7 Hours To Create A Newscast: An Action-Packed Day at CNN’s Newsroom

“Budding journalists create their own CNN show” – see article and official CNN Newscast here.

When I received the news at work that I had been invited to take part in a CNN Open Day in partnership with the Creative Diversity Network, my first reaction was to jump out of my seat, much to the confusion of my colleagues. To be given an opportunity like this, to join 19 other budding journalists, producers and editors to temporarily “take over” a world renowned newsroom for a day, was something I hadn’t imagined possible.

The experience was a lot more hands-on than I thought it would be, and eye-opening, considering that it may not matter what your background is if you wish to pursue a career in news broadcasting. We may have only been at CNN’s London headquarters for a few hours, but boy did we manage to squeeze in a fair bit!

First of all, we met several members of the editorial team: Nick, Adam, Eve, Jill and Natalie. Each of us who had applied online to the news day gave them a little introduction. We were a diverse bunch – some of us had journalism qualifications, others had degrees in seemingly unrelated topics, others hadn’t ever been to university…but what connected us all was our shared passion for news, be it watching bulletins or producing content ourselves in the form of blogs, YouTube, radio and TV packages.

Introductions aside, we got started with pitching ideas for possible new features we could produce. Most of us had scoured reputable sources (*cough* Twitter and Facebook trending topics) for inspiration. Suggestions included World Toilet Day (hard to believe, but it does exist) and the recent medical reports that suggest coffee could reverse the effects of alcohol-related liver damage. In the end, we settled on 4 pretty diverse subject areas: Syrian refugees in the USA, Islamophobia, HIV awareness week and, to end the show on a more light-hearted note, the Black Friday sales.

We then took to the streets in groups of 4, with a professional cameraman, to capture the public’s opinions. This was a quick lesson in street casting for all of us – how to persuade the public that they should speak to us on camera, even if it wasn’t for a real live broadcast. This turned out to be much harder than it looked! Our group, tasked with producing a short report on HIV awareness week in light of Charlie Sheen’s admission that he was HIV positive, struggled to get people on board initially. The typical responses to our enthusiastic approaches? “Sorry, I don’t have an opinion on the matter” or “I’m not good at this sort of thing. You should ask my friend, they’re great at talking” (unfortunately so great that they were absorbed in their phone conversation and couldn’t take part!). In the end, we used what charm we could muster to encourage people to share their views on camera, ready for a member of our team to edit the soundbites on a computer for the reporter and anchor to discuss at the end of the day.

When we returned to the office, it was all hands on deck, working as a team to put together scripts for the anchor and reporter. The producers prepared for their roles in the gallery – to communicate with those on-screen and to operate the auto-cue to ensure the show could run as smoothly as possible. Much like the day-to-day environment of a busy newsroom, we had tight deadlines to meet. Before we knew it, half of us were getting nervous in the studio waiting for our turn to be an Anchor (myself included!), while the other half were no doubt quaking with fear behind the scenes.

It all seemed a far cry away from our relaxed lunch break, where we had been reunited with the editorial team, who shared their careers journeys with us and offered advice for taking the next steps in the industry. Gill Penlington, who is Director of Programming, told us that persistence is key. Coming from a state school background and with no previous media contacts, she had to work her way up to get to where she is today. Nick Hart, who had originally paved a career in the film industry, moved across to work in TV news and hasn’t looked back since. One thing that I took away from the Open Day is that it really isn’t important where you started out, but where you want to go and the creative skills that you can bring to the table.

On a guided tour of the office, we also spoke to members of the CNN Sport editorial team, including producer Zayn Nabbi and anchor Amanda Davies. Zayn has had the chance to work on a number of exciting projects, from the London Olympics to the FIFA World Cup in Brazil. Amanda who, like me, graduated with a degree in a seemingly unrelated subject – Geography – started out doing basic office tasks and is now the host of CNN’s Formula 1 Show!

As the end of the day grew closer, it was time to bring our news stories to life. As I sat down in the studio, I was miked up by a member of the crew and it dawned on me that, in a matter of minutes, I would be “live” on air. No room for mistakes – or so I thought! There were moments during the broadcast when a few things went slightly wrong, whether there was information missing from the script or the autocue was a bit delayed. However, I think we managed to deal with the situation extremely well for our first attempt and, with the help of Adam’s Jedi-like editing skills, we were able to create a piece of real online content, which is available on Turner Europe’s website.

During the CNN Open Day, we were all exposed to the range of roles available in news production – researching, reporting, producing and editing – and I think it is fair to say that our interest in gaining newsroom experience has grown. A huge thank you to everyone who made the day possible, especially Adam Dunnakey, Nick Hart, Gill Penlington, Natalie Orchard, Eve Parish and of course the Creative Diversity Network!

 

Celeb Masterclasses & Industry Visits: 12 Weeks with the Multi-Media Genius Trainees

(From top to bottom: group photo with poet, rapper and academic Akala; all smiles on a visit to one of Media Trust’s corporate partners, Discovery Channel UK)

Halfway through my 6 month traineeship at London360, 30 fresh new people, who were passionate about working in media, entered the Media Trust office. They had enrolled onto Multi-Media Genius Training, a 12 week fast-track course covering TV, print and online journalism, which would involve masterclasses from industry experts and special guests, visits to Media Trust’s corporate partners and one-to-one mentoring to guide them towards their dream jobs. The fantastic thing about this scheme is that it gives people aged 18-25, who are not in employment, education or training, the chance to get their teeth into the industry, with the perks of meeting inspirational people and paying visits to some of the most renowned media companies. What’s even better is that no experience was necessary to qualify – only a proven interest in gaining the knowledge and skills necessary to become all-round media jedis!

The first thing I noticed when I entered the boardroom for the first time with my fellow reporters during their first week here was the sheer diversity of people. It may sound a bit cliche, but everyone was so different it terms of their background, personality, interests and ages. While some people in the group had only just left college, others had previously worked full-time or already had children. Some were outwardly confident and keen to ask lots of questions in the first hour, while others were perhaps more reserved and contemplative (this is starting to sound like an analysis of human behaviour). Nonetheless, they seemed to gel really well as a group right from the get-go.

