For instance:
How to make a
Horizontal line
a main header
a main header
a main header
a main header
a main header
a main header
| Row 1 Column 1 |
| Row 2 Column 2 |
MAD SKILLS MAN!!
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
My mad xhtml skills
Today we learnt a variety of skills in New Media:
For instance:
How to make a
Horizontal line
MAD SKILLS MAN!!
For instance:
How to make a
Horizontal line
MAD SKILLS MAN!!
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
New York...a summary
Ok ok, sorry about the delay...life and work happened!
I can truly say that New York was one of the best experiences of my life.
Not only is the city so great but fact that I used my own money to get there and got to spend the time with the love of my life made it perfect. It was purely my time and we did things we wanted to do when we wanted to do them!
The city of course was awesome! If there was ever a contest for the capital of the planet New York would probably win- I know I am being all gushy but I can now see how people in the US just don't have passports and don't know where places like France are...they simply don't need to leave their country!
To be fair, New York is extremely different to, say, middle America for the simple reason that its a coastal city with an enormous influx of legal and illegal immigrants from places other than Mexico and a vibrant reading culture to boot (I mention the reading culture because they have have an excellent selection of media in NY).
In terms of what we actually did: On the first full day in NY we went to the Empire State building and there discovered the City Pass which gets you into most of the main attractions for half price. This we promptly bought and it became our what-to-see-next guide for the next week.
Here is a list of most of the places we went to while in the city: Ground Zero, The Chinatown flea market, Grand Central terminal, The Rockefeller Centre, The Natural History Museum, The Met, The Guggenheim, Central Park, The Empire State Building, 2 Broadway shows- The Phantom of the Opera and Chicago, Columbus Circle shopping centre, The 24-hour Apple shop, Hell's Kitchen, The New York Central Library, Times Square, lots of bookshops, a Radio Shack and we took the Full Circle Tour of Manhattan by boat.
I have never walked so far in my life but it was worth it! ;-)
I can truly say that New York was one of the best experiences of my life.
Not only is the city so great but fact that I used my own money to get there and got to spend the time with the love of my life made it perfect. It was purely my time and we did things we wanted to do when we wanted to do them!
The city of course was awesome! If there was ever a contest for the capital of the planet New York would probably win- I know I am being all gushy but I can now see how people in the US just don't have passports and don't know where places like France are...they simply don't need to leave their country!
To be fair, New York is extremely different to, say, middle America for the simple reason that its a coastal city with an enormous influx of legal and illegal immigrants from places other than Mexico and a vibrant reading culture to boot (I mention the reading culture because they have have an excellent selection of media in NY).
In terms of what we actually did: On the first full day in NY we went to the Empire State building and there discovered the City Pass which gets you into most of the main attractions for half price. This we promptly bought and it became our what-to-see-next guide for the next week.
Here is a list of most of the places we went to while in the city: Ground Zero, The Chinatown flea market, Grand Central terminal, The Rockefeller Centre, The Natural History Museum, The Met, The Guggenheim, Central Park, The Empire State Building, 2 Broadway shows- The Phantom of the Opera and Chicago, Columbus Circle shopping centre, The 24-hour Apple shop, Hell's Kitchen, The New York Central Library, Times Square, lots of bookshops, a Radio Shack and we took the Full Circle Tour of Manhattan by boat.
I have never walked so far in my life but it was worth it! ;-)
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
Chapter 2- NY Day 1
I gained time when I flew over the Atlantic.
When I landed at JFK airport it was 10 in the morning (after having left Paris at 8 in the morning) and as I shuffled through passport control I was immediately gripped by a profound sense of uncertainty- here I was in a strange land in a strange airport and needing to meet the love of my life without the foggiest of which terminal she will be landing at or what her flight number was....this snafu was entirely my fault as I had somehow misplaced her flight details.
Now, if anyone was to ask me to choose any airport I would like to fly into it would have to be JFK- I mean, JFK is an airport folks! 7 terminals, each as big as a shopping mall, and a sky-train which would put the Gautrain to shame (or at least it will when the Gautrain is actually built). Impressive as all of this is, it doesn't help me one jot in finding Jen.
My first order of business was to get a new sim card to use in the US...After journeying to terminal 3 looking for somewhere to buy such an item I was told by an airport employee that I might be able to find something in terminal 4.
After walking the whole way up and down the terminal I finally found an electronics shop and got myself a sim card for the princely sum of $100...it didn't work for reasons I still don't know!
To say I panicked at this point is frankly an understatement. How the fuck was I going to find Jen??? The answer was right in front of me: payphones. My dad was luckily in the US at the time and I managed to get through to him on his American number.
All-in-all it worked out in the end. Jen's flight from Atlanta had been delayed and she ended up landing at terminal 2...which is where I found her at.
We found each other, found our luggage, found a tax and were on the way to Manhattan in no time.
The rest of day 1 was a blur- I had slept 4 hours in the last 20 and vaguely remember shopping for various essentials, checking in at the hostel, climbing the 4 flights of stairs to our room and then heavenly sleep...oh and eating my first meal on American soil: a jumbo slice of peperoni pizza- it was delicious.
until next time!!
When I landed at JFK airport it was 10 in the morning (after having left Paris at 8 in the morning) and as I shuffled through passport control I was immediately gripped by a profound sense of uncertainty- here I was in a strange land in a strange airport and needing to meet the love of my life without the foggiest of which terminal she will be landing at or what her flight number was....this snafu was entirely my fault as I had somehow misplaced her flight details.
Now, if anyone was to ask me to choose any airport I would like to fly into it would have to be JFK- I mean, JFK is an airport folks! 7 terminals, each as big as a shopping mall, and a sky-train which would put the Gautrain to shame (or at least it will when the Gautrain is actually built). Impressive as all of this is, it doesn't help me one jot in finding Jen.
