Saturday 30 October 2010
Halloween Trends 2010
Halloween is the perfect excuse for fancy dress. Whether you opt for scary or sexy, a good costume is essential this year.
Being a student means that you may not be able to afford a new costume every year but there is nothing wrong with recycling that devil outfit from five years ago, providing it still fits.
Make your fancy dress look more individual this year and harness your artistic talents by checking out fabric shops for quirky add ons to your outfit. A spider web print can make the perfect witches cape.
If you are going all out this year, check out your local fancy dress shop, for inspiration if nothing else. With everything from angels to zombies, there are plenty of imaginative options to go for.
Not so keen on dressing up? A plain white t-shirt, a pair of scissors and some fake blood provide a scary look that is not too extreme or expensive. If that still sounds like too much, opt for a simple mask and your Halloween look is sussed in one simple step.
Halloween always brings with it the old favourites as well as the newer sought after costumes. Comic book characters are still popular but dressing as a celebrity or film star is certainly a rising Halloween trend.
Thursday 21 October 2010
WINOL Features. Student Survival Review
The above is my second features project, put together by myself and Justina Chlad. The idea was based around the typical Channel 4 documentaries, where presenters take on a challenge in one form or another and record how they get on.
As the feature was to be aimed at students we picked a topic which most students could relate to. Money. We researched the maximum amount of money a student could receive through a grant or loan and how much they were expected to live off per week. After surveying students on campus, it was decided that Justina would try and live off a minimum food budget of just £20 a week.
We both planned out how we wanted it to be filmed, predominantly with the use of video diaries. The filming took place over the course of a week and we thought we had enough good footage to make a good ten minute feature.
Unfortunately when it came to editing it was clear to see all the errors we had made. The sound for one was barely audible and was extremely difficult to edit. A lot of the footage we filmed was too long and we did not cut it down enough, so many scenes are drawn out and a little boring.
I still think the idea is fantastic but the execution is lacking. Justina and I plan to re-do the feature before the end of term and make it far more presentable and professional. So keep your eyes peeled for a top notch feature coming soon!
Thus Spoke Zarathustra- Friedrich Nietzsche
Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche was born 15th October 1844 in the small town of Rocken, and died 25th August 1900. Nietzsche was a highly influential philosopher, particularly within post modernism (a rejection of many ideas with philosophical modernism, such as humanity) and existentialism (the belief that philosophical thought should be to deal with the conditions of the existence of the individual person and their emotions, actions, responsibilities, and thoughts).
Nietzsche’s key ideas included the death of God, perspectivism (the idea that there are many perspectives in which the judgement of what is true can be made), Ubermensch (dealt with in ‘Thus Spoke Zarathustra’), eternal recurrence (the idea that the universe has and will continue to recur) and will to power (humanity’s main focus- ambition and the aim to achieve the highest position).
Thus Spoke Zarathustra was written in four parts between 1883 and 1885. The introduction to the book is written by Nietzsche’s sister and it is explained that Zarathustra is the history of Nietzsche’s most individual experiences, ‘his friendships, ideals, raptures, bitterest disappointments and sorrows.’ The book also showcases Nietzsche’s greatest hopes and remotest aims. Zarathustra was the ‘haunter of (Nietzsche’s) dreams.’
Zarathustra’s Prologue
The book itself begins with Zarathustra, leaving his cave within the mountains in which he had lived for the past ten years. He claimed to have grown weary of his wisdom and wanted to share it with someone. ‘...like a bee that has too gathered too much honey; I need hands outstretched to take it..’
On his descent from the mountain Zarathustra meets a saint, who warns him of mankind’s imperfections and implores him to give nothing to them and to love God instead. Upon leaving the saint Zarathustra exclaims to himself ‘Could it be possible! This old saint has not yet heard in the forest that God is dead!’ Nietzsche’s first exclamation of the death of God was written in The Gay Science. Nietzsche is not denying the existence of God but he is asserting that God is no longer a strong enough belief to give meaning to people’s lives.
When Zarathustra reaches the nearest town he begins his first lesson. ‘I teach you the Superman. Man is something that should be overcome.’ He speaks of the Superman becoming the meaning of the earth, and to blaspheme the earth would be the greatest of offences. The people of the town do not appear to understand Zarathustra and have little interest in the overman, instead they laugh. Zarathustra is puzzled by their lack of comprehension and questions what makes them so proud. ‘What is it called that makes them proud? They call it culture, it distinguishes them from the goatherds.’
Zarathustra then speaks to the people of the town about the Ultimate Man- the most contemptible man. Again, the townspeople do not understand this and merely state that they are happy. Whilst Zarathustra is preaching a tightrope walker begins a performance but falls from his tightrope next to Zarathustra. He too is sceptical, but Zarathustra assures him that the ideas of heaven and hell are not real. ‘You have made danger your calling, there is nothing in that to despise, now you perish through your calling: so I will bury you with my own hands.’ The tightrope walker appears reassured and gestures to Zarathustra with his hand as if to shake it.
As Zarathustra walks to bury the tightrope walker he is met with laughter and the knowledge that the people of the town resent him and wish for him to live. He comes to the conclusion that he must no longer preach to the masses but instead seek out those of a similar mind to join him.
Part One: Zarathustra’s Discourses
Chapters one to ten of part one contain a series of teachings from Zarathustra.
Of The Three Metamorphoses: Zarathustra speaks of the metamorphoses of the spirit in three parts. The spirit becomes a camel, the camel a lion and the lion a child. This can be related to the idea of the superman/ the overman and the struggle to develop into the highest possible being, until the last stage has been reached and the struggle is replaced by innocence.
Throughout the other preaching’s it is evident that Nietzsche favours struggle and hardship, likening it to war or to climbing a mountain. ‘He who climbs the highest mountains laughs at all tragedies, real or imaginary.’ There are many things to overcome before a person can become the overman/superman.
