, yet further proof of its ever growing dominance as a media outlet.
Looking at audience, we have also identified how social grade is calculated. It is done on an ABC1/C2DE demographic as follows.
A- Upper middle class, those working in at higher managerial or professional level.
B- Middle class, those working at an intermediate managerial or administrative level.
C1- Lower middle class, those working at a supervisory level, clerical work or junior management.
C2- Skilled working class, for example skilled manual workers.
D- Working class, this covers semi or unskilled manual workers.
E- On the lowest levels of sustenance, state pensioners, widows. Causal or lowest grade workers.
Newspapers will have an intended audience in mind when they publish their stories and during news agenda lectures we analyse which demographic category each paper is aimed at.
Another topic we have covered is news sources. When asked to list twenty sources I must admit I struggled but upon discussing this with the class, we managed to collectively come up with a list of around thirty. Here are just ten examples of news sources:
*The Police, for example at press conferences, statement releases, press officers.
*Courts
*Eye Witnesses, brilliant for quotes.
*NHS, again press releases etc.
*National Statistics Office
*Unions, good for news on work issues and strikes.
*Local councils
*Employees/ Whistleblowers
*Victims of crime
*Politicians/ Government
Each of the above could prove to be an important source when investigating or writing a story and it is a good idea to start a contacts book. Anyone who has been, or could prove to be useful in the future should be stored in your contacts book. Some may say it is an essential tool in the journalism industry.
We have also looked at local news. Local news is all about where we physically spend our day, the area around our home or workplace. News stories can be found in and around your local area, for example, stories about events and festivals, the latest court cases and council meetings. It is about national stories which journalists can localise and make relevant. It is important to know your local area when doing this type of reporting. You should know your local MP, hospitals, universities, the biggest employer in the area and its main media outlets. The better you know your local area, the better your chance of developing a good news story.

Media Law- Qualified Privilege.

Qualified privilege is the third defence against libel following on from justification and fair comment. It can be used as a defence if it is considered that the information should be published in public interest.
Qualified privilege can be divided into two categories; Statutory and Common Law.
Statutory qualified privilege predominantly covers reporting in court and Parliament. A defamatory statement can be reported by a journalist without fear of being sued for libel. Of course, the report must be fair and accurate and free of malice, otherwise the defence for QP is lost. Statutory QP also covers public meetings, council meetings and police statements.
Common law QP is where privilege is applicable in certain circumstances. The example that McNae's Essential Law for Journalists gives is that of asking for an employment reference. The former employer cannot be sued for libel for what they say, even if untrue, as long as it was not motivated by malice. Common law QP is usually worked on by a case by case basis.
Another defence worth looking into is the Reynolds Defence. It is a ten point test which courts must take into consideration if a newspaper or journalist wishes to use QP as a defence against libel. The Guardian online published a highly informative article regarding The Reynolds Defence which may be of interest.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2005/feb/03/pressandpublishing.law

Details of the ten point test can be found on University of Winchester Media Law lecture notes, the link can be found below.


http://journalism.winchester.ac.uk/?page=228

News Agenda. BBC Radio 4 and The Daily Echo.

