Work experience at ITV Granada – September 2014

I managed to spend 2 days with the ITV Granada team, which I had been wanting to embark on for a while. Having such an interest in broadcast media, especially television, this was a perfect way of exploring how packages are made, how the gallery works, the technical side of feeds, and how the newsroom team co-ordinates sourcing a story, and seeing its progress throughout the day to transmission.

On my first day with the team, I arrived just before half past ten, when I was very warmly welcomed to Granada’s floor of the Orange building in MediaCityUK. I started by being shown around iNews, the software used for newsgathering, scripts and viewing the wires. I started to research various big stories of the day, including unemployment statistics and transport issues.

https://i0.wp.com/news.images.itv.com/image/file/187480/image_update_a2981b51069bd635_1365491514_9j-4aaqsk.jpeg — ITV Granada studio. Credit: ITV

I sat in on several editorial meetings, going through running orders and ideas for stories, how they’d be presented in the studio and possible talking points to which viewers could contribute.

Afterwards, I took it upon myself to go around the newsroom, chatting to every different cog of the Granada team, from planning, to online and the tech team at the back. Each component part of the newsroom, despite being busy, was more than happy to tell me about their role, ask me about my experience and ambitions, and offer some very valued advice. I was particularly interested at this stage to acquire a good-quality DSLR camera, and I wasn’t short of advice as to what I should be looking for from the tech team. I sat with them for a while, chatting to a freelance cameraman about how technology in news has advanced and how best to approach a camera.

Later in the morning, I accompanied a broadcast assistant and a cameraman to observe a quick interview being filmed in the piazza for the lunchtime bulletin. The lady being interviewed was a survivor of domestic abuse, and was giving her thoughts on a story out on the day that the IPCC had failed in preventing the death of a woman from Southport at the hands of an abusive partner. .

Over lunch, I managed to talk to a former ITN trainee who was very helpful indeed with talking me through my next steps in journalism.

In the afternoon, I watched a package being edited and put together, a lighter news story for the end of the programme which exemplifies the wide remit of stories that Granada likes to cover. It was about a woman who had the goal of visiting every pub in the UK named the Rose and Crown. She had been to many hundreds of pubs with that very same name! Witnessing the images being so carefully edited to fit the voiceover, and being very aware of the package length, it was fascinating to watch how the editor works so judiciously with the reporter to create a 2-minute report; the effort with which it is made is often taken for granted by the ordinary viewer. Over an hour later, and the package was finished, just before the programme began!

The day culminated – and definitely climaxed – with watching the 6pm Granada Reports programme going out live from the gallery. Watching graphics, cameras and lighting co-ordinate with the director and keeping all within time was a great feat by what is a very close-knit team. Having seen the stories develop throughout the day, and having sat in on all of their different stages, the 30-minute programme not only flew by but equally filled me with such a hunger to return tomorrow to see more of how the day develops and quickens in pace in anticipation of the main evening bulletin.

https://i0.wp.com/news.images.itv.com/image/file/181519/image_update_e754196d7916087c_1364236101_9j-4aaqsk.jpeg — MediaCityUK and Orange Tower. Credit: ITV

All in all, it was most definitely a busy day which I truly thrived off. Leaving the building shortly after half past six, I certainly couldn’t wait to be back in tomorrow from 9am to start it all again.

Day two began rather early. Living quite far from Manchester meant getting up at 5am in addition to getting a series of different trains and a tram to reach MediaCityUK by 9am. During the journey, I read up on stories, making a note of ones which should be pursued and that Granada was already covering on their morning bulletins. The day started rather more slowly as the team cancelled its normal morning meeting to work on a number of quick, developing stories. During this time, I researched a couple of potential news stories to cover and read around the national news for the day, as well as sitting in on a pre-rec of the mid-morning weather bulletin. I was sat with one of the directors in the gallery, and she offered some really helpful advice again on how to pursue my journalistic goals.

I made sure upon entering the newsroom that I asked for an outside reporting job to be found for me during the course of the day. I was first given the opportunity to go out with a self-shooting sports reporter to a nearby football stadium. Plans changed, and I was then offered a chance to visit a Manchester dog rescue which had a few days previously been arsoned. I I was very much looking forward to seeing how Granada covered such a big, sensitive story.