Nietzsche also asserts that Christianity’s belief in heaven and hell is a rejection of the body, and the need for relief in the afterlife. (The Despisers of the Body.)
On Chastity: Nietzsche sees the pursuit of sex as counter-productive and something which could eventually corrupt the spirit. ‘Is it not better to fall into the hands of a murderer than into the dreams of a lustful woman?’
Many of the chapters and teachings in part one relate to distractions in becoming the overman. Love and marriage are distractions, women are a distraction, sex is a distraction and so on. It appears that Nietzsche favours solitude and personal hardship, his last lesson he preaches to the town, he encourages people to find their own paths and not simply follow his. Each must face their own journey to become overmen.
‘All gods are dead: now we want the superman to live- let this be our last will one day at the great noontide.’
Part Two
‘-and only when you have denied me will I return to you. Truly with other eyes, my brothers, I shall then seek my lost ones; with another love I shall then love you.’
In part two, Zarathustra returns to his cave in the mountains. In a dream he sees a devil and realises that his enemies are distorting the meaning of his teaching. He resolves to return to the people and continue to share his ‘old, wild wisdom.’
Part two of the book also has the key theme of will to power. Will to power is the belief that all life strives for power in one form or another. This encompasses both physical and mental power. True power can only be achieved by self-overcoming, which is a fundamental drive. Power can be sought from everything and freedom gained from it.
‘Everything is empty, everything is one, everything is past.’ (The Prophet) Zarathustra dreams he is a night-watchman, watching over coffins in a castle. The coffins burst open and laughter sounds. One of Zarathustra’s disciples interprets the dream as Zarathustra being a saviour who will awaken humanity from its emptiness and sadness. In many ways these references appear biblical, especially referring to saviours and disciples.
At the end of part two, Zarathustra again returns to his cave in solitude. ‘O Zarathustra, your fruits are ripe but you are not ripe for your fruits.’
Part Three
Zarathustra’s return to the mountains was predominantly to discover eternal recurrence. Courage is key in helping to confront eternal recurrence. Everything is infinite and every moment in life has already happened and will continue to happen. Zarathustra also states that courage destroys pity, which, to man, is the ‘deepest abyss.’ It also destroys death, saying ‘Was that life? Well then! Once more!’
Zarathustra expects the realisation of eternal recurrence to bring him pain but he is still filled with happiness. ‘Away with you blissful hour! With you there came to me an involuntary bliss! I stand here ready for my deepest pain- you came out of season.’
‘Happiness runs after me. That is because I do not run after women. Happiness, however, is a woman.’
It may seem a happy thought that all our best moments are repeated infinitely but we must also face the fact that all our worst moments will recur in the same way too. There is a balance between them both. Zarathustra cannot come to terms with this as it means that humanity, in its mediocre state, will never fully be overcome.
Although Nietzsche was an atheist, he does praise Jesus as being the creator of a new way of seeing, respecting Jesus as a man rather than a religious icon. Again this relates to will to power and courage to overcome.
Nietzsche also appears to praise evil at various points throughout the book. What makes something evil is dependent on a moral viewpoint and it is something to overcome as part of constant change.
Part Four
In part four of the book, Zarathustra waits in the mountains for people to come to him. Here he is asked to confront his final sin- pity. This was previously described in the book as a man’s deepest abyss. Zarathustra thinks he can hear the higher man calling out to him in despair and goes in search of him. On his journey he encounters various people: two kings, a man in a swamp, a magician, a pope, ‘the ugliest man,’ a beggar and his own shadow. Each of these encounters is an element of becoming the overman- Zarathustra’s ultimate goal, it is also each person Zarathustra meets with is an aspect of Nietzsche’s personality
The kings represent those who wish to worship a higher man rather than become one themselves.
The man in the swamp represents Nietzsche’s idea of the ideal philosopher.
The magician represents philosophy itself.
The ugliest man represents the resentment and overcoming of pity. God exposed all that was to be pitied about the man, therefore the ugliest man rejected God.
The beggar represents the need to learn and continually absorb knowledge.
Zarathustra’s shadow is representative of searching, but following someone else’s search rather than its own.
Zarathustra knows that none of the men in his cave can become overmen because they still hold too many of their old values and old resentments, for example the pope is still weighed down by his love for God. Zarathustra tells his companions to steer clear of the absolute- God, truth, morality.
Nietzsche also shows self doubt in part four of the book, as he questions whether his happiness and laughter are as a result of him only dealing with light-hearted issues. ‘...in all my efforts to free myself from dogmatism and absolutism, I've freed myself from everything substantial. Like a fool or a poet, perhaps I deal only with frivolous and pleasing subjects, and that's why I laugh.’
In the final chapter of the book, Zarathustra states ‘Very well! The lion has come, my children are near, Zarathustra has become ripe, my hour has come.’ This is referring to the lion in book one, the metamorphoses of the spirit. Zarathustra is on his way to becoming the superman/overman.
General points on Thus Spoke Zarathustra
Zarathustra is a man who praises laughter and can laugh at himself. He is critical of mass movements such as Christianity. It is easier to speak out to individuals rather than the masses. Zarathustra praises evil as it can get rid of older moralities, such as God, and replaces them with something new.
The overman is one who is free from prejudices and morality. The overman is the creator of his own value, which is the ultimate goal of humanity.
Eternal recurrence and will to power are also key concepts in overcoming man and becoming the overman.
Nietzsche’s key ideas included the death of God, perspectivism (the idea that there are many perspectives in which the judgement of what is true can be made), Ubermensch (dealt with in ‘Thus Spoke Zarathustra’), eternal recurrence (the idea that the universe has and will continue to recur) and will to power (humanity’s main focus- ambition and the aim to achieve the highest position).
