WNOL moves home

Westminster News Online, the news website run by journalism students at the University of Westminster, has been redesign and moved to a new address. To see the student work please go to http://www.wnol.info

Westminster News online

Blogger’s vision for the future

Political blogger Guido Fawkes believes that video journalism is the future and that next year’s general election will be a “YouTube election”, writes Nick Hamilton.

Fawkes, whose real name is Paul Staines, has broken a number of high-profile political stories on his controversial, right-leaning blog. But he told journalism students at the University of Westminster that video holds the future for journalism.

Staines said that new video technology is quicker and easier for journalists and the public to use. He questioned why anybody would read an article in a newspaper when they could watch a video with the same information on their mobile phone.

Bigger role

Staines said the fact that The Guardian’s offices are fitted out with recording studios is proof of the changes under way. He described seeing The Guardian’s Assistant Editor, Michael White, setting up his tripod and doing pieces to camera unassisted at public events.

As a result of these changes, Staines believes that video journalism will have a bigger role to play than blogging in the general election next year.

“It’s more likely to be the ‘YouTube election’ than it is to be the ‘blogging election’”, he said. “I think that somebody will catch something on their camera phone that people don’t want them to see.”

Digital billboards

But a campaign this week in which the Conservatives compare Gordon Brown and Alistair Darling to X Factor contestants Jedward, shows how political parties can use the new media to their advantage.

“[Political parties] will be able to change their campaigns in the flash of a switch. They just did that when Jedward were knocked out of X Factor. The Tories ran a campaign immediately on digital billboards. You know, you couldn’t do that in the past,” said Staines.

The blogger believes the Scottish National Party (SNP) has set a good example for English parties to follow during the election.

Breaking stories

“In the last general election the SNP in Scotland had their own online six o’clock news. It was fantastic. It had a former local news reporter doing the reports and it was really well done.”
Staines has been blogging as Guido Fawkes since 2004. His reasons for starting the blog were “completely narcissistic”.

“I realised that I could be the drunk complaining in the corner of the pub or I could do it online. I chose the latter,” he said.

Staines has been criticised for the quality of his journalism and his undisguised support for the Conservative Party. But he has succeeded in breaking a number of important political stories.
In 2008 Welsh Secretary Peter Hain resigned his ministerial posts after Staines revealed details about donations Hain received for his campaign to become Labour leader. And in the Smeargate scandal this year, one of Gordon Brown’s top advisers resigned after Staines blogged that he was planning a smear campaign against senior Conservatives.

Staines believes that he is doing important work not covered by other sections of the media.
He criticised the lobby as “an embedded system, in which you become the client of people you should be reporting on.” And said that ian Hislop, the editor of Private Eye, has “become pretty much establishment”.

Additional reporting Rob Powell

Guido Fawkes’ political blog

MPs’ expenses scoop: the inside story

The reporters who broke the MPs’ expenses scandal revealed the inside story to University of Westminster journalism students in a fascinating account of their investigation, writes Victoria Maw.

The Daily Telegraph’s deputy political editor Robert Winnett and chief reporter Gordon Rayner told how their team sifted through a million documents in a secret room at the newspaper’s headquarters and endured the wrath of many angry MPs. Some even shook their fists at researchers

Their work for the conservative-leaning newspaper, which has been turned into a book called ‘No expenses spared’ explained how some MPs from across all parties abused the expenses system.

‘Genuinely excited’

Rayner said the cases went from the downright ridiculous and trivial to “bordering on criminality”.

The information was so sensitive that it took the Telegraph a month to build up a relationship of trust with their source.

“It was a big digging exercise,” said Winnett. “A cynical group of journalists were genuinely excited.”

Rayner believes that Prime Minister Gordon Brown damaged his own reputation by micromanaging the expenses scandal. “Cameron showed leadership whilst Brown dithered,” said Rayner. “He [Brown] was obsessed with his image. He was only interested in how it would rebound on him. He poured over the paper late into the night with a pencil,” he said.

Benefit

The spotlight has also fallen on one of the university’s local members of parliament, Tony McNulty. The reporters believe the expenses row will probably wreck the Harrow MP’s political career.

The MP for Harrow East agreed to pay back more than £13,000 in expenses this October after it emerged that he had claimed second home allowance expenses on a house that his parents live in.

The Commons Standards and Privileges Committee found that the expenses were not wholly connected with McNulty’s parliamentary duties and his parents obtained a benefit from parliamentary funds to which he was not entitled. Although McNulty occasionally worked from the Harrow property, the committee said he overclaimed in relation to mortgage interest and council tax. Former employment minister McNulty publicly apologised to his constituents in October.