During the morning, I sat with a video reporter who was working on a report to go out on that night’s programme. The reporter self-shoots and self-edits, and was kind enough to not only show some of his other work and discuss it with me, but also offer advice and listen to some of my thoughts on previous work experience I had with other media organisations.

However, I soon got talking to Granada reporter Matt O’Donoghue, who rushed over to ask whether I would like to accompany him to see UKIP leader Nigel Farage visiting Heywood and Middleton. Farage was campaigning there just a few weeks ahead of the by-election. Before we had to leave, I sat with Matt who offered me the most extensive and useful advice, from pursuing specific journalists I admire for shadowing, to acquiring a camera and what to do with it. I had learned already that nearly all Granada reporters had been taught to self-shoot and self-edit, and so I’d be going out with Matt who would be operating the camera himself. I knew this would be a very fruitful opportunity to learn lots from an experienced, multi-skilled journalist. In the car on the way to there, Matt and I talked more about news, local news, Granada and how to approach the UKIP story.

Matt was planning to gather interviews and a range of shots to use in the coming weeks for various packages, so this wasn’t a shoot for on-the-day material. Arriving in Heywood, a BBC team was there, along with various freelancers. There were large crowds for the UKIP leader, together with many supporters and other people curious to find out what was going on. We managed to have a couple of minutes with Nigel Farage, along with the parliamentary candidate for the constituency, as I assisted Matt with holding the boom mic and co-ordinating where we would go to in the village.

Bx0ZlmLCEAEd1Pg — UKIP offices in Heywood. Credit: Andrew Connell

We gathered more shots, and moved on to Middleton, where it was much more difficult to find out where the UKIP team had gone to continue their campaigning. Matt interviewed more people, and I managed to grab a word with three people of my age who were all UKIP supporters. Matt filmed as I interviewed each of them, asking them what got them so politically engaged, why they specifically chose UKIP and what the party could do to help their local community.

After more time spent doing interviews and following the crowd around, we headed back on the motorway to the newsroom. We sat at the computer watching the footage that Matt had filmed, and talking through what was good and bad about them, from the angles, colour and range of the shot. I also had a chance to watch more of Matt’s work, including several of his most recent reports. Matt has the brief of being an investigative reporter, focusing on crime, miscarriages of justice and stories pertaining to the IPCC.

Shortly after this, I left for the day, knowing that I had learnt and observed so many interesting things from a constantly moving local news programme with a large team of multi-skilled journalists, all of whom had time to listen and care about you personally. It was the most personable spell of work experience I had had so far, and I made sure to ask whether I’d be allowed back again soon. It is an opportunity, albeit brief and very quick, that I’d certainly enjoy repeating.

Amnesty International student media summit – August 2014

It was only through idly flicking through Twitter that I learnt of Amnesty International’s annual Student Media event that would be taking place in their offices in Shoreditch. I signed up for the event, paying £5 for an event which promised exciting talks from journalists I’ve grown to admire, from Newsnight’s Emily Maitlis to Evan Davis, who is soon to replace Jeremy Paxman as lead presenter of the same programme. It also offered a unique chance to network with other student journalists and talk about our experience in a range of workshops and similar events.

Arriving at Amnesty International HQ, I registered, picked my chosen talks to attend, and soon was welcomed, along with tens of other student journalists, to the 2-day event that Amnesty has put on now for several years, in association with NUS.

The first session was about student media, more of an open discussion about students’ experience with setting up and running newspapers and television stations and the possible conflicts of interests arising from reporting on stories about the very same student’s union that funds such media.

Andrew Gilligan is a former BBC journalist, known for the Hutton report, and is now part of the Sunday Telegraph. He addressed the next workshop with a speech on his career, how journalism skills have changed in the digital world and his extensive investigative journalism. At the end, he opened the floor to questions.

