My Sky News placement

I have now completed my three week work placement at Sky News New Media. During these weeks I have learned a lot about writing copy, picture cropping and using a content management system.

Although I consider myself more than competant with Adobe Photoshop CS2 and Adobe Photoshop Elements (used at Sky, I have been taught some nice tricks involving creating borders. There are many picture sizes and it is important to attach the right ones! I can use Getty Images, Mediapoint and Reuters to find images and resize them in Photoshop, before adding them to a story or picture gallery.

I have also learned how to write headlines and keep them short. This is a relatively new skill for me, but one I am now confident with. I am able to keep banner headlines to a certain length. I can also caption pictures and source older material to link.

I have used a video camera to film outside shots, and have accompanied a producer and cameraman to a technology show, where I watched them film several interviews.

Sitting in the Sky News studio is a real experience. The computer I was using today was only twenty pages or so from the reporters on air.

I hope to return to Sky News someday and am cemented in my belief that online journalism is a good career.

Another benefit was being able to recieve feedback and discuss journalism with Editoral Development Manager Rob Kirk and the New Media Team.

As with any work experience placement, lessons can be learnt and improvements can be made.I must work on identifying and writing for my target audience, as well as checking the HTML before saving and making sure I always use Wordpad when needed. Banner headlines also need to flow from each other.

Some people have asked me "did you speak to Eamon Holmes?" No.

Next week I will be working on a magazine project. My next placement is at The Architects' Journal in June. I will be doing more online placements after that.

I graduate in early September.

This post can also be seen at http://brennybaby.blogspot.com

Paypal blocks users with "unsafe browsers

Bad news for those using Internet Explorer 4 or older.

Paypal will block users with these browsers to prevent security breaches.

They will first receive a warning and then they will have no access to the online payment site.

You can upgrade to Internet Explorer 5.5 or higher for free, although download times will vary depending on your internet Connection.

Paypal is also used by e-mail scammers pretending to be from the company.

These people try to trick Paypal users into sending their username and password. Payapl never asks for username or password by e-mail.

Only enter your Paypal information on web pages that begin with https://www.paypal.com.

You can spot hoax e-mails by holding your mouse over the link and checking how the address looks, or by looking at the e-mail it came from.

In the case of Paypal, send these to spoof@paypal.com.

Usually, there will be clues that the e-mail is fake.

Cotton Wool Kids

A Cutting Edge documentary on Channel 4 tonight will be looking at over- protective parents.

“Cotton Wool Kids” will no doubt raise the same perennial issues.

Such as whether children live in a more sinister world than their parents did at their age, and what has been the role of the media in generating a climate of fear?

In truth these are questions that can never be fully answered.

Despite significant advances in mobile technology making it easier for parents to keep in direct contact with their kids this has not necessarily allayed their fears.

Clearly out of sight does not mean out of mind.

“Cotton Wool Kids” is on Channel 4 at 21.00h.

Article taken from www.stuartjamesross.blogspot.com on 10/4/08.

Absolut Vodka Ad Outcry

An advert for Absolut Vodka that shows a redrawn border between Mexico and the USA has caused anger among some Americans.

The ad shows what the countries would look like if the Mexican-American war of 1848 had not taken place.

Some people have asked if an Absolut Vodka ad showing how Europe would have looked if the Nazis had won would have merited the same reaction.

Interesting point.

You can see the advert here

Of course, Absolut could be accused of using the Reconquista (which is a movement dedicated to granting ownership of areas in the Southwestern United States to Mexico, dominated by the Mexica Movement) to sell Vodka.

Absolute's response

PR speak explanation.

Freshly Minted

The Royal Mint is to unveil a series of newly designed coins today.

It is cited as the first major stylistic change to the pennies in our pocket since decimalisation in 1971.

Yet our coinage has continued to evolve over the past four decades.

Who can forget the introduction of the easily mislaid five pence piece in 1990 as well as the rather continental looking two pound coin in 1997?

The new designs will apparently combine traditional symbols of British identity with more contemporary ones.

The Queen in a hoodie?

With the introduction of the new coins at least Eurosceptics can draw some comfort that this maybe an indication that Britain will still not be joining the Euro for some time to come.

Article taken from www.stuartjamesross.blogspot.com on 2/4/08.

Brian Paddick: Line of Fire: Published Mayoral Candidates

One of the most unremarked aspects of the 2008 Mayoral elections is that the three main candidates are all published, as well as Left List candidate Lindsey German, who wrote (among others)The Balkans: Nationalism and Imperialism and Socialists and Class .

Ken Livingstone wrote If Voting Changed Anything They'd Abolish It, which I read in 2002.

Apart from the appalling title, it was a reasonable book with great detail on the Greater London Council.

Boris Johnson has written Have I Got Views For You, Lend Me Your Ears (a collection of columns and mystical interviews ,Johnson's Column and his novel Seventy-Two Virgins.

Brian Paddick recently published his autobiography Line Of Fire, which I read last week.

Detailed and honest, Line Of Fire is revealing about Sir Ian Blair , Paddick's use of Urban75 to engage in dialogue as "Brian the Commander", his jousts with the Daily Mail and the death of Jean Charles de Menezes.

The book also gives a history of the Met from the days of the SPG to now.

Writing Line Of Fire with Paddick was Kris Hollington, who also teamed up with Drugs Squad officer Harry Keeble.

Line Of Fire is £8.99 on Amazon.co.uk and shows how suited Paddick is to people management and taking unpopular yet needed decisions.

Two qualities that any mayor must have.

Post also at http://brennybaby.blogspot.com/