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Work Experience Log

I undertook two separate work experience opportunities in order to fulfill the time

required. Both of the work experience placements took place at the same time with

separate days dedicated to each.

Firstly, logged below is my experience having gained work experience as a member

of the media with the Royal Navy and their Flag Officer Sea Training programme.

Secondly, I have logged my work experience with the Express & Echo newspaper,

during which I helped to start, develop, run, edit and write for a weekly and very

popular student page.

Royal Navy F.O.S.T

Work Experience Log

Placement: 1

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Royal Navy

Finding a placement

After hours of telephone calls and emails between myself, a lecturer and Lt Cdr

Lindsey Ashwood, F.O.S.T leader at the Royal Navy I had managed to setup some

work experience.

The work experience would take place over four separate visits with the second visit

being overnight onboard HMS Albion. For dates see below. My role will involve

representing the media having been assigned to a specific newspaper, magazine,

agency or radio station by Lt Cdr Ashwood.

Introduction

As part of my work experience I attended several F.O.S.T (Flag Officer Sea Training)

exercises held by the Royal Navy in Plymouth, Devon.

The exercises involved being placed on board British & foreign ships as well as

working on land based exercises. My role was to act as an embedded reporter,

which allows me to perform my role as a journalist from specific organisations whilst

the F.O.S.T exercises take place. With the exception of a few F.O.S.T executives the

rest of the Royal Navy crews were under the impression that I was from a national

newspaper, radio station or agency. During my work experience I played the role of a

journalist from, The Times, Heart Radio, Devon Life and The Sun newspaper and as a

photography working with the associated press. The idea being they were on their

toes and treated the whole exercise as if it were real.

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Work Experience Dates

Working with the Royal Navy

Working alongside the Royal and Portuguese Navy with other students, whilst on

exercise was the experience of a lifetime. During my time with the Navy I worked on

the following ships:

Ships:

Royal Navy Exercises (F.O.S.T)

HMS Albion

HMS Dauntless

Portuguese Exercises (F.O.S.T)

NRP Vasco Da Gama

Land:

Devonport, Plymouth

The exercises also made use of the land surrounding Devonport, including marshes,

rivers and islands.

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Visit 1 (1 day)

Having spoken to Lindsay who is one of the media officers for F.O.S.T (Flag Officer

Sea Training), we had to provide identification, home addresses, emergency contacts

and other private information to ensure we were not a threat to the operations and that

we were who we said we were. Please see e-mail log attached to the back of this

development log full details of our conversations.

Aims:

Our 1st visit was booked for the 26th January 2011 it was important to ensure a good

understanding of our required role whilst down there, as well as our learning

expectations. The time spent at the Navy would prove valuable and I was keen not to

waste this unique experience, one that many of those in work would chase, never

mind degree students.

What Happened?

On the morning of the 26th January, three fellow students and I drove down to

Plymouth (Devonport). Having found our way we met with Lindsay who signed us in,

gave us our passes and then went on to direct us to a suitable car park and then

walked us towards a passenger boat which would take us out to a Portuguese navy

ship called NRP Vasco De Gama. By 6am we were on the move and dawn was just

breaking.

Having arrived at the large ship around 40 minutes later, we were straight into playing

roles as media personnel. The prospect of what I was about to face was daunting but

I’m always open to new challenges As partially mentioned before it was down to us to

put pressure on the ship's crew asking them questions, taking photographs and

recording them where possible, so that they could learn to deal with the media in real-

world situations.

Our 1st task was to gather our bearings on board a foreign ship. Portuguese navy

ships are known for being very luxurious in comparison to German ships which are

said to be back to basics. Having nothing to compare the Portuguese ship against I felt

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comfortable in its environment and ready to challenge Navy personnel by playing my

role as a journalist from the Guardian.

After being introduced to the main ships company we are asked to watch an exercise

involving a 100 mm gun on the front firing at a boy around 2 miles off the ship. The

immense power was unbelievable and I felt honoured to be one of the few members

of public who get to experience such an exercise.

Successes:

Having been given the task of playing a journalist from the Guardian I initially felt

some pressure, as I had never been asked to act as a journalist from a different

organisation before.

After considering my role I felt confident in playing it and went on to act as a

Guardian journalist for the rest of the day, leaving the ships personnel still convinced

I was a Guardian journalist and that they would have a story in there within next few

days. This is the sort pressure we were told to put the ships personnel, as they must be

ready to deal with boarding media at any stage in any conditions. The virtual power I

had over any rank on board the ship was a feeling I had never felt before. I was

treated with the upmost respect and every wish was taken care of, all in an attempt to

have a positive article written for the Guardian.

Having taken my camera on board the ship (a Canon 50D) I was keen to take some

dramatic and moving pictures, which I aim to use both as, evidence within this log.

Not knowing what the conditions and exclusions would be like in terms of

photography I was wary at first but having asked the fellowships photographer he

assured me that I could photograph nearly everything minus a few radar screens and

location information screens. I soon discovered much the ship is fairly dark as there is

an extreme lack of windows and where lights exist they were often dimmed or turned

off to provide easy access to the radar and operations room screens. I overcame the

challenge by using a high ISO and slightly slower shutter speed, which provided me

with some very high quality shots. Photographs that were suitable for use in the press

if I chose to sell them on a freelance basis, having had their contents cleared by the

ships photographer.

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What happens after the visit?

Having photographed much of the ship and interviewed key crewmembers including

the Captain I had the ability to produce some content. In the future perhaps after my

2nd or 3rd visit to Royal Navy ship or land-based exercise I plan to write a feature or

news story as well as create a small radio piece, which will be played on a lunchtime

or evening radio news as a small audio feature.

My next visit is due to be on 8th February and will be an overnight visit totaling 2 full

days on the ship. The ship I will be staying overnight on will be HMS Albion. A ship

that is capable of carrying a helicopter, rigid inflatable boats and vast numbers of

vehicles.

Reflection

Having successfully completed my first visit to Devonport and boarded NRP Vasco

Da Gama I felt a sense of achievement. For a start just working with the Royal Navy

is a challenge. Gaining permission to join their team is extremely difficult and

something I’ll never forget. Luckily with the right contacts I was able to book several

additional visits, totaling 5 days of work with the Royal Navy.

Working with the Royal Navy enables both the Navy and myself to gain real world

journalism experience. I believe that many full time professional journalists would

dream of working with the Royal Navy, both on land based and sea based exercises.

Visit 2

Having already taken part in one Navy exercise I was keen to expand my horizons

and take part in more Navy exercises. The next opportunity arrived on the 8th of

February. This exercise would be an overnight operation and could involve activities

throughout the night, including nighttime attacks and ship evacuations.

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What Happened?

Instead boarding a foreign ship this time I was asked to board the Royal Navy's HMS

Albion. Launched in 2001 and blessed by Princess Anne, HMS Albion is one of the

Navy's flagship vessels, designed to act as a floating command platform and to help

deploy, recover and transport troops around the world.

Once again I worked with Lindsay as part of the F.O.S.T exercise. On this occasion 2

professional journalists one of whom had previously helped edit the Daily Mirror

joined us. Feeling as though I was in very capable hands I took on my role as a

professional journalist, this time from The Times. Similar to my previous job I had to

act as professional journalist from The Times and had a deadline of 4 PM that

afternoon, enabling to “send our articles back to base” ready for the next day’s

newspaper. Crew members, minus the captain and a few training officers, knew

nothing about the exercise and assumed we were legitimate journalists with real

stories to find and real deadlines to follow.

