WHERE ARE YOU ALL?

I sat through and enjoyed the "Journalism Networking Event!" (why the exclamation mark?) at Harrow Campus today, although it was vastly under attended. At one point the panel looked set to outnumber the audience. Where were the undergraduates? The PG Dips were well represented, although the print marginally more than broadcast.


The presentations were of particular interest to me as I think I've got the theory bit worked out as far as we've been taught so far and I've informed my own learning. The practical side I'm very comfortable with as machines, computers and the like are my friends. I also have the show off trait that allows me to approach strangers for interviews and stand up and talk off the cuff without too much embarrassment. However, the whole getting a job bit has been pretty hazy in my mind as far as how I would actually 'get in' to wherever it is I want to go.

Dean Sally Feldman looked slightly annoyed there wasn't a better turn out but gave a rousing opening speech nonetheless concerning her career and touching on one programme (that she co-edited) of which I'm very fond: Woman's Hour, although I'm sure I was the only student in the room who has actually heard it and the staff probably share the Andy Kershaw opinion of the long running gyno-slot (keep reading until page 3 or 4).

She told us of the 'Love' magazines she edited, which were teen magazines of the photo-story and problem page variety. All 'true life' (not 'real life'?). She described how she had to teach the subs how to write in explicit detail about sex: lots of unjournalistic metaphor. There were fire metaphors 'he touched me and I blazed in desire' or water metaphors 'he melted into me liquid to liquid', but never at the same time, presumably they would put each other out.

The speaker who interested me most as far as she represents a path possibly similar to the one I shall tread was also the first. Becky Hogge worked originally as a dance music journalist before discovering a love for the internet and joining opendemocracy.net as a code monkey before working her way up to write a column. As she shares my two interests, music and tech stuff I attempted to pounce on her at the nibbles after but she escaped. However, she can expect an email from one 'in-house geek' to another.

Next was
Amar Singh, a ex-pupil of Westminster and of Mike Dodd's also. He had really served his time, working as a runner, for an asian website which then went bust, for India Weekly (a paper with one thousand subscribers only), then made a jump to be the editor of Asian Express, Eastern Eye and then took a demotion of sorts to become a reporter on the Evening Standard. His career path to me seemed a case of shining talent but no luck, something that worries me immensely. He played to his strengths, which was that he had a muslim perspective during 2001 and got his break.

Next was Gina Antchandie who works for the Arts Council spending a vast budget in encouraging ethnic minorities into publishing. As Jim Latham later said, around 90% of people in media are white and middle class. I had felt a little stung last month when my application to Radio 4's factual department bursary was rejected, while those of my peers were accepted, although they weren't familiar at all with Radio 4's output. However, I don't think being white and middle class is a disadvantage quite yet, you just gots to have the moolah.

Maxim Ford, Polish film graduate who ended up making documentaries for Channel 4, confirmed yet again that it was his unique perspective that got him the job, not particularly his talent, although that is pretty damn immense. I have a few very close Croatian friends and its possible/probably entry into the EU in 2010 rang little 'story' bells in my head as he was bemoaning the lack of interest in Eastern Europe at this time. What was clear, though, was that Mr Ford had had to toe the Channel 4 line, sacrificing what he really wanted to do, which was make films.

Siobhan Curhamdid one of those 'become a freelance journalist' postal courses one finds in the newspaper classifieds during her pregnancy and was rewarded with a 'distinction' (i.e. she paid them) and a naff laminated 'press pass'. She managed to get a piece accepted for 'That's Life' (close cousin of Take A Break), then wrote a book, then another and is now a columnist and presenter. Pretty impressive in her field but it made me wonder how she supported herself.

Chris Parkinson was our panel's most radical speaker, voting to throw all C.Vs in the bin and an staunch believer in merit over qualifications. In fact I think it was only respect for the fact that he was speaking at a university that he didn't denounced degrees and students altogether and recommended us to the 'university of life'. He was an excellent speaker, however, and reminded us that it's contacts, dear boy, that will get you through the door. A very popular speaker, although I'm sure his company, London at Large (significantly offline until the new year), which provides information on the whereabouts of London celebrities for a sky high fee isn't regarded so highly.

Finally Jim Latham, our hero, secretary of the BJTC,who for all intents and purposes ARE the broadcasting industry. He had a mini-spaterooni with Chris Parkinson, standing up for the curriculum vitae as standard in broadcasting at least. His line was that most of the speakers he sees at these kind of events recommend students to make it how they did, that is without training or qualifications. However, times have changed and, in broadcasting at least, it is imperative to have a BJTC accredited qualification, only because a company might get fine if an employee messes up and is proved not to be properly trained. Those who say a course in journalism in useless (and many people have said the same to me) don't understand how it's all changed (he says) and are largely the same people who scoff at podcasts and blogging.

During his speech and in an informal chat to the broadcasters afterwards he spoke frankly and clearly and made it clear he was on our side. Make an impression at your placement, he told us, but don't be exploited. He cited the example of a girl (nameless) who featured in a Guardian media expose of the exploitation of work experiencers in the broadcast industry. She worked as a runner for a BBC drama and, as part of her duties, was asked to source a house for the house party which would tolerate hard drugs being sold. Of course, if the police had turned up all fingers would have pointed to her.

The biggest issue in media at the moment, he said, was diversity. It is key that the media embrace a wider range of class and ethnicity if only for the fact that very often journalists don't have enough background to write an article.

It seems to me that although the goalposts have shifted slightly in the fact employers look for a qualification on the whole, the basic prerequisite for obtaining a job remains the same: no-one's going to do it for you, create a unique selling point and get out there and do it. The only change is the tools we use to do this.

On a tasty last note Jim pointed out that if you google BJTC, the fourth result is a certain piece of street slang. I am happy to reveal that according to urban dictionary it stands for Blow Job To Completion. Wouldn't expect anything less from the council than a job done properly.

Oh, and for those who've accused me of lapsing regarding pedantry: