My Trainee Journo Journey is almost at an end.

I am currently writing a 15,000 masters thesis for my MA in Journalism entitled: Do the press treat the royal family as celebrities looking at tabloid newspaper and glossy magazine coverage between May-July 2008. I have 5 weeks until D Day-Dissertation Deadline Day, although I am now pounding the keyboard to get it finished this week because I know how valuable editing and rewriting time can make or break a good thesis, which hopefully will explain to my blog readers why I have not kept this blog updated since Easter. I've actually been super busy, preparing for a full set of NCTJs and a full-time masters degree as well as completing over 120 days newsroom experience at 4 radio stations (Hospital Radio Hillingdon, 91.8 Hayes FM, IRN for 5 days and University Radio Brunel) and The Uxbridge Gazette series. I have also submitted freelance articles into UnLimited which is a retail magazine. This morning I prepared (read and edited) a local news package for 91.8 Hayes Fm after a three week stint as a radio producer/editor. Anyway, time to get back to the dissertation, I'm aiming for it to be finished by the end of this week.................... I will keep you posted about my journo journey soon.

LOCAL HEADLINES

BULLETINS: THOUSANDS of students across the borough receive their GCSE results today which could determine whether or not they study for A Levels, vocational qualifications or enter the world of work. A MASSIVE tube strike that could have delayed the Piccadilly Line has been cancelled. THE BATTLE over the Heathrow expansion intensifies after the owner was told to sell some of its other airports.

Coming Soon.........

The last few months have been very hectic with completing my dissertation NCTJ exams and embarking on more work experience at IRN and 91.8FM............ I will post more blogs soon about my journalism development over the last few months and my work placements.....plus I will be updating the local 'What's On Guide' about events in the borough...........

Boris Johnson in North Harrow

BORIS BACKS A SAFER LONDON By Katie Goodall

SAFETY comes at the top of the list for the man running for London Mayor. Boris Johnson, Conservative MP said: "If I am lucky enough to be elected on May 1st, I will do everything in my power to make travelling safer." Johnson says no to the ticket closure threats when he took a train ride into North Harrow Station on Friday. Johnson said: "Why don't we keep the ticket offices open to give people the sense of security and make them feels safer?"

The transport service is essential to the everyday lives of Londoners, and Johnson is passionate about keeping the ticket offices open to ensure everyone can travel safely around the capital. Despite the increasing number of Oyster card machines, the ticket office is essential to giving directions in a busy city when time is precious, and the level of service given by ticket officers is valued by Londoners. He also plans to save the freedom pass which has been under threat in the government's bid to save money.

In recent years there has been a huge strain on the resources and space on London transport after free travel for teenagers was issued. Johnson said: "The right to free travel is good for teenagers is good for teenagers but if they abuse it we are going to take it back. We will give them the opportunity to earn it back on community schemes." James Bond, a ticket officer at North Harrow Station believes the Oyster card machines are good and said: "If Boris is elected I will put pressure on Boris to keep his promises. If Ken Livingstone gets the vote, then we will put pressure on him to make the changes."

SELECTION OF MY VOX POPS FOR THE GAZETTE click on the cutting to read.

GAZETTE CUTTINGS FROM WORK PLACEMENT

MY TO DO LIST

Here is a list to help me be an organised and efficient journalist this term. One day I will take quicker notes and write my to do lists in teeline shorthand. First I must practice for the 60wpm NCTJ speed exam every day before Friday.

BROADCAST JOURNALISM MODULE

Today we did an audio vox pop in class. I asked five students on the Uxbridge Campus at Brunel University: Do you feel safe travelling by bus? I got a mixed response, but most people I spoke to were fine with bus travel. I eagerly went back to the newsroom and downloaded my vox pop audios, only to discover that the files did not save onto my file. With tomorrow's law exam looming I decided to head back over to the main newsroom and refresh my brain of NCTJ Media law and try to sort out my disabled riding feature. Luckily there is still hope and time: Natasha has agreed to still be in it. Interviews posted soon. In the meantime I need to get a memory card and prepare another vox, plus edit on Audition and create a 20-25 second audio for next Wednesday. I will be a busy journo over the next week....Hopefully I will get time to upload my news stories from my work placement at the Uxbridge Gazette.