Following the current practical journalism sessions on news agenda, I was assigned to follow The Daily Echo and BBC Radio 4 to analyse their news agenda and take a more in depth look in how they choose to present the news to the general public.
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 describes themselves on their website as: ‘’A station for anyone interested in intelligent speech. Its schedule is packed with the most insightful journalism, the wittiest comedy, the most fascinating features and the most compelling drama and readings anywhere in UK radio.’’
BBC Radio 4 replaced BBC Home Service in 1967. It is currently run by Mark Damazer. He took over from Helen Boaden, who now heads BBC News. Radio 4 has won Sony Radio Academy Awards for UK Radio Station of the year in 2003, 2004 and 2008.
Radio 4 listening accounts for 12.4 % of the radio market, with 10.22 million people listening for at least fifteen minutes each week.
The station is targeting an older audience, there is certainly nothing that would interest young children and it is unlikely it would be appealing to most teenagers. The shows broadcasted are based on the following subjects; art, comedy, discussions, documentaries, drama, history, money, news, politics, readings, religion and science. I found an article on The Telegraph’s website, titled ‘Now I know the clock’s ticking, I’ve started listening to Radio 4.’ It appears to be a common conception that Radio 4 is aimed at older listeners, as the article explores in a light-hearted fashion the indicators of getting old and listening to Radio 4 was noted as a key indicator. Another article I sourced on The Evening Standard’s website reported on Radio 4’s new tactic to draw in a younger audience, b y broadcasting their show from three major universities across the UK. Radio 4 is clearly aware of their current audience being in the age bracket of 40 years and over. The links to both articles are listed below.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/columnists/bryonygordon/6470100/Now-I-know-the-clocks-ticking-Ive-started-listening-to-Radio-4.html

http://www.thisisderbyshire.co.uk/chellaston/Just-minute-aren-t-stars-Radio-4-panel-student-union-bar/article-1428960-detail/article.html

Looking at demographic audience categories, Radio 4 is aimed at an ABC1 demographic. It seems to be a universal concept that Radio 4 is aimed at those of a higher social status. I found a Daily Mail article relating to this, in which Mark Damazer states that Radio 4 is not just ‘for posh people in the south of England. ‘ The Daily Mail also quoted that ‘he (Mark Damazer) added, that Radio 4 listeners were a diverse group united only in wanting intelligence, clever ideas and wit.’ Surely this statement in itself clearly shows the demographic category Radio 4 wish to reach with their programmes. The Daily Mail article can be found via the link below.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-512818/Its-okay-middle-class-says-Radio-4-boss.html

There are various news bulletins on Radio 4 throughout the day. The midnight news follows national and international affairs and follows what I would think to be a typical news format. Beginning with a brief overview of the headlines, each story is then covered in more detail. There are cuts to specific topical correspondents for further coverage and also use quotes from members of the public. There is very little, if any, focus on entertainment news, politics and world affairs are the priority. A review of the daily papers is also included, with a look at the front page stories. There is also sports coverage in brief and an overview on the currency markets. This is then followed by the weather, the bulletin lasting a total of 30 minutes.
Another daily bulletin is ‘News Briefing’ which is aired at 5.30am every morning after the shipping bulletin and is usually presented by Rory Morrison. This is possibly aimed at those commuting to work early in the morning. Again this follows a typical news format, with a brief overview of the headlines which are then covered in more detail. The weather is read halfway through the bulletin and is followed by a look at the daily papers, with headlines read from Daily Express, Daily Mail, The Guardian, The Sun, The Daily Mirror, The Times, The Telegraph and some international papers. Following on from this, there is business news with Nick Cosgrove, followed by Sport. To finish the bulletin is a summary of the news to be covered more in depth throughout the day. Each story in the News Briefing is, as the title suggests, kept short and to the point and again does not focus on entertainment news but aims for a more formal angle, which is probably in keeping with the target age range who may not be interested in the current X-Factor scandals. The bulletin lasts for a total of 13 minutes and is clearly intended as a concise overview of the important headlines of the day.
Generally I feel the news prioritised on Radio 4 reflects the audience that listen to it. There is a focus on political affairs and heavy topics, with very little emphasis on entertainment or celebrity news as it is unlikely to interest the majority of listeners. Any news of a more light-hearted nature is usually read out last.

The Daily Echo
The Daily Echo was first published in August 1888. It is currently owned by Newsquest, the second largest publisher of local newspapers in the UK. The Daily Echo was named Newspaper of the Year 2009 at the EDF Energy South East and London Media Awards.
The Daily Echo has a fairly balanced ratio of male to female readers, with 51% of readers being male and 49% female. The Daily Echo is also read by a diverse age range of readers, as shown by the figures below.
15- 24 years: 16%
25-34 years: 16%
35-44 years: 18%
45-54 years: 15%
55-64 years: 16%
65 and over: 19%
These figures show that The Daily Echo is read by those of all ages. This could be attributed to the fact that it is a local paper and therefore the stories reported will feature local people, school events, latest council updates, which will of course attract a vast age group. Of course people will also be interested in seeing if anyone they know is in the paper.
The Daily Echo displays a wide range of advertisements in their paper, from travel to local shows. The costs of advertising vary depending on the day the advert is to be printed and size of advert. Thursday and Friday are peak advertisement days, so the cost will be higher. A basic one column advert starts at £6.88 on off peak days. As a regional newspaper, there are of course many local advertisements, from selling cars, dating adverts, family announcements and home services. This is certainly not something you would find in a national newspaper, as the adverts would cover a much more universal range of products. Clearly aware of their audience, The Daily Echo advertises mainly local companies.
Looking at the front cover of The Echo, there is a ‘Win Free Sex’ header below the name of the paper which is commonly associated with tabloid newspapers. However there is rarely any sexual content, there is more of a focus on competitions, perhaps to be more appealing to a family audience. The front page typically has a large bold headline relating to the latest regional news and some form of advertising along the bottom.
Some of the main news features I have identified in The Daily Echo include ‘News Round-Up,’ which is featured on a number of pages throughout and consists of short concise news stories. ‘Civic News,’ which covers news from local authorities. ‘Your Views,’ a chance for readers to write in and give their views, as the title suggests. ‘Neighbourhood News,’ again the title is self explanatory, readers send in any local news. Each day there is also a different supplement with the paper, perhaps to appeal to a broader audience.
Generally I think that the news reported in The Echo gives a sense of community, it is reporting stories directly related to those in the region in which it circulates. Its political standing appears neutral because it does not report on current political affairs, therefore it can be read by a broad audience and the figures show that it is read by a large cross section of age groups. The Daily Echo knows its audience and presents the news stories accordingly.

Sources
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/
http://www.rajar.co.uk/
Daily Echo reader ages and figures provided by The Daily Echo office in Southampton
Advertising costs for Daily Echo provided by The Daily Echo’s advertising department in Southampton

Wednesday 11 November 2009

HCJ. Jean Jacques Rousseau: The Social Contract, Book One

Jean Jacques Rousseau was born 28th June 1712 and died 2nd July 1778. He was a major French philosopher and writer. His political philosophy influenced the French Revolution and the development of modern political and educational thought.

The Social Contract (1762) explores a range of theories which try to explain the ways in which people form states and maintain social order. Rousseau speaks of the best way to set up a political community, which helped inspire political reform in Europe, especially in France. The Social Contract also tries to determine whether there can ever be a legitimate political authority.