ImageHandler.ashx — Emily Maitlis addressing the audience. Credit: NUS

The day’s most enjoyable event was with Newsnight’s Emily Maitlis. She started her workshop with a clip of a recent interview she did with the Israeli spokesperson Mark Regev, which had been much discussed on Twitter afterwards. Emily was interested to hear our reaction to what was a fiery exchange, and whether we thought her interview strategy produced some new lines and an engaging few minutes of television. Emily spoke about her short time as acting political editor for the programme, as well as her broader career in the BBC. After the event, I had a chance to speak to Emily for a few minutes, asking her about how a knowledge of several languages, like me, has helped or played a part in her journalism career. Emily advised me to use my language skills as a sort of specialism, and to follow my interests, be they Catalan nationalism or events in Ukraine, as my USP (unique selling point). Having watched Emily for many years on Newsnight, it was a slightly nerve-wracking experience but I was glad all the same to talk with a very affable, talented interviewer and journalist.

The keynote speaker for this year’s summit was Guardian columnist Owen Jones. He spoke about inequality in the UK, bias in the media and the class system in the UK contributing to a media which he says, skews and exaggerates stories like immigration or religion, therefore fomenting ignorance and prejudice. Whether you agree or not with Owen Jones, he has been a very influential commentator on British life and culture, often raising issues that go underreported in mainstream media.

The first day closed with some remarks by members of the NUS, and then it was dinner time, courtesy of Pizza Express. It also gave me a great chance to meet other student journalists that I’d spoken to throughout the day, which was very interesting.

https://i0.wp.com/www.viewpictures.co.uk/ImageThumbs/WWM-AMN-0001/3/WWM-AMN-0001_Amnesty_International_headquarters_incorporating_Human_Rights_Action_Centre.jpg — Amnesty International HQ

The second day began sorting my luggage from my accommodation and making it to the first workshop of the day – investigative journalism. Antony Barnet is a reporter for Channel 4’s Unreported World and Dispatches. He talked about the money behind the programmes. An episode of Dispatches, for example, costs around £100,000 to make, which is staggering. He talked about how much easier investigative reporting had become with Freedom of Information requests, and how investigations on television differ to print, by virtue of it being a visual medium and thus having to source footage etc.

The mid-morning slot was occupied by a conversation with Evan Davis, Today programme presenter and soon-to-be lead Newsnight presenter. Evan talked about using his specialism of economics to get a career in the BBC, and how he sees journalists as being either story finders or explainers; he was the latter. Evan’s anecdotes and less than conventional start to journalism, a time which he said was spent learning how to take notes and learning pretty much on-the-spot, had the audience very much engaged. Evan really emphasised the importance of having journalism, plus something else. Finding your niche, according to him, was essential. Having economics, Evan said that he has been able to approach a broad range of topics from a fresh perspective. He gives a very sideways perspective of journalism really made you think about how the media works and how print and broadcast thrive off each other.

https://i0.wp.com/news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/76411000/jpg/_76411402_davis_bbc.jpg — Evan Davis. Credit: BBC

The audience were particularly keen to hear about Evan’s move to Newsnight. It was a move he said he never thought he’d make. He had planned to outstay John Humphreys on the Today programme for many years. It was through meeting the programme’s editor Ian Katz that the two had spoken casually over a coffee about qualities of a presenter. Evan realised that he was subtly being offered the job of succeeding Jeremy Paxman. He was even asked about whether he would wear a tie, and what interviewing style he would likely take. Evan talked of life outside of his job, and how importantly he values his privacy.

Evan’s down-to-earth, informal manner and passion for journalism really shone through during this talk. The floor was opened up to questions, ranging from his move from television to radio and now back to television, in addition to how he sees the future of radio. I even had a chance to ask him a question. Following recent comments by BBC Economics Editor Robert Peston that the BBC is “obsessed” with the Daily Mail and the right-wing press, to what extent does print influence broadcast media, and can the BBC get too carried away with criticism from the Mail? Here’s what he had to say:

The next talk was by Julia MacFarlane, a journalist with the BBC. She showed us a report that she had shot herself in Lebanon about the huge numbers of Palestinian refugees in the country. She talked through the difficulty of getting a big break in journalism, how to get into and then work in the BBC and the postgraduate degree route of journalism. Despite her young age, Julia’s experience abroad, self-shooting and self-editing and various bits of freelancing show the amount of work needed to get into the industry. It made for a very inspiring talk to see how far she had come from initially being rejected from the BBC’s trainee scheme to somebody with a plethora of skills needed in the digital age.