At first, I wasn’t sure how much I would be interacting with the “NEETS” (Not in Employment, Education or Training – it’s probably easier to say this for now rather than referring to them as “the 30 young people”). Working full-time, we have a lot to be getting on with, from researching new ideas for future London360 shows to shooting and editing our latest TV packages. Fortunately, on Fridays, we were invited to attend the corporate visits with them. These included trips to Google/YouTube (see my previous blog about the visit to Google’s London Headquarters), Discovery Channel, The Royal Albert Hall and Hearst Magazines, which owns publications such as ELLE UK and Cosmopolitan. At the end of each action-packed week, it was nice to have some down-time on these outings with one of the most fun-loving group of people I’ve ever met.

In addition to this, I also worked alongside some members of the group when I went on shoots which included an arms fair protest against the world’s largest weapons exhibition, a visit round award-winning houses for Open House London and a bike project for refugees. It was fantastic to have some extra support with filming and to work alongside people that I can now call friends. Most of the NEETS already had extensive filming experience, whether it was through managing their own YouTube channels or producing their own short films, but some of them had never touched a professional camera before. Regardless of their experience, all of them were keen to collaborate and to pitch in with ideas, a quality that will ensure they go far in life, whether they aspire to be an Oscar-winning director, an on-screen presenter, a multi-media jack of all trades…or decide they no longer want to work in media. Even for those who perhaps realised that this wasn’t the industry for them, it was no doubt a highly useful introduction to pitching stand-out ideas, vlogging, blogging and editing videos among other skills.

We also had the privilege of meeting some of the industry’s biggest stars: BAFTA winning actor and filmmaker Noel Clarke, singer/presenter extraordinaire Alesha Dixon, multi-talented rapper, poet, journalist AND academic Akala and hip-hop sensation Tinchy Stryder. But rather than just posing for photos with them (which we unashamedly did at the end!) we also had the chance to pose questions to each of them on a range of topics, from the biggest challenges and opportunities so far in their careers, to their thoughts on the most topical issues in the news, including the European refugee crisis and whether attitudes towards body image are changing in the worlds of fashion and music.

As their 6 weeks of intensive training at London360 came to a close, there was only one way to celebrate their time here and the new friendships it had generated:- a big night out! (When I say “big” night out I mean a sit-down meal at a local restaurant rather than hitting the clubs but in my “old” age nothing beats a chilled out evening). For the next 6 weeks they will be receiving one-on-one mentoring and CV guidance once a week, and already the office feels a lot emptier without them. I’m not too worried about it though. Reunions will undoubtedly be planned and I’m sure we will see many of their names on the credits for some of the nation’s most-loved TV programmes and films. Watch out!

Multi-Media Genius Training in pictures:

The group with music superstar Alesha Dixon

Posing with the boys on a recent visit to ELLE UK at Hearst UK’s headquarters

On a shoot for The Bike Project which helps refugees with Michael, Sarah and Susheel

Filming voxpops outside Open House London with Ranel

The “NEETS” giving excellent feedback on the London360 reporter team’s largest ever Monday morning pitch meeting!

Lights Camera Action! Selfie with the team that assisted me at a busy protest: Michael, Savan and Jodie

Having a tour of another of Media Trust’s corporate partners, The Royal Albert Hall

London360 sure know how to pose with rapper Tinchy Stryder

Some of the London360 reporter team, who shared their experiences of being on the 6-month traineeship, with actor/director Noel Clarke

Work hard play hard! Celebrating the last full day of the Multi-Media Genius Training course. Good luck everyone!

The Digital Minds Behind BBC’s The Voice UK

BBC Broadcasting House in Oxford Circus hosted a free public event called “Behind the (social) scenes at BBC’s The Voice UK” on the 18^th November, in association with the Royal Television Society. The Voice UK, a nationwide search for musical talent, is one of BBC One’s biggest Saturday night entertainment shows, with digital content at the very heart of its format. Engaging viewers online, as we were to discover, is about more than sending out a few tweets and status updates. It relies upon a full-scale marketing strategy, using numerous online platforms before, during and after every live episode.

4 key members of the show’s digital team formed the panel, sharing their secrets to success across Facebook, Twitter, Apps and other forms of second screen engagement. Muki Kulhan, the Executive Digital Producer for the show, chaired the discussion, announcing that the 5th series of the show, due to be aired in January 2016, will see 2 new judges, Paloma Faith and Boy George, join the show alongside current judges Will.i.am and Ricky Wilson.

Muki mentioned the introduction of The Voice Home Coach app, an immersive second screen experience which she described as similar to “fantasy football” (a reality-based, role-playing game) but for music. By using the app on their phone while the show is broadcast on Saturday nights, the viewers are able to “become” a coach, and decide who they would choose to proceed to the next round of the competition, comparing their results with the rest of the country. She also announced that, for the latest series, they would be introducing “The Virtual Voice”, a virtual reality feature that would go live in the UK on platforms including Facebook, YouTube and The Voice UK app, as they continue to invest in online content alongside the main programme.

What is unique to The Voice is that it has a “format with digital at its heart” says Sarah Clay, BBC Commissioning Editor for iPlayer & Entertainment. Sarah has worked on the show since it began 4 years ago and believes that, unlike other shows which may develop their online content for the sake of it, The Voice always saw digital add-ons, from social media accounts to apps and downloads, as integral to the success of the brand. She spoke about the challenges getting the heads of the BBC to agree to an app being developed specifically for the show. But, with 980,000 app downloads in Series 4 alone, it has proved to be a risk worth taking. On top of this, 42% of the BBC’s YouTube traffic was driven by The Voice, which led the digital team to set up their own channel dedicated to the show, featuring exclusive performances, interviews, unseen footage and backstage challenges with the judges.

Below: Muki shows the audience the outcomes of their online marketing strategy for Series 4 of the show, which racked up 87.5 million YouTube views and 2.6 million Facebook likes, comments and shares.

David Levin, Founder of Thatlot, a social creative agency, is also a Chief Tweeter for prime-time shows including The Voice, The Apprentice and Strictly Come Dancing. From his time as a content creator, he has noticed a significant increase in video-driven content, particularly on Facebook and Twitter. For David, the emphasis is on “second screen fun”. By setting the viewers fun challenges, for example to tweet photos of themselves watching the show using the relevant hashtags, and subsequently re-tweeting the best responses, it makes the viewers feel part of the show. Using personable, witty tweets – and coming across as a real person rather than tweeting as a “programme” – is, in his opinion, the way to make the tweets as engaging and shareable as possible. A Twitter pun-off he orchestrated with other BBC Twitter accounts even made the news! And, of course, the highly opinionated columnist and TV personality Katie Hopkins had her say on the show, and joined in by using the hashtag #TheVoice.

