The Buzz Newsletter - 18th November 2009

18 November 2009

The Beeb @ Work T

by Teodora Beleaga

“the presenter puts his newsface on and they start rehearsing the headlines” It’s still too early to mix all the platforms into one multimedia department, but as Radio 4 presenter Peter Day, our tour guide, said: “We have a morning meeting where everyone learns what everyone does. We try to deliver the same content.” The six o’clock news bulletin is ready at least a halfan-hour before broadcast, when the director, Chris Cook, starts the rehearsal of the running order and the studio camera captions. Fifteen minutes after, the presenter puts his newsface on and they start rehearsing the headlines. They may get it wrong during practice, but when live, the bulletin unfolds naturally. When watching, an untrained eye couldn’t tell just how much hard work goes on behind the scenes. Our tour was followed by a debate on the future of news, chaired by Nick Pollard and featuring Mary Hockaday, head of the BBC’s multimedia newsroom; Stephen Cole, Al-Jazeera presenter; Jonathan Levy from Sky News; and Jonathan Munro, head of news at

Inside the BBC, the making of local news (London)

“journalists need to go back to basics” ITN. “There will be new types of delivering journalism in the future. But in the end it’s about adapting the fundamental to the platforms and not creating the platforms as a fundamental change. The fundamentals are what get you into journalism in the first place,” said Hockaday. Commenting on the development of online journalism, journalists need to go back to basics, the panel suggested. Journalists are too polite, said Cole; while Munro said there needs to be a greater distinction between journalism and information. “What you get on social networks may be information, but that’s not journalism,” he said, adding that the key questions like why and how must still be asked by journalists.

Picture courtesy of Teodora Beleaga

he BBC opened its gates on last Tuesday night for students and members of the Media Society to come and observe its newsroom at work. Although centralized into one enormous room and called a multimedia newsdesk, the new BBC newsroom (opened last spring) is still separated into television, online and radio departments. In one corner, less than 10 people are in charge of everything that comes from wire agencies, dealing with all the platforms at once.

World Premiere takes place in Coventry

^ Co

ming to Cov

by Elena Rapondzhieva

Adam Torel, is to be a guest speaker at the weekly screening organized by the East Asian Film Society (CUEFAS) and has promised to grant students the opportunity to see his latest movie, “Kakera”. Due to be released officially next year, the film is surrounded by mystery as there is no information available about it. CUEAFS will provide the usual free popcorn and tea for everybody attending. Impressed by the society and its work, Torel will donate his entire back catalog of films to them. This means more opportunities to enjoy some East Asian films that plan to break stereotypes. If you want to see what Mr Torel has in store for us now, join him at 2pm in the Ellen Terry building, room ETG34.

“Due to be released officially next year, the film is surrounded by mystery as there is no information available about it. “

Picture source: journalism.co.uk

Picture source: nipponcinema.com

„„ The owner of Third Window Films, one of the biggest East Asian film distribution companies in the world, is coming here today and is bringing his latest film, unreleased and unseen anywhere in the world, yet!

Broadcast lecturer wins university cup

by Teodora Beleaga

„„ John Mair, Senior Lecturer in Broadcast Journalism is to be awarded the Cecil Angel Cup on the 23rd of November at the Graduation Ceremony of Coventry School of Art and Design. One of the University’s most prestigious awards, the Cecil Angel Cup can be “awarded to staff or students of the University, either individually or on a group basis, for significant contribution to the development and/or well being of the University and the wider community, and/or significant enhancement of the reputation on the Institution”, according to the Cup’s citation. This year, Mair and School of Art and Design colleagues, Professor Andree Woodcock and Dr Sean McCartan, won the Cup alongside their students for an exchange trip they undertook last April to ZUMC in Hangzhou, China. The trip consisted of completing a boat design project for a local lake along with a documentary noting the experience. Nineteen UK Boat Design students and their Chinese



John Mair

“It showed me the importance of internationalisation in the modern university world. “ opposites worked closely together for this. John Mair says: “I am chuffed. The whole experience was very enlightening. It showed me the importance of internationalisation in the modern university world. Well done to all.” Next April the exchange trip is to be repeated for journalism students. The documentary can be found on Coventry University’s You Tube channel or on iTunes U.

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 Lister, John Mair and Elena Rapondzhieva.