This is merely my interpretation of some of the points Rousseau made in the Social Contract.
• ‘I feel that, however feeble the influence my voice can have on public affairs, the right of voting on them makes it my duty to study them.’ Rousseau seems to believe that if an issue is affecting him, others will be affected too and as he is voting politically, he has a right to speak up about issue influencing the country at the time.
Subject of the first book.
• ‘Man is born free and everywhere he is in chains.’ This refers to the restrictions within society.
• Man created rules, we have therefore restricted ourselves, and it has nothing to do with nature. If we break free of these rules, it is justifiable since we created them.
The First Societies: Rousseau claims that only the natural society is family. As soon as a child’s need/ dependency on the parent ceases then the natural bond dissolves.
• If the child and parent s remain united, it is not natural but through choice and the bond is maintained through convention.
• Man becomes his own master. Rousseau suggests everyone is completely in control of their own lives. Independence and free thinking.
• Rousseau thinks society is divided into sections, each with its own leader. ‘The human species is divided into so many herds of cattle, each with its ruler, who keeps guard over them for the purpose of devouring them.’ Rousseau implies that the leaders are only after power, they are not governing for order or what is best for the people.
• Rousseau refers to Aristotle, ‘men are by no means equal naturally, but that some are born for slavery and others for domination.’ Suggests we have no choice in who we are or what we become but that it is all presupposed.
• Rousseau agreed with Aristotle but thought he took effect for cause.
• ‘Every man born in slavery is born for slavery.’ Rousseau appears to discount human ambition and motivation for change. No account of affects of events in a person’s life and how it may influence what they become and whether they have a choice in what they become.
The Right of the Strongest: Rousseau states that the strongest does not always become ‘master.’ If someone is to become a leader they must turn strength into right and obedience into duty.
• Rousseau questions whether ‘right’ actually exists.
• If we are not forced to obey, then we are not obliged to do so. Clearly the word ‘right’ adds nothing to force, in this connection it means absolutely nothing.
• Rousseau seems to imply force is the way to power. If nobody forced society to obey rules, nobody would feel obliged to obey them. Therefore if those in power are only there by force, what makes the rules they put in place ‘right?’
• ‘All power comes from God.’ If this is so, how is it chosen who has power in society?
• ‘Force does not create right, and that we are obliged to obey only legitimate powers.’ But what defines legitimate powers?
Slavery: ‘Since no man has a natural authority over his fellow, and force creates no right, we must conclude that conventions form the basis of all legitimate authority among men.’
• Rousseau questions who would willingly give themselves to serve another.
• ‘War is constituted by a relation between things not between persons...’ Is this attitude still applicable today? Could we justify recent wars with that reasoning and say that relationships between people are not the cause but the ‘things’ we want?
• ‘The words ‘slave’ and ‘right’ contradict each other.’ Rousseau does not seem to believe there is equality between men, which could be questioning towards men in power. Does Rousseau agree with the concept of slavery?
• Rousseau sees a man in power ruling over other individuals in the same way as a master controlling a slave.
• Rousseau presupposes unanimity. The minority would not be able to overrule the majority.
The Social Compact: The human race must constantly evolve in order to survive. Power of resistance- ‘must be greater than the resources at the disposal of each individual for his maintenance in that state.’
• We need some form of unity in order to survive.
• Force and liberty of each man are the chief instruments of his self preservation.
• Is freedom within society possible?
• Each individual has to take complete responsibility for themselves. ‘Each man, in giving himself to all, gives himself to nobody.’
• ‘Each of us puts his person and all his power in common under the supreme direction of the general will, and, in our corporate capacity, we receive each member as an indivisible part of the whole.’ Common identity from unity.
The Sovereign: The sovereign must abide by its own rules or it will eventually self annihilate, which can of course create nothing.
• Once a form of unity has been created, one person in that unit cannot offend another without offending the whole unit. It is a somewhat extreme view of unity, leaving no room for personal opinion of the individual.
• In regards to the above, perhaps this can be relevant to political parties, as each party has to support its members and they all hold the same view and wish for the same outcome.
• ‘Each individual, as a man, may have a particular will contrary or dissimilar to the general will which he has as a citizen.’ We will always have individual needs and our own motivations no matter which body of society we form a part of.
• ‘Whoever refuses to obey the general will shall be compelled to do so by the whole body.’ Social pressure.
• Rousseau says conformity forces a man to be free, but surely by conforming to the general will, it is the opposite of freedom if the individual in fact holds an opposing view.
• Perhaps Rousseau views many things on a purely political basis; the divides he speaks of within society could be representative of differing political views. This makes much of what he says applicable to modern day society.
The Civil State: Rousseau speaks of the passage from ‘the state of nature to the civil state.’ Justice instead of instinct, actions are now paired with morality. Consults reason before inclination.
• Mental stimulation means ideas and thoughts can be continuously extended.
• ‘What a man loses by the social contract is his natural liberty and the proprietorship of all he possesses.’ Rousseau thinks that although we have lost some natural forms of freedom, we have gained civil rights.
Real Property: Rousseau speaks of the rights of the first occupier and how these rights must be gained.
• Does anybody really have the right to own a property since nature provided the land for us all?
• ‘The whole social system should rest, i.e. that, instead of destroying natural inequality... for such physical inequality... men, who may be unequal in strength or intelligence, become every one equal by convention and legal right.’ Rousseau focuses on the idea of equality/inequality throughout book one. It appears there is no natural equality, only that created by man through the creation of rules.