My first order of business was to get a new sim card to use in the US...After journeying to terminal 3 looking for somewhere to buy such an item I was told by an airport employee that I might be able to find something in terminal 4.
After walking the whole way up and down the terminal I finally found an electronics shop and got myself a sim card for the princely sum of $100...it didn't work for reasons I still don't know!
To say I panicked at this point is frankly an understatement. How the fuck was I going to find Jen??? The answer was right in front of me: payphones. My dad was luckily in the US at the time and I managed to get through to him on his American number.
All-in-all it worked out in the end. Jen's flight from Atlanta had been delayed and she ended up landing at terminal 2...which is where I found her at.
We found each other, found our luggage, found a tax and were on the way to Manhattan in no time.
The rest of day 1 was a blur- I had slept 4 hours in the last 20 and vaguely remember shopping for various essentials, checking in at the hostel, climbing the 4 flights of stairs to our room and then heavenly sleep...oh and eating my first meal on American soil: a jumbo slice of peperoni pizza- it was delicious.
until next time!!
Monday, July 02, 2007
Chapter 1 Part 2- Joburg to Paris
Welcome back, good to see you! ;-)
So there I was, cramped and suffering on a Delta Airlines (operated by Air Fance) flight to Paris Charles de Gaulle (or however you spell his name) airport, I was more than looking forward to getting on my connecting flight and getting on my way to NY!
We land on time at Paris and we all dismebark into surprising crisp morning air. I glance at a map of the airport as I exit the jetway- its huge and I am in Terminal 2E....I need to get to terminal 2F which seems just a short walk away, easy peasy...NOT SO.
We are herded to a bus stop, no air trains here, we have to take a bus to our terminal...ok, I think how bad can this be! Well, it was Sunday so I think we got the C team of the airport staff- a crazy middle-aged French women was driving our bus and screamed at us everytime we came to a terminal in rapid-fire French. The map seemed so simple i thought as we veered left and right through the back roads of the airport, dodging luggage buggys and various pieces of discarded equipment- if the plane journey was hell, Paris airport was purgatory.
When we finally got to the terminal (I had been standing on a swerving bus for the better part of 20 minutes-lord knows how people with only a few minutes to spare manage to get to their connecting flights!) We had to take an elevator to the third floor, then walk through a maze of corridors, up stairs, down stairs, up escalators and across travelators- it struck me that whoever designed this airport probably never actually walked through it....
When i finally made it to the main departure hall I thought I had arrived....it was only half-way. The main arrivals hall at Charles de Gaulle is the biggest load of wank I have ever seen. It is an empty, austere place with wooden floors and a wooden ceiling of some synthetic looking wood that towers about 5 stories above you....no funtionality whatsoever.
Then we get to the security check...now, bear in mind that I havent been outside of the controlled area, been screamed at by a mad French bus driver, walked 6 kilometres but actually only covered about 200 metres as the crow flies and now some French guy asks me in broken english to remove my shoes!!!!!!
WTF!
I was pissed off....
Another 3 kilometres i make it to the departure gate with an hour to spare....but without any Euros I couldnt buy anything so I just sat there and waited for my flight to leave.
The flight to NY was a daylight flight...it was uneventful except for the fact we were delayed because of technical difficulties....this is always a scary thing to hear and I looked out of my window to see a gaggle of ground staff staring at out starboard engine....not good, I just fell asleep again, at least I had the seat next to me free!
So there I was, cramped and suffering on a Delta Airlines (operated by Air Fance) flight to Paris Charles de Gaulle (or however you spell his name) airport, I was more than looking forward to getting on my connecting flight and getting on my way to NY!
We land on time at Paris and we all dismebark into surprising crisp morning air. I glance at a map of the airport as I exit the jetway- its huge and I am in Terminal 2E....I need to get to terminal 2F which seems just a short walk away, easy peasy...NOT SO.
We are herded to a bus stop, no air trains here, we have to take a bus to our terminal...ok, I think how bad can this be! Well, it was Sunday so I think we got the C team of the airport staff- a crazy middle-aged French women was driving our bus and screamed at us everytime we came to a terminal in rapid-fire French. The map seemed so simple i thought as we veered left and right through the back roads of the airport, dodging luggage buggys and various pieces of discarded equipment- if the plane journey was hell, Paris airport was purgatory.
When we finally got to the terminal (I had been standing on a swerving bus for the better part of 20 minutes-lord knows how people with only a few minutes to spare manage to get to their connecting flights!) We had to take an elevator to the third floor, then walk through a maze of corridors, up stairs, down stairs, up escalators and across travelators- it struck me that whoever designed this airport probably never actually walked through it....
When i finally made it to the main departure hall I thought I had arrived....it was only half-way. The main arrivals hall at Charles de Gaulle is the biggest load of wank I have ever seen. It is an empty, austere place with wooden floors and a wooden ceiling of some synthetic looking wood that towers about 5 stories above you....no funtionality whatsoever.
Then we get to the security check...now, bear in mind that I havent been outside of the controlled area, been screamed at by a mad French bus driver, walked 6 kilometres but actually only covered about 200 metres as the crow flies and now some French guy asks me in broken english to remove my shoes!!!!!!
WTF!
I was pissed off....
Another 3 kilometres i make it to the departure gate with an hour to spare....but without any Euros I couldnt buy anything so I just sat there and waited for my flight to leave.
The flight to NY was a daylight flight...it was uneventful except for the fact we were delayed because of technical difficulties....this is always a scary thing to hear and I looked out of my window to see a gaggle of ground staff staring at out starboard engine....not good, I just fell asleep again, at least I had the seat next to me free!