After spending a night on the ship I was invited to take part in a day exercise, which

involved boarding personnel carrier boats and travelling towards Devonport and

upriver before we came to the exercise area. The exercise involved in recruiting

civilians from the danger zone known as Ginger. The safe zone to which the civilians

would be taken to after being treated on ship was known as Brownia. At all times we

had to refer to the areas of land around us as either Brownia or Ginger in order to

keep the exercise feeling real and exciting. After interviewing, photographing and

rescuing civilians we travelled with them to a safe zone where they would be checked

in. At this stage our role finished and we are sent home, meanwhile the crewmembers

role continued as the exercise carried on late into the night with the injured civilians

being treated on board.

What I learnt

Taking my camera once again I was able to capture some extreme shots from the

goings-on. I learnt in this difficult environment you have to be quick and adjust the

camera as necessary in order to achieve the shots you want. Fortunately my previous

experience

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Staying overnight allowed you to gain a feel of how the ship operates on a day-to-day

basis including overnight operations. I learnt that the ship never really stopped with

operations continuing at all times, no matter the weather, time or location.

Acting as a journalist from The Times I was keen to get some notes and audio

recordings so that if I needed to I could write a story or feature once I had arrived

back at the college. Unfortunately the weather wasn't always kind to us and so instead

of using wet soggy paper I found it best to use my phone concealed by my coat to

make audio recordings, which I could then listen back to, and create stories or

features from.

I was able to speak to the captain on one occasion and the method of recording him

rather than trying to take notes in difficult conditions worked extremely well. I will

likely use this method in future exercises.

One vital action required however when recording interviews on my smart phone was

to download the files as soon as I arrived home, incase of corruption or loosing the

phone.

What didn't go so well?

Fortunately on this occasion everything seemed to run smoothly apart from transport

back to base from the ship. Due to the ship continuing exercise in the English Channel,

somewhere off Cornwall, I had no option but to fly back in a helicopter provided by

the Navy. Work experience can be tough at times, but this placement certainly had its

perks.

I was thrilled with this opportunity and it was something I had been looking forward

to ever since I was informed on the previous morning. The helicopter flight itself was

enjoyable and something I'd happily repeat every day. The only hiccup with their

journey was prior to leaving the ship the crew at the Navy base in

Plymouth/Devonport had failed to include enough orange safety suits (see booklet of

images) for the number of passengers that the helicopter was due to take. As a result

the helicopter had to make 2 journeys and we were left waiting about 40 minutes.

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As mentioned before, the recordings worked well on this occasion. When

interviewing the captain and listing back it was clear to see that some wind distortion

had taken place however the audio was still usable and perfectly understandable, I

wouldn't however be happy to broadcast on the radio due to parts being of poor

quality.

In future I could perhaps try covering the microphone even more than before which

wouldn’t be too difficult with the use of the coat or sleeve. Another option would be

to use a dedicated dictaphone or an external microphone on my iPhone.

Reflection

Having had my first experience onboard a British Royal Navy ship (HMS Albion) I

felt at home. There was no longer a language barrier and although the ship felt

slightly more basic in some areas, the technology available was immense. Having had

a full tour of the ship, including the operations room, I felt like I knew the key

crewmembers already.

From a journalistic point of view, I was able to interview, photograph and record

many of the day’s activities. Having been tasked with the responsibility of being a

pressing journalist I felt as if I should live up to my role and so did my upmost to do

so.

Feedback from Lt Cdr Ashwood was very positive (see end of section for reference).

As a result I felt a sense of achievement. When working under pressure, to deadlines

and with specific security restrictions in place it can become overwhelming, however

I managed this additional stress well and completed all necessary tasks while keeping

within the set restrictions.

In the real world as a journalist the same pressures and restrictions would have been

in place and so I treated the whole exercise as a professional job, ensuring I conducted

myself in the best way possible.

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Visit 3 (1 day)

Rather than visiting a ship on this occasion we were invited to take part in a land-

based exercise in Devonport. This exercise was once again designed by F.O.S.T to

push crewmembers to the limits by providing different scenarios throughout the space

provided, including rescuing an injured driver for car crash, putting out real fuel fires,

dealing with pushy media (including myself) and providing first aid to those who are

injured.

Our Role/What Happened

Similar to the other visits but instead of being led around the exercise area or ship we

left our own devices and simply dropped off. Once again acting as professional

journalists I chose to be a radio journalist from Heart, the countries biggest local radio

station organisation, running a total of 37 local radio stations under the Heart brand.

As my role had changed to a dedicated radio journalist, from the associate press

photographer (see challenges below) I was keen to get some quality audio which I

could then edit into a 1 to 3 minute radio package suitable for broadcast on the next

day's lunchtime news.

I managed to speak to one of the F.O.S.T organisers and even convinced him that I

was in fact a real Heart radio journalist and that's an audio package would indeed be

played on the next day's lunchtime news, to several thousand listeners in the Exeter

area.

Challenges

As with any outside activity you are reliant on the weather especially as a radio

journalist as it is vital to capture high-quality audio without damaging the equipment.

Initially I had planned to be from the associated press (AP) as one of their

photographers in order to add more stock images of the Royal Navy training exercises

to their library.

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Unfortunately this was not possible as from the moment we arrived to the moment we

left a thunderstorm had placed itself over Plymouth. Using my camera in this sort of

weather would very quickly damage it beyond repair and it was simply not worth it.

Instead of just being an empty onlooker I decided to adapt and change my role from

an associated press photographer to Heart radio journalist.

Successes

At the end of a very wet full day taking part in exercise it was time to depart and head

back home.

Having been able to adapt I was able to capture some quality audio despite the

extremely poor weather, using my phone, and plan on making it into a short radio

piece, which will be available on my portfolio website. I have already reviewed the

audio and I'm pleased to say that the quality is to suitable and of a standard suitable

for broadcast.

I am proud to show that I was able to adapt is difficult conditions and even without

high spec audio recording equipment I was able to adapt and use my phone in order to

capture some audio and still produce a piece suitable for broadcast. This sort of

adaptation is the kind that would be called upon in the real world jobs and I'm pleased

to say that I managed it without any issues.

Reflection

Working in a different environment presented new challenges. Although there was

more room to operate, it was important to maintain my professionalism and keep

within the operation boundaries and in the action.

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Visit 4 (1 day)

My 4th and final visit, which was a land-based exercise, meant that I had completed a

total of 5 days working with the Royal Navy and the Portuguese Navy on various

exercises both at sea and on land and a combination of both.

The last exercise involved working in partnership with HMS Dauntless where we

were able to take part in a much bigger land-based exercise, which included the use of

HELO, the Royal Navy's helicopters.

What happened?

Similar to the previous land-based exercise I was left to my own devices after being

told to act as a professional journalist from a press organisation, with the task of

gathering information where possible which could be used to write a feature later date

if necessary. On this occasion I decided to be a journalist from The Sun newspaper. I

chose The Sun as I felt it would provide me with an extra challenge having given

myself the role of a broadsheet journalist or radio journalist in previous visits.

Acting as a journalist from The Sun presented new opportunities and challenges in

terms of what questions I asked and how I phrased them, simply because the end

result would be for completely different audience, one opposite to that of a broadsheet

such as the Guardian or The Times.

What went well?

Fortunately on this occasion the weather was kind and although I did not have my

camera with me I was able to take some notes and some additional audio recordings

which I can put to use at a later date if needed.

Working individually instead sticking as a group meant that we are appeared more

professional to the crewmembers who once again fully believed we were who said we

were. Some of our visits involved team work with out students or media personnel.

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Challenges

Unfortunately due to tight time restraints I wasn't always able to speak to

crewmembers for as long as I wanted to, whilst taking notes or audio recordings. As a

result I decided to talk to crewmembers and record them rather than having to stop

them, or pause them whilst I took notes.

This visit, although taking up a whole day, appeared to pass extreme it quickly and I

would have liked to continue talking to some of the crewmembers slightly longer if

time allowed in order to try and get their specific angle for story, which could be

written if needed.

Conclusion of All Trips

Having had this unique experience I can safely say that it has been extremely

rewarding and extremely useful to my future career in terms of having to deal with

real-world situations and in some cases with real-world press having dealt with a

journalist who had previously helped edit the Daily Mirror.

Along with all the perks of the real-world experience such as being transported in a

helicopter and being to experience life on a Royal Navy ship like no one else (without

signing up) has been an honour and one which I would happily repeat in the future.

Having had to get used confined spaces, be extremely organised and work with

teammates/classmates during extended periods of time, sometimes in very difficult

and harsh conditions has taught me that I'm a very easy to get on with and sociable

person and someone who likes a challenge and grabs it with both hands whenever

possible.

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Photographs of my visits

Fig 1:

Orange flight safety suit. Lt Cdr Lindsey Ashwood can be seen in the background.

Navy Benefits

Working with the Royal Navy benefits both the navy and myself.

Part of the training undertaken by the Navy personnel is to learn how to deal with the

press. Working as trainee journalists we were told to act as if we were from real

publications.

The Royal Navy deals with the press on a regular basis and for that they have

dedicated press departments. However, each and every individual Royal Navy

crewmember must have some understanding of how to deal with the press if and

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when the situation arises. It is quite common for the press to be invited on board

Royal Navy ships during exercises and open days and for that reason, crew members

must be able to answer questions thoroughly and precisely without giving away

sensitive information.

The Royal Navy could pay professional members of the press to work with their

crews but a far cheaper and more practical option is to invite trainee journalists

instead. Benefiting both the Royal Navy and the trainees (students).

Personal Benefits

Working with the Royal Navy is unlike working with any other organisation. Certain

crewmembers have never come face to face with the press before in their lives and are

initially very timid and quite.

After an introduction crewmembers were quite happy to talk to us, with some being

put forward as clear leaders from an early stage.

Being given fair limited reign over much of the ship is an experience of a lifetime. It

soon became clear that the crewmembers were there to give a good impression and

remained on best behaviour throughout.

Considering the crewmembers saw me as a member of the press was something that

took a few minutes to get used to. Whilst on the ship I was under strict F.O.S.T

guidelines and had to remain in role throughout, never revealing my full identity.

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Express & Echo Newspaper

Work Experience Log

Placement: 2

Location

As an extremely active and key editor it was important for me to visit the Express &

Echo Newsroom on numerous occasions. Reasons to visit varied from, the initial

pitch to the weekly editorial role.

Below I have outlined the journey I took on each occasion. Time spent at the Express

& Echo varied from an hour to 3 hours at a time, depending on how much work I had

and if we had any technical issues.

The Journey

Total duration: Approximately 15

minutes

Cost: Approximately £3 .30 (return

drive)

Total Distance: 8.6 miles

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Map of the route takes

Introduction

Producing work for a local newspaper is a great method of having work published in

order to build up a portfolio of high quality work. Having our names in the newspaper

on a weekly basis ensured our names were known locally and our work was

considered trustworthy.

Having contacted the Express & Echo along with my classmates I managed to (along

with others) setup a weekly student page. Our tag line was, written for students, by

students. The assumed poor quality of articles was soon forgotten and our page soon

became the highlight of Friday’s edition of the Express & Echo.

The idea was that each week we would produce a student page to be printed in the

Express & Echo. Over the next few weeks we would start to develop themes, designs,

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topics and audience buzz, with the help of a Facebook Fan Page, which I created.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Express-Echo-Student-Page/179220722109065

Developing the idea

After producing mind maps and considering various ideas regarding the student page

we were ready to pitch to the Express & Echo.

Ideas discussed prior to the pitch included:

• Regular topics

• Design

• Precise target audience

• Photo / image use (rights)

• Specialist columns

• Regularity (weekly)

• Holiday plans (we decided not to produce the page during the longer holidays

as many students returned home)

The Pitch

We pitched for around 45 minutes in total with a short tour of the newsroom

afterwards. The pitch was held in a dedicated meeting room. Glass tables, plenty of

light and ‘creative images’ on the wall. We were successful in getting a weekly page

in the Express and Echo likely starting in November, depending on our and their

needs. Several practice pages were produced prior to publishing any pages. Ensuring

we met and followed the exact Echo guidelines and adhere to a high standard at all

times.

Following the success of the Echo pitch we organised another meeting for the

following week. Russ (my lecturer at the time) asked me to organise the meeting and

take one or two other people with me. The aim was to discuss the design of the page

and how we will implement our articles and design onto their software.

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Prior to our design and software implantation meeting I designed a page to help

display out ideas (see below).

Design

The main aim of designing a page with my own ideas on, was to give a feel for how

the page would look and the sort of content we would put in place.

You can see a large version of the design on the next page.

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Fig 2: My student page design. The theme of a Facebook lookalike page was proved

popular and later adapted and adopted.

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As you can see a lot of work on my behalf went into designing the sample page above

and I am very proud of it as a method of displaying my idea. I believe along with our

group pitch and Pete’s (class mate) design we always had a good chance of getting a

well designed and popular student page in the Express & Echo.

Pre-Runs

Over the next 4 weeks we produced sample / practice pages. These pages were

produced in exactly the same was as the printed pages, the only difference being that

they were not printed.

Using the software was a challenge and presented a steep learning curve, as it is

different to anything I used before, but over the weeks I believe hard work and

dedication provided me with a good understanding and knowledge of how the

software works.

Being one of the initial leaders, along with Katie & Pete, I believe it is part of our role

to gain a good understanding of how the software works, and of course, how the

newsroom works in general.

Fig 3: Part of the Express & Echo newsroom

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I felt welcomed into the newsroom and respected as new talent. Offering and

providing the Express & Echo newspaper with a page they can print for free and

advertise on is a win-win for both myself as a student looking to develop my portfolio

and for the newspaper, having a page filled every work without any work on their

behalf.

Development

Being at the forefront of the team I always had to ensure we provided a good image of

the group and of our journalism skills in general. Until the first page was printed,

which would have an audience of around 30,000 readers, we couldn’t afford to slow

down or become lazy in terms of our skills or passion for the project.

Three weeks in and two dummy runs have been produced, which I’m pleased to

report were extremely successful and looked very professional.

After each dummy run we analysed the page from top to bottom. Any minor errors or

possible ways to improve the page were suggested and noted, ready for next weeks

page. All suggestions were taken on board and implemented into the following weeks

page.