Tuesday 3 November 2009

HCJ. Joseph Addison: The Spectator

What do the essays reveal about civil society and the reading public of the restoration age?
The Spectator
*Addison begins by speaking of his own writing style, he says he sometimes writes with ‘regularity and method’ and other times with no particular order.
*When Addison himself read a work which had been written without method, he envisioned himself as being in a wood surrounded by ‘noble objects,’ confusion and disorder.
*When reading methodical discourse, he saw it as an ordered plantation, able to comprehend each idea separately.
*Addison seemed to believe that if you could envisage the entire concept, you gain a better understanding of it, which will remain in the memory.
*He stated that irregularity and want of method are only supportable in men of great learning or genius. This perhaps implies that the general public would not understand such ordered styles of writing.
*Addison thought that ideas should be set out in a logical order before being presented to the reader.
*Addison commented on the fact that when writing, further thoughts would be continuous, so putting them in order is vital if they are to be understood.
*’Method is of advantage to work.’ Both to the reader and the writer.
*Addison also pointed out that reading a methodical piece of writing is more enjoyable to the reader and therefore concepts are much more likely to be retained.
*’There is not one dispute in ten which is managed in those school of politics, where, after the first three sentences, the question is not entirely lost.’ Implying that discourse cannot be ordered in the same way as writing, it is more difficult to stay on topic.
*A man who strays from the topic in an argument may not always be superior.
*Overall Addison seemed to believe that unless an author set out the ideas of their writing in a clear and logical fashion, the reader would not be able to understand or enjoy the desired concepts. It is all very well to be a free thinker but if these thoughts stray from the original topic then the audience is lost.
*Addison implied that the reader cannot perhaps interpret the ideas for themselves and does not credit the public with the ability to think for themselves on another person’s topic.

The Royal Exchange
*The Royal Exchange was a building in London where products were traded.
*During the restoration there was a commercial revolution concerning North America.
*It is not certain whether Addison’s tone in the Royal Exchange is sarcasm or genuine enthusiasm.
*’Factors in the trading world are what ambassadors are in the polite world.’ Addison saw the trading world as different to ‘normal’ society, creating a sense of divide.
*Addison seems fascinated by the mix of ethnicities, sense of anonymity when there.
*Addison viewed it all as a sort of entertainment, seeing the variety of cultures was unusual.
*’I am wonderfully delighted to see such a body of men thriving in their own private fortunes... raising estates for their own families.’ Addison appears to admire the traders work and the fact they are providing for themselves.
*Addison also mentioned the nationalities being united by one interest. Is this naivety, sarcasm or a genuine observation?
*Addison also said that countries need to work together to produce certain products. We need other countries in order to survive and make the culture more vibrant. On this note Addison seemed welcoming to trade from other countries.
*’For these reasons, there are not more useful members in a commonwealth then merchants.’ This is perhaps a different view than that of today, we may prioritise MPs etc. This perhaps implies merchants were better respected at this time, unless this view is more specific to Addison.
*’Trade has given us an additional empire.’