Below: David Levin spoke about engaging the audience with interesting tweets that open up the discussion to the rest of the nation, including high profile Tweeters such as Katie Hopkins.

But how does a show start from scratch and manage to build up a loyal following online? Glenn Miller, Head of Entertainment Partnerships at EMEA – Facebook, believes that “you can’t do it on your own – you rely on your network to suceed”. In the case of The Voice, the show was able to capitalise on its talent, from the presenters and judges to contestants, in order to create additional content for the show that the users could relate to and share. For example, each judge’s role not only involved selecting and mentoring aspiring musicians, but also contributing to video content for iPlayer and YouTube, taking part in lip syncing contests among other activities which allowed viewers to see the judges in a different light to the main show.

As the panel opened up questions to the audience, talk turned to the inevitable question of the future of the BBC’s involvement in the show after it was revealed that it would be moved to ITV following the next series. The general consensus was that the BBC team would remain focused on the present situation, and would continue to work hard to ensure that the last series of the show to be broadcast on the BBC will be the best one yet. In the meantime, they hope to grow their online presence by 20% and will focus particular attention on expanding the reach of its iPlayer services.

Above: The Voice UK’s digital strategy incorporates multiple platforms which cater to different audiences. According to Sarah Clay, Twitter and YouTube are slightly more skewed to a male audience whereas Facebook is skewed more towards an older, female demographic.

If you’d like to find out more about the show or to join in the conversation tweet @BBCTheVoiceUK or you can use the hashtag #TheVoiceUK.

For more information about upcoming TV talks and events, head to BBC Academy or the Royal Television Society.

What The F*** Are British Values? Who Knows

WARNING: Essay alert! When faced with no word limit, words pour out!

Freelance journalist Kieran Yates is intelligent, articulate, witty, opinionated…and brown. Not that the last part should matter in a supposedly multi-cultural 21st century Britain. British values, as characterised by OFSTED, include the rule of law, a system of democracy, individual freedom of speech and expression as well as respect and tolerance of others. But for Kieran, the meaning of the term is much more sinister than one would expect.

I went to her talk aptly titled “What The F*** Are British Values?” at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) in London to learn more about her views on the concept and whether or not these values could be redefined to better reflect our society. Kieran was joined in conversation by fellow journalist Rahul Verma, who she has known for 5-6 years. What began as a professional relationship in a mentor-mentee capacity blossomed into a friendship, as they found common ground when gossiping about being in the “brown journalist” minority group.

The event began with a chat between Kieran and Rahul, which was then opened up to the audience, as people voiced their opinions and asked a series of questions. Reference was made to Prime Minister David Cameron’s speech on the meaning of British Values that was outlined in an OFSTED report. In contrast to Cameron’s idea of tolerance and acceptance, Kieran believes that it is simply a way for the government to respond to the thriving black, minority and ethnic (BAME) communities in the UK which are represented as a growing threat to the powerful minority’s representation of how Britain should be, following years of colonial rule.

Where did the term “British values” originate? Rahul said that it was in 2005, when Tony Blair spoke about a lack of integration in the aftermath of the 7/7 bombings. Kieran also mentioned David Cameron’s 5 year plan in which he outlined the “issue of radicalisation” which, as Kieran described, had the aim of “instilling a sense of what it means to be British in schools”. She also talked about her own cultural identity, growing up in Britain as a Punjabi, and the pressure members of her community faced by having to constantly prove their economic contribution. In Kieran’s eyes, the danger with Cameron’s rhetoric is that fearmongering is disguised as pledging allegiance to British values. Perhaps British values are actually a “tool to divide people” added Rahul. This was said in the context of Nigel Farage’s speech in which he said that the EU is “mad” to accept so many refugees into Europe that have shifted the conversation to the threat of refugees. Rahul believes this is having a sinister impact on our everyday lives, particularly in schools, where British values are now part of the national curriculum.

What was Kieran’s response? To take to Twitter and launch her own zine (an online magazine) to voice her passionate beliefs, which she named British Values. One of the features championed pop star Zayn Malik as a “page 3 heartthrob” as he was, in her words, the “only cool capital attached to being brown”. She also shared her frustrations when pitching story ideas as a journalist, wanting to promote stories about people of colour. Her editors would reject and dismiss her ideas one by one. Getting rejected didn’t make her angry, but highly emotional. She decided to channel these feelings into a personal DIY journalism project. Living by so-called “british values”, Kieran argued, could only create a “divisive culture”. Instead, she wanted to bring a diverse range of contributors together and combine their stories into her British Values zine which now sits proudly on the webisphere (as well as in print copy). In doing so, she has successfully channelled her emotions into something that is both interesting and important.

A snippet from BBC satire Goodness Gracious Me 

The TV show Goodness Gracious Me, famed for its satirical jokes that “even white people got”, turned out to be a huge influence on Kieran’s work. For instance, some sketches would feature a “token white person” to make a point about diversity, and how the situation is viewed differently when racial identities are swapped. For Kieran, comedy was a powerful way to overcome those initial feelings of rejection and despair she must have been experiencing.
She even poked fun at the “pop up” restaurant culture in this country, something I had never thought twice about. The idea that food from immigrant communities just “popped up” and is a novelty on the food scene, a temporary fad, is “laughable” to her.

When Kieran began this journalistic venture, she didn’t know exactly what her features and regulars would consist of and how they would come to life. She would commission ideas, her contributors would write them and then send them back to her to edit. She used her savings to set it all up, and everyone worked on the zine for free. “It was a labour of love” she recalled. She even managed to secure advertising, and made it her mission to only include brands that she really liked. One of them was Jolene, a hair bleaching company, another was an Asian restaurant in London. She also expressed an interest in getting a basmati rice company on board in the future, as well as a grime music label called Butterz and Radar Radio.

Although a labour of love, Kieran saw the zine’s potential to fill a gap as it was “a great opportunity to engage in difference”. She converted her zine into print versions, producing 300 copies (typos included). They sold out, and she had another batch created. But, in a culture of increasing censorship, Kieran was concerned that her zine could get into trouble (for example, if an advert for Tayyabs Restaurant was juxtaposed with the story of an Asian sex worker, it may not go down terribly well). Some of the feedback she received about her zine was that those living in Desi homes loved it…but couldn’t read it in front of their parents!