‘Fully complied’

Winnett said McNulty was “fairly contrite” when he was told that the Telegraph had details of his expenses claims.

“He dealt with it moderately well. I think he even made a joke about it,” said Winnett “but it will probably end his political career”.

In response, Tony McNulty said: “Any fair-minded person who reads the committee’s report will see that I fully complied with all rules and advice given to me at the time and that the commissioner decided he would change the advice retrospectively. He is perfectly entitled to do that and I have absolutely no complaint. It will be for the people of Harrow to decide my future.”

Hostile
Winnett and Rayner say that the clever MPs said very little whereas those who got into trouble defended themselves too publicly. “Nobody had even heard of Margaret Moran before she insisted on going on television. She now may well be replaced by Esther Rantzen, “ said Rayner.

Many MPs were hostile towards the Telegraph over its handling of the scandal but Winnett and Rayner say that most soon realised that they could not afford to isolate the papers.

The story also caused a surge of interest in politics. “This summer people got interested in politics again,” said Rayner. “They took interest in who their MPs are and this can only be a good thing for democracy.”

Rayner adds that the story’s beauty was in its simplicity. “The story was something that kids can understand. It was straightforward and dead simple. Hazel Blears claimed a Kitkat,” he said.

The journalist told students that other papers had refused to buy the story, notably the Times who thought the story was too risky from a legal perspective. Winnett thinks the Telegraph’s new young editor Will Lewis is responsible for the go-ahead attitude.

“There was a will to have a big story and to show that the Telegraph has changed,” says Winnett.

Lebanon vote leaves questions

The keenly-contested parliamentary elections in Lebanon resulted in poll victory for the pro-Western coalition known as the loyalists or March 14 group. MA Journalism student Eliana Maakaroun reports from Beirut.

The June 7th election in Lebanon was a contest between the two major political blocs - the loyalists (who refer to themselves as March 14th) and the opposition (known as March 8th).

Since February 2005, the country has not known a period of stability between the series of targeted assassinations, the 2006 war against Israel, the 2007-2008 sit-in led by the opposition, as well as the parliament’s stalemate on choice of president.

The victory of the loyalist bloc reassured the West. A March 8th poll win would have meant a victory for Hezbollah, and thus considered by the West a victory for both Syria and Iran.

In total, the loyalist bloc won 71 seats (including three independent seats) in the parliament, whereas the opposition won 57. Even though the opposition failed to win control of parliament, the Change and Reform bloc, led by General Michel Aoun, won the major Christian votes in eight out of 11 regions.

The biggest surprise regarding was the turnout as well as the number of Lebanese living abroad that came specifically to vote.

For the first time since the country’s independence, the elections took place during the same day in every Qada, region. It was also the last time that voters had to be over 21 years and six months old to vote. For the next legislative elections, they can be 18.

Compared to the last vote in 2005, the members of the parliament haven’t changed that much, which brings us to ask ourselves, is Lebanon truly moving towards a democracy? And what will be different this time regarding laws, the fight against all types of corruption, the GDP and the internal public debt that has risen from $35 billion to $50 billion since 2005.

The main question today remains the functioning of the government and whether the opposition will have a third the seats in government, meaning they can paralyse all activities according to the Lebanese Constitution.

A 12-minute documentary on the elections in Lebanon will soon be available for further information.

Student chases her story to No 10

MA Journalism student Laura-Jane Hawkins describes her biggest scoop to date after chasing her coursework documentary on the Gurkhas campaign to a meeting with the prime minister on the lawn of 10 Downing Street.

A strong Northern Irish accent shouted out: “I give you your Prime Minister, Mr Gordon Brown.”

Then right in front of me, Gordon and Sarah Brown walked down the steps of No 10 Downing Street into the back garden. I had to pinch myself as I was standing there with Joanna Lumley on one side of me, Home Secretary Jacqui Smith to her other side and Gurkhas lined up ahead of me, waiting to thank the prime minister for granting them rights to stay in Britain.

Interviewing a star

I was making a radio documentary on the Gurkhas’ campaign for my University of Westminster MA journalism project. The most I could have ever hoped for was a short interview with Joanna Lumley but to interview the lawyers of the case, chat with Joanna Lumley and then gain extra audio whilst on the lawn of the prime minister’s residence was beyond my most ambitious dreams.