Thus Spoke Zarathustra was written in four parts between 1883 and 1885. The introduction to the book is written by Nietzsche’s sister and it is explained that Zarathustra is the history of Nietzsche’s most individual experiences, ‘his friendships, ideals, raptures, bitterest disappointments and sorrows.’ The book also showcases Nietzsche’s greatest hopes and remotest aims. Zarathustra was the ‘haunter of (Nietzsche’s) dreams.’
Zarathustra’s Prologue
The book itself begins with Zarathustra, leaving his cave within the mountains in which he had lived for the past ten years. He claimed to have grown weary of his wisdom and wanted to share it with someone. ‘...like a bee that has too gathered too much honey; I need hands outstretched to take it..’
On his descent from the mountain Zarathustra meets a saint, who warns him of mankind’s imperfections and implores him to give nothing to them and to love God instead. Upon leaving the saint Zarathustra exclaims to himself ‘Could it be possible! This old saint has not yet heard in the forest that God is dead!’ Nietzsche’s first exclamation of the death of God was written in The Gay Science. Nietzsche is not denying the existence of God but he is asserting that God is no longer a strong enough belief to give meaning to people’s lives.
When Zarathustra reaches the nearest town he begins his first lesson. ‘I teach you the Superman. Man is something that should be overcome.’ He speaks of the Superman becoming the meaning of the earth, and to blaspheme the earth would be the greatest of offences. The people of the town do not appear to understand Zarathustra and have little interest in the overman, instead they laugh. Zarathustra is puzzled by their lack of comprehension and questions what makes them so proud. ‘What is it called that makes them proud? They call it culture, it distinguishes them from the goatherds.’
Zarathustra then speaks to the people of the town about the Ultimate Man- the most contemptible man. Again, the townspeople do not understand this and merely state that they are happy. Whilst Zarathustra is preaching a tightrope walker begins a performance but falls from his tightrope next to Zarathustra. He too is sceptical, but Zarathustra assures him that the ideas of heaven and hell are not real. ‘You have made danger your calling, there is nothing in that to despise, now you perish through your calling: so I will bury you with my own hands.’ The tightrope walker appears reassured and gestures to Zarathustra with his hand as if to shake it.
As Zarathustra walks to bury the tightrope walker he is met with laughter and the knowledge that the people of the town resent him and wish for him to live. He comes to the conclusion that he must no longer preach to the masses but instead seek out those of a similar mind to join him.
Part One: Zarathustra’s Discourses
Chapters one to ten of part one contain a series of teachings from Zarathustra.
Of The Three Metamorphoses: Zarathustra speaks of the metamorphoses of the spirit in three parts. The spirit becomes a camel, the camel a lion and the lion a child. This can be related to the idea of the superman/ the overman and the struggle to develop into the highest possible being, until the last stage has been reached and the struggle is replaced by innocence.
Throughout the other preaching’s it is evident that Nietzsche favours struggle and hardship, likening it to war or to climbing a mountain. ‘He who climbs the highest mountains laughs at all tragedies, real or imaginary.’ There are many things to overcome before a person can become the overman/superman.
Nietzsche also asserts that Christianity’s belief in heaven and hell is a rejection of the body, and the need for relief in the afterlife. (The Despisers of the Body.)
On Chastity: Nietzsche sees the pursuit of sex as counter-productive and something which could eventually corrupt the spirit. ‘Is it not better to fall into the hands of a murderer than into the dreams of a lustful woman?’
Many of the chapters and teachings in part one relate to distractions in becoming the overman. Love and marriage are distractions, women are a distraction, sex is a distraction and so on. It appears that Nietzsche favours solitude and personal hardship, his last lesson he preaches to the town, he encourages people to find their own paths and not simply follow his. Each must face their own journey to become overmen.
‘All gods are dead: now we want the superman to live- let this be our last will one day at the great noontide.’
Part Two
‘-and only when you have denied me will I return to you. Truly with other eyes, my brothers, I shall then seek my lost ones; with another love I shall then love you.’
In part two, Zarathustra returns to his cave in the mountains. In a dream he sees a devil and realises that his enemies are distorting the meaning of his teaching. He resolves to return to the people and continue to share his ‘old, wild wisdom.’
Part two of the book also has the key theme of will to power. Will to power is the belief that all life strives for power in one form or another. This encompasses both physical and mental power. True power can only be achieved by self-overcoming, which is a fundamental drive. Power can be sought from everything and freedom gained from it.
‘Everything is empty, everything is one, everything is past.’ (The Prophet) Zarathustra dreams he is a night-watchman, watching over coffins in a castle. The coffins burst open and laughter sounds. One of Zarathustra’s disciples interprets the dream as Zarathustra being a saviour who will awaken humanity from its emptiness and sadness. In many ways these references appear biblical, especially referring to saviours and disciples.
At the end of part two, Zarathustra again returns to his cave in solitude. ‘O Zarathustra, your fruits are ripe but you are not ripe for your fruits.’
Part Three
Zarathustra’s return to the mountains was predominantly to discover eternal recurrence. Courage is key in helping to confront eternal recurrence. Everything is infinite and every moment in life has already happened and will continue to happen. Zarathustra also states that courage destroys pity, which, to man, is the ‘deepest abyss.’ It also destroys death, saying ‘Was that life? Well then! Once more!’
Zarathustra expects the realisation of eternal recurrence to bring him pain but he is still filled with happiness. ‘Away with you blissful hour! With you there came to me an involuntary bliss! I stand here ready for my deepest pain- you came out of season.’
‘Happiness runs after me. That is because I do not run after women. Happiness, however, is a woman.’
It may seem a happy thought that all our best moments are repeated infinitely but we must also face the fact that all our worst moments will recur in the same way too. There is a balance between them both. Zarathustra cannot come to terms with this as it means that humanity, in its mediocre state, will never fully be overcome.
Although Nietzsche was an atheist, he does praise Jesus as being the creator of a new way of seeing, respecting Jesus as a man rather than a religious icon. Again this relates to will to power and courage to overcome.