A message Kieran was keen to get across to her readers is that there is no excuse not to have more ethnic minority writers, be they Muslim, Sikh, Asian, West African or otherwise. The media needs to work harder to give these people a voice, she insists. Her zine was previewed in The Guardian and slowly made its way into mainstream media. If her (or other ethnic) voices are presented at all, they are not done so “with plurality or nuance”. To them, her ideas are described as “too niche”. She’s working on her next issue now, and Rahul asked where her inspiration came from. Kieran had worked on a Guardian documentary called Muslim Drag Queens. She had established friendships with a number of queens and club owners and, when she pitched her ideas to The Guardian, they loved it. They then got a director on board who was hand-picked specially for this project. That was when it all seemed to go downhill for Kieran. The only people who were involved in the process of transforming The Guardian’s short doc into a long-form piece for Channel 4 were, alarmingly, all white males. What’s worst is that they were making this new documentary without her, giving a mere “with thanks” credit when she protested against it through a formal email.

At first, Kieran was concerned that speaking out about this would be damaging to her professional relationships. But, as an activity, she felt she had to be bold and write about the “fuckery”going on around her. The next step was to create to platform on which to voice these opinions. She received no apology from Channel 4 for the incident, who said that they had not heard about her involvement in the production. Nevertheless, it was the online solidarity that left her feeling united with others that wanted justice for Kieran and others who felt they had experienced racial and sexual discrimination. Kieran admitted that her experience was far from unique. I was just one of thousands of examples of similar incidents, not simply one throwaway experience: “there is a real denial of women of colour in the media, but it’s done in a very subtle way”. This is also know as micro aggressions, whereby Kieran’s ideas would be sidelined by her superiors while, for writers such as Katie Hopkins, editors would allow them to go so close to the line of acceptable commentary.

Would she have established the zine if it wasn’t for the Channel 4 saga? Perhaps, but it wouldn’t have been in the same way. The rage she felt at the Channel 4 situation was  a key “catalyst for change” as she set about turning her rejection on its head. Now, she identifies herself a culture journalist, who celebrates diverse stories and communities.

But, moving forward, should we conform to British values or confront them, asked Rahul. Kieran began to wrap up the talk by saying that an “abstract” concept of British values is “dangerous” because it can be used to encourage fear-mongering. British values, and the culture surrounding is, is a concept that “we don’t fully understand”. Yet it is being reflected in policy changes. For instance, £45 million is being cut from adult education (namely ESOL, which provides lessons for students of English as a foreign language).

Ultimately, as Kieran and Rahul point out, there hasn’t be a comprehensive political debate in the 21st century regarding British values and the wider implications of introducing such a term. Those in power are seen not wanting to discuss British values, and what Britishness actually entails, because it can then be undermined. But that didn’t stop people debating and questioning it in the audience at the event, from a mixed race girl whose perceived appearance as a “white” woman gave her unequal privilege, to a young white mann urging people from diverse backgrounds to get in touch with him, as his “very white, middle-class” group of writers was far from the working environment he had hoped for! After the event, I even ended up in McDonald’s discussing some of the issues Kieran’s talk raised with a few girls that I met there.

I would like to give thanks to Kieran, Rahul and everyone at SOAS and beyond for organising an interesting and insightful discussion surrounding British values and long may the discussion continue, at least until there is considerable change in people’s attitudes and behaviours towards BAME journalists and their voices. Kieran’s zine is a great start, but it seems we’ve still got a long way to go.

You can buy copies of Kieran Yate’s zine online at: britishvalues.bigcartel.com

Pitch Perfect: Presenting Ideas to BBC Radio London

3 months into our London360 reporter traineeship and our new and exciting challenge had been set to us:- to develop and pitch a newsworthy idea to BBC Radio London (94.9) which had the potential to be broadcast on drivetime presenter Eddie Nestor’s show. Following an initial meeting with Eddie in the comfort of the London360 office, the 6 of us set to work refining our topics, trying to make them as specific and relevant to a London audience as possible.

This, as I came to discover, was no mean feat! I knew I wanted to develop a story related to trends on social media. It was something I was passionate about, having completed my dissertation on the subject at university. I came across the hashtag #ShoutYourAbortion and it immediately stuck in my mind. With such a brash headline, I was compelled to find out more. It turns out it was a hashtag started by two feminist activists to encourage women to speak out about their abortion experiences, following a decision by the US government to cut funding to clinics offering family planning services, including the termination of pregnancies.

Most topics have been discussed time and again, but the BBC always intend to move the conversation forward in some way, by creating a new angle for an existing story or by finding unique and diverse contributors to speak on the shows. Although the issue of abortion is an age-old debate, I wanted to bring it up-to-date by asking the question:  should we be shouting about abortion (whether pro-life or pro-choice) publicly and on social media?

Immediately the first question I had to ask was “how does this relate to London?” for the brief that we had been set. It was something that continued to play on my mind as we were sat in one of the BBC studios with Eddie and BBC London reporter Anna O’Neill. This, along with “how would this appeal to our target audience?” were two of the key questions that were posed to us as, one by one, we were invited to present our first insights and findings. It may seem like common sense, but it can be all too easy to think about the wider context and the impacts of the issues on a  worldwide scale, rather than focusing on the conversations and stories that are unfolding in London and are generated by Londoners.

One reporter, who was pitching a story related to gentrification in London, looked somewhat in doubt as to whether their story would get the green light, after hearing that BBC London was airing a story about gentrification and whether it is good or bad for London later that day. Eddie simply said “that story isn’t going away”. Issues of housing and homelessness continue to be hot topics of discussion and, providing a reporter shows that either new regions of London or fresh voices can be uncovered, it seems that Eddie and his team are keen to hone in on them, particularly if they cater to the show’s demographic (listeners are predominately over 45).

Ultimately, whether or not a story is taken from inception to delivery is in the hands of the media “gods” – or the editors – who meticulously scrutinise each idea and opinion down to the bone. In our meeting, Eddie and Anna gave us their undivided attention, listening as we delivered our pitches in full before offering constructive feedback and ways in which we could tweak our ideas to ensure they were more focused and relevant to the listeners. In an official BBC editorial meeting, however, it is likely that there would have been less of a detailed discussion of the idea and more of a “yes” or “no” response to a quick-fire pitch as to whether it would be suitable to be broadcast.

