Week 2.

Assignment Week.

As i am writing this, it is 10:11 on Wednesday 28th November. Waiting nervously for the results of my essay into why 'Journaism Matters', reflecting if you may. Overall i now wish i were able to fully spend all my time on it, that 'i will do better next time' that occurs just before the realisation of the grades before the exams or coursework.

Yesterday we were officially set our end of semester assignment. By that i mean we were given a piece of paper on which were laid out the criteria needed to pass the course this term. Overall with four articles as well as four NIBS (News In Briefs), the portfolio is not as demanding as the '10' previously thought to be the target. That combines with an NCTJ test made up of four questions of varying length in order to create an overall portfolio which totals eight articles and an exam.

 In the coming weeks i feel that i will need to step up the overall quality of my writing, turning them from narratives or opinionated writings into more journalistically styled pieces (not at all like this). So far in my time at Uni i have spent less time than i would have liked writing, even if its just for a blog like this, and hopefully by the time the deadline comes i will try and rectify this, to produce some high quality work for my portfolio.

Informing?

I may not have mentioned it but over the last week we have produced the informer newspaper for the University in which a number of articles which i wrote were produced in. This success has perhaps opened my eyes to the fact that my writing can be used in a number of different publications, and the feeling which i found when i was told about being published was one which i want to repeat in the future, hopefullly many many times.

The attendance of both classes left alot to be desired, though the first years, my year, in particular were absent for many of the days of that vital production week. As Andrew Marr says in Harcups Practices and Principles book, 'Journalism is a chaotic form of earning, ragged at the edges, full of snakes, con artists and even the odd occasional misunderstood martyr'. If i want to become a journalist in this 'ragged' society i need to maintain my attendance, and keep pushing the quiality of my work higher.

Thanks for reading, and see you on the next one.

Jon

http://joncarterjournalism.blogspot.co.uk/

Week 1.

Week 1.

Irrelevant Mornings?

I know its not the end of the week, in fact its more like the beginning, but we don't really have many lectures left this week, and I have a fair bit to talk about.

A week where Monday mornings seem like a chore is common to most people, as is the case with me, but for a somewhat different reason. Forcing yourself out of bed early in the morning for a lecture is always an unpleasant experience, but when you combine that with a lecture that hardly any of your class turns up for and you have a recipe for a bad start to the day.

 Studying Journalism is what I have come to University for, and when only a small proportion (If any) of the lecture is relevant to the course it makes me debate coming to the lectures. But I do.

I am paying money for the lectures so sit down obediently and take in the information constantly thrown in my direction, taking it down in notes, even though some of it is obviously aimed other course subjects in the room. Those 3 hours are quite possibly the worst of the week, but all in all, they aren't that bad.

Then the Week picks up.

Monday afternoon is always insightful, a Film and Media module which provides relief from the other aspects of the day, led by someone who is currently working in the industry, meaning that come Wednesday and critical thinking I am fresh and ready for whatever can be thrown at me.

A course which aims to broaden the mind, and truly reflect and appreciate what you have learnt, Critical thinking is in my view vital to success at higher levels. The last in depth piece of Critical thinking that the course completed was a 1000 word essay on 'Why Journalism Matters', as following that we entered the production week for the student newspaper, as well as having our other sessions swallowed up by researching and completing the essay.

When writing critically i always try to make myself stand out, over-complicating my prose (even doing it now) sometimes in order to try and hide the fact that i was not too sure on the task in hand. However, following my first, somewhat rubbish attempt at an essay with over a week till the deadline, i set about my work again, reading and re reading, quoting and referencing, until i got the piece to a standard that i was happy with. 

The finished article may not be the best work that i have ever done, but the effort which went into producing it was certainly of a level that i hope to work at continually. New styles of referencing, using multiple sources as well as combining text from practicing journalists gave the essay meat to the bones that i had conjured up earlier, and overall i was pleased with the end product.

Finishing Off.

Although i feel that i could have produced a better standard of essay, that experience will come with time and teaching, and for the time being at least i am content with my progress.

Thanks for reading, and see you on the next one.

Jon

Week 0.

Week 0.

Hi guys, my names Jon Carter and I'm a Journalism student at the University Of Cumbria. I will be writing a weekly blog based on my lectures and views each week, which will aim to help me reflect on what I have learnt in those times. No set dates for posts, just whenever free time comes to me and i have the time to write. 

Jon.