Joanna Lumley, the star of so many TV dramas and comedies, was more than happy to talk to me. She was so dignified and I was impressed how well she had handled the media circus that had taken place around her throughout the day.

“Isn’t this wonderful,” she said in pure delight. “It’s truly a historic day and everything we wanted has been given to us.”

I spotted Phil Woolas, the Immigration Minister standing at the edge of the lawn. When asked about the amendment of the law, he explained that all Gurkhas who have retired either pre-1997 or post-1997 can now all gain rights to settle in the UK.

An interview I conducted with Jacqui Smith added to this by saying: “I’m very pleased and proud. It’s been a great campaign and I’m glad that we have been able to find a way to do justice to the Gurkhas today.”

‘Welcome in our country’

After Gordon Brown made his speech stating that he wants all Gurkhas “to feel welcome in our country and to know, that we know, that you are the bravest soldiers of all” he took the time to shake hands and say hello to every single Gurkha present and bending down to speak to those in wheelchairs.

Photographs were taken and I was even able to get in with a sneaky handshake and introduced myself. The Gurkhas surrounding me were in shock at the day’s events but they were so grateful. “Thank you Gordon Brown and thank you to Britain” was the most popular response to the news of their victory.

The whole experience was unforgettable. When I woke up on Thursday 21st May 2009, I never imagined that at 4pm in the afternoon I would be having tea and biscuits on the prime minister’s lawn. It just shows that you never know what could happen or how your day could turn out – that’s the beauty and excitement of life and hopefully the life of a journalist.

Unfortunately, the event also taught me several harsh lessons about the world of journalism and the media. My experience was overheard by another journalist and along with information from my blog and photographs, the story was written up from another person’s point of view. This meant that many facts were untrue and my experience was sensationalised.

I learnt several good lessons. Never be too trusting of people, don’t tell anyone and everyone your story (however happy and excited you may be), always have enough memory space on your camera to take as many photos as your heart desires (mine unfortunately was lacking memory space!), always recharge your Marantz batteries and camera batteries as if you would your mobile phone and always talk to as many people you possibly can, and hang around to wait and see what happen - you never quite know where it will lead you!

Day trip to Euroland

The British Council exists to ‘strengthen understanding and trust between and within different cultures’. They attempted to do just that for a group of 11 Westminster journalism students by organising a visit to the European Parliament, a month ahead of the Euro elections, taking place in early June.

For the British students in our group, the British Council might well have had their work cut out – a Eurobarometer poll published in September last year found the UK and Finland were the countries whose citizens were least aware of the Euro elections. Of those polled in the UK 94% had no idea that elections were due to take place in 2009.

Having caught the 7am Eurostar train and made the journey under the Channel sustained by a packet of supermarket croissants we were greeted by the efficient, charming and alarmingly energetic Owen Wainhouse from the British Council.

Press briefing at the EC

One of our first visits was to the press briefing at the European Commission to hear real, hot news being discussed – EU Health Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou was fielding questions about swine flu. At one point she stated the EU had decided to call the illness Novel flu, rather than swine flu because the virus responsible for the outbreak is actually a hybrid of swine, avian and human flu. The name has yet to catch on in the British media.

No doubt thinking of the EU’s thousands of pig farmers Ms Vassiliou said: “Consumption of pork is safe so long as it is properly cooked.”

For anyone with the slightest interest in pipeline politics the most arresting item at the press briefing was the announcement of a project to link the electricity grids of Sweden and the Baltic states. Welcoming the agreement Energy Commissioner Andris Pielbalgs commented: “It will also strengthen the security of supply of the three Baltic states.”

This is code for avoiding reliance on energy supplies from Russia. The Baltic electricity agreement follows the conclusion of the Sofia Energy Summit last Saturday which ended with a statement calling for diversification of gas supplies in Europe.

Meeting MEPs

After lunch we followed Owen over the Brussels cobbles and acres of mushroom coloured carpet in the European Parliament to meet some actual, elected MEPs.

We chatted with Mary Honeyball in the Anna Politkovskaya room, named after the Russian journalist who was murdered in 2006, probably because of her coverage of the war in Chechnya.

Mary has been a British Labour MEP since 2000. Her blog, The Honeyball Buzz, tries to challenge the dominance of right-wingers like Guido Fawkes in the blogosphere. It reflects her keen interest in women’s rights – one of her latest entries attacks David Cameron for not including “a single woman in his testosterone-fuelled team to fight Labour over the economy”.

It seems that getting the testosterone balance right might be an issue for David Poyser who is press officer for the Socialist Group of MEPs, a grouping which obviously includes Mary. I hasten to add this comment is meant on a strategic, not personal, level.

