Life, earth, sound, surf, inspiration of a Stranger magazine

Busman’s holiday will mean no November issue of popular lifestyle magazine.

Independent lifestyle magazine Stranger will be taking a well earned break from publishing while the team put into place some exciting new changes.

Editor, Helen Gilchrist admits to wanting to "Shake things up." The format and style of the bi-monthly publication has stayed virtually the same since it was launched back in 2004. Helen went on to say with 16 issues behind her she was now ready to " push boundaries."

The first of the changes have already started to take place with a move of location from Falmouth to new offices in Penryn.

With new projects that included the September book Project this autumn, and present talks with new designers and writers, as well as a number of other events in the pipeline its obvious this break will still include plenty of brainstorming.

There will however be no changes made to the clear ethos that Helen and the team continuously strive for.

After working as a freelance journalist in London for the likes of Time Out, Adrenalin magazine and The Observer. Helen came up with the idea for the magazine and decided to return to her original home of Cornwall.

Drawing on her past and present contacts Helen used the "Stranger Dummy," a 16 page mock up of what the magazine would eventually look like, to help attract funding from both the Princes Trust and Objective One to pay for start up costs.

The draw of the first eight issues being free soon brought about a large readership. Demand for supplies grew to such an extent they needed to start charging for the magazine to cover printing costs. The cover cost presently stands at £1.50 a copy, which is relatively small if you look at the quality and content.

Being extremely environmentally and ethically driven was something Helen was very conscious of when she was setting up the magazine. Using only vegetable based inks, publishing on high quality recycled paper and specially bounded, Stranger is more like a book than a magazine.

It strives to be more than a 'read once' publication and therefore aim towards targeting an audience who will be inspired enough by its rootsy and raw graphics to want to hold on to or collect the magazine.

The idea that the magazine may be read more than once is especially appealing to Stranger advertisers who make up roughly 40-50% of the magazines overall revenue.

The magazine successfully fills the gap for the 18-40year old market with a balanced number of men to women readers. It covers all lifestyle matters with a southwest vibe, and attracts people who are interested in the creative industries such as music, film and the arts. It also covers sports such as snowboarding, surfing and skating.

Although primarily a southwest based publication, the magazine can be found in many out lets up and down the country, and as Helen told us, with the use of their online site the magazine is reaching as far as Alaska. "The power the Internet has in connecting people is amazing."

Stranger’s website is used to advertise the current issue, as well as publish material that the hard copy doesn't have room for, such as the Weekend Roundup, a listing for up and coming events. There is no duplication of features as they believe it’s important for people to actually buy the issues. The website therefore acts as a taster of what the magazine will contain.

Stranger doesn’t just stop at magazine publications to get its ethos out there. The team also organise tree planting parties, snowboarding trips, live music events and even has its own clothing range kernofornia.

With a readership of over 15,000, the website receiving over 400,000 hits a month, and a supply of the magazine appearing in over 180 prime outlets, they seem to have tapped into what it takes to produce a magazine with staying power.

It will be interesting to see what new projects they have up their sleeves, as the website says, watch this space....

Boldover dump attack.News Assignment (2)

Local man died just hours after an alleged attack at rubbish dump.

Harry Hampton, 64 and his partner Barbara Richards, 56 had been queuing at Boldover rubbish dump on Sunday afternoon when the alleged attack took place.

Mr Hampton, who had been driving a dark blue Volvo estate, was approached by a driver of a silver BMW as the 30minutes queue they were in, merged at the entrance to the dump.

During the incident Mr Hampton`s arm had been broken apparently when it had been bent against the side of the car door. After the incident Ms Richards had driven her partner to the hospital. It was here he later died.

A hospital spokes women said, “Mr Hampton was treated for a broken arm and a cracked rib and died from heart failure six hours later.”

On Monday a spokeswomen for Wishingshire police said, “It’s a tragic incident and particularly poignant as the couple were having a clear out getting ready to move in together, Mr Hampton`s partner is distraught.”

