The Buzz Newsletter 14th October 2009

14 October 2009

Voicing the unheard by Danielle Cook and Radina Choleva

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images source: quicksilvermedia.tv

ead of Quicksilver Media and Executive Producer of Channel Four’s Unreported World, Eamonn Matthews lead a Coventry Conversation on Thursday, the 8th of October. A passionate and award winning reporter, he talked about his experience on the films he produces. Eamonn’s Unreported World explores the harsh truth of people living in different parts of the Earth, some being ranked as the most dangerous or intense regions. The documentaries offer these “people on the ground” a change to be heard, as Eamonn claims: “We are trying to give voice to the people who don’t have a voice.” He argues that his crew “is going on the ground and show what’s happening, what’s real”.

“It’s raw, harsh and very real. Our up-front reporters go right to the primary source, the people.” Matthews labels the modern TV reports as being opinionated, lacking facts. Separating his investigative reporting programme from that, he describes his work: “It’s unreported journalism. It’s raw, harsh and very real. Our up front reporters go right to the primary source, the people.” Also, he

Eamonn Matthews back in the days he was out on the field. Now he spends his days in his office.

underlines the gap between current TV programmes and Unreported World: “I want to stress that we use a two person teams, one camera and nothing magic. In TV people use bigger teams, but our small camera relaxes people.” The Times newspaper made this distinction as well saying that Unreported World is “one of the handful of programmes that act as a bulwark against the crushing idiocy of television”. One of his films takes about eight and a half weeks to make.

“To be risk free means to never leave the office.” Portraying the production of his documentaries, Eamonn highlights: “We have a game plan. We must make sure our team and fixers (local journalists) are safe. The team never leaves the office without double checking that we have a story.” Still, when they do leave, “it’s their responsibility to deliver the basic story”. Talking about safety he admits: “To be risk free means to never leave the office”. Matthews answer to media students’ request for advice was: “you must have a narrative story for television and to just be passionate about it”.

Being back after two decades: the time traveller’s view of Uni

^ Co

ming to Cov

image source: crunchgear.com

By Steve Bradley

In the classic eighties TV series, captain Buck Rogers blasts off on a mission to explore deep space, only to become frozen in time and return to earth 500 years later. Similarly, there were times last week when I’ve felt like I’ve just woken up in the 25th century. Almost twenty years now since I first graduated with a degree in law and went on to a career in the NHS. I’ve just returned at the ripe old age of 41 to study for an MA in Specialist Journalism at Coventry University School of Art and Design. Life seemed so much simpler back in those heady, sepia tinted days of September 1988. Osama Bin Laden was still on the payroll and Jeremy Clarkson had yet to express an opinion. If you could actually find a computer, it probably didn’t have a mouse and a ‘module’ was something astronauts went to the moon in. Down at the Student’s Union, a pint of Guinness set you back only 80p and Joy Division warned that “love” might tear us apart. “Global warming” was just a pricey extra on highend central heating systems. As one of the lucky 10% from my social background who actually made it into higher education, I remember feeling privileged to be at university and looking forward to the bright future ahead of me. Fast forward to 2009; it’s a brave new world. A world where swine flu, iPhones, globalisation, Burberry hot pants, Wikipedia, Snoop Dog and Lindsay Lohan manage to coexist together. Not to all these pesky university rules and regulations that didn’t seem to matter much before.

„„ Channel Four’s well-known News Presenter, Jon Snow, is becoming a familiar figure among the Coventry Conversations series. Having lead two full auditorium lectures in the previous years, Snow comes again to discuss the qualities and skills one needs in order to perform well as a journalist in today’s media. The Conversation, called “The best and worst of times – Who would be a journalist in the second decade of the 21st century?” is an inaugural talk for Snow as a visiting Coventry University Professor. This not-to-be-missed event will be held at the Coventry Cathedral, at 10am, on this Thursday, the 15th of October. imagae source: campaigniran.wordpress.com

“Global warming was just a pricey extra on high-end central heating systems. “

Snow’s again

the beginnings of IT

image source: picasaweb.google.com

image source: discoverx.wordpress.com

Yet, to tell the truth, the business of being a student is not so much different. The lecturers even seem to care a bit more about our education than they did in ‘88. With over 300 institutions offering degrees to choose from, they simply can’t afford not to. Still, it’s reassuring to know some things haven’t changed at all. Kylie’s still on the radio, Mr T is selling chocolate bars, and Knight Rider is back on Telly. If only Arsenal were top of the football league, I’d swear, it’s just like being back in the late eighties!

illustration of a Space Module

Coventry Conversations are now more famous than ever as one could simply find them on the first page of iTunesU alongside Oxford University and MIT lectures. Pick up the Buzz next week for more details.

The student and staff newsletter of the Media and Communications department of Coventry School of Art and Design Edited by Teo Beleaga Submissions invited to [email protected] With many thanks to John Mair, Steve Bradley, Radina Choleva and Danielle Cook.