Journodent: February 2009

Sunday 15 February 2009

The Alfie Patten story goes on.

My last blog contained my initial response to the Sun's 'boy-dad' story.

Over the weekend, the story has (predictably) escalated, with two older boys cashing in by claiming paternity and an alleged row between Alfie's divorced parents about who has neogtiated the highest payout for their story.

Columnists and politicans alike have spewed out lamentations about 'Broken Britain', suggestions for improvement, and the all-important blame, and everyone on the web has an opinion. Sam Ellis points out that Maisie and her parents need support but I repeat my opinion - Alfie has been used to sell his story, nothing more. He has been treated appallingly, his naivete exploited. How is that ethical?

The only reason this story has impact is because Alfie looks so young. If he looked his age, then there would be nothing exceptional to write about.

Friday 13 February 2009

The Sun's 'boy-dad' revelation

Browsing the newsstands this morning on the way to uni, my eye was caught by the Sun's glaring headline 'Dad at 13'. The 'exclusive' story is also on the Sun's website, and the basic gist is a 13 year old boy called Alfie Patten has become a father despite the fact he looks about ten and his voice hasn't broken.

The Sun has done its best to sound neutral and non-judgemental, reporting how the fifteen year old mother, Chantelle Steadman, conceived after having sex once with Alfie. They decided to keep the baby but didn't tell anyone until Chantelle's mother guessed.

The pictures of Alfie cradling a child a third his size are disarming, as is the family photo including the much-older-looking Chantelle next to her young boyfriend.

The online readers of the Sun were less broadminded, with 232 comments at 13.40 today, mostly expressing disbelief, anger, blaming the government and occasionally leaping to the couple's defence. It's a sensational story.

But is it an ethical one?

The Press Complaints Commission Code of Practice states that victims of sexual assault should not be identified, and as Chantelle was under sixteen she has technically been raped, regardless of her consent. Victims of sex offences are given automatic anonymity under the Sexual Offences Act, but this can be passed over with the victim's written consent.
It seems that there will be no legal case brought for this offence, so there is no legal restriction on identifying Alfie and Chantelle. But I wonder how much the Sun thought about the impact of their story?

Alfie's video interview on the Sun website shows a boy who has no idea what he has got himself into. Lucy Hagan's closed questions give him little opportunity to express his true feelings, but seem to deliberately enhance his naivety.

His story will bring in revenue for the paper, and I would be surprised if Alfie and Chantelle don't get some money of out this too, despite the PCC Code of Practice also stating that people under 18 should not be paid for their stories unless it is in their interest. But their faces are now known across the country - a cautionary tale for unruly children. The trials of fatherhood (for Alfie insists he will be a 'good dad' and 'care' for his daughter Maisie, the question 'how' has not satisfactorily been addressed) will seem nothing compared to the treatment he gets at school, in the street, anywhere he goes.

It will follow him forever - yes nationally he will be forgotten when the next big story breaks - but living in Eastbourne will be a nightmare. He has lost his privacy before he is old enough to understand what that means. Both families will have to cope with constant neighbourly scrutiny, remarks and gossip, exaggerated across Eastbourne, and Maisie will grow up with the whole community knowing the circumstances of her conception and birth.

It might be an 'exclusive' story; it isn't an ethical one. I don't think newspapers should be in the business of destroying lives before they have even started.

I wonder how long it will be before Alfie and Chantelle regret speaking to the press.

Thursday 12 February 2009

My story on last night's signal box fire

To my delight, the Gainsborough Standard have published my story on the signal box fire at Gainsborough Lea Road station last night on their website, validating the entire evening.

As they are appreciative of free journalism, I have even been credited with a byline.

Excellent :)

Also, if you look at the picture gallery, the final two photos are mine. This has served to underline the fact I need to buy a better camera.

Wednesday 11 February 2009

Signal box fire in Gainsborough

I was able to put my journalism skills to the test in a proper environment tonight, not just hypothetical situations in class. When driving home from uni I was overtaken by a fire engine and it turned out that the train station on my road had a signal box fire. Taking the opportunity, I parked up, grabbed my camera and notepad and headed onto the platform.

I learned some valuable lessons about practical journalism as a result.

One is that no matter how many people are involved in an incident like this, no one can talk to you. I was told about eight times that someone (a sergeant, a spokesman, an incident officer) would be along soon, but 90 minutes later I was still waiting.

Another is that (because of point one) you can learn more by ringing people from an office than actually being on the scene.

Thirdly, tidy shorthand is absolutely vital. This was hammered home during the twenty minutes it took me to decipher my hasty scrawl once I had managed to get someone to tell me what was happening.

Fingers crossed I got enough information to warrant the Gainsborough Standard publishing my copy on their website. If not, well, I shall chalk the hour and a half up as frostbitten experience.

I'll be a seasoned hack in no time.

Vox pop on banker's bonuses

As part of Convergence Week at Uni, we print journalists are learning some multimedia skills. One of these was how to use a Marantz and Adobe Audible to make sound bites.

So I hit the streets and the student union to discover public opinion about huge bonuses for bank bosses, despite the government bail-out.

I shall tidy this up as soon as I figure out how blogger lets us access audio files directly, rather than linking to an external site.

Gainsborough residents in a Wii workout

A new fitness class using Nintendo Wiis has started in Gainsborough, Lincolnshire. Conceived by Age Concern, co-ordinator Blaise Thomas hopes to enocourage more elderly gentlemen to excercise and socialise together. The full story is available on the Gainsborough Standard's website.