After the talk, I managed to grab Julia for a few minutes, during which time I asked her about acquiring a camera, experimenting with it, ideas for pitching and researching stories and ways into the BBC.

The next talk was far less interesting for me personally, as comment writing hasn’t really come on my radar before. The following discussion on surveillance was much more interesting, producing some lively debate between those for and against.

NUS President Toni Pearce gave a talk about NUS’ role in student life, its work ahead of next year’s general election and how important student media is in holding universities and other bodies to account.

The keynote speaker to end the final day was Stacey Dooley, whose documentaries I was already well aware of. Stacey has worked for many years with BBC Three, and her most recent series looked at drugs and substance abuse around the world, from South America to Thailand. She was later asked about the planned move of BBC Three online, her “role model” status for many young girls, which produced a huge amount of support in the room. She has gone a long way to empower girls and underrepresented people in the media, and was greeted with such a warm welcome by the delegates. Stacey has gained great popularity for her honest and emotional response to topics such as drugs and sex trafficking. Whilst remaining measured and composed, Stacey has shown that being emotive and compassionate is no bad thing at all. It is her niche.

Stacey talked about her start in the business, making a documentary in her native Luton about the EDL. Her integrity to her home town has never been lost, and really underlines her likeability. Stacey took time to discuss how she has kept relationships with people she has filmed with. It is no exaggeration to say that investigative journalism is more than just a job to Stacey.

With such a passionate speech, and with Stacey very keen to transmit a positive, encouraging message to the audience, the second day of the student media summit was brought to an end.

I never thought that two days could bring my passion for journalism so alive. From meeting lots of people to hearing from some of the best journalists in the business, I was very grateful to all of the members of staff and volunteers from Amnesty International and the NUS who had so obviously worked hard to make sure the event ran as smoothly and enjoyably as it had done.

I’d really hope to return next year with even more interesting talks which made me leave very empowered in my wish to become a journalist in the future.

More information on NUS website: Click here

Newsnight’s scoop on Willett’s tuition fee idea

After watching Newsnight, and Policy Editor Chris Cook’s scoop on David Willett’s idea to overhaul the tuition fee system – turning universities into debt collectors – I went to dig a bit more about Cambridge’s thoughts on what is currently research in its very early days before becoming policy. It’s certainly a far, far way from that. Cambridge rebuked all notion, and knowledge, of the plans, as did Oxford. In any case, it’s an interesting and certainly controversial proposal to change what is a currently a financial burden on the government. As I write in the piece by means of analysis, wading into policy on universities and their funding will more than likely prove to be a poisoned chalice for any party that wants to take it on and make firm commitments.

Writing about education has always been a really interesting and exciting part of journalism for me. Having gone through the system, it’s personal, and we each have our own views. In seeing how education can enrich and contribute so fundamentally to people’s lives, its reporting is of vital importance. Journalism can hold policymakers to account, and inform people’s opinions on where our education system is going, and it’s a huge responsibility to report education accurately and fairly, avoiding the pitfalls of political bias.

The University of Cambridge has said that there are no plans to pursue an overhaul of the student finance system, masterminded by the former Minister for Universities and Science, David Willetts. A spokesperson has said that Willetts has not yet formally approached the University or involved it in the research.

Writing in the Financial Times after BBC Newsnight uncovered the proposal, Willetts outlined his idea: “We should give universities the opportunity to buy the debt that their graduates owe.”

The policy would, in effect, turn universities into debt-collectors, replacing the current system of the government providing undergraduates with loans using taxpayers’ money. It could also lead to a rise in tuition fees. Given its radical nature, Willetts sought to clarify that this research is not government policy. He also said that current IT systems would make this change impossible, and legislation would need to be passed.

Behind Willett’s idea is a stronger incentive for universities to maintain contact and to ensure the best employment prospects for its graduates, which in turn would allow students to pay back more of the debt sooner. He adds: “They would gain, as would their students, from improving graduate employment rates and earnings.”