WORK EXPERIENCE COMPLETED: 15 DAYS IN A NEWSROOM.

I am finally relieved to discover I have completed my required 15 work experience in a newsroom environment, as part of my MA in Journalism course required as part of the NCTJ accreditation. I have had the wonderful opportunity to develop both in print and broadcast journalism through volunteering on three radio stations and my local newspaper The West London and Bucks Gazette series. I have had 20 vox pops published for the Gazette and various other articles from animals tales to issues concerning councillors and disabled parking bays. At Hospital Radio Hillingdon, I have been a volunteer since March 2007, and have assisted with fundraising days from the Autoshow to a school fete in Northwood. I also read a 4 minute local news bulletin once every five weeks which is broadcast to patients for a whole week. Part of the process is to read 3 short news stories and the light hearted "And finally..." I also have to edit my recordings on Adobe and transfer the files onto the system. This process often takes 2-3 hours from beginning to end. I have also helped on Steve Hickman's 'Out and About Show' on a few Sundays to visit patients on the wards and record their voices on a broadcast vox pop. I have also been doing work experience at The West London and Bucks Gazette Series since July 2007. Since the course started I have been in the newsroom almost every Friday plus I have attended 2 Mondays. 91.8 Hayes FM asked me to join 'The Gerard Conway Breakfast Show' in November 2007 as a newsreader. I spent 2.5 weeks there, plus Christmas morning in the studio. My main job is to read the national news headlines, but I have also assisted with on air role plays, 'What's On' Guide in the local area, reading the local news, and interacted on Gerard's show answering questions on air. I will return in February. And finally, I have presented a 2-hour news programme with Jennelle Dronkers on University Radio Brunel called 'News and Reviews', and I also assist the marketing department. At the moment I'm helping to write a story about the relaunch of their station. Hopefully this does not mean an end to life in the newsroom just yet. I have enjoyed my time in all of the newsrooms and will now return to broaden my experience and finish my NCTJ portfolio. I still have five news stories and one feature to write. I'm off now to revise for those vital NCTJ exams. I will get back to blogging on the Uxbridge News Desk within the next two weeks.

Never a break from the newsdesk!

I forgot to mention in my last entries that due to the increase in shorthand classes and the increasing demands on the journalism industry to pass/qualify in teeline shorthand at 100wpm, Jennelle and I will no longer be presenting 'News and Reviews' on University Radio Brunel because there just are not enough hours in the day or days in the week. I will however still play an active role in URB's marketing department and will hopefully have a story soon about the relaunch of Brunel's radio station. Hopefully it will get published and gain a wider audience.

91.8 HAYES FM

I have taken a break from newsreading on 91.8 Hayes Fm due to the demands of the fast approaching NCTJ exams in shorthand, law and public affairs. Hopefully I should play a small but active role in February when the stresses and demands of exams will slow down for a while and I can get back to the reporting and newsreading jobs I thrive on in the "real world" of news reporting. And from me it's time to sort out those media law notes and practice my teeline speeds. They say journalists have to show full commitment to the profession by losing sleep and skipping meals. I personally feel it's time to recharge the news reporter batteries and start the day afresh on a good night's sleep, raring to go in the fast paced news environments and buzzing with questions as I interview lots of people. And finally it's goodnight.

Would anyone like to feature in a feature?

I am required to write a feature of around 1,500 words for the feature module for the MA in Journalism. Are there any stories, or issues anyone would like to see reported/covered by the national or local press? The feature will be targeted for a relevant publication and may be published. If there are any issues you face, or situations/current news/updates on older stories please let me know by leaving your contact details and a comment on this post. Unfortunately I couldn't write the disabled horseriding feature because of time constraints with my interviewees....but hopefully one of the Uxbridge News Desk readers has an alternative story for me? Thanks, I look forward to hearing your views no matter how controversial or opinionated.

HORSERIDING FOR DISABLED RIDERS: APPEAL FOR INTERVIEWEES

I am writing a feature about disabled horseriding and the health benefits of riding with a disability. If you know anyone in the local area with a disability who enjoys riding, or would like to ride, please leave your contact details as a comment on this blog if you would like to appear in my feature or know of anyone willing to be interviewed. Thanks.