Sunday, July 01, 2007
The trip to New York Chapter 1 Part 1
Ok, I have decided to post all of these together or when I have time, after the fact over the next few weeks as i didnt have time last week to actually sit down and do this stuff.
Chapter 1- getting there.
I am posting this part of my trip as it was...interesting to say the least, at least for me (and besides I have some things to say about it so hey...)
Ok, so I fly from PE to Joburg which was fine....
get my luggage in Joburg and trek the 3kms through the parking garage to the International terminal...what a load of bollocks that was. When i get to the international terminal I am met with a seething mass of humanity (some of them literally seething)... there must have been at least 2000 people and their families crammed into that check-in hall. My check-in desk was number 60 something and after jostling down there I was promptly given a window seat...which i didnt realise at the time- this was the affect my trip profoundly for the next 20 hours.
So I say my goodbyes to everyone over the phone and trek 3 minutes to the departure gate...the seething mass has transplanted itself into that austere space now and we are made to stand in the line for what seemed like eternity- my feet are already sore.
Finally I get on the plane...it is full but the two seats next to me are empty ("awesome" i think) and I begin budgeting which parts of my body to place on this new found space....they close the doors and start preparing for take-off- I am elated as I think that I am in for a good, roomy flight but just as we are about to push back from the terminal two (old) smelly British people arrive and plonk themselves next to me....
The didnt get up the entire flight....not once, I was trapped.
Tune in later for the second leg of my journey..
Chapter 1- getting there.
I am posting this part of my trip as it was...interesting to say the least, at least for me (and besides I have some things to say about it so hey...)
Ok, so I fly from PE to Joburg which was fine....
get my luggage in Joburg and trek the 3kms through the parking garage to the International terminal...what a load of bollocks that was. When i get to the international terminal I am met with a seething mass of humanity (some of them literally seething)... there must have been at least 2000 people and their families crammed into that check-in hall. My check-in desk was number 60 something and after jostling down there I was promptly given a window seat...which i didnt realise at the time- this was the affect my trip profoundly for the next 20 hours.
So I say my goodbyes to everyone over the phone and trek 3 minutes to the departure gate...the seething mass has transplanted itself into that austere space now and we are made to stand in the line for what seemed like eternity- my feet are already sore.
Finally I get on the plane...it is full but the two seats next to me are empty ("awesome" i think) and I begin budgeting which parts of my body to place on this new found space....they close the doors and start preparing for take-off- I am elated as I think that I am in for a good, roomy flight but just as we are about to push back from the terminal two (old) smelly British people arrive and plonk themselves next to me....
The didnt get up the entire flight....not once, I was trapped.
Tune in later for the second leg of my journey..
SL has a new Editor!!!!!!!
Ok, I know this is a week late and that I haven't blogged in AGES!! AGAIN!
I saw that SL has a new editor and, because her editorial was, to be frank, disgustingly short and left certain key questions unanswered I have decided to post an open letter to her on here which I have sent off to her as well- Stay tuned for a response, if I get any.
Dear Louise
I know this is a bit late but congratulations on your appointment as the new editor of SL.
I have been reading the mag on and off for about the last 7 years and I have watched it grow, morph and, in my mind, degenerate.
When I heard that SL was getting a new editor I was thought "excellent, maybe now we are going to finally see a revamp of the magazine!" So I trundled over to the local news agent and bought myself your first edition....it was, disappointingly, the same as always but I was willing to let that slide. I mean, after all, it was your first edition and hey, since magazines usually work a month in advance (or should) it was probably a hangover from the Dixon administration.
Now, if you are still reading, maybe its because I am studying Journalism that I my comments may be seen to be over-critical but as they say in the classics "wait there is more more!"
I know that the nature of magazines is that they are aspirational- ie: Their content is aimed at a target audience but that audience does not see themselves in the magazine, rather the content is about successful, beautiful people a few years older than the reader.
This is all well and good if you take into account that a lot of high school learners read the mag- I mean, there were still students in the vox pops for example and these learners were all aspiring to go to varsity one day etc and be just like those Wits and UJ students/models you always seem to have in there.
But lately this has changed...
All of a sudden we don't have current students but ones who have graduated. Ones with jobs, ones who haven't been students for years ie: people who I can hardly relate to (I plan on studying for a while longer after my honours) and I am sure high school learners cant at all!
I never knew the "underground", counter-culture, out-of-the-mainstream versions of SL- those were a bit before my time. That ethos of being different from all the other consumerist magazines on the market has been lost to the bottom line of the balance sheet now, such is life I suppose.
I suppose my question to you is really "who are you and why are you here" seeing as you didn't answer any of those questions in your first editorial! What do you intend to do with the position you have been placed in? Will the magazine stay the same? Become worse (more consumerist) or better (more about students).
Having said this, I suppose that students are consumers and that you are catering to that gap in the market....if you read SL with this in mind it does that rather well.
But can it hurt to see vox pops from "normal" students at varsities other than UJ and Wits?
Can it hurt to have campus reporters at each varsity writing about....well...student life?
Is it a crime to want to be able to "see myself" in the content SL churns out? The theory that this kind of interaction with media is only reserved for community newspapers is bollocks in my mind.
A balance needs to be struck between the consumerist (money making side) of SL and giving what the audience, which ostentatiously is made up of students, not only content they WANT but also content they NEED! I understand that you need to make money in order to put this mag out but don't forget, you also need an audience to read the thing...don't forget them!
I hope you appreciate the responsibility of what being an editor means and that you can stand up to your publisher if you want to change anything about the magazine.
I will be watching.
Good luck and kind regards.