Meanwhile, a spokesperson from Oxford University has said: “The University has yet to see a proposal from the government. Were such a proposal to be put to us, we would consider it carefully.”

Willetts resigned from the post of Minister for Universities in the cabinet reshuffle earlier this month. He was replaced by Greg Clark.

Chris Cook, Newsnight’s policy editor, wrote that Mr Willetts had presented this idea to leading institutions. This policy would not be for all universities – Willetts states that some universities have poorer employment outcomes and lower graduate repayment rates.

Cambridge graduates have a 4.3 per-cent unemployment rate in the first year out of study. According to a report published earlier this month, 92.1 per cent of university graduates were in employment or further study six months after graduating in 2012-13.

There will be concerns that such a measure would favour students who are more likely to repay student loans more quickly, typically those who study medicine, engineering or science. Willetts himself shares the worry that universities may be less likely to admit students studying subjects with lower employment rates. Students coming from lower-income families could also be at risk.

There will be undoubtedly some reticence from government and other parties to commit to any firm policy on student loan financing. This follows the furore surrounding Nick Clegg and the Liberal Democrats’ pledge to scrap tuition fees at the 2010 election. On entering a coalition with the Conservatives, it was announced that universities would be able to charge a maximum of £9,000 a year. At the time, Willetts said this was a “progressive” reform. However, the move was heralded by widespread protests, including in central London, and a deep-seated anger against the Liberal Democrat leader.

Labour announced in April that they “may” replace the current maximum tuition fee of £9,000 with a lower £6,000 maximum. Yet at the same time, Labour said they are yet to agree any long-term policy. The party said in 2011 that such a measure would be financed by reversing a cut in corporate tax that banks pay. The Conservatives attacked this as an “unfunded spending promise.”

Story link: http://www.tcs.cam.ac.uk/news/0032790-cambridge-no-plans-to-pursue-student-finance-overhaul.html

Gavin Hewitt’s “The Lost Continent”

https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1355951432/BBCgavinhewitt_400x400.jpg — Credit: Twitter

I’ve been making some real headway in BBC Europe Editor Gavin Hewitt’s book on the Eurozone crisis – “The Lost Continent”. One thing I wanted to focus on my year abroad was advice from Barbara Rowlands, programme director of the MA Journalism at City University. Even though I’m abroad and surrounded by a different culture and language, I have thus far not neglected viewing Newsnight/news bulletins and reading news online throughout the day in English, in addition to Spanish current affairs also.

Immerse yourself in current affairs, watch documentaries such as Dispatches and Panorama, listen to Radio 4’s Today programme and watch BBC Newsnight. If you say you don’t know who the Home Secretary is because you’ve been too busy doing your finals, you won’t get a place. If you let your general knowledge slip while you are trekking round Thailand in the summer, you will suffer. Read the appropriate media, whether that’s the Financial Times, New Scientist or Marie Claire – and most importantly, for broadcasters and TV students, watch and listen.

Read books about journalism by top journalists and develop an appetite for brilliantly-written newspaper and magazine features. Take an interest in some of the issues covered and develop your own perspective on them. Develop a professional online presence. Start to read/watch/listen as a journalist (ie. critically), and begin to question why something is news, how and why it is structured as it is and why specific words and images are used. Look at how the story is used across media platforms.

https://i0.wp.com/www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/multimedia/archive/00404/125817190_Lost_Cont_404156c.jpg — Credit: The Times

It’s a captivating read, as I attempt to read a chapter – which focuses on a different country/facet of the Eurozone crisis – each night. For a Europhile like me who has followed the crisis closely, and feeling it even more acutely living in Barcelona, this book seems to be the absolute bible on the events in Europe, written by a journalist whose work I’ve admired for a long time. Gavin’s blog is one of my absolute must-reads, and his reports shown on BBC News bulletins always explain in clear terms what are sometimes difficult concepts to fully understand.

If you want to know more about Greece fudging its figures to enter the Eurozone, how Italy spends so much money on its government, and how the Celtic Tiger lost its roar, look no further than this excellently written account which deals with the local, national and international politics and economics of the Eurozone crisis so effortlessly. What Gavin has done above all in the book is to turn this crisis, often interpreted in soundbites and by political leaders, into a crisis of societies and people, who are the most bruised after all.