Nietzsche also appears to praise evil at various points throughout the book. What makes something evil is dependent on a moral viewpoint and it is something to overcome as part of constant change.
Part Four
In part four of the book, Zarathustra waits in the mountains for people to come to him. Here he is asked to confront his final sin- pity. This was previously described in the book as a man’s deepest abyss. Zarathustra thinks he can hear the higher man calling out to him in despair and goes in search of him. On his journey he encounters various people: two kings, a man in a swamp, a magician, a pope, ‘the ugliest man,’ a beggar and his own shadow. Each of these encounters is an element of becoming the overman- Zarathustra’s ultimate goal, it is also each person Zarathustra meets with is an aspect of Nietzsche’s personality
The kings represent those who wish to worship a higher man rather than become one themselves.
The man in the swamp represents Nietzsche’s idea of the ideal philosopher.
The magician represents philosophy itself.
The ugliest man represents the resentment and overcoming of pity. God exposed all that was to be pitied about the man, therefore the ugliest man rejected God.
The beggar represents the need to learn and continually absorb knowledge.
Zarathustra’s shadow is representative of searching, but following someone else’s search rather than its own.
Zarathustra knows that none of the men in his cave can become overmen because they still hold too many of their old values and old resentments, for example the pope is still weighed down by his love for God. Zarathustra tells his companions to steer clear of the absolute- God, truth, morality.
Nietzsche also shows self doubt in part four of the book, as he questions whether his happiness and laughter are as a result of him only dealing with light-hearted issues. ‘...in all my efforts to free myself from dogmatism and absolutism, I've freed myself from everything substantial. Like a fool or a poet, perhaps I deal only with frivolous and pleasing subjects, and that's why I laugh.’
In the final chapter of the book, Zarathustra states ‘Very well! The lion has come, my children are near, Zarathustra has become ripe, my hour has come.’ This is referring to the lion in book one, the metamorphoses of the spirit. Zarathustra is on his way to becoming the superman/overman.
General points on Thus Spoke Zarathustra
Zarathustra is a man who praises laughter and can laugh at himself. He is critical of mass movements such as Christianity. It is easier to speak out to individuals rather than the masses. Zarathustra praises evil as it can get rid of older moralities, such as God, and replaces them with something new.
The overman is one who is free from prejudices and morality. The overman is the creator of his own value, which is the ultimate goal of humanity.
Eternal recurrence and will to power are also key concepts in overcoming man and becoming the overman.
Friday 8 October 2010
HCJ Seminar One, Year Two. Tabloid Nation- Chris Horrie.
Alfred Harmsworth, later to be known as Lord Northcliffe, was born in 1865 in Chapelizod, outside Dublin. Harmsworth's father was a semi-successful barrister, who was partial to a drink. His mother was very intelligent and Harmsworth worshipped her. He wrote to her almost every day and even named some of his important offices after her.
Harmsworth was not particularly academic; he was educated in a public school but left early and began working on an illustrated magazine for boys. He then went on to become a reporter for The Illustrated London News, a successful weekly picture magazine.
Aged 21, Harmsworth was appointed editor of Bicycling News, a magazine of mass circulation but his big break came when he stole some paper and using presses from Bicycling News, created his own publication. The publication was titled Answers to Correspondents on Every Subject Under the Sun, which was similar to an existing magazine called Tit Bits.
Harmsworth increased the circulation of his new magazine by coming up with clever ideas for competitions and giveaways. Many of these were simply impossible to win, for example winning £1 a week for life if the reader could guess the exact amount of money in the Bank of England. This attracted 700,000 entries, sky rocketing circulation.
Harmsworth's first national paper was the Daily Mail, which was launched in May 1896, with the slogan 'A penny paper for half a penny.' Harmsworth decided no article in the paper should be more than 250 words and the writing was to be aimed at a new audience; Boarding School students being a main part of that new audience. ''They have no interest in society, but want anything which is interesting and sufficiently simple.''
The Daily Mail sold 397, 215 on its launch. Harmsworth later introduced a women’s section into the paper, the first of its kind in national papers. This idea proved to be a success so Harmsworth introduced a paper just for women, the Daily Mirror.
Harmsworth hired Kennedy Jones to be in charge of the Mirror, Jones had previously worked on William Randolph Hearst's Journal.
The launch of the Daily Mirror cost £100,000. The paper was extremely well advertised; Harmsworth claimed anyone who did not know about it must be ''deaf, dumb, blind or all three.''
On Sunday November 2nd 1903 the first edition of the Mirror was published but sales rapidly declined after the launch and the paper began losing £3000 a week, ruining the profit from the Daily Mail. This loss of profit had the potential to ruin Harmsworth and his business.
Hamilton Fyfe, the editor of the Morning Advertiser was on the verge of being fired. The Mirror was a failing idea and Harmsworth claimed this was due to the fact that women 'cannot write and do not want to read.' In an effort to save the paper, Harmsworth hired Fyfe as editor of the Mirror. He was to get rid of all the female journalists and Harmsworth's cousin. Over one weekend the office was transformed from 'a women's boudoir' to a masculine place of 'pipe smoke and cynical laughter.'
Fyfe had no issue with getting rid of the female journalists, all except for Mary Howarth, who was the first female editor of a national paper in modern times. Fyfe described the whole experience 'like drowning kittens.'
Hannen Swaffer was one of the journalists hired to transform the Mirror and in 1904 the paper transformed to 'The Illustrated Daily Mirror.' The illustrations pushed sales from 25,000 to almost one million within a few years.
The first edition of the re-launch contained pictures of King Edward VII and his family which trebled the circulation. This was followed up by pictures of actresses, sportsmen, babies and animals. The new Mirror aimed to 'provide customers with something to look at on their journey to work, to occupy their minds and prevent them from thinking.'