During a police press conference Detective Inspector Helen Havers said, “Sunday afternoon is a popular time to visit this council refuse site. There must be several people who saw what happened.”

Police are appealing for witnesses, in particular they are making a direct appeal to the driver of the BMW who left the scene after the incident and may not know of Mr Hampton`s death.

The Man, who is described as white, 5”7 inches tall, and of a stocky build, he is clean shaven and possibly wearing glasses.

A neighbour of seven years Susan Witchard, 67 described Mr Hampton as, “A real gentleman who wouldn’t hurt a fly. Harry and Barbara were so happy together. I am devastated.”

Outbursts of “road rage” and “queue rage” are growing according to Toby Norris a consultant clinical psychologist at Daring Hospital, Mornbury.

Mr Norris, who has been studying anger related problems for 22 years, said “Verbal arguments can quickly degenerate into physical confrontation. Even in Wishingshire these types of incidents are escalating as the country becomes more densely populated.”

Press Complaints Commisson lecture 3

Monday 22ND of October saw our third guest lecture. I know we were asked to find a news angle in each lecture but I have really struggled on this one unless I’m to go down the route of looking at what press have in the past printed and got in a whole lot of trouble for. I have decided therefore to go with the review/ account structure with this one.

Sue Roberts from the Press Complaints Commission came to give us an informative talk of what actions we can and can not get away with as potential journalists. We were given a hand out of the Editors Code of Practise which lays out the professional standards we are expected to reach both now and in the future.

Everyone was pleased when Sue told us that she was not there to give us a blow by blow account of the history of self regulated press and that she would give us the basic need to know information which we could follow up with links to the P.C.C website.

As Sue went on the explain the P.C.C is a "reactive not proactive," totally impartial body who act independently from the press itself for people who have in some way felt misrepresented by the press.

The P.C.C covers all printed journalism and in the past 10 years moves have been made to include online titles, only however, those that originally appeared in printed form. To try and cover all would, as Sue said be "Too great a task."

Sue explained the importance of a self regulated press as a tool for freedom of expression. The P.C.C were given just 18months to prove that the code of practise worked in theory as well as practise. Without this nod of approval it would be highly likely for state regulated press to come into force.

It was interesting to learn that although the chairperson is totally impartial, and 60% of the board are independent from the press, the further 40% are made up of editors. This is because they will be regarded to have a better understanding of day to day running of newspapers offices. However if its a editor on the board themselves that’s being complained about they are not allowed, for obvious reasons on the board at that time.

In 2006 the commission received 3325 complaints. Only a relatively small number of complaints ever actually go very far, with at least a thousand being solved amicably.

The P.C.C has 16 clauses in all. The largest of these clauses are those surrounding privacy matters, although it was interesting to find out that only 25% of the complaints the commission receive actually surround matters of privacy, more than 50% are more likely to be in regards to accuracies in print.

Sue spoke in depth about what constituted privacy she used the "back garden front garden" theory. She got us involved in case studies asking us which we considered to be in breach of privacy or not, I began to realise just how far you could go and how important it was to know the codes of conduct. The lecture actually tied in very well with our present law lectures in regards to our practise as journalists.

There was a lot covered in the lecture and therefore a lot to take in at one time. I have since looked at the website and read the F.A.Q section that Sue suggested this has helped me understand further.

The emergence and need for adverting and its effects on the radical press.(3)

As industrialisation grew, so did the need for at least a basic level of literacy and education. With this came a greater thirst for knowledge. No longer did this reside with only the wealthy upper classes, it was beginning to descend into the upper working classes also.

!867 saw a turning point with the upper working class been given the right to vote. The press for the first time would see a vastly wider and more opinionated audience. More and more people were engaging with commercialisation. Even the lower classes began to find themselves with money to spend on superfluous goods.

Industrialisation for the first time gave the press the possibility to realistically reach this wider and knowledge hungry audience. With the usage of new technologies, such as rotary presses. The press had a real opportunity to meet the demands of the people at smaller costs to the reader.