Barcelona – off on my year abroad

Today marks the day I embark on my year abroad to Barcelona. I’ll be studying Portuguese language and literature and Spanish grammar and literature at the Universitat de Barcelona in the centre of the city. During this time, I hope to expand on my “reading around” journalism. I plan to spend my time reading books by some of Britain’s best journalists. On my reading list, I currently have Nick Robinson’s “Live from Downing Street” Gavin Hewitt’s “The Lost Continent”, Andrew Marr’s “My Trade” and Jeremy Bowen’s “The Arab Uprisings”. All BBC journalists, I know…

Going abroad doesn’t mean I’ll stop watching and keeping up to date with British news. I plan to watch my favourite news programmes, such as Newsnight and Channel 4 News, more than ever, and take a critical look at how they cover stories and how they differ.

Being in Barcelona means that I’ll be able to explore a city that I’ve longed to live in for a long time. Absorbing Catalan culture has been a passion that I’ve wanted to continue exploring since being acquainted with the Catalan language several years ago. I’d like to make this my specialism in journalism. Catalonia is approaching a very exciting year with clamours for independence ever growing. Tomorrow marks Catalonia’s national day – La Diada – and I’ve no doubt I’ll be walking around the streets soaking up this unique show of national pride and culture.

Off I go then, for the next ten months!

Cambridge students win prestigious wine tasting competition

My final story as News Editor for Varsity this term, and we end with a happy story of Cambridge winning a prestigious wine tasting competition! It’s been a really enriching process, dealing with a lot of Cambridge stories while revising for exams! I’ve promoted all the stories on Facebook and Twitter, as well as managing a team of two Deputy News Editors, finding stories, researching and keeping up to date almost 24 hours a day on Cambridge stories!

Team members Vaiva Imbrasaite, Ellie JY Kim and David Beall

A group of Cambridge students have won this year’s Left Bank Bordeaux Cup, one of the world’s biggest amateur wine tasting competitions, beating eight other teams from business schools and universities from around the globe.

The final took place in the cellars of Chateau Lafite Rothschild in Bordeaux. The winning trio, comprising Ellie JY Kim, David Beall and Vaiva Imbrasaite, have gained international press coverage thanks to their fruitful year in competitions.

The semi-finals took place in London at the Connaught Hotel, in which the team took part in a trivia round, two rounds of red wine tastings and a round of sweet wine tasting. By the end there was a tie between Oxford and Cambridge for second place. Cambridge won against their opposition with a round of trivia questions to reach the finals in Bordeaux.

Speaking to Varsity, Vaiva Imbrasaite, a PhD student, said that the team only expected to end up in the top half of entrants. Their win came as a “very pleasant surprise”, according to Vaiva and “surreal” to her team-mate Ellie. Their prize included return AirFrance tickets from London to Bordeaux, an invitation to the VinExpo dinner in Chateau Mouton Rothschild and a double magnum of Chateau Lafite-Rothschild, which 2002 –

Vaiva commented on travel aspect of the competition: “The travel to the finals was really hectic. I was travelling there straight from a conference in Finland where I was presenting my PhD work, and my team-mates were travelling from London.” Both her flight and replacement flight were cancelled because of strike action in France.

She joined the Blind Wine Tasting Society’s tasting sessions last year, in which members guess the grape variety, country, region, sub-region and the vintage. She joined the seven-strong Varsity team, doing tastings every day for a month before a Varsity match in February.

A significant amount of their training was self-study, and self-arranged tasting sessions. Team captain Ellie JY Kim said that fellows from Churchill, Downing, and Trinity helped them with the trainings by inviting them to taste their wines out of their magnificent cellars.

Speaking of her introduction to wine tasting, Ellie said: “Blind wine tasting is one the most bizarrely interesting student activities I found in Cambridge. I started coming to the blind wine tasting society with a friend in October 2011 out of sheer curiosity. It was a refreshing and stimulating challenge to use both my senses, as well as analytical reasoning based on wine knowledge, to make a deduction as to what the wine is.”