On the newspapers first anniversary it was selling 290,000 copies and was once again called the Mirror. In 1907 Fyfe left the paper and was replaced by Alexander Kenealy, who had also work for William Randolph Hearst's Journal. Kenealy did the writing while Swaffer took care of the pictures. Swaffer was willing to pay big money for any pictures depicting accidents, disasters, crime, royalty or sporting heroes.
Swaffer's approach to photography was revolutionary; he encouraged reporters to get into dangerous situations for action shots. The greatest scoop for the paper was a picture of the King on his death bed. The day after the funeral, the picture was republished and sales reached 2,013,000.
Swaffer and Harmsworth’s relationship did not improve and Swaffer eventually sacked himself and joined the rival paper the Daily Sketch. He was eventually sued for libel and his career ended.
In the 1930s Swaffer claimed to be the most famous and successful journalist and his work became increasingly more left wing. He was given the nickname 'the Pope of Fleet Street,' but he was forgotten by the 1970s.
In 1905 Harmsworth became Lord Northcliffe after donating and giving political support to the Liberal Party.
The year of his ennoblement, Northcliffe brought the Sunday Observer, in an effort to gain political influence. Three years later he brought the Times, which was reputably read by the King, Prime Minister and the Archbishop of Canterbury. Northcliffe resolved to turn the Mail into a more serious paper and sell the Mirror. The Mirror was beyond redemption, as it was mainly read by women who did not have the right to vote.
In 1910 Northcliffe began to sever ties with the Mirror and sold his remaining shares four years later at £100,000 to his younger brother, Harold Harmsworth, who then became Lord Rothermere in the same year.
The Mirror began to suffer under Rothermere with 'sudden budget cuts, self defeating economy drives and constant editorial interference.'
The Mirror came out of the war in a strong position, with the highest sales of any daily paper, predominantly due to photojournalism. Over the next twenty years national newspaper sales doubled from five million to ten million.
In 1922, Rothermere inherited the Mail and began to neglect the Mirror. In June 1922 Northcliffe had fallen into a state of psychotic paranoia and died later that year.
Rothermere began to move towards extreme right wing political views and in 1929 he joined Lord Beaverbrook to launch the United Party. In 1931 Rothermere moved towards extreme fascism.
By 1934 the fascist movement came to rise and both the Mirror and the Mail supported it. Rothermere was an admirer of Hitler, referring to him as a 'perfect gentleman.'
Rothermere died in 1940 and his last words were 'there is nothing more I can do to help my country now.'
Harry Guy Bartholomew, former apprentice of Swaffer had taken over the Mirror in 1934, it was rumoured he was Northcliffe's illegitimate son.
Cecil Harmsworth King, Northcliffe's cousin and Rothermere formed an alliance to become the new lords of Fleet Street; they created the biggest selling paper in the world.
Harmsworth was not particularly academic; he was educated in a public school but left early and began working on an illustrated magazine for boys. He then went on to become a reporter for The Illustrated London News, a successful weekly picture magazine.
Aged 21, Harmsworth was appointed editor of Bicycling News, a magazine of mass circulation but his big break came when he stole some paper and using presses from Bicycling News, created his own publication. The publication was titled Answers to Correspondents on Every Subject Under the Sun, which was similar to an existing magazine called Tit Bits.
Harmsworth increased the circulation of his new magazine by coming up with clever ideas for competitions and giveaways. Many of these were simply impossible to win, for example winning £1 a week for life if the reader could guess the exact amount of money in the Bank of England. This attracted 700,000 entries, sky rocketing circulation.
Harmsworth's first national paper was the Daily Mail, which was launched in May 1896, with the slogan 'A penny paper for half a penny.' Harmsworth decided no article in the paper should be more than 250 words and the writing was to be aimed at a new audience; Boarding School students being a main part of that new audience. ''They have no interest in society, but want anything which is interesting and sufficiently simple.''
The Daily Mail sold 397, 215 on its launch. Harmsworth later introduced a women’s section into the paper, the first of its kind in national papers. This idea proved to be a success so Harmsworth introduced a paper just for women, the Daily Mirror.
Harmsworth hired Kennedy Jones to be in charge of the Mirror, Jones had previously worked on William Randolph Hearst's Journal.
The launch of the Daily Mirror cost £100,000. The paper was extremely well advertised; Harmsworth claimed anyone who did not know about it must be ''deaf, dumb, blind or all three.''
On Sunday November 2nd 1903 the first edition of the Mirror was published but sales rapidly declined after the launch and the paper began losing £3000 a week, ruining the profit from the Daily Mail. This loss of profit had the potential to ruin Harmsworth and his business.
Hamilton Fyfe, the editor of the Morning Advertiser was on the verge of being fired. The Mirror was a failing idea and Harmsworth claimed this was due to the fact that women 'cannot write and do not want to read.' In an effort to save the paper, Harmsworth hired Fyfe as editor of the Mirror. He was to get rid of all the female journalists and Harmsworth's cousin. Over one weekend the office was transformed from 'a women's boudoir' to a masculine place of 'pipe smoke and cynical laughter.'
Fyfe had no issue with getting rid of the female journalists, all except for Mary Howarth, who was the first female editor of a national paper in modern times. Fyfe described the whole experience 'like drowning kittens.'
Hannen Swaffer was one of the journalists hired to transform the Mirror and in 1904 the paper transformed to 'The Illustrated Daily Mirror.' The illustrations pushed sales from 25,000 to almost one million within a few years.
The first edition of the re-launch contained pictures of King Edward VII and his family which trebled the circulation. This was followed up by pictures of actresses, sportsmen, babies and animals. The new Mirror aimed to 'provide customers with something to look at on their journey to work, to occupy their minds and prevent them from thinking.'