According to David socialists in the EU tend to be seen as rather dated - creatures left over from an earlier, more ideological age. Returning to our analysis of ‘codespeak’ this probably means they are viewed as stubborn, excessively male trade unionists, given to banging tables and calling for all out strikes in a non-consensual sort of way. The good news for David is that people don’t seem to blame the socialists for the current economic fiasco.

Entropa

Our final visit was to the Entropa sculpture which hangs suspended in the foyer of the Council of the European Union. Created by the Czech artist David Cerny it caused something of a sensation when it was unveiled in January this year.

Entropa is a huge grid containing representations of each EU member state – with the exception of the UK which is marked only by its absence, a comment on our semi-detached attitude to the whole venture.

Cerny has given other EU states equally problematic identities. Germany is a network of autobahns which almost but not quite form the shape of a swastika, Poland features a group of Catholic priests raising the gay liberation flag.

But it was the portrayal of Bulgaria, one of the newest member states, as a squat-type, Turkish toilet that caused most offence. Following a formal diplomatic complaint the Turkish toilet has been discreetly covered with a piece of black cloth. Hmm, some might say that is also what has happened to Turkey’s application to join the EU.

But a bit of controversy isn’t always a bad thing. Owen told us Entropa had brought more visitors to

By Brigitte Istim

Journalism In Crisis on Twitter

BBC, Sky News at the University of Westminster

BBC Director General Mark Thompson and Sky News associate
editor Simon Bucks are two of several journalists speaking
at Journalism In Crisis.

JIC is a conference which the University of Westminster and the
British Journalism Review are putting on jointly.

Over two days, the event will combine talks and smaller
breakout sessions on topics ranging from citizen journalism
to news as a business to how the web is changing all news media.

The event runs 19-20 May, 2009  at the university’s campus
in central London at 309 Regent Street, London, W1B 2UW.

Keynote Speakers

On Tuesday, James Curran a professor at Goldsmiths College will
deliver ‘Journalism in Crisis,’ the first of two keynote speeches that day.

Professor Curran is the director of the Goldsmiths’ media center and
has written many books on media, history, influence and business.

The second keynote on Tuesday will be from Todd Gitlin, a professor
of journalism and sociology at Columbia University.

Giltin writes about the media and America.

Over 40 University of Westmintser journalism students will  be at the
conference covering it live for Westminster News Online.

Opportunities

Coverage which the students produce will also be offered to
the large UK media organisations like Sky, BBC and ITV News.

“That’s an exciting opportunity for [our students],” Rob Benfield says.

Benfield, a TV veteran with over 35 years of experience, is now
a lecturer at the University of Westminster.  He is executive producing
the student coverage.

Geoffrey Davies, the head of Westminster’s Journalism and Mass
Communications department also thinks the conference is good
for future journalists.

“This is a huge amount of work for students,” Davies says.
“But, it’s invaluable experience that can only help them in
their careers.”

Research and Alternatives

Davies thinks that to have the  Department of Journalism and Mass
Communication, and the British Journalism Review cooperating to put
on  Journalism in Crisis shows the university at its best.

“Events like this confirm our status as the leading media research
university in the country,” Davies says.

In its brief on Journalism In Crisis, Westminster reports that  this
conference will address how journalism’s traditional business model
is under threat.

But, the brief says it will also discuss the alternatives emerging on the web.

It’s the alternatives that are likely to be most interesting to the students in
attendance, alternatives which some students will already be utilizing as they
cover the conference live for WNOL.

Police under scrutiny at G20 protest

Story by Alberto Furlan, pictures by Andrew Otto

Thousands gathered outside the Bank of England to protest ahead of the G20 summit in London, resulting in 26 arrests by sundown and one injured protester.

Incidents were limited, with five protesters shattering the window at the Royal Bank of Scotland and throwing computers out. One person was injured after confrontation with the police.

The majority of the protests were peaceful as four parades, each one lead by a ‘Horseman of the Apocalypse’, converged from different tube stations to the square outside the Bank.

Once there, thousands sang, waved placards, scaled walls and danced in a general mood of merriment. Some were seeing sleeping on the pavements and making coffee on a campfire.

However, the police tactics of sealing off the entire square and letting no-one out soured the mood as people wanted to move on, needing the bathroom or food.

One policeman said he “did not know when you are allowed out. We are just waiting for orders. Sorry.” He then marched forward and closed the police cordon even further.

