Focusing On The Course

Coursework.

This blog is now back to being focused around Uni work, at least for the time being now. With our first year creating a magazine potentially to be put into publication, this space will be used for the coming weeks to detail all my work that I have completed on my articles so far. This first entry is late in its arrival, so I will have to fill in the gaps in a chronological order in what I have done up to this point and what I have written so far (in possibly two posts). To start with though I will give a bit of a background on the section that I am writing for in the magazine, and my initial ideas for articles.

Food. I am writing for the food section, and so have had to formulate a number of ideas as to what to write about. After much deliberation and toing and froing on what to write I have decided on two articles which hopefully will not keep to the ‘boring student diet’ stereotype. The two articles, yet unnamed are based around the idea of feeding a flat of 7 (typical uni) with a roast dinner for £10, whilst the second is a review of most of the takeaways in Carlisle, under the working title ‘the greasiest kebab’, rating the foods on a number of criteria important to students to provide a list of top eateries for all occasions.

The current state of both articles are that they are ongoing. I created an outline of both by the 7^th February, with the idea to gain quotes and interview people of importance from the food community in Carlisle to contribute weight to the articles. By today (20^th February) I have completed a first draft of the greasiest kebab article and am still to contact Asda, Morrison’s and Sainsbury’s customer service departments for comment.

With a first draft in for tomorrow on all articles I will continue to finish off the pricing research on the £10 meals, and will need to get pictures of the food and comment from students once they have tasted the food. Industry experts are also a possibility, though at this time I am unsure how to go about contacting them.

Work piling up and assignments being set seemingly every lecture now the only way to keep ahead of it is to get my head down and crack on, and that is exactly what I plan to do.

Thanks for reading, and look forward to the next one,

Jon

Follow Me On Twitter @JonCarter1994

An Article Review

Critical Reflection

As a reflection of one of my pieces for a critical appraisal, a time after where I published it, I have chosen my University Of Cumbria Netball article, originally meant to be used in the (unpublished) Informer.

I will leave a copy of the article below, and then analyse my views on it, how the articles came about and then how i gained the sources and my own opinions on how i wrote it. Here goes.

UOC Netball Article.

The University firsts netball squad down on the Lancaster campus is one of the best Cumbria has had in recent times, and 1^st team captain Naomi Mc Grath helps to explain why this team is so highly thought of.

With the team lying second in their league this season and with a win last time out against their fierce rivals from Lancaster University many would think that a season near the top would be enough for a team which last season finished fourth out of six teams last season. But they’d be wrong. When asked what the teams aim was for the season the answer was, “we want to play as hard as we can and win as many games as possible; we want to win every single game”. This is a team that wants to win, and with that desire and passion installed into each and every member, they have the ability to strive forward in the remainder of their games this season.

McGrath goes on to say that they are a team and have no star players, and it is this down to earth grounding which flows throughout the team which is what keeps them at an advantage going into each fixture. That and a team spirit which has been described as “excellent, supportive and encouraging” is what keeps the players striving for success, one that with their attitude and motivation is bound to come.

 As a netball team they are unbreakable, but in between matches they are just normal students going about their courses and enjoying the rest of university life. They are able to move from the mind-set which has brought them great success on the netball court to a mind-set which is suitable for academic achievement with ease, and it is this ease which makes it clear that the university has got not only great netball players, but great people too.

 

 

With second, third and fourth place finishes in recent times, this year’s crop of players will be hoping that they will be able to lift the trophy at the end of the season for the University. With their next game against top of the table Keele on the 21^st November, the pressure is on for the team to come together and produce a result, in order to keep themselves in contention at the top of the table, but if they continue with their recent form, they should be able to emerge victorious.

The team trains twice a week at the state of the art Lancaster sports complex, playing their fixtures there too, often with little or no support. For no obvious reason, Netball is one of those sports which receives less coverage, however the skill levels shown even in training sessions are of the highest quality, and it is that dedication, even to the ‘lesser’ sports which should be celebrated and welcomed. No matter if you have never seen a Netball game before,  go down and support the team when they next play at home on Wednesday 5^th December, playing host to the University of Liverpool.

By Jonathon Carter

15^th November 2012

521 Words

Appraisal

As mentioned previously, the article first sparked into life whilst our year were working as writers for the Universitys Informer newspaper, and from there took off. As a member of the sports desk the article was mentioned to me, before being delegated on my shoulders by another second year at a later date, very close to the deadline at which articles were to be handed in.

Overall i feel that the article which i wrote was finished to a high standard, starting off with a first draft, before undergoing subsequent editing checks from members of the second year who were acting as editors for the paper before it finally being cleared to be 'Ok' at the thrid attempt. This I feel made me sure that the article was a news worthy piece which was written in a suitable fashion.

The subject of the article is obviously the Universitys netball team, and their success at the time. In order to gain a source for the article I checked via the universitys webpage for anything related to the netball team. I also checked on the University sport league tables website bucs.org.uk. After failing to find a contact number in this attempt, i found that the netball team had their own social Facebook page, following up a paper trail put onto the University's Facebook page highlighting sports clubs.

I sent a message to the admin of the page, who was the captain Naomi Mc Grath, as well as Zoe Andrew and Georgia Roberts, who were also highlighted on the page. From this i gained a reply from two of the three members, and subsequently based my article on their response from messages sent back and forth. I feel that i used this method of interview for a number of reasons.

Firstly, due to the time constraints and the distance involved in travelling to Lancaster, where the team was based, as well as the financial issues, i chose not to follow the face to face route. Furthermore due to the fact that the members would type their responses i would be able to directly quote them, easier than over a phonecall. Lastly, i think that at this time i was nervous about interviewing one of my peers on a subject that i had had only a little time to prepare for, and therefore chose the messaging route, at the end of the day as an easier option.

The sources proved useful to the overall finish to the article, and helped me complete the article in time for the deadline.

I feel that my article, although not the most solid in its construction or the time frame that i was given turned out successfully, as i was able to produce a piece of Journalism that i would be happy to call my own following a stressful period of working on it. It may not be the greatest piece ever, but it is one that i was proud to have completed to the standard that it was, given the restraints i was under.

Thanks for reading,

Jon

 

 

 

A Rough 2 Weeks

After a delay of over 2 weeks I'm back again to another blog entry.

Its been over 2 weeks since i started back at uni (21st of January for those who care) and yet i am still enjoying life. No aim for a blog so therefore it will just be a place to vent or frustrate or generally write down any queries that i have on goings on. 

2 Weeks which are testing are always going to be bad. When you add the addition of alcohol to them it seems to just continue down the path to probably dying in bed for quite alot of the time. However, i forced myself through some horrible mornings and turned in the shifts, and pulled through fine.....just about.

With the timetable now sorted up to a point and nearly all of the class all back and seemingly refreshed, the new semester is under way. THATS THE BORING BIT OUT OF THE WAY.

Now then to a bit of content; the England V Brazil match on TV tonight was the viewing that i think most people were looking forward to, judging by social media. England who have quite often been bland, dull and backwards in their approach took the game to Brazil, and battled through to half time to hold a deserved half time lead, thanks in equal measures to Joe Harts penalty saving brilliance in goal, as much as Rooney's finish. 
Through and into the 2nd half, the most Brazilian man you've ever heard 'Fred' fired home after a mistake from Chelsea's Gary Cahill. Fear not though, as England valiantly battled back and Frank Lampard finished off the post on the hour mark from outside the area, the winner as it turned out. A great result for 'Woy's' men, though no doubt FIFA will be looking into the result as part of their match fixing scandal...cough.

On another football related note, Blackpool have still not found a manager, failed miserably in the transfer market, and are slipping down the championship table, now only 6 points clear of relegation. For the sharp minded out there, Steve Thompson till the end of the season may be the sensible idea, but it is most certainly the cheapest option for our scrooge of a Chairman, Mr Karl Oyston, and at the end of the day may end up as a bad decision due to the fact that Thompson has never managed as a number one before, able as a number two, perhaps not in the hot seat.

Only time will tell and we will have to move on if the worst does happen.

Thanks for reading, and look forward to the next one,

Jon

Follow Me On Twitter @JonCarter1994

Week.....Well I've Forgotten

Bit Of A Break

When the routine for Uni finishes for a while it tends to be that people stop whatever they are doing at Uni (in this case blogging) and it seems for me that I have neglected this blog for far too long. Those promised weekly updates turned into bi weekly updates during term time and since the middle of December into complete inactivity.

That is something that I aim to change in the coming weeks, perhaps with the change of the overall focus of the blog into something that excites me more than my bland and boring weeks. I am not sure what this is going to be yet, but I am hoping to feel the inspiration, and come back to you all with an idea within the next week.

Whats Been Going On?