The majority of the work was done outside of the newsroom as a freelance. Although

I was welcome to work in the newsroom and any given day I felt I was at an

advantage developing with teammates.

Week 3 Dummy Print Run

I’m now beginning to get used to the software and I can safely say that I believe as a

team, we will be ready to produce our first printed page. As we develop our software

skills and our student page I believe we will be ready to print the page within two

weeks. During dummy / practice pages we didn’t include a voucher / coupon nor did

we include any advertising (a yellow box at this stage). The Express & Echo would

handle the advertising and I was to / volunteered to take on the role of the voucher

‘finder and designer’ / production. I took this role extremely seriously spending hours

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every week tracking down interesting, functional and relevant businesses who would

be willing to provide a unique voucher for the student page.

At this stage blanks boxes were put in the places where the advertising and coupon

would sit on the page. This enabled the team and myself to gain a better

understanding of how the page would look and how much space we would reliably

have each week.

Express & Echo Student Publication Dates

21st January 2011 Express & Echo Newspaper Student Page

28th January 2011 Express & Echo Newspaper Student Page

28th January 2011 Express & Echo Newspaper Student Page

4th February 2011 Express & Echo Newspaper Student Page

11th February 2011 Express & Echo Newspaper Student Page

18th February 2011 Express & Echo Newspaper Student Page

25th February 2011 Express & Echo Newspaper Student Page

11th March 2011 Express & Echo Newspaper Student Page

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25th March 2011 Express & Echo Newspaper Student Page

15th April 2011 Express & Echo Newspaper Student Page

22nd April 2011 Express & Echo Newspaper Student Page

29th April 2011 Express & Echo Newspaper Student Page

6th May 2011 Express & Echo Newspaper Student Page

27th May 2011 Express & Echo Newspaper Student Page

Print Run 1

As mentioned previously I was unclear as to whether we would be asked to produce a

fourth dummy page or whether we could start producing ‘real’ pages, which would be

included in Fridays Express & Echo.

We were told by Andrew (Deputy Editor) to produce one more dummy (a fourth).

The reason being a launch that would last for one week before Christmas and then

resume 2 to 3 weeks later would confuse readers and could make the page seem like

a one off. The decision was taken to launch the page after the Christmas break.

This would ensure the launch page would be considered professional and as

successful as possible from the very beginning.

Luckily we received the news on Monday that Andrew (the Deputy Editor) would be

happy for us to start producing a page that he would submit and include in the

newspaper.

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The news was thrilling showing that all of my hard work has paid off. Other members

of the team also felt a great deal of relief and satisfaction. It has however become

clear that three of us are spending far more time on the development of the page.

Leaders of the page appear to me Pete, Katie and myself.

Below I have outlined what happened during a session dedication to producing,

newsworthy articles, and what happened when I attended the Express & Echo to

layout the first printed Express & Echo student page.

I’m under full strain with the Express & Echo page and I’m working tirelessly to

ensure we have the content ready for a meeting next Wednesday where we will be

adding content to the page at the Express and Echo HQ. Dan and myself are the first

joint editors and will be visiting the Express and Echo offices at 11am on Wednesday

24th November. See next weeks log for detail on the meeting.

The main aims for this session were:

• To gather all of the written articles together in one folder, sub them and ensure

they are ready for print on Wednesday.

Issues we had

• Unfortunately all of our technology decided to play up today meaning we

couldn’t access Gmail or my personal email accounts, couldn’t download the

files and couldn’t start subbing the articles as a result.

• Instead I had to use my phone to try and access the Gmail account, which

worked, and from there I made a list of the articles we had been sent. I also

ticked off any articles that we knew had been subbed. I then spoke to Dan (the

co-editor for this first run) and agreed that I would download them all as soon

as I got home. I then sent these files as a .zip to Dan and Russ so they could

help sub-edit them.

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What went well?

• During the session I contacted Chris Walls a photographer on Flickr regarding

some student protest images that looked extremely professional and perfect for

our purposes. He quickly replied later that afternoon and agreed he would send

me a large version of the chosen image as long as I credited the image to him

and sent him a PDF on the page, which I agreed to do.

• Helping a student photographer get published was a great feeling. Not only as

I was helping a fellow student, but also because photography is a passion and

business of mine and I knew providing high quality images was vital from the

start, both taken by fellow students and myself.

What have I learnt?

Perhaps most importantly I’ve learnt that when under pressure – which Dan and

myself are at the moment – never fully rely on technology, always have a downloaded

copy just in case. Luckily I soon got home and downloaded the articles but it could

have been a very near miss especially this close to the deadline.

Technology can very often work for months on end and then fail at the vital moment.

I now keep 2 backups of everything. One online using DropBox and one using an

external hard drive.

Targets for next week

As always I will continue to find stories that will be suitable for my own portfolio and

suitable for the Express & Echo page.

As mentioned at the end of last week Dan and I were heading up to the Express and

Echo HQ to put our groups page together. We received stories from 75% of the group

members and about 40% of the Year 1-group members. A large selection of stories

covering various topics ensured the page is varied and attractive to our student

audience. An audience with a very low concentration rate and even lower

commitment level.

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Dan and I spent around 2 hours at the Express and Echo, adding content to the

template, which we had designed on a previous visit 2 weeks ago.

Our meeting was at 11am and we left at around 1pm. During the 2-hour session we

added content (copy) to the page (see a preview below) including images and

headlines. As you can see the student protest photograph takes pride of place in the

middle of the page. I had an article published this week as well as being the primary

editor of the page. This week has proved a success in my opinion.

Fig 4: Our first page suitable for publication

Personally I felt very proud having produced much of the page design and along with

Dan organised, and subbed all of the content to be included.

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Print Run 2

Having discussed with Andrew (Deputy Editor) potential weekly meeting times that

suit both us, we decided to meet every Wednesday at 11am at the Express & Echo.

This slot will be used to layout the page and adapt the design to suit the particular

weeks focus. The slot should last approximately 2 to 3 hours.

However, before any of us consider laying out content we must first find stories,

images and coupons suitable for the coming weeks page. This is usually done on a

Monday and usually takes 20 to 30 minutes. Stories, coupon production and other

necessary work then takes place throughout Monday afternoon and Tuesday.

As an already leading and very active member of the group, in terms of the role I play

in the organisation of the student page, I was very keen to ensure I had a very active

role in the second printed page.

Once again putting myself forward as editor I made my intentions clear and felt well

respected within the group. Leading the group as a sub-editor this time I felt confident

in producing another high quality student page.

As well as being a sub-editor I also assigned myself to the following tasks:

• 1 x Main story (left stick) 250 words

• 1x Short article (top middle nib) 45 words

• 1x Custom designed coupon (Oggy Oggy Pasty company)

Finding a main story and a short was fairly easy thanks to contacts I had made during

dummy runs. The difficult task, which I dedicated myself towards, was finding a local

company which students would visit, who would be willing to discount their own

produce or services for readers of the Express & Echo. With over 15,000 students

attending the University alone this could potentially be a huge audience.

Sweeping the streets for potential businesses I eventually came across Oggy Oggy

Pasty, a leading, high quality pasty company based in Cornwall and very well

respected company in the South West in general.

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Speaking to staff it was immediately clear that they were unable to ‘call the shots’ as

to whether they could provide me with a deal. Realising this I asked for the manager’s

number. Rather than being given the manager telephone number I received the owners

direct number and after speaking to his personal secretary I was passed over to the

owner of Oggy Oggy Pasty.