After getting so absorbed in my #ShoutYourAbortion story, and having received several emails and replies back declaring interest in talking through my idea further, I was confident that this revitalised version of an old debate had the potential to be translated onto a radio platform. But, after discussing it with Eddie, Anna and the London360 team, it seemed that my story (which originated in America and not London) in its current form may not be suitable for the show on this occasion. I had also been keen to get an influential male voice on the show. He had received a great deal of backlash in the press and on Twitter for his comments regarding the hashtag and, in light of his personal experience,  had quite a bit to say on the issue. Perhaps including a male voice (not to speak directly about abortion but about the conversation that was generated fron the #ShoutYourAbortion hashtag) could give this story a fresh angle. However, as raised in the pitch meeting,  it was important that a male perspective, while largely undocumented in this highly gendered debate, didn’t take presedence over the issues that women themselves have faced with regards to abortion.

Nonetheless, passion and conviction in your ideas really can take you forward. Eddie suggested that, while it may not work as a radio feature for his particular show, it would definitely be worthwhile for me to do a write up about it. It could have been easy to see my first BBC pitching experience as a “rejection”. Instead, it is much better to think of how you can convey your message in a different way – or on a different platform – and to just get it out there. Pitching doesn’t have to be perfect – if your message is clear, simple and would resonate with the audience you are trying to “sell” it to, even just a few lines of a description and a few contacts you could speak to about the issue, it is usually sufficient to be presented to the editors.

Even if your idea doesn’t get picked initially, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s useless. It just may not be suited to a particular audience or organisation at a particular time. But what’s to stop you from showing it to others or trying to get it onto different platforms, be it radio, TV, online or written? With social media proving to be a powerful journalistic tool,  sometimes the best platform to channel your views and stories is your own. So what are you waiting for? Set up a blog, or a YouTube channel and get producing! A huge thanks to Anna O’Neill and Eddie Nestor for giving up their time to listen to our pitches. It’s great to receive tailored advice from established broadcasters such as yourselves and we will no doubt take on board what has been discussed for future meetings! I believe next Monday is in the diary…

How To Become A YouTube Success Story

You may be surprised to hear that 6 of the top 10 most influential digital people in the USA are YouTubers. Established in 2005, YouTube is now the world’s largest video-sharing website, with 1 billion unique users and 6 billion hours of content watched every month.

But how does an aspiring YouTuber go from zero to viral? The ultimate path to success can appear to be unclear. By applying a combination of these 10 key fundamentals in the videos you create, you are much more likely to build a channel that continues to grow. You could even become the next household name!

1. Shareability

If a video isn’t shareable, how will anyone find it? Rhett and Link, a famous YouTube duo that combines comedy with music, believe that if you can’t describe your video concept to a friend in 10 words, it probably isn’t worth pursuing. Why create something if you can’t think, or adequately describe, why it is a) relatable b) topical or c) valuable to an audience?

2. Conversational

If you can make it seem like you, the vlogger, are talking to the audience directly through the camera lense, it will give viewers a much more personable experience. Getting the audience to feel that they are your friend, or at the very least know who you are even if they’ve never met you, is a skill in itself.

3. Interactivity 

The trick with YouTube is not only to get people to share your content, but also to keep coming back for more. One way of making the viewer experience more interactive is to invite your audience to engage with you, for example by leaving comments, questions or suggestions in the box below your videos to spark discussion and debate.

4.  Consistency

Although YouTube is different to TV, having a regular uploading schedule is paramount for building and maintaining audiences. YouTube as a business relies on regular content uploads in order to maximise advertising revenues and to pay its active content producers. One example is Cooperative Photography (or COOPH) which has amassed over 300,000 subscribers due to its regular tips and how-to videos. If you can be consistent in your scheduling habits, on screen personality and format (the way you frame your shots, edit and brand your videos – The Fine Bros “Kids React” series is a good example) then you are on the right track.

5. Audience Awareness

Is there a clearly defined audience for your brand? Who is it that you want to reach out to in particular? It can be good to have videos with a wide appeal, but if thousands of others are creating similar content, it can be difficult to appear near the top of search boxes. Sometimes, having a niche but loyal following, that grows gradually over time, can be the recipe for success in the competitive and increasingly saturated world of YouTube. One good example is, Virat, a channel dedicated to exploring the science of music.

6. Sustainability

Starting a YouTube account is simple, but keeping it going in the long-term is not so easy. Comedy sketches for example, while entertaining and shareable, can take a lot of time and effort to produce and edit. They often involve sacrificing countless weekends alongside studying, working or whatever else life throws at us. Setting realistic goals and being patient are paramount to ensure you don’t burn yourself out. Most YouTube stars did not become over-night successes. They had to work hard to grow their fan base over a number of years. You should always try to produce things for the love of making them, not just in the hope that they go viral and you have your moment of fame. After all, who wants to be a one hit wonder if you can earn a reputation for consistently delivering high quality content?

7. Discoverability

Many aspiring YouTubers will ask themselves – how can my videos get found? The truth is that 40% of all video views come from searches. One way of getting your videos noticed is to publicise them on different social media platforms, particularly Twitter, when a story is current and “trending”. Creating content when something is newsworthy ensures your content is fresh and relevant to audiences. If they like what they see, they are likely to come back to see what else you’ve been up to. Then again, the weirder the story the better. Some videos, such as the “how to tie a tie” instructional video, are timeless and will do well no matter what the time of year!

8. Accessibility

Another issue to consider is whether every video can be appreciated by a brand new viewer. One way of eliminating this problem is to set a context for every new upload, for instance introducing yourself at the start of each video so that new users get a chance to understand your channel and its identity. Another good way of making your channel navigable is to give your channel website a good spruce. Upload a recent headshot and banner as well as links to your other social media pages/website so that people can follow your content on different platforms. Categorising videos into playlists (such as advice videos, diary entries and how-to tutorials) and using clear thumbnails to show what your content is about visually, help people to find the content that they want faster. You can also update your “about me” section and upload quick descriptions for each video, loaded with key words, for extra clarification. The easier you make the experience of searching through your content, the better the outcome will be for return visitors.