Peter Barlow
I saw that SL has a new editor and, because her editorial was, to be frank, disgustingly short and left certain key questions unanswered I have decided to post an open letter to her on here which I have sent off to her as well- Stay tuned for a response, if I get any.
Dear Louise
I know this is a bit late but congratulations on your appointment as the new editor of SL.
I have been reading the mag on and off for about the last 7 years and I have watched it grow, morph and, in my mind, degenerate.
When I heard that SL was getting a new editor I was thought "excellent, maybe now we are going to finally see a revamp of the magazine!" So I trundled over to the local news agent and bought myself your first edition....it was, disappointingly, the same as always but I was willing to let that slide. I mean, after all, it was your first edition and hey, since magazines usually work a month in advance (or should) it was probably a hangover from the Dixon administration.
Now, if you are still reading, maybe its because I am studying Journalism that I my comments may be seen to be over-critical but as they say in the classics "wait there is more more!"
I know that the nature of magazines is that they are aspirational- ie: Their content is aimed at a target audience but that audience does not see themselves in the magazine, rather the content is about successful, beautiful people a few years older than the reader.
This is all well and good if you take into account that a lot of high school learners read the mag- I mean, there were still students in the vox pops for example and these learners were all aspiring to go to varsity one day etc and be just like those Wits and UJ students/models you always seem to have in there.
But lately this has changed...
All of a sudden we don't have current students but ones who have graduated. Ones with jobs, ones who haven't been students for years ie: people who I can hardly relate to (I plan on studying for a while longer after my honours) and I am sure high school learners cant at all!
I never knew the "underground", counter-culture, out-of-the-mainstream versions of SL- those were a bit before my time. That ethos of being different from all the other consumerist magazines on the market has been lost to the bottom line of the balance sheet now, such is life I suppose.
I suppose my question to you is really "who are you and why are you here" seeing as you didn't answer any of those questions in your first editorial! What do you intend to do with the position you have been placed in? Will the magazine stay the same? Become worse (more consumerist) or better (more about students).
Having said this, I suppose that students are consumers and that you are catering to that gap in the market....if you read SL with this in mind it does that rather well.
But can it hurt to see vox pops from "normal" students at varsities other than UJ and Wits?
Can it hurt to have campus reporters at each varsity writing about....well...student life?
Is it a crime to want to be able to "see myself" in the content SL churns out? The theory that this kind of interaction with media is only reserved for community newspapers is bollocks in my mind.
A balance needs to be struck between the consumerist (money making side) of SL and giving what the audience, which ostentatiously is made up of students, not only content they WANT but also content they NEED! I understand that you need to make money in order to put this mag out but don't forget, you also need an audience to read the thing...don't forget them!
I hope you appreciate the responsibility of what being an editor means and that you can stand up to your publisher if you want to change anything about the magazine.
I will be watching.
Good luck and kind regards.
Peter Barlow
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
So its been a while...
Right then, so its been a while since I blogged!
Time is an issue in my life these days and no, I don't make time to blog anymore- evidently.
My life over these past few months has been pretty busy. 4th year is great but Brian turns the heat up under us regularly and so we are always kept hopping up and down from one project to the next. So far this year we have: Designed logotypes for ourselves, re-designed Sci-Cue and then laid it out in shifts for a week (I had to distribute every morning...it was fun, NOT!), learnt how to use Illustrator (VERY cool program) and designed an ad using that, endured crit sessions for our 120 page magazine cover and done audience research for them, we had a visiting lecturer, Nick Lamond, who was at Rhodes in 2000 and who is a magazine fundi of note- just returned from Australia to do his MBA at UCT- lectured to us on magazines etc for 2 days and we have just finished designing a poster for Shakespeare SA- the best poster wins cash so I am holding thumbs, next up is a poster for the Schools Fest happening here in July, also for cash whoo hoo!
Well, that doesn't sound like mush but believe me it has taken up LOTS of time over the past few months...
Other stuff I have done: House sat the VC's house...for some extra cash- doing it again for 13 days from Friday (a tidy sum coming my way), went back home for the long weekend to go and get an American Visa as Jen and I are going to NY in June! (Jen is speaking at a children's literature conference and I am meeting her after that for a week of exploring NY VERY EXCITED!)
Well, thats my past few months in a nut shell...
I am sure I have left things out but hey.
I recently bought the latest SL and saw that Natalie Dixon is leaving!! My next blog will definitely be about that...see you next time!
Time is an issue in my life these days and no, I don't make time to blog anymore- evidently.
My life over these past few months has been pretty busy. 4th year is great but Brian turns the heat up under us regularly and so we are always kept hopping up and down from one project to the next. So far this year we have: Designed logotypes for ourselves, re-designed Sci-Cue and then laid it out in shifts for a week (I had to distribute every morning...it was fun, NOT!), learnt how to use Illustrator (VERY cool program) and designed an ad using that, endured crit sessions for our 120 page magazine cover and done audience research for them, we had a visiting lecturer, Nick Lamond, who was at Rhodes in 2000 and who is a magazine fundi of note- just returned from Australia to do his MBA at UCT- lectured to us on magazines etc for 2 days and we have just finished designing a poster for Shakespeare SA- the best poster wins cash so I am holding thumbs, next up is a poster for the Schools Fest happening here in July, also for cash whoo hoo!
Well, that doesn't sound like mush but believe me it has taken up LOTS of time over the past few months...
Other stuff I have done: House sat the VC's house...for some extra cash- doing it again for 13 days from Friday (a tidy sum coming my way), went back home for the long weekend to go and get an American Visa as Jen and I are going to NY in June! (Jen is speaking at a children's literature conference and I am meeting her after that for a week of exploring NY VERY EXCITED!)
Well, thats my past few months in a nut shell...
I am sure I have left things out but hey.