In theory this worked but in practise the start up costs for this type of machinery was immense. Twenty thousand pounds was the average amount in 1855.

Commercialisation soon took hold and the press began to favour a move to the right. Through advertising revenue, after the abolishment of advertising duty in 1853 the press soon began to realise that by making advertising more attractive, more people would be willing to pay higher amounts for better adverts. Which in turn would buy them bigger and better technologies.

Using the press as a business soon became more important than using it as a political mouth piece. As the press began to respond to advertisers and their requirements it became more important for financial gain to meet their needs rather than printing what people actually wanted to read. Liberal papers that didn’t believe in the concept of “ commodity fetishism” began to shut down. It soon became evident that without advertisers backing the press could not continue to survive.

W.C 329

Legionaires` Disease news piece 3

Four confirmed cases of a potentially fatal disease causes hospital closure.

Cronford hospital has been closed to patients this morning due to an outbreak of legionaires`disease.

The outbreak was confirmed last evening and is believed to have started in the air conditioning system on the Daneway Ward`s maternity department.

Lily Harborne`s daughter Debbie who gave bith on Friday was sent home last night after her baby became ill.

Debbie`s baby boy who is one of the patients being treated on Parkhurst Ward. Lily Harborne(59) said "We are all absolutely distraught."

Two women who have just had babies, as well as a midwife who was on duty yesterday are also being treated on Parkhurst Ward all are said to be responding well to treatment.

The out break looks set to see up to 250 patients in both medical and surgical wards being transfered to nearby hospitals.

Investigation on the air conditioning system are underway by scientists from both the hospital and Blowhamton University, the system has been closed until fully cleared of infection.

A hospital spokesperson has stressed, "Actions have been taken as a precautionary measure only,the disease is not passed from person to person, the arrangements will only be in place for a matter of days."

All outpatient clinics have, until further notice been suspended. The hospital has set up a hotline for relative and patient queries on 01372 400 400.

Additional actions

Would want to find out further details as to the possible causes of the outbreak. Would want to therefore speak to the team of scientists and hospital officials who were testing the air con system. Speak to one of the patients being treated, possibly the midwife as to get a medical outlook on the symptoms also. Speak to one of the doctors who are treating the patients to get an expert view on the symptoms. Speak to the receptionist on the hotline number to find out what the publics reactions were. Speak to Debbie herself to find out her situation and when she can again visit her baby son. Speak to one of the 250 patients who had to be moved to another hopsital and find out their feelings on the situation.

My personal definition of what public relations is

Public relations is the act of discovering and maintaining a clients "wow" factor, whilst having the ability to relate this to a targeted audience in the most creative, credible and successful way possible

Media and popular culture (2)

In his book the Media Monopoly Ben Bagdikian states that “In the last 5 years, a small number of the country's largest industrial corporations has acquired more public communications power-including ownership of the news-than any private businesses have ever before possessed in world history.”


A number of high profiled and high powered conglomerates have joined forces to heighten a greater power over a larger area of the media world. In social terms this “ communication cartel” should be providing the public with greater choice of information, as mass communication should be at an all time high.


Bagdikian goes on to explain a worrying fact, apart from a small minority these co operations who should be working with in the interest of the people, hold a conservative view point and are using this concentrated control to shape the thinking of the audience by sympathising with their shared political stance.


A prime example of this drip feeding of political propaganda is to look at the Fox news channel. Many controversies have surrounded their choice of programming and it has often been suggested they promote conservative political views with in their programmes.


A study by Steve Randell from the watchdog group FAIR into The Special Reports aired by the Fox channel, shows the manipulation of news for political ends. It was reported that the number of conservative to liberal guests was 50:6

In conclusion, to have these mass media monopolies, who as a group have the economical power and influence to not only produce, but to distribute news and informative views in to the very heart of ordinary people puts them in a more powerful position than many governmental groups to serve their publics with news and information 24/7. In reality however, and as Bagdikian illustrates they act as a as globally powerful tool who in many cases use their ability and power to infiltrate the social structure with political misconception and propaganda material for their own means.