Whilst stood in the middle of Queen Street, Exeter I negotiated a deal which would

benefit both his business and potentially thousands of students in Exeter. Given his

high profile and important role he was extremely polite and helpful. I quickly

explained that any offer would almost certainly boost business during the pre-defined

voucher period.

10 minutes later I was off the phone and giving the staff of the outlet the good news

they students of Exeter would now receive a 10% discount when showing their student

card and the voucher which they would cut out from the Express & Echo.

A huge success and one that I am very proud of and hope to repeat in the coming

weeks.

At the newsroom

This session was an extremely productive and successful one. I believe my repeat

visits to the Express & Echo offices have and will continue to allow me to gain a vast

understanding of how a newsroom works. Without being employed within the

organisation I personally don’t believe you can gain much more experience than I

have done over the past months and will continue to add to as we progress with the

student page.

Print Run 3

I had my usual responsibility of finding and designing a voucher that could be used

exclusively within the Echo. I also felt like a challenge so I threw myself into writing

the main story on EMA (Education Maintenance Allowance). Dan and I decided to

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work together on writing the main story to share the work load and ensure we

consulted as many sources and possible.

Having researched the basics of EMA we went out into the streets of Exeter and

around the campus to get some interviews, viewpoints and quotes.

Recording quotes on my phone and with Dan writing them down we had a great basis

on which to write the article.

Along with group work, we also completed several individual interviews to ensure

our work was not bias.

We then began to write the story and I said I would complete it at home.

This week’s voucher is for ShakeAway Milkshakes. I’ve managed to construct a deal

that I believe many will find hard to resist. Buy 1 Get 1 Free on all ShakeAway

Milkshakes – as the regional manager (Robbie) of the franchise said, “You can’t get

much better than that without giving it away”.

Similar to last week I spoke to the regional manager (Robbie) of ShakeAway who

was based in Plymouth.

I am finding that it is better to speak to those in charge rather than daily operations

staff (such as shop assistants) who in the scale of things have very little say in what

happens, especially when it comes to discounting products and stating new and

exclusive offers.

Coupon Production

Each and every week I would design a voucher to go with the attractive deal.

Below is a preview of the finished design for the ShakeAway Milkshake coupon.

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Here’s the voucher that will be printed in this Fridays Echo. It is important to note I

have created this voucher, as I will be doing each and every week. I use Illustrator

CS4.

Last weeks Express & Echo Student page:

The student page we produced last week was extremely successful. Having 30,000

papers printed with our work in it is a feeling you can’t beat, especially when you see

members of the public reading and enjoying the page, without being prompted to pick

up a copy.

What could I have done to improve?

I was very pleased with my performance. Having practiced what I’ve been taught

over the past two years it’s great to know that I can utilise the interview techniques

and questioning methods taught over a year ago. Not only whilst writing stories but

also when researching and speaking to local businesses about the possibility of up and

coming exclusive coupon offers.

It is becoming apparent that local businesses are learning of the student page and the

opportunity they have to promote their business to students, for free.

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Print Run 4

Week four arrived in a heartbeat. Another student page needs to be produced and

printed. As I get into my stride now I feel extremely comfortable with the roles I have

played so far, which include everything from editor, sub-editor, designer and team

leader.

What Happened?

Having had a main story on the page so far every week so far I felt it was only fair to

let someone else have the chance. I decided to volunteer to write a 45-word article on

‘the web’. I chose to write a piece on a very famous YouTube Family, the ShayTards.

Having done some research I wrote a simple yet informative piece, which I’m pleased

to say, made it onto the page. Speaking to students around me it was clear that some

had heard of the family but never watched them. I requested an interview with their

PR specialist but failed to receive a reply. Likely due to the quick turn around (under

a week).

As I do every week I also had to find an exclusive voucher, design it and send it to the

Echo offices. This week I had lined up free entry to ‘Timepiece’ one of the most

popular nightclubs in Exeter. Having spent around 3 hours designing the coupon I

contacted the Timepiece manager to see if how he felt about the design (as I have

done with all of the business managers so far). Unfortunately he was very negative

and didn’t really give me a chance to adjust or improve the voucher. Instead he

designed one and sent it across. Unfortunately the voucher he designed couldn’t be

printed much bigger than a postage stamp without pixilation, as a result I asked for a

larger version, which he sent with seconds to spare.

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What I Learnt

I learnt that in some, often rare, cases businesses have very set ideas of how a voucher

should look. Instead of informing me or giving me a specification the manager

decided to design his own after seeing mine.

I personally was very proud of the design having produced in under very strict time

restraints. Feedback from friends, college peers and family I felt confident in the

design. I chose to take the feedback onboard and carry on in a very civil and polite

manor, just in case I should have further dealings with them in my future journalistic

career. I decided to take this route having always been taught to be respectful and

polite to contacts, as there is always a small chance of dealing with them again –

potentially on a business / paid front.

Print Run 6

I have been chosen to edit the Express & Echo student page once again and feel as

though the group trust me with the skills that I have picked up over the past few

months. This week is the last week before half term and I’m not too sure if we’re

going to work through half term or not, in terms of producing a page for the Echo. In

my eyes it would make sense that we did as it leaves the readers confused and a

reason to loose interest in the weekly page.

We’re now on the sixth printed edition. The page is becoming well known among the

student community in Exeter and increasingly popular. I now believe that some

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students are paying the paper just to receive the exclusive coupon. These students

potential may not have bought the newspaper prior to the student page. A win-win for

both the Express & Echo and for local businesses who provide deals for the student

population.

My Role

During Print Run 6 my main role was to over see the whole operation. Without

sounding like we’re in the armed forces I have found that producing the student page

once a week is similar in a way. It is vital you have 1 – 2 leaders (The Editors) and a

supportive team working hard to create the content and provide backup/support when

needed. Without detailed planning and a meeting to discuss what is needed at the

beginning of each week, the page would soon fall apart and become far less

professional.

Being in Print Run 6 now the whole sequence of gathering stories, writing them,

subbing them and laying them out on the page is becoming easier and easier. Having

almost completely got to grips with the software I am finding it enjoyable to work

surrounded by professional journalists and editors at the Express & Echo.

Regular discussions with the Express & Echo newspaper Deputy Editor, Andrew

Howard have proved invaluable. Not only have I discussed with him the student page

but also potential future opportunities working with the Express & Echo as a freelance.

Working in the newsroom

Working in and amongst the professional journalists and editors at the Express &

Echo newsroom gives you a great feeling of being professional yourself. I personally

can picture myself working in that sort of environment and rising up the ranks to

become a very well respected journalist.

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What could have gone better?

Luckily during this print run everyone who I was expecting stories from, submitted

stories on time. A couple of the team members submitted stories very late in the day

i.e. 30 minutes before I arrived at the Express & Echo offices.

Unfortunately no one was willing to take on the responsibility of finding and

designing an exclusive coupon for use in this week’s page. As a result it was left

down to me. I could have simply filled the dedicated space with a large picture or

another 90-word story but I was keen to keep our professional appearance and as

editor I decided that it was essential we designed and printed a voucher. With it being

left down to me, on top of my other responsibilities as editor and having already

submitted stories for the page, I decided to walk around Exeter and find a suitable

business. See below

Voucher

Walking the streets of Exeter in search of an exciting and exclusive voucher I decided

to head into the Guildhall. Many of the businesses based within the Guildhall

shopping centre are large chains, who are usually unwilling to provide discounts, but

it is possible to find small independent stores.