I recently bought the latest SL and saw that Natalie Dixon is leaving!! My next blog will definitely be about that...see you next time!
Thursday, February 01, 2007
Here comes the new academic year
Sorry for all of you who have already gone back to varsity/are working etc- I only start on the 12th of Feb! ;-)
As the Chinese curse goes: "may you live in interesting times" and this year is sure to be interesting.
Nevertheless, I am excited, what with Captivate, 4th year, the subject I am taking to make up my half credit (the subject is not particularly exciting but finally getting that credit is!) and a few potential job opportunities which might be coming my way its looking good at the moment!
A few blogging resolutions:
1.) I am going to start talking a lot more about design and layout of publications I consume, thus making it truly into "a designer's ramblings".
2.) I am going to be posting my J4 design projects up on the blog for comment! Please feel free to do so! :-)
3.) I shall continue to use this blog to post PERSONAL opinions as we as the opinions of others (please note that this blog is my personal space and I will say just about whatever I damn well please if I believe in it- if you have a problem with what I am saying then you can comment- otherwise hold your peace)
4.) I will blog more!!!! I promise!
Peace outside!
As the Chinese curse goes: "may you live in interesting times" and this year is sure to be interesting.
Nevertheless, I am excited, what with Captivate, 4th year, the subject I am taking to make up my half credit (the subject is not particularly exciting but finally getting that credit is!) and a few potential job opportunities which might be coming my way its looking good at the moment!
A few blogging resolutions:
1.) I am going to start talking a lot more about design and layout of publications I consume, thus making it truly into "a designer's ramblings".
2.) I am going to be posting my J4 design projects up on the blog for comment! Please feel free to do so! :-)
3.) I shall continue to use this blog to post PERSONAL opinions as we as the opinions of others (please note that this blog is my personal space and I will say just about whatever I damn well please if I believe in it- if you have a problem with what I am saying then you can comment- otherwise hold your peace)
4.) I will blog more!!!! I promise!
Peace outside!
Friday, December 29, 2006
Its been a long road
....but I am finally there. Confirmation came through that I was into 4th year a while back but in the excitement I just havent found the time to blog about it!
I am happy but also sad- one of my good friends in my class didnt make the cut. She will be finishing her degree in Joburg and I probably wont see her again for a long time. Take care Tinks if you are reading this- its the Journ School's loss, not yours.
So the email I have been waiting 3 years for:
Re: Confirmation of acceptance for JMS 4 in 2007
Dear Peter
It is with pleasure that I write to inform you that your provisional
acceptance for Journalism and Media Studies 4, in 2007 has been confirmed by
the JMS 4 Board and by Faculty.
If you will not be taking up this position, please let me know as soon as
possible.
The university's academic registration for fourth years will be on Saturday
10 February and you will be required to attend a short orientation meeting
of all JMS 4 students on Monday 12 February in the Fine Art Sculpture
lecture theatre (near the AMM building) starting at 9.00am. (Please note
that some specialisations may have an earlier starting date than this.)
We will use this meeting to register you with the department, so please
bring a passport-sized photograph of yourself.
Please note that for JMS 4, teaching continues into both June and November
swot weeks. Also, individual specialisations may require that you remain at
university during all or part of the University vacations. Please check with
your specialisation lecturers to confirm when you will be required to be at
University.
We look forward to working with you next year. In the mean time, we hope
that you have a safe and restful vacation.
Yours sincerely,
Brian
__________________________________
Brian Garman
JMS 4 Coordinator
School of Journalism & Media Studies
Call me crazy but 4th year was what I signed on to do...BJourn is what I am at Rhodes to do and now I am finally there...all the way from Carol Christie and the history of the printing press in first year, my first journ course and surprisingly not my most boring one. Angelo Fick and his high brow lectures in 2nd year (where he wrote a speech for the last lecture crapping on all of us in his own way and some of the poppies in the class applauded him because they actually didn't know what he was saying) and Rod Amner's groundbreaking and highly confusing course in 3rd year- good luck with that one Rod, good luck (I did lots of other courses in the 3 years I have been doing journ but these ones stood out for me).
HOOORAAAAY!!!!!
I think its only beginning to sink in now my friends!
I am happy but also sad- one of my good friends in my class didnt make the cut. She will be finishing her degree in Joburg and I probably wont see her again for a long time. Take care Tinks if you are reading this- its the Journ School's loss, not yours.
So the email I have been waiting 3 years for:
Re: Confirmation of acceptance for JMS 4 in 2007
Dear Peter
It is with pleasure that I write to inform you that your provisional
acceptance for Journalism and Media Studies 4, in 2007 has been confirmed by
the JMS 4 Board and by Faculty.
If you will not be taking up this position, please let me know as soon as
possible.
The university's academic registration for fourth years will be on Saturday
10 February and you will be required to attend a short orientation meeting
of all JMS 4 students on Monday 12 February in the Fine Art Sculpture
lecture theatre (near the AMM building) starting at 9.00am. (Please note
that some specialisations may have an earlier starting date than this.)
We will use this meeting to register you with the department, so please
bring a passport-sized photograph of yourself.
Please note that for JMS 4, teaching continues into both June and November
swot weeks. Also, individual specialisations may require that you remain at
university during all or part of the University vacations. Please check with
your specialisation lecturers to confirm when you will be required to be at
University.
We look forward to working with you next year. In the mean time, we hope
that you have a safe and restful vacation.
