What is a war hotel?

This is the question you might ask and is certainly the question I was pondering when I visited Professor Kenneth Morrison's talk "From Print to Documentary: Making War Hotels" at De Montfort University. 

It was a well attended event in the Clephan Building. The first half of the event comprised a film screening and the second a talk.

The film was a fascinating watch.

A 'War Hotel' is no different from any other hotel around the world that it is near the front line. This is the places where journalists stay when reporting on conflict.

I wouldn't really recommend you going there yourself, just watch the TV documentary War Hotels for a taste of what it is like over there. 

And if you get a chance to hear a talk by Professor Morrison, do go as he's a very engaging speaker with lots of interesting information to share. 

 

Georgia Langley

Anne Davies: "Perseverance is the key"

If I were to sum up Anne Davies in three words they would have to be inspiration, aspiration and motivation. Oh and determination. She's very determined!

Anne Davies’ talk to a large audience at De Montfort University's Cultural Exchanges Festival produced laughs, groans and many a nod of recognition as we were treated to a nostalgic, but by no means rose-tinted, journey through her career so far.  

Anne's early days were spent making tea and opening post at London’s Lime Grove studios where a well-known TV presenter regularly climbed over her desk to get out of the window - because that was the quickest way to the wine bar.  

From there her career has taken her through local radio in Leicester and Derby and the very first airing of GMTV, to the present and BBC East Midlands Today, Anne’s journey has exemplified the mind-set that no opportunity should be ignored, and that if you really want something, you should go out and get it.

With refreshing honesty, Anne Davies recounted the highs and the lows of an extremely varied and successful career. She returned again and again to the excellent advice that if you don’t try, you’ll never know. 'Grab every opportunity' but, quoting Jimmy Durante, Anne asserted ‘Be nice to people on your way up because you meet them on your way down’. 

Another excellent piece of advice was to remember that it takes ‘7 seconds to make 11 assumptions’ when meeting someone, so not only should we be ready to make a positive first impression when we know we need to, but we should always make that first impression a good one, because we never know when it might matter.

Anne’s talk concluded with an insight into her latest project ‘Fashanne’, Awards recognising excellence in the East Midlands' Fashion students. Determined to showcase the very best of regional achievement, and to ensure that the ceremonies are truly inclusive, this year’s show in June 2018, will feature both able-bodied and disabled models.This is the third year of the Awards, and while they have been a challenge to stage, the forward-thinking and influential Anne Davies continues to inspire with the final piece of advice, ‘Nothing worthwhile doing is easy but if you believe enough, you can persuade other people too’.

You can find more details about the Fashanne Awards 2018 and book your tickets here.

Helen Abbot

Don't forget the fringes

Headline Acts:
- Jazzie B!
I do like Soul II Soul.
- Gary Younge!
Hmm, interesting journalism.
- Josette Simon!
Oh BOY, some SHAKESPEARE.

I booked all three.
But in my excitement, I'd neglected to consider the fringe events: the ones I knew little about. I looked further, and found:

CLAIRE FOX (FESTIVAL FRINGE EVENT) FREE SPEECH ON CAMPUS?

This question seemed to be addressed to me personally.


The event offers a discussion between Dr Greg Scorzo and Claire Fox, Director of the Institute of Ideas, on the rise of safe spaces and trigger warnings.

Booked.

Most appealing about this event is its potential for discussion. I'm sure there will be many audience members armed and ready to debate. But that's great! This is one of those topics that requires people to share opinions and experiences. How else can we educate each other?

As someone who's currently undecided on the subject, I look forward to finding out more and forming an opinion. I chose this event for its potential to make me think, and I believe all of us, at DMU and elsewhere, should consider that when booking.

So don't just book what you know you will enjoy. Book something that might challenge you!

Learn more about Cultural Exchanges. Click here



Araminta Jürgen-Romrig

Savvy, strong, insightful

I can't deny the magnetism of Dorothy Byrne and Greg Palast when they talk openly about their fascinating careers as investigative journalists, both here and across the pond -- where, let me tell you, the press sounds far whackier. 

 

This talk was exuberant and enjoyed by both students and members of the public, offering much to pique their interest. It also struck a political nerve in many. Certainly politics always bleeds into journalism but these two reporters spoke so beautifully and impartially that I couldn’t help being inspired. If only I could be the next undercover sensation to unearth some scheme of grand corruption scheme in the Houses of Parliament, the White House or even DMU. 

 

The careers of these people speak for themselves. But watching their despatches in person was a pure joy.

Oh, and remember. You can’t go listening to any “fake news” now - because Dorothy assures there’s no such thing.

 

 

J D Gardner

Meet the man in the white suit

This year’s Cultural Exchanges festival here at DMU is full of exciting events and personalities. One of those is the celebrated news reporter and politician Martin Bell.

Bell is known for his war reporting in Bosnia, where he was almost killed by shrapnel.  He covered foreign assignments in more than 80 countries and left the BBC in 1997, to follow a career in politics as an independent MP.

His presence at this festival will give students and writing enthusiasts an opportunity to hear from the man himself.  