On the newspapers first anniversary it was selling 290,000 copies and was once again called the Mirror. In 1907 Fyfe left the paper and was replaced by Alexander Kenealy, who had also work for William Randolph Hearst's Journal. Kenealy did the writing while Swaffer took care of the pictures. Swaffer was willing to pay big money for any pictures depicting accidents, disasters, crime, royalty or sporting heroes.
Swaffer's approach to photography was revolutionary; he encouraged reporters to get into dangerous situations for action shots. The greatest scoop for the paper was a picture of the King on his death bed. The day after the funeral, the picture was republished and sales reached 2,013,000.
Swaffer and Harmsworth’s relationship did not improve and Swaffer eventually sacked himself and joined the rival paper the Daily Sketch. He was eventually sued for libel and his career ended.
In the 1930s Swaffer claimed to be the most famous and successful journalist and his work became increasingly more left wing. He was given the nickname 'the Pope of Fleet Street,' but he was forgotten by the 1970s.
In 1905 Harmsworth became Lord Northcliffe after donating and giving political support to the Liberal Party.
The year of his ennoblement, Northcliffe brought the Sunday Observer, in an effort to gain political influence. Three years later he brought the Times, which was reputably read by the King, Prime Minister and the Archbishop of Canterbury. Northcliffe resolved to turn the Mail into a more serious paper and sell the Mirror. The Mirror was beyond redemption, as it was mainly read by women who did not have the right to vote.
In 1910 Northcliffe began to sever ties with the Mirror and sold his remaining shares four years later at £100,000 to his younger brother, Harold Harmsworth, who then became Lord Rothermere in the same year.
The Mirror began to suffer under Rothermere with 'sudden budget cuts, self defeating economy drives and constant editorial interference.'
The Mirror came out of the war in a strong position, with the highest sales of any daily paper, predominantly due to photojournalism. Over the next twenty years national newspaper sales doubled from five million to ten million.
In 1922, Rothermere inherited the Mail and began to neglect the Mirror. In June 1922 Northcliffe had fallen into a state of psychotic paranoia and died later that year.
Rothermere began to move towards extreme right wing political views and in 1929 he joined Lord Beaverbrook to launch the United Party. In 1931 Rothermere moved towards extreme fascism.
By 1934 the fascist movement came to rise and both the Mirror and the Mail supported it. Rothermere was an admirer of Hitler, referring to him as a 'perfect gentleman.'
Rothermere died in 1940 and his last words were 'there is nothing more I can do to help my country now.'
Harry Guy Bartholomew, former apprentice of Swaffer had taken over the Mirror in 1934, it was rumoured he was Northcliffe's illegitimate son.
Cecil Harmsworth King, Northcliffe's cousin and Rothermere formed an alliance to become the new lords of Fleet Street; they created the biggest selling paper in the world.
Wednesday 6 October 2010
Campus Couture- Freshers Flaunt Fashion
Summer is now at an end, so you can pack away your maxidresses and prepare for a new Autumn/Winter wardrobe.
High street brands prove popular among students looking for a cheaper alternative to designer labels. Shops such as Topshop and River Island provide the latest fashions for a cheaper price.
This season showcases a minimal look for girls, with many wearing subtle tones.
Heels are out this season and flat shoes dominate. A good pair of boots is essential for the winter months; Ugg and ankle boots are popular choices for many. This is good news for those of us who have a long walk to uni in the morning!
Topshop's current 'it' item is the aviator jacket, say the experts. Though the jacket is a pricey £90 in stores, it can be bought for as little as £40 on-line from sites such as Boohoo.com, ASOS.com and several others.
Around our very own Winchester University many of you are sporting another runway look, wearing faux fur and woollens to achieve an outdoor image whilst keeping it refined. Fur gilets, hooded scarves which make a statement, and knitwear jumpers are must-have items.
Guys, don't throw geek chic out the window just yet. It's all about a smart, modern look this season, with large coats giving you an excuse to wrap up warm. H&M is ideal for winter warmers, with jackets ranging from around the £15 mark to about £70.
The must-have bag this season is large and structured. This is perfect for students who face the burden of carrying study books; stylish and practical. Though most guys will still opt for something less obvious, the structured bag can be worn by both sexes - win, win, win!
The style scene around campus is arguably inspired by this season's catwalk. Students can now afford the latest fashion trends if they choose, thanks to our favourite affordable brands.
Sunday 3 October 2010
First Week on the WINOL Features Team
After what has seemed to be a never ending summer I am finally back at University, starting my second year as a journalism student.
I am now part of the features team for Winchester News Online. A sense of naivety told me that I would perhaps have a week or so to gather ideas and develop a suitable work ethic. I was wrong. The first day back brought with it my two first features assignments.
Myself and Justina Chlad are currently developing a 'Freshers Fashion' and 'Course Reviews' feature. Over the summer I had completely forgotten how to operate any sort of camera equipment and the thought of using editing software again was daunting to say the least. Thankfully a couple of revision sessions have brought me back up to speed.
The Freshers Fashion feature seems to be taking shape, the editing process will be the most difficult but I have an idea of how I want the piece to look. We have yet to begin filming the course reviews but have managed to arrange interviews with the lecturers we want to speak to and the filming will commence on Monday.
A meeting with the features editor, Veronica Frydel, will hopefully cement our ideas and ensure our first two features projects are successful.
I am now part of the features team for Winchester News Online. A sense of naivety told me that I would perhaps have a week or so to gather ideas and develop a suitable work ethic. I was wrong. The first day back brought with it my two first features assignments.
Myself and Justina Chlad are currently developing a 'Freshers Fashion' and 'Course Reviews' feature. Over the summer I had completely forgotten how to operate any sort of camera equipment and the thought of using editing software again was daunting to say the least. Thankfully a couple of revision sessions have brought me back up to speed.
The Freshers Fashion feature seems to be taking shape, the editing process will be the most difficult but I have an idea of how I want the piece to look. We have yet to begin filming the course reviews but have managed to arrange interviews with the lecturers we want to speak to and the filming will commence on Monday.
A meeting with the features editor, Veronica Frydel, will hopefully cement our ideas and ensure our first two features projects are successful.
Saturday 2 October 2010
HCJ Lecture One, Year Two. William Randolph Hearst.
America Transformed
The Gold Rush in the 1840s- 1850s transformed Western America, with thousands heading West hoping to get their share of gold. The discovery of gold in California coincided with European immigration. Millions of people left Europe to flee to the US, influenced by factors such as the Irish famine of the 1840s.
Many Americans justified the expansion in the West as ’Manifest Destiny,’ the right to expand. Many Indian tribes were wiped out during this period.
Frontier thesis: During the time when the West was incorporated into America, it was seen as a blank canvas to be transformed. However, this encouraged violence and individualistic behaviour, cementing what it meant to be American. Behaviours of this time were embedded into the American psyche, especially the idea that the further West one went, the more American one was. California was seen to be the beating heart of the United States.
George Hearst
Father of William Randolph Hearst, George Hearst was born September 3rd 1820. He was one of the thousands of people who travelled to California in 1850 on the promise of gold. He travelled over a thousand miles, allegedly all on foot, with a team of sixteen other men. Hearst was not particularly successful in gold mining and soon turned his attention to running a general store as well as being a miner.
George Hearst was also keen on forming a political career and it is rumoured that in 1880 he won the San Francisco Examiner in a poker game, although the more official story is that he brought it believing it could become a profitable enterprise.
Early American newspapers, also know as the ‘Penny Papers,’ were of two types; political and commercial. Political papers were predominantly seen as propaganda.
In 1846 New York newspapers organised the Associated Press- they needed to be objective because they supplied content for a variety of papers with widely different political allegiance.
William Randolph Hearst
In 1887 William Randolph Hearst, son of George Hearst, took over the San Francisco Examiner and transformed it. The front page of The Examiner was previously filled with dozens of stories, making it look like a wall of text. Hearst, being a collector of fine European art, had an understanding of aesthetics and applied it to the newspaper.
Hearst became obsessed with the front page of his newspaper, he reduced the stories, doubled the size of the headlines and eliminated advertisements. Above the masthead he put endorsements and circulation figures.
Hearst also included illustrations, believing they ‘attract the eye and stimulate the imagination of the lower classes and materially aid comprehension.’
The writing in the papers itself was also improved to become more focussed and urgent, with the Examiner printing eye catching headlines such as; ‘BUTCHERED AS THEY RAN.’ Hearst knew what people wanted to read.
New York
New York was a fast developing city and this growth was fuelled by a number of factors:
1. Cheap labour
2. Urban concentration
3. Very low commodity prices, especially food
4. Capital accumulation
5. Vast infrastructure investment, e.g: railways
Cheap labour was probably the most important contributing factor to New York’s rapid growth, as so many people were willing to work for very little pay.
The Yellow Kid
In 1896 Hearst brought the New York Morning Journal and poached the Yellow Kid from Joseph Pulitzer, owner and publisher of the New York World. Pulitzer tried to stay in the game and hired another cartoonist to produce the Yellow Kid for his paper, so for a time there were two New York newspapers with the same cartoon. As copyright laws were weak at this time, there was no legal battle over the ownership of the Yellow Kid and the papers soon became known as the yellow papers.
It was a popular cartoon with the working class due to the language used and the lack of empathy with the upper class. The Yellow Kid character and his friends were all clearly immigrants, spanning from Ireland, China, Europe and Africa.
The yellow press is equivalent to today’s red top papers like The Sun and The Mirror.
Crime
The New York Morning Journal and the New York World were constantly going head to head and even battled to solve crime. In one case, a body washed ashore on New York’s East River. The Journal offered a $1,000 reward for any clues to the identity of the body and the cause of death. The Journal were successful in gathering information and an arrest was made. The Journal’s headline read; ‘MURDER MYSTERY SOLVED BY THE JOURNAL.’
Crime captivated the interest of readers and gained a higher circulation for papers.
Spanish War- Boom Time!
The Spanish-American War began in 1898 and was a conflict between Spain and America predominantly concerning the liberation of Cuba. Cuba was dominated by Spain and Hearst became a champion for their cause. Both Hearst and Pulitzer saw the potential for headlines and both sent reporters to cover the ongoing feud.
Harding Davis, the reporter for the Journal, complained in a letter to Hearst that he had ‘not heard a shot fired or seen an insurgent.’ Frederic Remington, illustrator for the Journal also complained he was bored and he was adamant there would be no war. Hearst was keen for Remington to stay and said to him; ‘You furnish the pictures and I’ll furnish the war.’ Hearst later denied saying this.
Always on the look out for a big story Hearst helped to rescue the daughter of a Cuban leader. She had supposedly been imprisoned for refusing to sleep with the Captain of a rebel army. Hearst created a petition for her release, getting all the top women in America to sign, including the wife of the president. The Spanish ignored the petition, so Hearst sent a reporter to bribe the prison guards where Cisneros was held captive. Cisneros was successfully brought to America where Hearst housed her in the Waldorf Hotel, creating another winning story for his newspaper.
On February 15th 1898, the main cause of the war finally erupted when USS Maine was sunk in Havana Harbour. Hearst published headlines openly blaming the Spanish, the day after USS Maine sunk the Journal broke the one million circulation mark.
‘HOW DO YOU LIKE THE JOURNAL’S WAR?’
Hearst brought twenty correspondents, twelve yachts, giant hot air balloons, a printing press, the first ever motion picture camera and two girls dressed in sailor suits. This was all funded off the success of his newspaper stories. The war was a huge success for the yellow papers.
Hearst's Influence
William Randolph Hearst created the models for modern and popular tabloid journalism. The style of the yellow papers was later copied in the UK by Northcliffe, Rothermere (Daily Mail and Daily Mirror) and ultimately by Rupert Murdoch (The Sun). It is undeniable that Hearst has directly influenced today’s journalism.