“This is a dead canary. He is going to Canary Wharf,” said one protester dressed in a doctor’s outfit and carrying a stretcher with a huge model of a dead canary, underlining the good humour of the majority of protesters.

The police were determined not to let anybody through without a media pass, and even that did not always suffice.

While the Metropolitan force did, for the most part, a good job of keeping protesters in defined areas, they were also at times confused. On one occasion orders were repeated a number of times and they still failed to seal off the right road.

A passage between two roads was also left unguarded by the police but the protesters failed to notice and they kept on partying and hassling the front line of yellow-clad constables.

As night descended, more skirmishes broke out as police tried to clear the tents of protesters camped near Liverpool Street Station.

See also

Circus atmosphere of G20 protests

Circus atmosphere of G20 protest

As world leaders gathered in London to tackle the financial crisis which has crippled global trade, Westminster News Online’s Brigitte Istim joined a colourful array of protesters to gauge the mood of the crowds in the City.

G20 Meltdown - a coalition of anarchists, environmental activists and people who are just rather cross with bankers - designated 1 April 2009 as Financial Fools Day.

Initially outnumbered by reporters and photographers, a group of protesters assemble on the south side of London Bridge in the spring sunshine. They gather round a large red and green banner which read: Capitalism bringing you a lower quality of life since sixteenth century.

Dorine Jadeau helped make the banner. A veteran of protests in France she was determined “not to miss” G20.

One of the four horsemen of the apocalypse arrives complete with scythe, a skeleton swathed in silver lame - death meets cabaret. A small group of demonstrators dressed all in black, scarves wrapped round their faces, hurries past. They look slightly more purposeful than everyone else, except the attendant police.

The crowd ambles across London Bridge, lead by silver skeleton and a jazz band. A tour bus sits becalmed in the middle of the crowd. Heaven knows what the guide is saying.

Once north of the river the protest swells and begins to feel like a single giant creature, rather than an assortment of people out for a stroll. Banners and bank premises multiply, the crowd whistles, cheers and boos. A group of watching office workers holds a placard to a window announcing: We are not bankers.

By the Bank of England we unite with the other three horsemen of the apocalypse dressed in black, red and dark green. They cavort in front of the bank, accompanied by at least two effigies of bankers, one wearing a bowler hat and a noose round his neck.

Inequality

The very mixed nature of the crowd becomes apparent. Josh is part of a group carrying red ‘revolution’ flags but wouldn’t describe himself as an anarchist.

“I’m just angry about inequality and injustice. I’ll be at the G20 meeting tomorrow to try and make all those world leaders hear my opinions,” he said.

Jessica Tate is statuesque, blonde and very articulate, She counts several bankers as friends and it is partly as a result of conversations with them that she decided to take to the street today.

“What annoys me is the fact that so many bankers think they have a God-given right to huge salaries,” she said. “When I asked a banker friend if he would consider giving up his bonus he just said: ‘Jessica do you have any idea of the size of my bonus?”’

And does she have a good idea of just how big friend’s bonus might be?

“I think I would be shocked if I found out. Shocked and frustrated when I think of what people like doctors and nurses earn in comparison.”

Steve Nichols has designed his own banner, a masterpiece of Photoshopping which has turned Gordon Brown and Alastair Darling into Laurel and Hardy.

Steve looks shrewd and steady, not the type to anger quickly. Why is he here?

“I’m fed up with seeing my savings decimated while big bankers receive huge bonuses. My father is a pensioner and his income from savings has been decimated,” he said.

Picnics and gymnastics

Now the Bank of England is sprouting people like fungus as they cling to the pillars on its facade and scribble slogans on its grey stone with coloured chalk. One man shins up a pillar and then swings back and forth between columns, hanging up banners.

Chris Knight, the Professor of Anthropology at East London University who gained notoriety for his remark about bankers “hanging from lamp-posts” seems in good form, striding around dressed as Dr Death in black cloak and top hat. He urges his supporters to carry a large banner - ‘Capitalism isn’t working’ - over to the steps of the Royal Exchange next to the Bank of England.

“Pick it up, it needs to be seen. I can’t do everything, I’m an old man,” he says.

The sun carries on shining. People sit in the street, smoking, drinking and eating sandwiches as the traffic lights flick unheeded from red to amber to green. A beer bottle arcs lazily through the air near a line of mounted riot police. Otherwise all seems peaceful.

Later, the Evening Standard reports riot and bloodshed outside the Royal Bank of Scotland. High drama has passed apparently passed me by literally yards away.

See also

Police under scrutiny at G20 protests

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