9. Collaboration

One of the best ways of ensuring your content reaches a wider audience is to work with other people. That way you can share audiences, and the interaction between YouTubers on camera often makes the video feel more sociable. Reach out to someone who has a similar number of subscribers to you. You may have some fantastic ideas for a beauty advice vlog, but it is unlikely that Zoella, who has over 7 million subscribers, is going to collaborate with you anytime soon unless you are best mates with her in the real world! Start small and aim big. Try and attend networking sessions or join a Facebook group for YouTube collaborations in your area. Although it is possible to collaborate with YouTubers overseas, it requires a great deal more of your time in order to co-ordinate Skype calls and arrange edits so finding someone who lives locally can be much more handy. Join together, and who knows you might make new friends you never would’ve had before!

10. Inspiration

When the going gets tough, always ask yourself the important question: “do I have a genuine passion for this?” If the answer is no and you’re just going through the motions of getting content out as quickly as you can without investing the time and effort needed to make good quality content that people want to re-watch and share, is it worth it to continue in the long-run? Probably not. Do you have the desire to inspire, educate and entertain people? You don’t have to be doing all 3 at once, but if you have a purpose for making content that you believe in, it will really help. Ultimately, there are no right or wrong answers when it comes to getting hits on YouTube, but the more research you do and the more time you invest in brainstorming and preparing ideas, the better your chances of success.

You may think that every video idea has been done before. While the site is inundated with new content every second, the good news is that YouTube is continuing to grow, particularly in the areas of gaming and music. With more and more brands getting involved with YouTubers to promote their products and services, there has never been a better time to monetise your ideas and talents.

So what are you waiting for? If you don’t give it a go you will never know what could come of it. Just pick up a camera, even if it’s just on a phone, and start practising and you can start working your way up to a Canon 600D (or other high quality DSLR camera of your choice).

What the “Typical” Day of a Multi-Media Journalist Looks Like

ESSAY ALERT! Without an editor here to tell me to stop rabbiting on, I can write for England. As the cliche goes “no 2 days are the same” in media. This is largely true although once you settle in to it you get used to hopping from one task to the next!

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The saying goes that no 2 days are the same in the media industry. Having completed my first 2 weeks of training in the London 360 Reporter/Producer role, this couldn’t be more true! It’s tricky to sum up a typical day, as it can vary greatly from day to day, but I will try my best to do so in order to give a bit of an insight of what it’s like to be a journalist in training.

My day at work begins early, as I have an hour and a half commute into White City. Sometimes, with the nightmare rush hour traffic it can take up to 2 hours! (Word of advice: NEVER trust Google Maps’ estimation of time, particularly when using buses). I get to the office and usually the first thing I will do is check through my work emails, to see if anyone I have contacted regarding potential story ideas or filming dates that we find in local newsletters. I’ve made it my mission to keep on top of my emails, organising them into categories, from important documents to story contacts, in order to avoid ending up with a back-log of unread messages.

On a Monday morning, we will have an editorial meeting with the executive producer and project manager for London360, our show which broadcasts on the Community Channel and London Live. We talk through our new story ideas, pitching them to the group, talking about the 5 W’s (Who, What, Where, When and Why). It may seem simple, but it’s an effective way of ensuring we have all the important details of our story covered. As soon as they are green lit, we get to work researching the idea in more depth looking at a range of sources for information. We then email or better still pick up the phone and make a research call to someone who can give us access to certain locations or people to interview.

Once the organisation part is sorted, and the dates for filming are arranged, I then begin writing up a call sheet. This is a simple but highly useful piece of information, as it states the exact location/s of the shoot (including a map of the area) as well as contact details for those involved in the filming on that day. This is followed up by creating interview questions for the people whos answers will form the basis of my feature. It will also feature questions to ask the public when getting quick-fire responses, often called voxpops. The final document to prepare before the shoot is the video grid script. This is essentially a plan of how the feature will roughly look like, from the types of shots I will use (e.g. wide, panoramic, close-up, piece to camera) to the script I will use if I am doing any presenting in the feature. I will also try to include a rough guide for the timings of each section of the feature, from the introduction to the concluding part. Once these are completed, I show them to my managers to go over them and they give suggestions for how my questions can be improved or suggest different angles that I could use to give my piece more originality.

Then next stage is the fun (and sometimes daunting!) part: – the filming I find someone on my reporter team, or a keen member of our work experience group, to accompany me on the shoot. We grab a camera and tripod kit and head down to our location. After introducing myself and my team to our point of contact, we go about setting up the camera on the tripod. We then browse around the site to see what we have to work with and what shots would look visually appealing, as well as location scouting to find suitable places to film interviews. One of the things I had taken for granted before I joined London360 was how long it can take to shoot in order to get 3 minutes worth of footage and interview soundbites!

By having all the camera modes set to manual, there are no shortcuts to getting that perfect shot! We are responsible for ensuring that the focus, lighting and framing of each shot is as good as it can be. This can be a difficult task when juggling other activities, including casting people for quick interviews, sound operating and choosing the right equipment for different situations (e.g. using a clip mic for professional looking interviews and controlled environments or using a reporter mic in uncontrollable and crowded outdoor conditions) and well as making sure that every different type of shot on the video script has been recorded. Even small details, such as getting a shot of a postcode of the local area, matter! It is also important that we obtain filming consents by asking people to sign consent forms and location agreements that give us permission to film without the threat of legal action against us!

Before we go home after a hard but reward day’s work, we hand out promotional material letting people know when our shows are going out on TV and how they can get in touch on social media. It’s important that we showcase what we do to as many people as we can, particularly to people that were directly involved in the events and stories that we filmed.

Every shoot is different. Depending on what kind of information is needed and how many of the interviews are organised in advance, a shoot will usually take anywhere between 3 and 8 hours to finish. For more in-depth features, a reporter will often go back out to a different location to get extra footage to add a different dimension to the feature.

The final part of the production process is the editing. We usually have 2-3 days to put together a “rough cut” or a timeline of how we want the feature to look, using the editing software we learnt about in our training, Premier Pro. We will add the images, sound and music we want to use and then, every other Thursday, will be the last official day to work on our rough edits to transform them into 3m15sec long features that are of broadcast quality. We sit in on the edit with trained professionals who tweak the sound quality and apply colour correction to some of our shots. We also record voiceovers to help to narrate our story.