For Journalism and Creative Writing students like me, this is an unmissable chance to ask questions not only about what is was like reporting in dangerous zones, but also to ask for advice on writing news stories and books.

The event only costs £3, which is a small price to pay for the opportunity of meeting such an influential character.

So, if you’re a fan, or just have an interest in politics, journalism or writing, join us Friday, 3^rd March from 6-7:30pm. You can book here.

Sara Torres Vinagre

Discover your nosey side!

Of the many exciting events held in Culture Exchanges festival, one in particular that caught my eye was the Investigative Journalism talk, scheduled to take place at the Clephan Building, 3.03, Wednesday 1st March from 4-5pm. 

Stuart Price chairs talks from Head of Channel Four News, Dorothy Byrne, and the famous American investigative reporter Greg Palast.

As a Journalism student, I audibly gasped at this opportunity. My mind filled with a huge range of scenarios and subjects that might be discussed. After all, 'investigative journalism' is just longer way of saying nosey, and who doesn't like being nosey?

Come along to this question and answer session and discover your nosey side. You can book your free place here.



Natalie Worledge

"Get them to get it"

The moment Paris Lees entered the room, a respectful silence followed. People from all walks of life had gathered to have their ears and eyes opened to the struggles of the trans community - struggles some have faced and struggles that some wouldn't believe.

 

Paris's captivating talk took us on a journey from the summer in which she "ditched her boy clothes" to her discovery of her political voice through charities and media outlets. The Gender Trust Charity, Trans Media Watch and All About Trans are just three of the organisations with which she has campaigned.

 

When you watch Paris talking, you notice how comfortable she is in her skin, how she dominates the space, and really tries to connect with what she is saying.

 

Starting with The Pink Paper, Paris also gained a foothold in journalism. She then moved onto other publications, including The Guardian, and is currently an editor for Attitude magazine.

 

While these achievements are awe-inspiring, she also spoke about the wider picture. Increasing transgender representation in shows like Eastenders and The Voice will help to "get them to get it" - and by "them" she means the ones who would use the trans community as a "punchline or a punch bag."

 

Paris's message was simple, yet effective. "Get out there and do it - just live." A mantra that everyone should live by.

 

 

Jack Wilkin  

Is the truth always the best option?

Today I attended a lecture on the 'Truth in Journalism' hosted by Tor Clark.

Tor Clark is the principal lecturer in Journalism at De Montfort University and has been in the practice for 16 years. He is also a political speaker for BBC Leicester and Total Politics magazine.

The talk was very interesting but, it was the point he made about ‘Does the public always need to know the truth?’ was what I found most amusing.

He referred to wikileaks, Ed Snowden revelations, creating mass panic and the Kidnap Blackout agreement. This sparked a thought which made me think about how much should the public know (for our safety) and whether how much is reported in the news is actually the truth.

This was then followed by Tor explaining what he thought the objective of journalism is...

Q: So what is the objective in Journalism?

A: Reverence for truth

He also left me (and the audience) with his opinion, which I think was very useful in everyday experiences as well as journalism: 

“Unless there is a compelling reason why reporting should not tell the truth, always tell the truth.”

PaigeLouvinia♡

#justdoit

I went to #MediaBomb. 

Admittedly, the first thing that attracted me to this event was the # that is commonly associated with Twitter! However, on  reading more, I realised that this would be really useful to me as an aspiring journalist.


And useful it was! The panel consisted of professionals within the media industry who not only inspired me with their passion but also enlightened me on how the media business works and what you can do to get noticed. They used their experiences to answer some great questions that were raised, all of which were relevant to every sector of the industry. Here's a snippet...

A CV? zzz...

One of the big questions raised was, how can I stand out from the rest? The old method of handing out a classic c.v. in a basic template with your name and qualifications is okay, but where's that going to get you? Many of the panellists explained that employers are looking to say no, so you have to give them a good reason to say yes. You should get creative with your CV and allow it to express who you are. 'This is a creative industry, so be creative!'

Networking

Another question asked was, is it what you know, or who you know? to which the answer was mainly: who you know. I learnt a lot in the 2-hour session, but this is probably one of the most important things. Networking is vital.

 Just do it 

One valuable piece of advice I’ll take away from today is, if you have an idea, don't doubt yourself - have confidence and just do it. 


Beth Smith

The voice of sport

As the DMU website rightly states, it's a privilege to have Hugh McIlvanney, the only sportswriter to be named Britain's Journalist of the Year, coming to speak during Cultural eXchanges week.

At 78, he is still writing for The Sunday Times and is widely renowned among his peers as the greatest sports journalist of all time. Famous for his reporting of the classic 'Rumble In The Jungle' between Muhammad Ali and George Forman in 1974, his touching tribute to his great friend George Best and his biography of Sir Alex Ferguson, he really is the king of sports journalism.

Hugh will be speaking to DMU's Dick Holt on his extraodinary career on Tuesday 28th February at 5.30pm and I would recommend any aspiring sports journalists or fans to attend. Tickets can be bought here.


Rob Howard