Not a lot has changed really during the time I haven’t been at Uni, Christmas has come and gone as it does every year, and that New Year’s hangover came back again, rearing its ugly head for another showing. Despite personal issues throughout this period I have tried to maintain positivity, as there is nothing overall that I can do to change what has happened. At the end of the day what happened was my own fault and as such I can only sit and hope that nothing else happens, nothing else been done by myself to provoke a reaction, and I sincerely hope that I can come out of this a stronger and better person.

A Hindsight Look

The overall relief when a student loan comes through is something that most students will have felt this January. For me this was a little bit weird.  Not back at University and therefore still under the wing of my parents in terms of what I am able to eat and therefore what is truly brought from the supermarket. With my normal shopping bill reaching no more than £20 for two weeks of ‘nourishing’ shopping, in the form of super noodles and value foods of course, to eat food that tastes fresh and not at all processed was something of a surprise to me at first, but I have grown more and more accustomed to it as the days have worn on.

I’m not sure that I have anything else to report, other than the desire to return to University as soon as I can. Waiting for the proposed trip back in a car on the 20^th January is something I look forward to, and perhaps dread at the same time. I don’t think my reaction will be the same one I had during the leaving home in September, but with the extended period off I hope that I have not become to acclimatised to home life, and I am sure that once I get back into the swing of University life I shall realise once again how much I am enjoying it, and what an opportunity it is.

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

Jon

Week 4.

Week 4.

It's Nearly Christmas

With Christmas nearly upon me at Uni, the amount of work set upon me has increased somewhat, but i have managed to cope with it all amiably, and i'm happy to say that i'm on top of everything that i have to finish, with the final week now coming into focus.

Of all the work that we have been set, the portfolio for practices and principles as well as the critical thinking assignments and the work for Rob Charters, i have only one piece of Charters work to finish, as well as some final tweaking on my essay in order to bring it up to the standard that i am looking for in my course. This time when writing my critical thinking essay i produced a plan and constructed a first draft on the day that the assignment was set, so that the principles that Tony wanted us to put in place were still fresh in my mind. I feel that, unlike in my first draft of my 'Why Journalism Matters' essay, i produced something alot more worthwile and a better use of my time than previously, and when i handed it to Tony for moderation via email the next day, i was proved correct, after being told that my first draft would 'easily pass' the module.

Although that may have been the essay out of the way and a clear road until Christmas, there were improvements to be made (as always). Whilst some people in my class may feel that the improvement of their work is not worthwile and overall a chore which is not something to look forward too once the original work is out of the way, I feel that due to the amount of work that we have got i can create a high quality piece of analysis. The time given to us at University is time which you use to learn and develop your skills not only on your course, but also as a person.

Bit Of A Rant

Where as in the past i may have been content to just let the essay lie, i feel that as i am at University and paying the fees to study, i should study more than i did when in lower education. People skipping lectures or just generally doing nothing all day is something that i am growing to dislike more and more. That they seemingly don't want to better themselves despite all the available resources and help is something which will continue to bite at me, until they either learn that they want to work, or leave altogether. People who want something (in this case help) should not expect it for free, and those people who either don't turn up to lectures or sit around after twiddling their thumbs when they have work to do are people who, in my opinion, need to work harder to get where they want in life.

Working Tomorrow

Anyway, I am working at Cumbrian Newspapers tomorrow, the group who own all the right to publications in and around Carlisle, and Cumbria in general. The pay is good, and the experience of a full time journalistic workplace is even better, in short an opportunity that cannot be passed up.

Thanks for reading and see you on the next one,

Jon

Week 3.

Week 3.

Assignment 2

Today, Wednesday 5th December, in our Critical Thinking lecture we were set our second and quite possibly final assignment for the module; a 2000 word essay on all that we have learnt over the first semester, due in for the 19th December.

This leaves 2 weeks in which to write a piece of reflective and critical values. To be able to do this I need to analyse all that I have learnt since the first week in September, and put it into some form of structure which can then be marked by my lecturer Tony. Overall I feel that the essay is not a fully daunting prospect as I have already made vast inroads into it by want of my previous blog entries, being as they are over 500 words. I learnt today that the word count was approximately 200-300 words per entry, and I feel that although I missed out the point here, I have written enough of value to underlie that misdemeanour.