Having searched for around 40 minutes I decided to try a local and independent

chocolate shop. Believing that all students are fans of nice chocolate and money off, I

believe we had a winner with the suitably named ‘Chocoholic’ Shop. The fact that it

was based just off Queen Street provided an even better opportunity as Queen Street

is one of Exeter’s student hubs, especially during the mornings and late afternoons.

I had previously spoken to Alex from Chocoholic as I am always on the look out for

possible businesses and exclusive offers they could provide.

I worked from within his shop and designed the voucher using InDesign and

Fireworks (Adobe CS4) to a specification that both he and I were happy with. It soon

turned out he had little design capability so I took it upon myself to work with his and

design an exciting and colour voucher for use in the Echo. This added work was

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worth the effort as the voucher provided a great increase in takings according to

feedback he gave me a couple of weeks later.

Print Run 7

It’s red nose day (18th March) and as joint editors we’ve decided to turn the page red

for the special cause.

Along with filling the page with interesting and relative stories as editor, I’ve

produced a special area of the page explaining what red nose day is about and how

you can help. I have included donation numbers and text donation details in the hope

that a few will donate.

Using the broad reach the student page has was perfect to promote the good cause the

day is dedicated to. Turning the page red also meant it remained eye catching and

interesting for the reader, as they flick through and find something unexpected and

vibrant.

Page Progress

The page is now well developed and ever popular with the local students. The page

only has three planned print runs left. I hope that we will be able to pass the page on

to Year 1 journalism students at Exeter College as long as they ensure the same high

standards are adhered to.

My Progress

I’m personally very proud of the page and having completed my 38 hours several

weeks ago I am now working with the Express & Echo as an optional add on to my

other work. I enjoy working with the Express & Echo and in total so far have worked

for around 46 hours with them and as editor outside of my dedicated work experience

hours.

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Print Run 8

As we introduce Year one students to the workings of the Express & Echo page I am

very careful to ensure the same content that attracts so many readers every week

remains. As well as introducing the student page to a new team of journalists I had to

edit this weeks page.

This could be a difficult task as many of the year twos this Express and Echo student

page project is their own baby and after many weeks of hard work it may be difficult

to hand over knowing that it may not all go as smoothly as planned if the year ones do

not work as hard as we did.

Handover

I'm pleased to say that the transfer has gone well. The year ones to begin with will

produce around half the page the year twos will then produce the other half and hold

overall responsibility and editing control of the page for the next 2 weeks.

The year 1 students seem to be enthusiastic about the possibility of working with

Express and Echo and now they've seen the chances and opportunities that it has

given us they are even more excited.

Before the hand over I have two more pages to edit and help produce. My focus now

turns to the student page.

Student Page Development

As editor this week it is my responsibility to ensure the page is to an extremely high

standard as per usual and ensure the page is full and healthy looking before I leave the

newsroom at the Express and Echo offices.

Having worked alongside year 1 students, over the past week I was feeling confident

that we would have enough stories to fill the page, and I'm glad to say we did.

Section  1                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Page:   38  

At the Express & Echo

Today I spent around 2 1/2 hours at the Express and Echo newsroom, which is about

normal considering I like to ensure all stories are legally correct and have no errors in

them, whether it is punctuation, spelling, grammar or factual errors.

Working with Andrew, the Deputy Editor, at the beginning of the session and towards

the end I felt there was a good bond between myself and Andrew, I felt as though he

didn't look down on me and respected are skills that we have learned and developed

over the past 2 years.

The page was then completed and I received a printout from Andrew as a proof/draft.

Andrew will now double-check the page from mistakes and ensure images, text boxes

and logos lineup and are suitable for the page. The page is then merged into Friday’s

edition of the Express & Echo newspaper.

Print Run 9

During last week's production of the page many of the stories were submitted by year

1 students, then subbed and edited by year 2 students.

This week complete control has been given to the year 1 students and I just hope it

will go smoothly, with our input along the way.

I'm pleased to say that so far the year 1 students and the year 2 students including

myself simply working well together apart from one minor discrepancy when a year 1

made her views heard as her story did not make the cut in last week's express and

Echo and was dropped as result. I added to the discussion and made it clear that if the

student’s copy quality increased then they would have stories published.

Two editors from the year 1 group were sent express and Echo to layout the copy and

images on the page with Andrew's help. The page is retaining its professional yet

attractive appearance thanks to Andrew’s input.

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What went well?

It was great to see that both year one and year 2 students including myself can work

together as a large team and share the responsibility of the Express and Echo student

page.

Having work published on a regular basis is a great feeling and something I’m very

proud of. The Express & Echo is the largest local newspaper in Devon with

readership around 70,000 people. It is estimated 2 people read each copy of the

Express and Echo that is printed.

The page collaboration is running very well and with just a week left, timing couldn’t

be better.

Print Run 10

The transition of responsibility between year 1 students in year 2 students is now in

full progress.

As mentioned over the past 2 to 3 weeks I have helped the transfer of responsibility

from year 1 students to year 2 students.

This week will be the last week I take a fully active role in the page. I decided to “go

out with a bang” and put myself forward as editor for one final time. I have now been

editor a total of 6 times, far more than any of my teammates. Being editor is hard

work but I enjoy the opportunity to help produce in my eyes the best student page

available to students of Exeter.

Editor

As editor for one final time I have decided to ensure this is the best page produced

most I have an active involvement in the product. Speaking to year twos and year

ones I have ensured that will have plenty of stories submitted a broad range of topics

along with supporting images and graphics. Rather than trying to get someone else to

produce a weekly voucher, I have decided to drop the voucher this week and instead

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include another 90-work story to ensure as many people as possible can have their

work published.

I'm pleased to report the page once filled looked extremely good and I am proud to

have my name on it as editor and contributor.

The Express & Echo pages can be viewed via my Wix website:

http://www.wix.com/soc505/christemplemurray

Vouchers

The voucher in general has been extremely successful with many businesses reporting

between 10 and 30 redeems in the week to 3 weeks that they have allowed the

voucher to be active. If we were to assume each customer was spending £3, which is

highly probable, then each business can expect an increase in revenue of around £30

to £90. A very attractive proposition seeing as they spend very little on the production

of the coupon.

Many of the companies involved with the scheme and opportunity to post/publish a

voucher for free grabbed the opportunity without any hesitation benefiting the

majority of them.

Conclusion

Now the handover is virtually complete, as editor, I have decided to let the year 1

students continue to produce the Express and Echo Student Page for the remainder of

the year and next year. The page has proved so popular that Deputy Editor, Andrew

Howard, is keen to continue with the page after the summer break with the new, year

two, students.

It has been decided the year ones will now produce just a couple of pages before

having a break over the summer and resuming the work in late September or early

October.

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Theory of Technology Implementation

As technology poses an ever-increasing threat to the publishing world it must be

embraced rather than feared. More and more publishing houses and newspaper

organisations are now developing attractive and feature packed websites to ensure the

modern reader stays as loyal as possible.