Tuesday 10 February 2009

Links to my online work

It's not just newspapers with declining audiences

On my postgraduate journalism course we are constantly reminded that traditional news media is in trouble - newspaper circulation figures are falling year on year, the advertisers are going elsewhere and experienced journalists are being laid off by the dozen.

Yet despite the uncertainty of print journalism as a career, I was particularly saddened to read about the 40% decline in viewing figures for BBC Newsround.

Newsround was one of my biggest motivations for becoming a journalist. I watched diligently every evening before Neighbours, and the Press Pack pass was an honoured possession, on a par with a Blue Peter badge (which I never owned).

Not only was it inspirational to me as a youngster, seeing the old presenters work in 'proper, grown-up' news was encouraging as I matured, as it proved that Newsround was 'proper' journalism, not just kids stuff. Seeing Lizo on the six o'clock news was a life-affirming moment, as before I had previously associated him as little more than a Harry Potter enthusiast.

Moving Newsround to CBeebies was no doubt seen as ideal: more coverage, more broadcasts and a captive audience. Yet viewing figures have fallen from 325,000 to 226,000 in four years.

This must be turned around. Despite the impending digital switchover, many households have not yet got a Freeview box or Freeview enabled TV. Living in Lincolnshire, where enforced switchover is not due until 2011, it could be two more years before CBeebies is the only option for BBC childrens programmes.

There must be reasons for the decline, whether they be increased internet knowhow amongst tweens, accesiblity problems for CBeebies or simple lack of interest in the format. Whatever they are, I hope the BBC Trust will do something positive to reverse the trend once the executive report back to them in March.

It would be a great shame for Newsround to vanish into obscurity.

No 'credit-crunch' Christmas for Gainsborough residents

As I am rusty with the fine art of blogging, having last blogged on LiveJournal when I was an angst-ridden teenager, I'm going to ease myself back into the online community gently.

To start with, here is an article I wrote back in December 2008 about how soaring energy bills and financial difficulty was affecting the traditon of outside Christmas decorations in my hometown Gainsborough.

No 'credit-crunch' Christmas for Gainsborough residents

Gainsborough homeowners are lighting up their houses in defiance of the ‘credit crunch’ this Christmas.

Residents seem determined to keep their Christmas cheer despite soaring energy bills and falling job security. Outside lights might be an unnecessary expense when money is tight, but houses all over town are decorated with electric angels, colourful festive messages and neon Santa figures waving at passersby.

Keith and Sharon Limb, both 49, live on Heapham Road South and have lit their house up for the last seven years. They budget an extra ten pounds per week for electricity during December, but say it is worth the money.

Mr Limb said: “We don’t believe in Bonfire Night because it wastes a lot of money for a few moments excitement. But doing the house brings a smile to kids faces.”

It took three days to decorate the house and their son Darren, 26, has made special brackets to hold the bigger decorations.

Mrs Limb said: “It’s amazing how many people come past and say how nice the lights look.”

Tony Chapman, 67, lives on Gainsborough Road in Lea and has decked out his entire house since he bought three sets of 65ft computerised lights on holiday in Florida in 1985. His vast collection includes three moving LED reindeer, a train, a dove, snowmen and Santa figures and nearly a mile of outdoor light strings.

He said higher energy bills this year did not change his annual transformation because he never thinks about the cost. “Life is too short to worry about bills. It’s not worth thinking about - I just pay it.”

Mr Chapman guessed the lights had cost over £1000 to gather, but he said he won’t buy any more as he spends money repairing his current decorations. Replacing blown bulbs on the stars adorning the chimney takes hours and he spends “two to three hours a day for about a week” assembling the decorations. The arrangement is meticulously designed, with symmetrical trees in the front windows and a customised spiral of lights made from drilling 144 holes into a Perspex sheet.

His reason for so much time, effort and expense is simple: “Sometimes I look out the window and see about 10 people and kids just standing on the drive looking at the lights. Someone once tried to give me money for charity but I do it for pleasure, not money.”

Money worries have not stopped residents with smaller budgets switching on either.

Kerry Shattell, 28, from Haldane Street, put lights around her windows. She said: “I’d like to have more but I can’t afford it.”

June Gordon, 73, puts an illuminated Father Christmas in the window and lights in the garden of her house on Fielding Way. She said: “We aren’t going to stop doing it because of bills; I don’t think they cost that much more. We do it for the grandchildren, they love it.”

Rosemarie Smith, who was visiting Gainsborough from Dorrington, said: “We put lights up on the cherry tree and the bushes in the front garden. I don’t think the higher bills have stopped many people – the houses are covered. In the end it’s Christmas and that’s what we do.”

Some people choose to keep their old outside decorations rather than buy new ones. Shawn Hooton, from Lea Road, works for a tool hire company hit by the construction slow-down. Although the energy bills for his outside decorations are acceptable, Mr Hooton said: “Every year we try to buy something new, but not this year because we have less money to spend on Christmas.”

However, Gainsborough retailers are quietly positive about Christmas decoration sales.

Paul Harrison, Store Manager of Focus on Lea Road, said: “Christmas time is a bit of relief from the humdrum of everyday life and people are happy to spend a bit more on it.”

Focus ran early promotions on decorations and trees to sell stock quickly. Mr Harrison said: “If the price is right people will always buy decorations, and they have more options as supermarkets now sell them.”

Smaller businesses have adapted differently. Bryon Foster, owner of Retford and Gainsborough Garden Centre, noticed more customers phoning ahead to check prices before buying.

He said: “A lot of people talk about doom and gloom but you have to speculate and get the stock in. You don’t know if people are going to leave it to the last minute and one day makes a lot of difference.”

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