The two weeks in which to do the essay will be spent correlating and collecting data from not only my previous blog entries, but also from the upcoming lectures and other internet sources and books. Referencing is once again to be used and I feel that in order to create a high quality essay that will fulfil my goal of (hopefully) a first, I will need to use a range of different sources, as well as highlight the way in which I have been able to appraise critically not only my confidence in what I have produced, but also to evaluate the difference in my skillset from the first week of University and the present, for I know that I have improved many aspects of my journalistic repertoire greatly, from interview techniques to writing style.

Monday Morning's Cancelled

I woke this Monday morning with the same sense of dread that I think many other students faced. It’s a Monday. Mondays a rubbish...blah blah blah. However, the usual source of boredom from my Monday, the lecture with Robert Charters, which I try my upmost to try and make an interest of, has been immediately cancelled for the remainder of the semester.

The reasoning behind the change was the fact that 'we should now have the time to finish and submit the workload'. This to most people I know means a lie in on a Monday morning and something which should not be passed up. However, I feel that those who are most excited about the lie in are the ones who do not regularly show up to any lectures, let alone Robert Charters'.

The work for Charters is not difficult, and I have only 2 tasks to complete. Even if he feels that 'Us Journalists' do not care for his course, (I have to agree that many don't) I feel that the opportunity which he gave us to learn new skills and broaden our views to not only print journalism but also photo and film as well was one that I am glad I took up. The quality of my work for his course may be lower than I would have liked due to the unclear guidance given to us, as well as a lack of motivation at times due to the mendacity of it, however, I am confident that I will have done enough to pass the course and continue with 'true' journalism studies.

Off To Write An Essay

That’s all from me folks, I am off to make a start to the 2000 words whilst (see Tony it is used!) Tony's words are still fresh in my mind. The next update will hopefully be filled with success at a finished essay, as well as a view that I am proud of the work that has been put into my portfolio update. Let’s see what the week brings.

Thanks for reading and see you on the next one,

Jon

Week 2.5

Week 2.5

Because I'm in on a Saturday Night 

These weekly updates have taken a hiatus in favour of a mid week (ish) feature that is an update on what has happened in terms of my essay and generally the updates on my portfolio that I'm creating for the end of semester. This is a bit of an unorthodox update, Saturday night as it is, and nothing going on.

Essay Results 

Considering I was overall not very happy with the finished essay which i submitted i feel that the grade which i was given was a generous reflection of what was written on the paper. A 65% 2:1 on my first assignment is not the end of the world in terms of results, and when sitting down and studying the frailties of it, the apparent need for some final finesse in terms of not only the referencing, but also some of the repetitive nature of what my overall argument was, in terms of paragraph structure.

Randall comments that Newpapers 'comment on things that are already known', and although even not in the same context as what it is intended for, i feel that that is what has happened with parts of my essay, and that overall at times i have waffled far too much, reguritating old points which have already been made in order to fill in my word count, instead of the obvious need to be succinct in my analysis of 'Why Journalism Matters'. It is the same waffling that has now taken over this paragraph, and where I am going to end it!

Portfolio Progression

Since Wednesday I have gone through the pieces that i have been writing throughout the year and decided that two of them are of a standard that i would be happy to see in my final portfolio for the Practices and Principles module. Although they may not have been my favourite pieces to write i feel that i have demonstrated the necessary skills that show that i have an aptitude towards a style of journalistic writing. 

Furthermore I have also completed 4 NIBS (News In Briefs) for my portfolio. These 4 short snippets of news between 25-25 words are an accompaniment to the rest of my articles and create the portfolio. However, due to the fact that we have not actually worked on NIBS in any of our letures so far, if I decide that further work could allow me to improve them, i will not hesitate to scrap them and start again with newer topics, written in a better format. 

When Smith in his book 'Essential Reporting' asks the question 'Where do you get all that news' I had to think long and hard about where to get the topics not only for my NIBS but also for new articles. In terms of NIBS i decided to go for something local, something international, something to do with sport and finally something that i enjoy. I will not reveal what they are as they are to be posted with my assignment, but i feel that the research into finding them was eventful enough to highlight that i have thought critically about how i went about my research and my eventual writing of the 'snippets' of news.

Closing Out .5

Apart from this i don't think that there is too much else to say. With the first assignment out of the way, corrections heeded and noted for future reference, and the portfolio coming along as far as content is concerned, there is nothing else to do but to see what the new (Christmassy week seeing as its December now) brings. With an assignment due for Robert Charters on Monday morning, i will have to check tomorrow if it is as good as I remembered when i completed it at the time.

Onwards and upwards and thanks for reading guys.

See you on the next one,

Jon