The Express & Echo newspaper is a leader in terms of website design targeted at it’s

readers with an aim to attract new readers. Although the paper doesn’t have a

dedicated newspaper app, it’s website is mobile compatible and many of the

newspapers printed articles are published on the website the next day. Ensuring the

perfect mix between exclusivity and accessibility.

An exception was made for the student page which didn’t have a section on the

Express & Echo website (www.thisisdevon.co.uk). Instead, we developed a Facebook

Fan Page, which was popular with readers, enabling them to provide feedback,

requests and suggest stories.

The combination of high quality print material and easy to access online articles

ensures the reader is always able to find the latest news for the region. A popular

website featuring adverts also brings in additional income for Northcliffe Publishing

(the publishers of the Express & Echo Newspaper).

Alexa

The statistics website, Alexa (http://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/thisisexeter.co.uk),

reports that the Express and Echo website (www.thisisexeter.co.uk) ranks 232 in the

UK and 5,530 globally. Overall traffic is on the increase with a 21% increase over the

past 3 months. These statistics clearly show that more people choose to consume their

news online either when at work, home or on the go. Browsing statistics show that the

majority of Express and Echo readers browse the website whilst at a place of work.

Through the use of Alexa it is also possible to discover that the average time a user

spends on the Express and Echo website three minutes. The average page view is 58

seconds – a clear indication of article reading taking place online.

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Target Audience

The Express and Echo target their primary audience through a number of methods. To

understand these methods it is first necessary to define the reader.

From working at the Express and Echo, researching the newspaper on Alexa and

being a long time reader I know the audience to be:

• Top three age groups in ascending order: 18-24, 35-44 and 45-54.

• Male visits are slightly more common than female readers

• The majority of readers have also attended some form of college or university.

Theory of Newspaper Modernisation

Since completing my work experience at the Express & Echo the newsroom has

recently downsized since the paper has changed from a daily to a weekly format. The

decision was taken after sales were falling and research suggested a weekly edition

would be more suitable for the majority of its readers. With less staff as a result, the

Express & Echo can ensure it continues to make a profit and remain on the shop

shelves for the considerable future.

A reduced number of staff, unfortunately means the amount of time staff members get

in order to go out and find stories, as good journalists should (in my opinion), is

limited and is becoming a rare occurrence. During my time working with the Express

& Echo I had the chance to hold an extended conversation with Andrew Howard

(Deputy Editor) who informed me of the police, fire and ambulance press services

that provide the newspaper with press releases on a daily basis. I also discovered that

there are an ever-increasing number of organisations that write stories to sell. This

practice is limited due to the Express & Echo focusing on local news but does and can

occur when time is short.

Since going weekly (after my time at the Express & Echo) the paper now prints

approximately 200 pages every week on a Friday rather than 40 to 50, six days a week.

The total page production is down when compared to the number of pages the

newspaper would have previously produced each week. This is necessary to ensure

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the newspaper remains profitable and a feature in the homes of Exeter and East

Devon for the distant future.

Developing my future career

From working with the Royal Navy and the Express & Echo I have been able to

develop my career in the following ways.

1. Dealing with a variety of people in a variety of situations, locations and

environment has helped me build my ability to adapt to meet the demands

required.

2. Working to deadlines with the Express and Echo and strict time restraints with

the Royal Navy has helped me to plan my time extremely precisely. Not

wasting time and being as efficient as possible has enabled me to get a lot

more done than I ever thought possible.

3. Having dealt with the armed forces, in the form of the Royal Navy, I now have

a good understanding on the restrictions that are in place. Restrictions include:

limited photography freedom, confidential information and the identity of

some crewmembers.

Social Network Integration

The Express and Echo website (www.thisisexeter.co.uk) takes advantage of social

networks in order to drive more traffic to the site. The website embeds social media

automatically into every new article published on the site. At the bottom of each

article the reader will see the following graphic.

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The integration includes the following services:

• Comments (Rating of individual comments also integrated)

• Ratings or Likes

• Google Plus

• Facebook

• Twitter

• Digg, Reddit, Delicious and Stumble Upon

Summary

I cannot think of one bad word to say about this opportunity. Working with the

Express and Echo and producing a student page has been a fantastic opportunity and

worth every minute of my time.

Based on feedback given by friends, family members and even students from the

general public, including those who have walked into shop where I work, the overall

view has been extremely positive and many have said they look forward to continuing

next year and perhaps for many years after.

I feel extremely proud to have been involved from the very beginning and to have

been one of the 3 members of the team who pitched all that time ago in October

to see if we can get a weekly, biweekly or even monthly page in the Express and Echo.

When The Editor and Deputy Editor agreed to give us a full-colour page every single

week on a Friday we were over the moon. To have a contract to produce a weekly

student page that had the ability to be read by around 70,000 people was amazing and

something I’ll never forget.

Working in a professional newsroom only increased by desire to work in journalism

either as a freelance or dedicated a particular publication.

I'd happily repeat the experience again and have since worked with the Express

& Echo on a freelance basis.

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I would happily support students during the transfer and throughout the project to

ensure the page remained at an extremely high standard that was interesting and

informative to students of Exeter and the surrounding area.

Chris Temple-MurrayFreelance Journalist Portfolio

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The aim of this document is as follows:

1. To show off the press pack and identity given to me whilst on-board the ships. 2. To be used in conjunction with my work experience log which can be found before this section of the document.3. Starting on page 16 (sixteen) I have provided additional information relating to my work at the Express and Echo. Including all of the student pages I worked on and in many cases, edited.

Important information

Section 2Page: 2

Media Role under the F.O.S.T operation on the N.R.P Vasco Da Gama, HMS Albion, HMS Dauntless and land based exercises

F.O.S.T (Flag Officer Sea Training) helps the Royal Navy and its partners train for single-level and multi-level threat scenarios.

Working with Lt Commander Lindsey Ashwood who leads F.O.S.T operations I was able to gain an in depth understanding of how the F.O.S.T exercises benefited crew members. On our initial introduction Lt Commander Ashwood explained that F.O.S.T exercises were essentially ‘playing war’ with other allies in order to ensure they have the ability to work together effectively if the need arises.

My role, along with other professional journalists, was to put Royal Navy crew members under pressure by interviewing, photographing and questioning them. As far as crew members were aware, I was a journalist from The Times newspaper.

F.O.S.T operations take place on both British and foreign ships. I had the opportunity to take part in operations on British and foreign ships.

A Portuguese ship named N.R.P Vasco Da Gama F330 took part in a large operation involving several Royal Navy Ships, helicopters and land based scenarios.

F.O.S.T is designed to help train all surface ships, submarines and Royal Fleet Auxiliaries in combat and peacetime scenarios.Over 100 ships belonging to the Royal Navy and NATO are involved in F.O.S.T each year.

The UK is considered one of the leading training centres around the world for this sort of combat and peacetime scenario training, which takes place in the air, on the water and on the land.

F.O.S.T has been involved with the Royal Navy for over 50 years and has a worldwide reputation of excellence.

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Royal Navy F.O.S.T - Working as a member of the press

Vasco da Gama - Portuguese NavyMedia Exercise 26th January 2011

Media Schedule for 26th January visit

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Front of press pack: Given to us as we boarded

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Media leaflet for N.R.P Vasco da Gama, side 1Section 2Page: 6

Media leaflet for N.R.P Vasco da Gama, side 2Section 2Page: 7

Press badge as required by N.R.P Vasco de Gama

N.R.P Vasco da Gama. Introduction of the commanding officer.

