A report of the conference I attended recently:
Conference with Vin Ray, Director of the BBC College of Journalism, Alan Little, BBC Correspondent, Stuart Allan, Bournemouth University Professor of Journalism, Mark Brayne, formerly of the Dart Centre and expert on trauma and Gavin Rees from the Dart Centre.
The main points raised and discussed:
This year has been the bloodiest year since the Falklands in 1982.
Media now allows new perspectives on conflict/war. Think of 9/11 when we saw the second plane hit LIVE. Also think of Colombine, Beslan and Gulf II. We have real time coverage of conflict and less time to make editorial decisions.
The age old dilemmas:
- Manipulation of news - can media coverage lose a war?
- Objectivity - should we say 'our' troops or simply 'British' troops? Max Hastings said objectivity is a peacetime luxury.
- Taste and Self Censorhip
War is business. The book 'Scoop' by Evelyn Waugh says, "the public has no interest in a war that drags on indecisively."
Gulf I:
CNN war, grainy live video images, Western viewpoint, sanitised 'video game' images, pooled coverage, highly controlled.
Gulf II:
First internet war, blogs/Salman Pax, integrated web offering, live video phone coverage, graphic footage of casualties, Western and Arab viewpoint.
What are the consequences of witnessing conflict live?
Why report conflict when it is dangerous and traumatic, expensive to cover and when audiences are less interested in overseas affairs than in their home country? Perhaps beacuse it is IN the public interest.
A common criticism of TV journalism is that it descends on a story and the pulls out. We need to ensure that we go back to stories.
Impartiality is a key BBC value. Can you be impartial when your own country is involved in a war? Need a diversity of views - not just the officials.
How much footage of a conflict does an audience need to see reality? Consider how many complaints are received about distressing imagery. We need to consider sensitivity and what about before the watershed when children are watching?
Verification of conflict stories:
It is a journalist's job as an eye witness reporter to make judgements on evidence.
Extremely interesting food for thought ...
Monday, 16 November 2009
Thursday, 5 November 2009
Night flights Interview
I set up an interview with Ursula Castle of Broadstone, which is one of the most affected areas by the night flights. Listen to it here.
Tuesday, 3 November 2009
Don't Lose Sleep Over It
Residents living under the flight path of Bournemouth airport could face sleepless nights as of next summer.
Planning permission for the expansion of the airport was granted by Christchurch Borough Council in 2007 and an annual quota for night flights was introduced which restricts the amount of noise from the airport.
Bournemouth airport currently sees only a few night flights but, as long as the limit is not surpassed, the airport can schedule night flights at its discretion.
The airport has gone out to public consultation on a Noise Action Plan and Annette Brooke, MP for mid Dorset and North Poole, has set up a petition against more night flights.
“We have hundreds and hundreds of signatures,” she said. “The airport could actually treble, or even more, the night flights, without needing any permission.”
A meeting at Bearwood Community Centre in Bournemouth was held this Saturday between affected residents, Annette Brooke and Broadstone Cllr Mike Brooke to discuss any further reasons for complaint about additional night flights to be put forward to the airport.
Annette Brooke said, “We feel it’s really important to get the views to the airport because the theory is that if a company such as Ryanair suddenly fell out with the airport they are operating with now and moved lock, stock and barrel to Bournemouth, then Bournemouth would actually have all the planning permissions in place to take a lot more flights.”
However, the expansion of the airport is set to bring with it additional jobs, a boost in the local economy, a wider choice of holiday destination and the opportunity for easier travel for local people.
Annette Brooke acknowledged this saying, “It’s not a problem for everybody, almost everybody appreciates having the airport in the area and they see it as very important for the local economy and lots of people, particularly the elderly, use the airport and it’s very convenient for them.”
The newly proposed timetables show flights taking off and landing at 1 and 4am, which will disturb residents, who haven’t been disturbed at night since the Second World War, all for commercial reasons.
Suggested web links:
http://www.annettebrooke.org.uk/
http://www.bournemouthairport.com/bohweb.nsf
Planning permission for the expansion of the airport was granted by Christchurch Borough Council in 2007 and an annual quota for night flights was introduced which restricts the amount of noise from the airport.
Bournemouth airport currently sees only a few night flights but, as long as the limit is not surpassed, the airport can schedule night flights at its discretion.
The airport has gone out to public consultation on a Noise Action Plan and Annette Brooke, MP for mid Dorset and North Poole, has set up a petition against more night flights.
“We have hundreds and hundreds of signatures,” she said. “The airport could actually treble, or even more, the night flights, without needing any permission.”
A meeting at Bearwood Community Centre in Bournemouth was held this Saturday between affected residents, Annette Brooke and Broadstone Cllr Mike Brooke to discuss any further reasons for complaint about additional night flights to be put forward to the airport.
Annette Brooke said, “We feel it’s really important to get the views to the airport because the theory is that if a company such as Ryanair suddenly fell out with the airport they are operating with now and moved lock, stock and barrel to Bournemouth, then Bournemouth would actually have all the planning permissions in place to take a lot more flights.”
However, the expansion of the airport is set to bring with it additional jobs, a boost in the local economy, a wider choice of holiday destination and the opportunity for easier travel for local people.
Annette Brooke acknowledged this saying, “It’s not a problem for everybody, almost everybody appreciates having the airport in the area and they see it as very important for the local economy and lots of people, particularly the elderly, use the airport and it’s very convenient for them.”
The newly proposed timetables show flights taking off and landing at 1 and 4am, which will disturb residents, who haven’t been disturbed at night since the Second World War, all for commercial reasons.
Suggested web links:
http://www.annettebrooke.org.uk/
http://www.bournemouthairport.com/bohweb.nsf
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