News Generation (1)

Client Falmouth Art Gallery
Campaign Promotion of their Services (including in-house research purposes)
PR Team Me
Timescale Next 3 months
Budget £1000



Introduction



Falmouth Art Gallery which is funded by the town council is situated on the Moor in Falmouth. The gallery offers free entry to visitors and prides itself on the educational programmes and activities it offers to schools and colleges in the surrounding areas. The gallery has both permanent and seasonal exhibitions from local, national and international artists. The gallery houses some very important works in its permanent collections with paintings as gifts to the gallery dating from 1923. This alone makes Falmouth Gallery one of the most important in Cornwall. The gallery also has an extensively stocked shop, with many items for sale been made by local artists. The gallery has been recently nominated for 15 different awards to honour its prestige and excellence. The staff however feel they would like to reach a wider audience both locally and regionally. They feel they are possibly losing touch with younger generations (apart from on an obvious educational level) and they would like the Gallery to become more central to emphasising community spirit.



The gallery is therefore looking for some promotional ideas to both attract a broader audience, further interaction with the community and to generate some interest from local and national press.

Objectives

• To attract a younger audience. Not just on the basis of direct educational visits.



• To allow the gallery to become more centrally involved in community activities.



• To bring a fun and refreshing spin on what a “normal” gallery visit would mean.



• To raise awareness of what the gallery can potentially offers both Falmouth and Cornwall in general.



• To find out if there is a real interest in a purposed idea for the gallery to hold short art courses for budding artists.
  

Strategy and Plan

The Gallery staff have become aware of an increase in online enquires about possible art workshops and short courses available for the general public to attend. Presently the gallery do not have the funding available to make these courses a possibility but think the idea of the public being able to add a piece of art work to the gallery while on a visit would attract a new audience.

The gallery will, for a period of three months be running an in house exhibition entitled “Caution! Work In Progress.”

The exhibition will consist of 3 wall size canvases and members of the public will be invited to add to the canvases in the form of graffiti art work using supplied material.

Anyone who adds to the displays will be asked to fill out a small questionnaire as a competition will also run and be judged by students on the BA Hons in Fine Art at Falmouth University.

The questionnaire will ask basic information about the exhibition participants ,a few leading questions about their visit to the gallery as well as asking if they would be potentially interested in attending art workshops or short courses.

The 3 pieces will be eventually auctioned off for charity.

Press releases will be sent to local newspapers about both the exhibition as well as the charity event to auction them off. Information will also be sent to the chosen charity that the auction proceeds will go to.

Information from the questionnaires will be used by the gallery to decide if there is a genuine interest in workshops and whether they are viable. They will also use this information as part of a financial forecast to apply for funding.

Measurement and Evaluation

• Newspaper coverage



• Increase in the amount of visitors



• Informational findings from the questionnaires I.E ages and interest in workshops

Universities Challenge? Guest lecture (2)

A proposed merger looks set to be the next big calendar event for two top educational institutes.

When prompted during a lecture with level one journalism students, Jill Easterby, Head of Public Affairs for University College Falmouth suggested the next biggest publicly related event she would be dealing with, would be the proposed 2008 merger with Dartington College of Arts.

The merger would bring about exciting new possibilities for students at both institutes, including increased opportunities in performance related subjects, for which Dartington already holds a strong reputation.

Although the merger will take place next January. Dartington will not be relocating their courses to Falmouth until 2010. Therefore students on performance courses will be studying at the Dartington campus before relocation.

As head of public affairs Jill stressed the importance in her job to show University College Falmouth in the best light, for existing and prospective students. This will be extremely important if the merger is to be greeted positively.

Jill`s job is central to the communication wheel both within the university and in the wider community. As editor of the college prospectus she admitted that "Image is everything."