Story link: http://www.varsity.co.uk/news/6088

May Bumps lead to death of local wildlife

One resident claims he saw at least two ducklings killed in one race. He calls the increasing number of rowers on the River “at crisis point”

Rowers on the River Cam. Credit: Alison Christine

One local resident has accused rowers at the University of Cambridge of killing ducklings during the May Bumps.

The colleges’ annual races took place last week over three days, starting on Wednesday.

Lee Culley, who lives in a boat on the river, claims he witnessed at least two ducklings being killed during one race.

“It was absolutely disgusting,” he said. “They just sped through even though I shouted to them, warning them about the ducks.”

“They just kept on going and their blades went through the ducks and killed two. The ducks were only three weeks old.”

“Another one died the next day and the mother has none but keeps coming back to my boat looking for the brood.”

Mr Culley has expressed his worry about other wildlife being threatened because there are “too many” rowers in the river, he argues. “The number of rowers has dramatically increased from about five years ago. The situation is at crisis point.”

Cambridge University Combined Boat Clubs, which runs the event, said: “Every effort is being made to mitigate disturbance to wildlife and to keep ducks and other waterfowl out of the way of racing boats.”

They added: “Indeed, the start of the men’s second division on Wednesday night was delayed by 15 minutes while a family of ducks were guided out of harm’s way.”

“We are very sorry to hear of the incident Mr Culley apparently witnessed and will be briefing stewards to be extra vigilant.”

Story link: http://www.varsity.co.uk/news/6083

Solidarity demonstration outside King’s for Istanbul unrest

This story really allowed me to bring a very local Cambridge angle to an international story of huge proportions in Turkey, which I relished. I used a Turkish friend to gain some extra background on the case, as well as using Cambridge’s Turkish Society to find out more. I liaised with a Varsity colleague to get some pictures of the protest, as I was unavailable at the time to attend the event.

Protesters stood outside King’s Chapel this afternoon with placards and messages of support for the many thousands of Turks in Istanbul who have been involved in several days of unrest, which has been met with tear gas and water cannons from the police. The country’s prime minister has described the scenes as “extremists running wild”.

One placard read: ‘Istanbul is not alone’, another showing its solidarity, ‘Cambridge stands with you’. Police have now pulled out of Taksim Square, the scene of the largest anti-government protest in years.

Another protest is planned in Cambridge for tomorrow in Christ’s Piece, which is calling for those attending “to show solidarity with the protesters in Istanbul who are withholding against appalling police brutality.”

Public discontent was sparked following plans to redevelop Gezi Park, which protesters say is one of few green spaces remaining in Turkey’s largest city, and that the government is ignoring their calls for it to be saved.

‘No passage to dictatorship’, reads one sign. Credit: Martha Elwell.

The demonstration at Taksim’s Gezi Park started late on Monday after trees were torn up to make way for redevelopment to build an Ottoman era military barracks and a shopping centre. Initially a calm sit-in protest, clashes became more violent in the past 48 hours. The issue has quickly escalated to gain national and international coverage from what was previously one of only local importance. Yet this is an issue which has angered some over the perceived “Islamisation” of Turkey.

Dozens have been injured in the clashes. The country’s prime minister, Tayyip Erdogan, conceded that the police had been too heavy-handed, but insisted that plans to redevelop the park will still go ahead.

He called for an immediate end to the protests, yet the removal of barracades by the police then welcomed tens of thousands to gather in Taksim Square. Mr Erdogan also said order would be restored “to ensure the safety of people and their property”.

Crowds in Istanbul chanted “unite against fascism” and “government resign”. At least one police officer fired his gun into the air.

Protests have spread to other Turkish cities, including the capital Ankara, where thousands again gathered on Saturday.

Story link: http://www.varsity.co.uk/news/6024

Cambridge attracts more applicants and accepts more state school pupils

A bit of data crunching for this news story, as you can see from the numbers. A good use for my A-Level Maths, even if I am an Arts student!

Just under two thirds of UK students accepted in 2012 came from state schools (63.3%), a 4.5% increase on the previous year. The proportion of independent school students accepted, at 36.7% in 2012, compares with 41.2% in 2011. The success rate amongst those accepted in the state school was made up largely from grammar school students (33.7%), followed by sixth form colleges (26.6%) and comprehensive schools (24.9%).