The Gold Rush in the 1840s- 1850s transformed Western America, with thousands heading West hoping to get their share of gold. The discovery of gold in California coincided with European immigration. Millions of people left Europe to flee to the US, influenced by factors such as the Irish famine of the 1840s.
Many Americans justified the expansion in the West as ’Manifest Destiny,’ the right to expand. Many Indian tribes were wiped out during this period.
Frontier thesis: During the time when the West was incorporated into America, it was seen as a blank canvas to be transformed. However, this encouraged violence and individualistic behaviour, cementing what it meant to be American. Behaviours of this time were embedded into the American psyche, especially the idea that the further West one went, the more American one was. California was seen to be the beating heart of the United States.
George Hearst
Father of William Randolph Hearst, George Hearst was born September 3rd 1820. He was one of the thousands of people who travelled to California in 1850 on the promise of gold. He travelled over a thousand miles, allegedly all on foot, with a team of sixteen other men. Hearst was not particularly successful in gold mining and soon turned his attention to running a general store as well as being a miner.
George Hearst was also keen on forming a political career and it is rumoured that in 1880 he won the San Francisco Examiner in a poker game, although the more official story is that he brought it believing it could become a profitable enterprise.
Early American newspapers, also know as the ‘Penny Papers,’ were of two types; political and commercial. Political papers were predominantly seen as propaganda.
In 1846 New York newspapers organised the Associated Press- they needed to be objective because they supplied content for a variety of papers with widely different political allegiance.
William Randolph Hearst
In 1887 William Randolph Hearst, son of George Hearst, took over the San Francisco Examiner and transformed it. The front page of The Examiner was previously filled with dozens of stories, making it look like a wall of text. Hearst, being a collector of fine European art, had an understanding of aesthetics and applied it to the newspaper.
Hearst became obsessed with the front page of his newspaper, he reduced the stories, doubled the size of the headlines and eliminated advertisements. Above the masthead he put endorsements and circulation figures.
Hearst also included illustrations, believing they ‘attract the eye and stimulate the imagination of the lower classes and materially aid comprehension.’
The writing in the papers itself was also improved to become more focussed and urgent, with the Examiner printing eye catching headlines such as; ‘BUTCHERED AS THEY RAN.’ Hearst knew what people wanted to read.
New York
New York was a fast developing city and this growth was fuelled by a number of factors:
1. Cheap labour
2. Urban concentration
3. Very low commodity prices, especially food
4. Capital accumulation
5. Vast infrastructure investment, e.g: railways
Cheap labour was probably the most important contributing factor to New York’s rapid growth, as so many people were willing to work for very little pay.
The Yellow Kid
In 1896 Hearst brought the New York Morning Journal and poached the Yellow Kid from Joseph Pulitzer, owner and publisher of the New York World. Pulitzer tried to stay in the game and hired another cartoonist to produce the Yellow Kid for his paper, so for a time there were two New York newspapers with the same cartoon. As copyright laws were weak at this time, there was no legal battle over the ownership of the Yellow Kid and the papers soon became known as the yellow papers.
It was a popular cartoon with the working class due to the language used and the lack of empathy with the upper class. The Yellow Kid character and his friends were all clearly immigrants, spanning from Ireland, China, Europe and Africa.
The yellow press is equivalent to today’s red top papers like The Sun and The Mirror.
Crime
The New York Morning Journal and the New York World were constantly going head to head and even battled to solve crime. In one case, a body washed ashore on New York’s East River. The Journal offered a $1,000 reward for any clues to the identity of the body and the cause of death. The Journal were successful in gathering information and an arrest was made. The Journal’s headline read; ‘MURDER MYSTERY SOLVED BY THE JOURNAL.’
Crime captivated the interest of readers and gained a higher circulation for papers.
Spanish War- Boom Time!
The Spanish-American War began in 1898 and was a conflict between Spain and America predominantly concerning the liberation of Cuba. Cuba was dominated by Spain and Hearst became a champion for their cause. Both Hearst and Pulitzer saw the potential for headlines and both sent reporters to cover the ongoing feud.
Harding Davis, the reporter for the Journal, complained in a letter to Hearst that he had ‘not heard a shot fired or seen an insurgent.’ Frederic Remington, illustrator for the Journal also complained he was bored and he was adamant there would be no war. Hearst was keen for Remington to stay and said to him; ‘You furnish the pictures and I’ll furnish the war.’ Hearst later denied saying this.
Always on the look out for a big story Hearst helped to rescue the daughter of a Cuban leader. She had supposedly been imprisoned for refusing to sleep with the Captain of a rebel army. Hearst created a petition for her release, getting all the top women in America to sign, including the wife of the president. The Spanish ignored the petition, so Hearst sent a reporter to bribe the prison guards where Cisneros was held captive. Cisneros was successfully brought to America where Hearst housed her in the Waldorf Hotel, creating another winning story for his newspaper.
On February 15th 1898, the main cause of the war finally erupted when USS Maine was sunk in Havana Harbour. Hearst published headlines openly blaming the Spanish, the day after USS Maine sunk the Journal broke the one million circulation mark.
‘HOW DO YOU LIKE THE JOURNAL’S WAR?’
Hearst brought twenty correspondents, twelve yachts, giant hot air balloons, a printing press, the first ever motion picture camera and two girls dressed in sailor suits. This was all funded off the success of his newspaper stories. The war was a huge success for the yellow papers.
Hearst's Influence
William Randolph Hearst created the models for modern and popular tabloid journalism. The style of the yellow papers was later copied in the UK by Northcliffe, Rothermere (Daily Mail and Daily Mirror) and ultimately by Rupert Murdoch (The Sun). It is undeniable that Hearst has directly influenced today’s journalism.
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