Jill admitted to a lot of time, "Working on instinct," in conveying the right image to a chain of people including students, their parents, the government who aid funding, as well as the local community.

Jill is also head of community relations and is responsible for making sure local residents are happy with student behaviour. These strong communicational links will be paramount in the coming years if the increased student presence from Dartington will be a smooth transition.

The Importance Of The Public Sphere And What It Has Done For Public Opinion.(1)

Our first lecture on Media and Popular Culture discussed the importance and emergence of the Public Sphere. The public sphere is a philosophy that develops the idea of private individuals interacting with others in a common area.

We talked about the work of Habernas who defines the Public Sphere as "A network for communicating information and points of view." The lecture went on to look at Offentlichkeit a German idea, which suggested a given space in society where people could meet and share ideas and theories, as well as information which was important given the political climate of the time.

The spaces we spoke of were the Agora. The Greek definition for the marketplace or forum this allowed people from all over to meet outside the City or Polis to exchange ideas and convince someone of your plea. It became more than just a social hot spot but also became the place to go to hear and discuss important information including economical and political agendas. Although the Public Sphere makes a suggestion of the public as a whole, it was dominated entirely at the time by governmental officials, aristocracy and only included men. Working class and women were always excluded from this realm.

Thirst for information soon led to the rise of people willing to pay for print.The content of these articles were often more relevant to business men as it contained dry facts on political endeavors. Soon the thirst for knowledge however, grew, and journals such as the "Spectator" emerged. These swayed towards more leisure movements including taste and fashion. Taste was no longer determined by your class, now you were to be distinguished by what you were to spend your money on.

Generally, and certainly in today's standards, being able to voice our own opinion and be part of public discussions has meant a growing shift in power giving higher ranks less chance of standing in the way of change.

However with the occurrence of television and more recently the web, which has led to the obsession with the phenomenon that is "blogging." I feel this threatens to take away the importance of personal opinion by drawing a blank on actual new ideas. Surely all this allows us to do is tag on to the discussion of something that has gone before? Ones voice now as to be pretty radical to be heard over the doldrums of a monotone moan. Is this reason that its usually the most stupid parts of public opinion that are heard above the rest?

News Writing Exercise (1)

A man was jailed yesterday for posting at least six racial comments on a tribute website set up in honour of murdered black teenager Anthony Walker.

A School friend of 18 year old Anthony Walker who was murdered last year in a racist attack with a ice axe set up a website in honour of his friend. The intention of the website, as Liverpool Crown Court Judge Henry Globe QC said " was innocent, honourable and well motivated."

Neil Martin (30) was sentenced yesterday to two years and eight month for the race hate crime and six months for child pornography offences.

Martin who went under the pseudonym Genuine Scouser was arrested back in September for his web postings. Officers also found 33 images of child pornography on his computer. Although Martin admitted to the postings he insisted he was not racist that he only wanted to stir up an arguement.

Martin made suggestions that white people should celebrate the murder and that Anthony`s family should be burned.

The court heard that Martin had also created an internet profile using Anthony`s name and photograph and that he also posed as a schoolgirl on teenage chatrooms. Heather-Lloyd who was defending Martin said he had no history of racist behaviour and that he felt "Deeply ashamed." She went on to say " He was isolated and living in a fantasy world, spending hours on his computer in his room where his persona could be as he made it, good or bad."

Martin, from Maghull Merseyside pleaded guilty at earlier hearings to publishing material likely to stir up racial hatred and to making indecent photographs of children.

After the court verdict Anthony`s mother Gee Walker, said she was satisfied by the sentence but did not accept the written letter of apology that Martin had sent her " After hearing what he said in those messages. I dont buy it . I dont accept it. He had time to think about it and he did it six times." She went on to say, "Hitler started with an idea, slavery started with an idea so it is good that this was stopped in time."