Yours sincerely,
Brian
__________________________________
Brian Garman
JMS 4 Coordinator
School of Journalism & Media Studies
Call me crazy but 4th year was what I signed on to do...BJourn is what I am at Rhodes to do and now I am finally there...all the way from Carol Christie and the history of the printing press in first year, my first journ course and surprisingly not my most boring one. Angelo Fick and his high brow lectures in 2nd year (where he wrote a speech for the last lecture crapping on all of us in his own way and some of the poppies in the class applauded him because they actually didn't know what he was saying) and Rod Amner's groundbreaking and highly confusing course in 3rd year- good luck with that one Rod, good luck (I did lots of other courses in the 3 years I have been doing journ but these ones stood out for me).
HOOORAAAAY!!!!!
I think its only beginning to sink in now my friends!
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
Bloglines
I meant to blog about this ages ago...
I have been using bloglines for a while- after Gregor put me onto it when I said that I go through my blogroll every morning when I get up...but with bloglines you don't have to cos you are monitoring the feed of that blog, site etc...
What a great little app- all you need to do is download the bloglines notifier and subscribe to the feeds from the sites you want it to monitor.
I have been using bloglines for a while- after Gregor put me onto it when I said that I go through my blogroll every morning when I get up...but with bloglines you don't have to cos you are monitoring the feed of that blog, site etc...
What a great little app- all you need to do is download the bloglines notifier and subscribe to the feeds from the sites you want it to monitor.
The hollidays and exam results
So I have been on holliday for a week and a bit....
I have gotten zero done yet...but there is still plenty of time I suppose. Results come out either tomorrow or Friday, I am quite scared to be perfectly honest.
More on that when the results come...or is the varsity going to make us wait fucking ages like they did the last time?
I have gotten zero done yet...but there is still plenty of time I suppose. Results come out either tomorrow or Friday, I am quite scared to be perfectly honest.
More on that when the results come...or is the varsity going to make us wait fucking ages like they did the last time?
Thursday, November 30, 2006
The Media's responsibility
I was browsing my feed from News24 this evening and found this story "Kebble: Media given a blast"....
In the story Vusi Pikoli, the head of the NPA, stated that he thought that the media had left much to be desired from their reporting on the Kebble murder case.
His main concerns were that the media were not thinking about witnesses safety when they printed their names, thus preventing other witnesses coming forward and were too quick to print information they had received as "fact".
This proves to me that some journalism basics are no longer being followed- you verify your facts with someone...or at least try to before you print them and then if you could not verify them adequately enough but still want to print them they should be clearly qualified as unverified- better yet, don't print them at all.
Pikoli implored the media not to disseminate any information that could compromise the case and not to run parallel investigations, some of which are compromising witnesses.
I find myself agreeing with Pikoli on a number of points he makes in the story and admit that there is a fine line to tread between what I term reactive journalism- journalism motivated purely by commercial imperatives- and proactive journalism- the kind that actually informs the public without harming or compromising the investigation. Fair enough, the stuff that the NPA release might be boring and drab but I really wouldn't endorse fabricating information or trying to coerce members of the NPA to give information and in so doing put their jobs on the line.
I mean, call me idealistic but I do believe that its high time the media began thinking about the effect the information they package and disseminate will be having on the bigger picture- past the fact that Kebble stories sell newspapers and draw eyes and ears to watch and listen.
However, I do think that the NPA should also come to the party a bit. I the story Pikoli states that the media should give the NPA more time to respond to questions from the media. This is all well and good but, just as the media should make allowance for the time it will take the NPA to respond, the NPA should understand that there are deadlines that need to be met and not withhold information deliberately past the deadlines etc. Pikoli's suggestion of the NPA giving the media information three or four days after it was requested it is utterly unacceptable- they should realise that this is a high profile case which has generated a lot of interest to the public (the public interest of the story is another matter entirely) and at least appoint a dedicated media liaison to deal with the media and the public, oh wait, I forgot...they are underfunded and understaffed- great, and the government want to stamp out crime....
A three to four day waiting period for information, in my view, forces a sensationalist output by the press for a public hungry for skinner hence, I feel that both sides have to respect and understand certain boundaries set by the other side.
just my 2c on the matter....
In the story Vusi Pikoli, the head of the NPA, stated that he thought that the media had left much to be desired from their reporting on the Kebble murder case.
His main concerns were that the media were not thinking about witnesses safety when they printed their names, thus preventing other witnesses coming forward and were too quick to print information they had received as "fact".
This proves to me that some journalism basics are no longer being followed- you verify your facts with someone...or at least try to before you print them and then if you could not verify them adequately enough but still want to print them they should be clearly qualified as unverified- better yet, don't print them at all.
Pikoli implored the media not to disseminate any information that could compromise the case and not to run parallel investigations, some of which are compromising witnesses.
I find myself agreeing with Pikoli on a number of points he makes in the story and admit that there is a fine line to tread between what I term reactive journalism- journalism motivated purely by commercial imperatives- and proactive journalism- the kind that actually informs the public without harming or compromising the investigation. Fair enough, the stuff that the NPA release might be boring and drab but I really wouldn't endorse fabricating information or trying to coerce members of the NPA to give information and in so doing put their jobs on the line.
I mean, call me idealistic but I do believe that its high time the media began thinking about the effect the information they package and disseminate will be having on the bigger picture- past the fact that Kebble stories sell newspapers and draw eyes and ears to watch and listen.
However, I do think that the NPA should also come to the party a bit. I the story Pikoli states that the media should give the NPA more time to respond to questions from the media. This is all well and good but, just as the media should make allowance for the time it will take the NPA to respond, the NPA should understand that there are deadlines that need to be met and not withhold information deliberately past the deadlines etc. Pikoli's suggestion of the NPA giving the media information three or four days after it was requested it is utterly unacceptable- they should realise that this is a high profile case which has generated a lot of interest to the public (the public interest of the story is another matter entirely) and at least appoint a dedicated media liaison to deal with the media and the public, oh wait, I forgot...they are underfunded and understaffed- great, and the government want to stamp out crime....