Thursday 29 October 2009

The Press: French and American Revolution: John Wilkes

John Wilkes was born in Clerkwell, London on 17th October 1725, died 26th December 1797 and was known for his involvement in politics and radical journalism. 
Wilkes was first elected a Member of Parliament in 1757 and his most prominent political achievements included his involvement in the Middlesex election dispute where he supported the voice of the voters rather than the House of Commons when determining their representatives. In 1771 he was responsible for encouraging the government to agree to the right of printers to publish word for word accounts of parliamentary debates. In 1776 Wilkes brought forward the first Bill for British parliamentary reform. Being seen to be an English radical he was constantly seeking political transformation and in favour of change within the British government. 
During his time in Parliament Wilkes was highly influential on matters concerning the American Revolution and views inspired Dutch politician Joan van der Capellen tot den Pol (1741–1784), a supportive of the American Revolution and Wilkes’ ideals. British people living in American colonies leading up to the revolution followed Wilkes’ career. His views concerning corruption within the British constitution contributed to the initiation of the American Revolution, as colonies began to reject the authority of the British Parliament because they had no representation within it. 
It was Wilkes’ views concerning British Parliament of the time that lead to his radical journalism. In 1762, when John Stuart, Third Earl of Bute, headed the government, Wilkes began to write a weekly publication, The North Briton. In this publication he heavily criticised John Stuart. Wilkes then also progressed to defame George III’s speech concerning the Paris Peace Treaty of 1763. He was critical of the speech because Stuart had written it. Consequently Wilkes  was charged with libel and the King ordered the arrest of Wilkes and his publishers. Forty-nine people were arrested in total, as a result of Wilkes’ radical journalism. 
Another notable contribution Wilkes made to journalism was the protection of the freedom of the press. In 1774 he became Lord Mayor of London and, as before mentioned, he persuaded the government to allow the press to report verbatim accounts of debates within parliament, including the names of the speakers. He believed that parliament should not have the ability to punish those who published political debate. 
Despite Wilkes’ success regarding his political standing and his journalistic representation, his popularity began to decrease after 1780 and he withdrew from the 1790 Middlesex election due to so little support. The French Revolution in 1789 had caused great divide in Britain and Wilkes had not supported it due to the violence. This view had opposed that of other radicals of the time and was more in keeping with the current conservative figures.  
In his final working years Wilkes served as a magistrate, focussing on campaigning for less severe punishment for disobedient household servants. Wilkes retired from politics at the age of 65. He participated no further in the growth of radicalism in the 1790s.
    
* Sources: http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/PRwilkes.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Wilkes  

Monday 12 October 2009

Media Law and Ethics. Part 2.

Apologies for my delay in writing up the second instalment of the media law lectures, I've been slightly consumed with the world of shorthand!
Tuesday's lecture was concerned with reporting the courts. We have of course all heard of free speech however, certain restrictions are applicable when it comes to court room reporting.
My main point of interest in this lecture lay with identifying when a case becomes 'active,' because this has a large impact on what can or cannot be published in relation to the case. There are somewhat mixed opinions on when a case becomes active. Is it when a suspect is arrested? Or when they are charged? Chris Horrie advised that the case be treated as active as soon as an arrest is made. I suppose it is best to be careful from the outset about what you publish, as we are all fully aware from last weeks lecture, one small mistake could lead to a jail sentence. Once a verdict has been reached on the case, it is no longer active and there is much more freedom on what can be reported and this is when you will find many biased reports working their way into the newspapers. It surprises me that there are not stricter laws regarding post verdict reporting.
Although what can be written before and during a court case must be treated in a somewhat sensitive respect, the public rely on the media and journalists to keep them informed but reporting carries a lot of risk. If a case is not reported in an accurate and fair manner then you could be sued for libel or malice if there is a certain lack of balance in the coverage of a case.
It seems that there are ever increasing restrictions on what is deemed acceptable to be published. I will focus on this in much more detail later this week after the next media law lecture on defamation.