The success rate, comparing applications and acceptances, in state schools stood at 27.1%, while independent schools still dominate with 33.7%. However, it was revealed that the number of privately-schooled students is the lowest figure for 30 years.

The University says that it remained on target to meet its goal of a more representative undergraduate body, achieved without compromising academic standards.

They attribute today’s figures to its bursary schemes, outreach programmes and transparent admissions decisions. The University invests around £2.7 million a year in outreach initiatives across the UK designed to identify and engage with students from under-represented groups, and encourage them to apply.

Dr Mike Sewell, admissions director for the University, said: “Our commitment to fair admissions makes this available to students from all backgrounds, who succeed in their application because they have demonstrated academic excellence.”

He added: “The collegiate University works hard to reach talented and ambitious students throughout the UK, talk with them about why they should consider Cambridge, and tackle the barriers that might put them off applying.”

There was a 2% increase in the number of applications to the University, standing at 15,701 for 2012, the year that the maximum £9,000 tuition fees were introduced. Acceptances rose by 5%, from 3,437 in 2012, 160 more than in 2011. 97.4% of successful applicants achieved no less than A*AA, the standard offer for most undergraduate courses.

Geographically, 37.4% of applications came from overseas, with the Greater London area in second place at 14.6%. The regions with the lowest percentages of applications include Northern Ireland (1.3%), the North East (1.5%) and Wales (1.7%).

In addition, the number of students who declared they had an ethnic minority background or ‘other’ also increased to 16.4% in 2012, compared to 15% in 2011. With regards to gender, the male to female ratio remained unchanged at 54:46.

Subjects with the highest application success rate include Classics (46.9%), Anglo-Saxon, Norse & Celtic (43.9%) and Theology (41%). Subjects nearer the bottom of the list include Architecture (9.9%), Economics (12.9%)

There was some variation in the percentage of state school students accepted by college. Trinity was made up of 50.8% students coming from state schools, compared to 76.1% at King’s.

Story link: http://www.varsity.co.uk/news/5991

Cambridge disputes government findings in A-level reform row

The University of Cambridge has waded into the row surrounding the government’s plans to reform A-Levels by arguing that they are a better predictor of success than GCSEs, whilst government research today suggests the opposite.

The university’s comments go against research by the Department of Education that found that GCSEs were a better predictor of success at university than AS-level exams. According to the DoE, these findings justify the proposed shake-up to A-Levels in their current form. The university argues that they will “jeopardise over a decade’s progress towards fairer access”.

Today’s developments come amid the continuing row over how best to test 16-18-year-old pupils in England. The University of Cambridge insists that AS-Level grades are used by admissions tutors when making provisional offers to sixth-form students. A spokesman said that the university’s own research concluded that AS-Levels are “conclusively” a “better predictor of success than GCSEs”.

The spokesman continued: “This is about more than just the admissions process. Loss of AS impacts on student choice, flexibility and deprives them of the chance to apply to university with confidence.

“AS examinations taken at the end of year 12 benefit students by permitting breadth and flexibility of subject-choice in the sixth form. They help students to make properly informed and appropriate choices about university applications, boosting those who lack confidence.”

The schools minister, David Laws, has argued in a letter to Labour that concerns over changes to AS-levels will harm university admissions are unfounded. The government has argued that A-levels and AS-levels currently do not help students to develop a deeper understanding of their subjects.

Starting from 2015, the government says AS-levels will not count towards full A-levels. They will continue to exist, though an A-Level grade will be determined by a linear exam sat after two years in the sixth form.

The spokesman added that some 10% of Cambridge entrants do very well at AS-level despite poor GCSE performance.

“If offers were to be based on GCSE results these students would not present a true picture of their ability, nor of their positive progress in sixth form. Around 75% of this group come from state schools and colleges.”

Labour has pledged to reverse many of the changes proposed by the coalition should they win the next election in 2015.

Story link: http://www.varsity.co.uk/news/5954

Andrew Connell

Broadcast Journalist. Analysis and stories from around Europe.

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