A three to four day waiting period for information, in my view, forces a sensationalist output by the press for a public hungry for skinner hence, I feel that both sides have to respect and understand certain boundaries set by the other side.
just my 2c on the matter....
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
At least I got over 60%....
I suppose I should count my blessings...I got my marks back for my design portfolio and got 63%- 3% above the hallowed cut-off mark...possibly one of the lowest marks in the class if not the lowest. I feel like crap but sadly cant go to pieces emotionally and mentally yet as I have the all important Journalism exam tomorrow...I guess this is a feeble attempt to gain sympathy dear readers, but I can say that it was all my fault for getting such a dismal mark.
what probably stung most was the cutting down of most of the marks I got for my assignments by the external examiner...what a cowardly but necessary person an external examiner is- I mean, Simon and Casper were the ones who actually had to debrief me on my portfolio mark.
I just hope that my theory mark gives me over 60% overall so that I can get through to 4th year and try and salvage what dignity I have left- must start setting myself some goals now.
boo hoo for me...goodbye for now.
what probably stung most was the cutting down of most of the marks I got for my assignments by the external examiner...what a cowardly but necessary person an external examiner is- I mean, Simon and Casper were the ones who actually had to debrief me on my portfolio mark.
I just hope that my theory mark gives me over 60% overall so that I can get through to 4th year and try and salvage what dignity I have left- must start setting myself some goals now.
boo hoo for me...goodbye for now.
Friday, November 24, 2006
Big Blog Directory
Ok, so thanks to my friend Nic I found this cool blogosphere initiative! Bloggers unite, go and register your blog on this site, do it now I tell you now!!!
Mwahahahaha!
Mwahahahaha!
Thursday, November 23, 2006
Antipodean Media big business
So I was lucky enough to get an internship at the The South African, a weekly newspaper which caters for South Africans living in London in January last year. The company who runs the South African also owns the New Zealand and Australian Times both weekly newspapers as well.
The reason I am blogging about this now is that I was going through the job listings on gumtree in an idle moment and came across a listing for a job at In London magazine- similar to TNT magazine, another title operating in London catering for a general Australian migrant audience- only In London aims to appeal to Australian, South African and New Zealanders living and working in London. There is also, the South African Times, a title which has been around for years and almost went bankrupt a few years ago- prompting some enterprising fellows to start the South African seeing a gap in the market.
The main problem I had with the South African is the content. It was mostly made up of stories pulled off the South African wires about South Africa and travel articles written by local South Africans as well as a smattering of entertainment news..also written either in-house or by unpaid freelancers. This was all well and good as the guys who owned the South African seemed interested only in making money, hence the ads team was twice the size of the editorial team (this seems to be standard practice at newspapers so no surprise there)...I still wouldn't have called it a newspaper- with all due respect to the editor.
But it seemed to be fine...they were making money and thats all they cared about, good on them I suppose.
In London magazine is waaay more interesting though as it has articles relevant to the Antipodeans living in London...and the stories are mainly about stuff IN LONDON and the UK! This is a glossy magazine and also seems to be doing well...clear evidence that the niche immigrant markets are alive and kicking in London with, seemingly a good, healthy ad spend for to be had and plenty of space.
What was great to see in London was the enjoyment Londoners derive from reading the newspapers. While there is a truly a plethora of titles operating and distributing in the city alone, Londoners seem to lap these up eagerly. I even saw newspapers which came with free DVDs!! Unfortunately it is rumoured that the British newspaper industry is loosing money hand over first...maybe they should cut back on those free DVDs hehe.
Anyway...enough procrastination...time for sleep!
The reason I am blogging about this now is that I was going through the job listings on gumtree in an idle moment and came across a listing for a job at In London magazine- similar to TNT magazine, another title operating in London catering for a general Australian migrant audience- only In London aims to appeal to Australian, South African and New Zealanders living and working in London. There is also, the South African Times, a title which has been around for years and almost went bankrupt a few years ago- prompting some enterprising fellows to start the South African seeing a gap in the market.
The main problem I had with the South African is the content. It was mostly made up of stories pulled off the South African wires about South Africa and travel articles written by local South Africans as well as a smattering of entertainment news..also written either in-house or by unpaid freelancers. This was all well and good as the guys who owned the South African seemed interested only in making money, hence the ads team was twice the size of the editorial team (this seems to be standard practice at newspapers so no surprise there)...I still wouldn't have called it a newspaper- with all due respect to the editor.
But it seemed to be fine...they were making money and thats all they cared about, good on them I suppose.
In London magazine is waaay more interesting though as it has articles relevant to the Antipodeans living in London...and the stories are mainly about stuff IN LONDON and the UK! This is a glossy magazine and also seems to be doing well...clear evidence that the niche immigrant markets are alive and kicking in London with, seemingly a good, healthy ad spend for to be had and plenty of space.
What was great to see in London was the enjoyment Londoners derive from reading the newspapers. While there is a truly a plethora of titles operating and distributing in the city alone, Londoners seem to lap these up eagerly. I even saw newspapers which came with free DVDs!! Unfortunately it is rumoured that the British newspaper industry is loosing money hand over first...maybe they should cut back on those free DVDs hehe.
Anyway...enough procrastination...time for sleep!
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
Newsroom Management and what I wish i had known
So there I was sitting on Gregor's bed a few weeks back looking at his bookshelf as you do when you are visiting a friend and your attention wanders...and I spied a book called What the Newsroom Knows: Managing Knowledge within African Newspapers. Now, one of the reasons I jumped at the chance to borrow this book was simply because there isn't much literature revolving around African newsroom management- well, none that I have found anyway and while the book was supposed to be a case study of the use of ICTs in African newsrooms, the use of digital CM systems and the internet as well as mobile telephony it did not disappoint.