I was instructed to wear my press badge at all times. The two reasons for this were:

1. To ensure crew members knew who I was and what my purpose was2. To ensure crew members were on edge when talking to me, even though I wasn’t actually from a national newspaper.

Section 2Page: 8

My role during F.O.S.T exercises on board HMS Albion & HMS Dauntless

As a journalist, my role on board HMS Albion & HMS Dauntless was to ask as many pressing questions as possible. The language barrier I experienced whilst on board NRP Vasco Da Gama was restricting at times. In contrast when on-board HMS Albion and on land there was no language barrier, meaning I could ask as many questions as I wanted.

One of the most poignant moments during my time on board HMS Albion was when the captain asked which newspaper I was from. Realising he was completely convinced I was from The Times I felt superior in a way. His manner changed immediately and it was clear he felt under pressure.

Along with interviewing crew members I also photographed daily activities and exercises that took place whilst on board.

It was clear that having a DSLR around my neck, alongside my notebook and press badge gave me a distinct advantage. There was a sense of respect as I entered each room.

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Royal Navy F.O.S.T - Working as a member of the pressHMS Albion Visit dates: February 8th & 9th (overnight operation)

Front of press pack provided by HMS AlbionSection 2Page: 10

HMS Albion information booklet, given to the press on arrival

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HMS Albion Press Shots

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HMS Albion Press Schedule

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HMS Albion moored in Devonport, Plymouth

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Express and Echo Newspaper WorkWeekly student page produced from October until the end of May

Express  &  Echo  History    

 

The  Express  &  Echo  is  a  local  newspaper  with  a  readership  of  around  30,000.  During  my  time  working  with  the  Express  &  Echo  the  organization  printed  a  total  of  17,000  newspapers  each  day,  distributing  copies  Monday  to  Saturday  with  Saturday  issues  also  carry  over  to  Sunday.    

In  the  past  four  months  the  Express  &  Echo  has  changed  from  a  daily  newspaper  to  a  weekly  newspaper.  Below  I  have  outlined  the  history  of  the  Express  &  Echo.    

Established  as  the  Express  &  Echo  in  1904  the  newspaper  in  its  current  form  has  a  long  and  interesting  history.  

Originally  called  The  Evening  Express  of  the  Devon  Weekly  Times,  it  started  life  in  1866.    

From  the  27th  October  1873  the  newspaper  was  known  by  the  shortened  name  of,  The  Devon  Evening  Express.    

That  was  until  on  the  1st  October  1904  it  was  merged  with  the  Western  Echo  &  Star  to  become  known  as  the  Express  &  Echo.  The  use  of  the  Express  &  Echo  name  has  now  been  in  use  for  108  years.    

Below  you  can  see  the  transformation  the  newspaper  has  made  whilst  beng  known  as  the  Express  &  Echo.    

Source  of  images:  www.extermemories.co.uk  

 

Section 2Page: 16

The Express & Echo in October 1904. First edition under the new name. The Express & Echo, 28th October 1960 edition. Already becoming

more graphically advanced. Still printed in black and white.

15th October 1979. The Express & Echo changes to a tabloid format and introduces limited colour.

Friday 2nd September 2011. The Express & Echo turns from a daily to a weekly newspaper.

Express and Echo Design History

Section 2Page: 17

Express & Echo RoleAfter arranging a meeting and pitching to the Express & Echo they offered selected second year students from Exeter College on Journalism & Practical Media foundation degree the opportunity to plan, produce and publish a weekly student page. I was a lead pitcher, editor and producer throughout the process. Read on to find out more.

We had almost full control over a page in the front half of the newspaper that would be published every Friday. Our obligation to the Express & Echo and its readers was to provide an informative, useful, fair and non-bias student page.

Alongside the weekly student page I also helped to run a popular Facebook fan page which allowed our readers to provide us with stories, feedback and requests in an instant.

Our student page was a huge success, with deputy editor Andrew Howard praising our work. Andrew Howard provided the following reference upon request:

Chris played a leading role in the production of our weekly Student Echo page in terms of both writing and production. He also managed to source exclusive offers from retailers. Chris’s work was always accurate and on deadline, and was a pleasure to work with. Since working on the page, Chris has also continued to contribute to the newspaper. Andrew Howard – Express & Echo Deputy Editor

Section 2Page: 18

Express & Echo Student Page Examples

The pages featured below are the pages I edited

Every week I would contribute to the Express & Echo student page in several different ways. The first contribution I made was as either an editor or sub-editor. Secondly I had the responsibility of seeking a voucher that would be of interest to our target readership - students aged 16-25, based in Exeter and the surrounding region. Thirdly I would contribute articles of varying length, many of which included photographs, most weeks. When laying out the page I would visit the Express & Echo newsroom and use their software with the help of Andrew Howard the Deputy Editor at the newspaper.

Section 2Page: 19

Express and Echo Student Page: January 28th 2011

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Express and Echo Student Page: February 4th 2011

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Express and Echo Student Page: February 11th 2011

Every week I had the responsibility of sourcing a unique, interesting and relevant voucher for use on the student page. For the majority of the student pages I also designed the voucher using Photoshop having been emailed any logo’s and slogans the company used. Sourcing these vouchers took up a lot of my time and meant speaking to t representatives, company heads and press departments in a professional manner, no matter the size of the company.

Section 2Page: 22

Express and Echo Student Page: February 18th 2011

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Express and Echo Student Page: February 25th 2011

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Express and Echo Student Page: March 4th 2011

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Express and Echo Student Page: March 11th 2011

Highlighted above are the voucher and article I produced for the March 11th issue of the student page. The voucher was designed by myself and feedback from the Mama Stones club was extremely positive. Feedback from the club showed a significant increase in visitors during the time the voucher was active. In addition to providing the voucher I also produced an article on Student Fees, as it was an issue the majority of our readers could relate today and were passionate about.

Section 2Page: 26

Express and Echo Student Page: March 18th 2011

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Express and Echo Student Page: March 28th 2011

Highlighted above you can once again see my contribution to the 25th February 2011 student page. Thanks to the success of the previous voucher Mama Stones were very keen to pursue a second. Once again I contacted their PR department and designed a second voucher according to their specification. An article of mine was also featured next to the voucher.

Section 2Page: 28

Express and Echo Student Page: April 1st 2011

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Express and Echo Student Page: April 8th 2011

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Express and Echo Student Page: April 29th 2011

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Express and Echo Student Page: May 6th 2011

Similar to the previous weeks my voucher and article were both published. It is important to note that as well as producing a voucher and an article I also helped to edit all of the pages featured in this portfolio. Editing involved subbing all of the content with the help of sub-editors and developing the page at the Express & Echo newsroom every Wednesday afternoon.

Section 2Page: 32

Express and Echo Student Page: May 13th 2011

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Express and Echo Student Page: May 27th 2011

Our last Express and Echo student page was one that had an extraordinary amount of passion embedded within. Having put our heart and sole into planning, developing and producing the page every week for a total of twenty weeks. For the last edition of the page I produced an article covering the story of a young girl who had been asked to leave her beloved boys football team due to Fifa regulations. She won her battle and had been allowed to remain after appealing to Fifa using the press, including ourselves.

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