Monday 5 October 2009

Ongoing Fear over Mexico's Drug War

Over the summer I have been following the latest stories on the drug war in Mexico. This war is a result of six main drug cartels all in opposition to become the leader of this somewhat lucrative trade. Mexico is the main transit point for drugs, predominantly cocaine, across to Colombia and heading up to North America and despite further restrictions on border crossing drug trafficking is still one of the major issues affecting Mexico today. Drug traffickers are continually finding new ways of smuggling drugs and are thought to now be using east and west coasts of Canada to import these illegal substances.
A recent report on the BBC News website (see link: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7625195.stm) states that 80% of Mexican citizens believe that President Felipe Calderon, who came to power in December of 2006, should be seeking alternative ways of tackling the problem, as many agreed that drugs were the second most prominent problem in the country after corruption and took precedence over worries about the economy and education. When the BBC's John Simpson interviewed President Calderon, Calderon seemed adamant that the problem was being dealt with and made better and he seemed keen to emphasize that Mexico is not the only country that faces such issues with drugs, although as Simpson pointed out, no country is affected by it on such a grand scale. The interview can be seen via the link below.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7971732.stm

What I find all the more concerning about this current crisis is the new law proposed by President Calderon which actually decriminalises the possession of small amounts of drugs. For example a person found carrying 5 grams (0.18 ounces) of marijuana, 500 milligrams (0.018 ounces) of cocaine and similar quantities of other drugs such as heroin and methamphetamines, will no longer be charged but instead will be recommended to a rehabilitation clinic. The logic behind this is predominantly to free up police time to focus on larger and more pressing drug related cases. A similar proposal was voiced in 2006 but never put into action for fears that it would only increase drug abuse. I must admit, I am currently in two minds about this recent law. I can understand the logic behind it and if it genuinely benefits the country by giving the police more time to focus on the larger cases concerning the drug cartels, then the President has made a good judgement on the situation, however, by legalising small amounts of fatally addictive substances, it almost seems an encouragement. Addicts now know what they are allowed to carry on their person without getting convicted for it. Surely, this will not wean people away from drugs but will instead give them a way to continue their abusive habits. I will be very interested to see how this affects the drug war over time and whether there will really be any impact, or if it will instead cause a further deterioration.
This year it is thought that there have already been around 3,000 deaths due to drug related violence. This is a shocking rise from last year, in which 2,700 people were killed in the whole of the year. There are fears that the figures will continue to rise unless something new is done to stop this increasingly violent war.
I think this will be an ongoing problem for Mexico, especially as corruption within the authorities has played a huge part, with many police and border control officers having been found to have been helping drug traffickers. President Calderon needs to make this his main focus in aiding and reassuring his country that their way of life will be improved.
I will continue to research this story and keep up to date with any recent developments.