Steve Ivall- Falmouth Packet Guest Lecture One

Steve Ivall Deputy Editor of the Falmouth Packet was our first guest speaker on Monday 8th October. The Falmouth Packet is as Steve said "A small cog within a big wheel." The packet publication is run by Newsquest which in turn is run by the American company Gannet.


Steve went on to inform us of the vast amount of magazine based publications the Packet company produces. These include monthly and yearly publications for both the public and business to business sector such as the Farmers Magazine which is a monthly publication. There are also a vast amount of magazines for national readership such as the Smallholders Magazine and the Royal Cornwall Magazine which is also published nationally.



Steve went on to explain the importance of structural relationships between Regional and National papers and the filtration between the both . National papers, as Steve said "Feed" daily off regional and local papers. He went on to explain that inevitably what would hit front page on a local paper could quite possibly only stretch to a couple of easily hidden lines on a national level. From a human interest angle this could change depending on the regional interest the story may draw.



I found the most interesting topic in Steve`s talk was the importance he stressed for in particular, local journalists to be able to multi task in all areas of this multi media world we live in. Gone are the days when a reporter would merely go out and grab a story. Now they are sent out with at the very least, high tech camera equipment as well as sound equipment ready to use in podcasting and radio broadcasting. He also highlighted a shift in trend between newspapers and the web. Newsquest`s policy today is one of a primarily web based news service and a newspaper secondly. The packet contains a 24hour "hub" of news staff that will put every news feature on the the Packet website.

Although a sore point for many. Steve also highlighted the importance in being able to use short hand and that the Packet would not employee a trainee journalist who could not produce at least 100 words per minute.

I was also interested to learn about Steve`s opinion on press releases. As a student of Public Relations I found this to be a helpful insight into the world of journalism. I obviously need to get into the mind of a journalist when I am writing my press releases so that it doesn't end up in the pile labeled "To Much Like Hard Work To Edit."

It became clear that Mr Ivall took a different approach to interviewing techniques than we may previously have been told. Saying that a little forcefulness was not a bad thing to get the questions you wanted answered.

Steve finished his talk by opening the floor to questions. A question was put to him regarding freelance submissions to the packet. Steve openly encourages this from students at the University but seem to imply only photography work would be paid for. Although a byline was fairly possible. This also lead him to talk about citizen journalism which is increasingly popular both on a national and regional level where Joe public can now become photo journalists in their own right with the use of their camera phones.

Although obviously aimed at journalist as opposed to the Public Relations students. I found the talk both informative and gave me a useful insight into the world of local journalism.

Learning, Reflection and Change

I realised for a long time I needed to do something constructive with my life. I had spent to long flitting from one job to another with no real passion. Without trying to sound melodramatic it felt like doors were closing in my face instead of opening . Its never been the ideas I lacked more the ability to focus on one at a time. Because of this I was getting very little of what I wanted to do actually achieved.

My job meant I was only treading water and backwards at that as I was actually been driven further from where I wanted to be. A time had come that instead of merely thinking I knew I had to act on those brainwaves.

I have always had ideas of where I would like to be but no idea of how to actually get there. So after asking for everyone`s opinion, and listening only to the ones that suited me most, I decided to apply for higher education and a degree in Public Relations. I have decided to engage in as much as I possibly can. I am, without trying to sound dull, here to learn and hopefully change the cycle that have been clouding my ability as a person and stopping my ideas from flourishing .

I hope to improve on my talents and past life experiences while at the same time discovering new skills. I never want to lose my ability to dream and think up " Ellie's bright ideas," but I hope to learn how to shape them in to something constructive and real. I want to re-establish my self-belief whilst continuing to grow as a person.

I worry about losing sight of whats already important in my life such as my family and relationships .The fact I will have to forge new relationships with people for at least the next three years is also daunting. I also feel that as I will be finishing my studies when I am thirty its imperative I get this right. Debt is a huge factor but I am willing to discipline myself and lessen my spending as I know without a degree and the right grounding it is highly possible that I will never turn the corner on to my chosen path.