18 November 2009

The Beeb @ Work

by Teodora Beleaga

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.

“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 half-
an-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 rehears-
ing 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 fundamen-
tals are what get you into journalism in the first place,”
said Hockaday.
Commenting on the development of online journal-
ism, 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 informa-
tion, but that’s not journalism,” he said, adding that
the key questions like why and how must still be
asked by journalists.
 World Premiere takes ^
place in Coventry Co ming
to Cov
by Elena Rapondzhieva

„„ 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, unre-
leased and unseen anywhere in the world, yet!
“Due to be released
officially next year, the film
is surrounded by mystery
Picture source: nipponcinema.com
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 lat-
est movie, “Kakera”. Due to be released officially next year,
the film is surrounded by mystery as there is no informa-
tion 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

as there is no information his entire back catalog of films to them. This means more
opportunities to enjoy some East Asian films that plan to
available about it. “ 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.

Picture source: journalism.co.uk

Broadcast lecturer
wins university cup
by Teodora Beleaga

„„ John Mair, Senior Lecturer in Broadcast Journalism is to John Mair

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 signifi-
cant 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”, accord-
ing 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
“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 interna-
tionalisation in the modern university world. Well done to
all.”
Next April the exchange trip is to be repeated for journal-
ism 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 teo.beleaga@gmail.com
With many thanks to John Lister, John Mair and Elena
Rapondzhieva.