I really wish that I had had access to this book when I was still running my own newsroom at Activate. I say this because in most of the case studies in the book detailed African newsrooms which had come up against the same challenges for copy flow within their production cycle- in other words, Activate was not alone in the problems we faced. Some of these problems were as mundane as having an incoherent folder system for content on the network and one newsroom was even running computers which had several different operating systems between them- thankfully Activate did not have these particular problems although the major problem we faced early on and one which dogged just about my entire career at that newspaper was the fact that our computers were not networked to each other or the printer...when they were working of course.
I must admit I was waiting for a case study of an African newspaper who still did things the old way in their newsroom- without computers I mean...this, surprisingly was not to be and most of the African newsrooms featured in the book had been making extensive use of ICTs for many years.
What also interested me was the way that knowledge flowed around these newsrooms, how different newspapers used their diary meetings and the way they approach archiving their past editions, copy and photographs. Many newspapers had actual libraries set aside for archiving purposes (and one newspaper filed everything away- including all press releases they didn't use! wow!)
All in all, the book opened my eyes up to the fact that, even in Africa, newsrooms have become places where the digital flow of copy is inexorably tied to knowledge management within the newsroom.
I really wish that I had had access to this book when I was still running my own newsroom at Activate. I say this because in most of the case studies in the book detailed African newsrooms which had come up against the same challenges for copy flow within their production cycle- in other words, Activate was not alone in the problems we faced. Some of these problems were as mundane as having an incoherent folder system for content on the network and one newsroom was even running computers which had several different operating systems between them- thankfully Activate did not have these particular problems although the major problem we faced early on and one which dogged just about my entire career at that newspaper was the fact that our computers were not networked to each other or the printer...when they were working of course.
I must admit I was waiting for a case study of an African newspaper who still did things the old way in their newsroom- without computers I mean...this, surprisingly was not to be and most of the African newsrooms featured in the book had been making extensive use of ICTs for many years.
What also interested me was the way that knowledge flowed around these newsrooms, how different newspapers used their diary meetings and the way they approach archiving their past editions, copy and photographs. Many newspapers had actual libraries set aside for archiving purposes (and one newspaper filed everything away- including all press releases they didn't use! wow!)
All in all, the book opened my eyes up to the fact that, even in Africa, newsrooms have become places where the digital flow of copy is inexorably tied to knowledge management within the newsroom.
Friday, November 10, 2006
I am appointed Student Editor of Jo's Toolkit
Well, Carly and Gregor, the founders of Jo's Toolkit are graduating and entering the "real world" of work and taxes and "real media" etc....
Jo's Toolkit is, without a doubt, one of the richest online journalism resources that I have ever come across. It is unique to South Africa in that its material is submitted by users of the site, industry professionals and academics alike who do this through their own goodwill and without payment. Similarly, access to the site is totally free and it is licensed under Creative Commons. Jo's Toolkit also went on to win the Highway Africa Awards for Innovative use of New Media in Africa at the Highway Africa Conference 2006.
I am therefore honoured to take up the position of student editor of Jo's Toolkit for 2006/2007.
Being student editor means that I am Jo's representative in the student media sphere, I do web maintenance, handle submissions and post things on the website- all in consultation with Gregor and Carly. I also report back the status of the site to Carly and Gregor on a quarterly basis.
It is a very exciting time at Jo's as, with Gregor and Carly moving into a new sphere, they can cultivate some excellent contacts in grassroots and online media while I can concentrate on getting more submissions from student media sources.
Onward ho!
Jo's Toolkit is, without a doubt, one of the richest online journalism resources that I have ever come across. It is unique to South Africa in that its material is submitted by users of the site, industry professionals and academics alike who do this through their own goodwill and without payment. Similarly, access to the site is totally free and it is licensed under Creative Commons. Jo's Toolkit also went on to win the Highway Africa Awards for Innovative use of New Media in Africa at the Highway Africa Conference 2006.
I am therefore honoured to take up the position of student editor of Jo's Toolkit for 2006/2007.
Being student editor means that I am Jo's representative in the student media sphere, I do web maintenance, handle submissions and post things on the website- all in consultation with Gregor and Carly. I also report back the status of the site to Carly and Gregor on a quarterly basis.
It is a very exciting time at Jo's as, with Gregor and Carly moving into a new sphere, they can cultivate some excellent contacts in grassroots and online media while I can concentrate on getting more submissions from student media sources.
Onward ho!
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
New Look (under Construction) NO HISSY FITS PLEASE!
Well as you can see I changed the look of my blog....its a work in progress as i try and figure out how Blog Beta works but its pretty cool so I will hopefully have everything all well and good soon.
***NOTE***
Re: The tiff over changing the blogs looks between two people on the blogosphere (you know who you are) the changes I have made to my blog have nothing to do with the fact that everyone who is anyone seems to be tinkering with their blog's look. I simply upgraded to beta, had a rush of blood to the head and decided to change how things looked, ok?
Peace and good night to you all, thank you!
***NOTE***
Re: The tiff over changing the blogs looks between two people on the blogosphere (you know who you are) the changes I have made to my blog have nothing to do with the fact that everyone who is anyone seems to be tinkering with their blog's look. I simply upgraded to beta, had a rush of blood to the head and decided to change how things looked, ok?
Peace and good night to you all, thank you!
Monday, November 06, 2006
First exam down
I wrote the design exam today....the first section was a bit whack and the answers tended to overlap which was a bit of a bugger but anyway, the rest of the exam wasnt so bad....its over and now its 15 days till my next exam whoo hoo!
:-)
:-)
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