For each feature we develop, from initial idea to production, we are expected to give it a “360” makeover. This means that we turn a 1-dimensional piece (such as  TV feature) into a story that can also be told through blogs and vlogs (or video blogs). So first of all, we will do a quick write-up of the piece, giving the low-down on what happened and why it was important. We will often come back to our first versions as we get more and more information. For instance, we usually put in a few of the soundbites that are unique to our features to add detail to our articles, which we then publish on the Community Channel’s website. We will often embed our finished TV packages in our blogs as well when they are finally edited. We are also expected to make a vlog, a shortened version of our TV feature (usually 1 minute or so in length) which can be put onto London Live’s website, alongside our regular TV programme.

Once our output is broadcast and online, the final thing to do is to go social media crazy! We tell all our friends and family as well as contacting all the people who we spoke to as part of our feature about when our programme airs (Mondays 7pm on the Community Channel and Sundays at 6.30am on London Live). If they miss the programme on TV, they can catch up on the Community Channel’s YouTube page as well which is handy, as I’ve often been told by people they’d missed it going out!

It’s fair to say that all of what I’ve just mentioned does NOT happen in the space of a 9.30-5.30 working day (if only!) However, we do fill out days with as much of these tasks as we can to ensure that we can meet our deadlines and get as much of our content out there. But although quantity is important, I think quality is even more so. The more time and preparation we put into our features before we even pick up the camera in terms of planning who we will speak to and what our angle will be for the piece, the better our finished output usually is. That is arguably one of the most important lessons I’ve learned since working at London360. That, and also not being afraid to make mistakes. You can learn a lot more about what works and what doesn’t work when things go wrong. One thing is for sure:- practice does make perfect and as time goes on, I hope that our Series 9 team will continue to grow and develop as budding reporters and producers.

Teach Me How To Pitch For TV

Pitching is often a taken-for-granted term in the TV world. It’s business jargon for how you go about selling your idea. But it is so much more than simply coming up with a programme idea that sounds great in your head. Do you have the resources, contacts and funding available to realise your dream?

Nav Raman, the Creative Director of Sugar Films, is arguably a queen of the TV world. Having been an Executive Producer for CBBC and Endemol UK, a Commissioning Editor for Channel 4 Factual Entertainment as well as a Director of Development for indies Pioneer Productions and Nutopia, it’s fair to say that she’s racked up a fair bit of experience over the years.

She visited the Media Trust offices to speak to past and present London360 reporters and other TV enthusiasts in an intimate but informal Q&A chat. Here are the main hints and tips I took from the interactive session.

1. Get to grips with TV jargon – changing your tone to match the commissioners you are pitching to could make you stand out. Show you know the industry better than most. Speak their language.

2. Know the schedule slots – you can pitch a show idea for a daytime slot (usually less money but a higher volume of content) or the night-time audience. Early peak time is from 6-8pm, with family orientated content and popular quiz shows such as Countdown. Peak time is at 9pm, when commissioners will pay more for your programme. But beware! Competition is at its fiercest at this time.

3. Think about the gaps – which days and times are fewer people pitching ideas for? The smaller the competition, the more likely they are to consider your proposal in depth.

4. Consider your audience – people often tune in to ITV for broad based entertainment, Channel 4 for more relaxed programmes and comedy, whereas they may go to the BBC for more fact-driven informative content. Which channel suits the type of programme you want to make?

5. Realise “there is no original idea” – try not to cling to the belief that your idea is so unique and that someone might steal it. What are you going to bring to the table to make them realise that you are the ideal person to see it through and not a different production company? Use post-it notes with different genres and themes and throw 2 of them together and see if you can come up with an idea that blends them. You could surprise yourself and find an interesting angle that hasn’t been done before.

6. Have a unique selling point – this could include access to something (e.g. a secret filming location) or someone (e.g. the talent that could present the show).

7. Know what you want – keep the pitch as short as you can while still answering the all-important 5 W’s (Who, What, Where, When and Why). Be clear in what it is you want from the pitch.

8. Know what the commissioner wants – do your research on the company and the genre that you think is best suited to your show. Consider the format as well. Will it be a chat show, a fly-on the wall documentary…or a more innovative format? Commissioners are concerned with ratings, audience (broad or niche), reputation and whether your work fits with the channel’s brand. Show genuine knowledge e.g. what worked and what didn’t in a programme.

9. Make a sizzle reel – shoot, edit and make your own trailer for your show! Make them trust you that your idea has been well thought out and is plausible. Plus everyone enjoys a good visual representation to break up a pitch. After all, they are all humans who enjoy a novelty aspect as much as the next person!

10. Describe your core proposition in 5 sentences – or don’t bother pitching it. Less is often more. Think Dragon’s Den for the media industry. Talk about things such as the genre (documentary, factual, specialist factual (history, science etc), current affairs, drama etc. Also talk about the format you want it to take (e.g. The Farmer Wants A Wife and America’s Next Top Model are highly successful formats which have been used across the world).

11. Be attached to an indie – commissioners will very rarely take you on alone. They often go through professional production companies. Teaming up with an independent one is more likely to help you get your idea developed to the stage where it could be broadcast on TV. Start making industry contacts now!

12. Don’t sell what you can’t deliver – ultimately, TV is a business, and your pitch is like a negotiation.  But you need to have a proposition that you can follow through with, making yourself and the company that backs you money.

13. Have fun with the pitch – Inject your personality and not only will it calm your nerves, it could also keep the commissioners talking about your idea long after you give your presentation.

Follow these tips and you are sure to stand out in front of the commissioners! Now go kick some (media) butt.

10 Things A Young London Reporter Is Thinking

I’ve cheekily nicked some of my upcoming blogs from my work account on Community Channel’s website

More and more young people are trying their hand at journalism, from signing up to fast-track courses and internships to working freelance for a range of written and broadcast platforms. As a reporter for London360, a youth news show on the Community Channel, here are just 10 things that I feel resonated with the reporter team. How many can you relate to?

1. The newspaper is your Bible (or Koran, Torah etc)
You’re on the road to journalistic stardom. Research is everything. If you are a Londoner, The Metro and Evening Standard become your go-to sources of knowledge. You will be absorbed in their pages on the tube, in bed…even in the bathtub. Keep them close to you. You never know when they could come in handy for a story idea. Or as fuel for the fireplace.

2. You don’t have to run with every idea you think of…
So you’ve picked up your free copy of every media source you lay your hands on. You’ve grabbed your highlighter pens and enthusiastically circled every story that looks half decent as a basis for an article. It turns out that nearly everything, from the Greek crisis to the latest football signing, has grabbed your attention. Do you seriously have time to cover all of these? Of course you don’t. Be a bit realistic!

