Having posted my thoughts on blogging, lets see if I turn into a hypocrite as I continue to write! As instructed, I’ll give a little information about myself and then some thoughts on the first lecture of the module- Contemporary issues in Journalism.
You’ve already guessed my name is James Faid. Im 21, a second-year journalism student, and hopefully will be remembered for helping poineer the Winchester Student Newspaper, Alfies. Thats pretty ordinary stuff, but few people know Im also a 5th dan in clasically trained karate. Over 13 years of tuition and all I have to show for it is a slightly straighter posture than I would have had otherwise! Its my opinion that the benefits of something like that are internal rather than external- I talk about the three C’s when I teach: Confidence, Concentration, Coordination.
I was casually facing uncertainty with the module this semester. A new lecturer, also the new head of Journalism at the uni. My response to the subject matter? Minimal. The human rights we did discuss was perfectly summised in a sentence like “dont be a bad person, follow these rules.” An initial thought I have about human rights- theyre a lovely model to be reassured by, so long as theyre enforced. Surely human rights (and the rest of the world) are far from the minds of those suffering at the hands of others acting against the conventions.
Chris Horrie seems an interesting character, and Im looking forward to finding out more about him over the next few weeks. Right now I feel he certainly knows his subject, and should be good for the university. It will be good to see how he steers this new course, my experiences of the first year and a half are of a pot-holed programme, the flaws in which were uncovered by its new students. Im looking forward.
Already I’m getting a feel for the writing style of blogs. It is a more personal account of details that could be reported but would make poor stories. The subject matter also calls for an extended style, and elements of new journalism are creeping in, without little conscious effort on my behalf- the inclusion of the self when writing for example.