Wednesday 30 September 2009

Civvies vs. Squaddies

Is the reputation we appear have given squaddies really justified?
Last Thursday night I went to visit a girlfriend of mine living in Southampton. As a second year University student, she of course planned to take me out to a few clubs and have a drink or two. It was at one of these clubs that I met Dave, a thirty eight year divorcee serving his last two years in the army. Now admittedly I usually do my best to avoid these army types, for the inescapable reason that they have earned themselves quite a reputation regarding their conduct on a night out, however, Dave appeared to be able to talk without mindless sexually fuelled banter. He genuinely wanted my friend and I to understand his opinion on army life and realise how it affects those who join the army as a full time career.
He began by telling us how his daughter, who is sixteen, has joined the army and has a hard four years minimum training ahead of her; he proceeded to show us a few pictures he had of her on his phone. I couldn’t help but ask him if his was proud of her for joining and whether he felt he had consciously influenced this decision. He told me that he was immensely proud of her, if a little scared and he didn’t hesitate in telling me that yes, he had influenced his daughter’s choice in joining the army. He was adamant that life in the army was better than ‘civvie’ life by far. He said that particularly in the last six years the army have made sure that they really take care of those who work for them and will even provide support for those wishing to look into an alternative career after their army years are over. Dave told me he wanted to be a diving instructor when his last two years in the army were up, and he convinced me that the army would help him to achieve this. I pointed out that of course in the past there have been so many stories of ex- soldiers left high and dry by the army but he reassured me that a lot has changed since then and the army as an organisation on the whole, recognise with much greater respect the dedication that these men and women have given. I must admit, however, I am still a little dubious about the treatment of these people whilst under army regime.
I then decided to approach him on the subject of the ‘army boys’ reputation with us civilians, particularly with the focus on the young twenty something and younger squaddies when they’re let loose on a night out! I explained to him younger squaddies had got themselves an image of being sex crazed and more than a little lary. He said he was fully aware of this but seemed to be concerned that people were being too judgemental. He explained to me that many of these young men had probably seen and experienced things that civilians simply couldn’t begin to imagine and they live a completely different lifestyle to us for most of the year. He asked me if it was wrong that they wanted a distraction from this when they were home and a taste of normality. I can obviously understand this, especially as a girl who likes to have a good time herself, however, I cannot comprehend those who take the ‘distraction’ too far. The amount of stories ending in serious allegations against squaddies is somewhat unavoidable and I think we’ve all heard a rumour or two about what can go on if the lads take a couple of girls back to their army barracks. I approached this with Dave but he didn’t seem to have a lot to say about it all, I suppose he wasn’t there to defend the actions of those who had done wrong, however he was keen for me to understand that not all men in the army are like that and he let slip that the older males in the army seldom have issue with putting ‘cocky new boys’ in their place by any means. I explained that I could not tolerate unnecessary violence but he seemed to believe that a quick beating during army training to 'sort someone out' wouldn’t do any harm compared to what they would have to face somewhere like Afghanistan or Iraq. I see his point in a warped means of perspective but I’m still convinced there are other, better, ways to show someone their place.
We continued to talk and I must say I was genuinely interested in what he had to say. I admitted to him that I am probably oblivious to a lot of what goes on in the army but I did not want this to be misconstrued as ignorance. He did not seem offended by this admission but said that he believed that this was the case with most people. This he predominantly blamed on the media. But on this topic he somewhat contradicted himself. He blamed the media for lack of relevant coverage on the army but then also stated that he believed the media should not disclose too much information to the public and most army related stories or threats should only be revealed on a strictly need to know basis. Unfortunately I did not think to question him on these opposing views, however I did think to ask his opinion on the media coverage of deaths within the army and whether he thought we, the public, were becoming somewhat desensitised to such stories. He replied by saying that whenever he heard about a death within the army it still really affected him, he described it as: 'losing another brother every time.' He felt there was not enough serious media coverage to honour these deaths and if something gossip worthy has happened in the celebrity world then this would take precedence on the front page. I must say I totally agree with this.
What really stuck with me about this conversation was Dave’s unfaltering belief that what the army is doing is truly saving our country. He thought that without the efforts they put in, our county would be in the gutter by now. This surprised me, not because I disagreed but because I have never met someone in the army who is so passionate about it, who has so much belief in its system. This was a first for me, a pleasant first. I’m not certain my opinion has completely changed on the whole, however I am certainly prepared to drop this stereotype I have been keeping with me and prepare myself to be a little more lenient at least.
To conclude, I do not think that a label should be put on all of those in the army, a career does not define a person. I will still go as far to say that younger squaddies have got themselves a bit of a reputation but one person’s actions do not characterize another’s.

Media Law

Media Law... Admittedly not something I would have perhaps chosen to study within a journalism course, which sounds like a stupid comment to make but when I chose to study journalism I just assumed my writing style would be refined, I'd learn a few vital reporting skills and away I'd go- every newspaper in the country would want me. WRONG!
There's a lot to be aware of when it comes to writing for the media, one slip up and you could go to jail, which personally is not something I would like to achieve in my future journalistic career. The thought of being sued for libel or malice does very little to thrill me. That's what these lessons are here for, to keep me out of jail, to educate me on the British Legal system and hopefully help me on my way into my chosen career path.
McNae's Essential Law for Journalists is just that, essential. It looks a little intimidating but everything I need to know (along with any other budding journalist) is in there from Freedom of Expression to Protection of Sources.
I am going to remain positive that these lessons will help to keep me out of any trouble, apparently no student at Winchester University has been arrested yet and I feel no obligation to break this record.