3. …in fact some ideas are almost completely unachievable (almost)
Traversing the Houses of Parliament to get a fantastic panoramic shot as David Cameron enters the building sounds like a good idea. So how are you going to coax the security guards into letting you do that? Exactly! Keep thinking.

4.  You don’t know how to sell yourself yet
How am I going to introduce myself to prospective employers or people I meet? “I am a London Reporter and Producer for a local TV channel”. But wait, we’ve only done 2 weeks of training how can we possibly be at this stage? How about “I am a reporter in training”? No, that sounds like those Baby on Board stickers people stupidly put on their cars. “I’m volunteering as a reporter?” That doesn’t sound authoritative enough. OK, so I AM a multi-media journalist. Sometimes you’ve just got to fake it ‘till you make it. I’ll run with that.

5. Having in-jokes with your fellow reporters helps
“Oh Akim, man he makes me laugh” says every reporter in the newsroom. “Who’s Akim?” says everyone else in the office, with perplexed expressions on their faces. “Oh no one! It’s just a joke that he’s the 7^th secret reporter”. Ha. Funny. But on a positive note, it can be good to refer to “jokes” from time to time that help the reporter team to bond…and leave the rest of the staff wondering who let you into the organisation. Bunch of weirdos.

6. Every event in your life becomes a filming or networking opportunity!
A media industry party did you say? Time to eat some canapés like there’s no tomorrow and mingle with the crème de la crème of the media industry. Going to Tesco’s for your lunch? You never know when you’ll bump into that all-important contact from across the road that will seemingly stumble into your world and give you that life-changing job offer you need to survive in London.

7.  Thought of a great idea? So have the top guns
So the BBC is just on your doorstep (or ITV, Channel 4, Sky or whoever) and you aspire to work for them one day. Yet at this moment in time they are your arch nemeses. Why is that? Because every time you come up with a GREAT news feature, one day later the biggest media corporations have gone and done that exact feature, possibly with less heart than you would’ve put into it, and broadcast it to millions of people across the country. Time to get those pieces turned around quicker than Usain Bolt can run the 200m (because the 100m wouldn’t give you nearly enough time).

8.  Spending the maximum lunch budget of £5 becomes a daily challenge
Who’s going to get the closest to spending the maximum of £5 on lunch? After all, spending less than £5 doesn’t mean you get more money in your pocket, so you might as well blow your budget on whatever you fancy: sushi, katsu curry, grilled chicken or avocado salad. It doesn’t matter what you pick, over the course of the traineeship you’ll no doubt try every single thing they sell in the supermarket. And never want to shop there again.

9. You begin assigning characters to each of your reporter team
Choose a popular TV show or film. A common one is Friends. In a team of reporters, one of them will always be the ditzy Phoebe or the joker Chandler. Stereotyping will happen at some point, even if it’s just a way of teasing each other and allowing “banter” to flow through the office.

10.  You wonder how you will survive financially until the end but smile and enjoy the ride anyway!
You’ve accepted that the nature of the scheme means that you’ll get fantastic multi-media journalist training but will probably be living off baked beans at home for the next 6 months. But the prospect of doing fantastic things, from interviewing high profile stars to attending events that bring the media industry and communities together, and growing personally and professionally alongside a team of enthusiastic young reporters makes it all worthwhile.

Google Getaway: A Visit to the London HQ

Visiting the Google offices in London had been on my bucket list for a long time. So when I entered the building where their London headquarters are based, I turned from a smartly dressed young professional into an excited schoolgirl for whom Christmas had come early.

As me and 30 others from London 360, including in-house reporters and those taking part in the Multi-Media Genius training initiative run by the Mayor’s Fund, arrived at the 9th floor, the shameless photo-taking with the Google entrance sign began. This was to continue throughout the visit, as people attempted to vlog and live tweet about their experiences from the get go.

I would describe the situation as a stampede of highly enthusiastic and happy wilder beast descending on the Australian outback. This is no ordinary office environment, as we discovered when given a walking tour by members of Google London’s staff. My preconceptions of Google before I came was that it would have quirky working spaces, complete with an indoor slide, and that the employees would be laidback, dressed in smart-casual clothing, potentially wearing trendy thick rimmed glasses and be sipping on a chai lattee while browsing the internet on their Apple Mac. On the whole, I wasn’t far off!

It wasn’t long before we found out the first perk of working at Google – UNLIMITED FREE FOOD! We needed little encouragement when offered the chance to “help ourselves” to whatever food and drink we fancied. Like kids in a candy shop, we tucked in to a range of food, from sushi to Google-branded cupcakes.

As if free food wasn’t tempting enough, there is an outdoor terrace and gym which both offer stunning panoramic views of the whole city. They have cosy chairs in all of their work spaces, and even a bed for Google creatives and techies to catch up on their much needed beauty sleep. But one of the things that really excited me was the massage room, where (you guessed it) employees are treated to free treatments whenever they wish. Where do I sign up?

We were then taken around the YouTube Creator studios by Luisa. This is where YouTubers who have amassed more than 5,000 subscribers are invited to use YouTube’s in-house studio equipment and editing software for free, taking their passion for filming from the bedroom to the big screen. In the office boardroom, we were treated to a presentation by Phil Jones, the Global Agency Business Leader, who talked about the company ethos and working culture at Google. First and foremost, innovation can come from anywhere, and Google actively embrace this. For instance, the idea for OK Google (the voice-enabled search service) came from an engineer working at the firm. As long as you have the creative, analytical, teamwork and leadership skills, Google welcomes people from all backgrounds and academic disciplines.In the Q&A session that followed, a question was asked about privacy surrounding content sharing and whether this created issues for Google. Phil said that Google was different from other organisations because you own your own data and therefore can opt to have it removed from search results if you want to. This was followed by a chat with Nicole, an intern from Arizona, who has had a chance to work with some of the biggest ad campaigns in the world. It’s visible, from her energy and infectious personality, that she loves her job. Not only does she work in a comfortable open-plan space with an array of services that any working professional would die for, she works alongside people who share the same passion for innovation and working with people.

Freebies aside (we also got a free Google mug on our way out), the most important message I took from the visit was that it’s ok to fail in life, as long as you fail quick and learn from it! Take risks and it can pay off in a big way, and it’s arguably the main reason for Google’s global success story. Thanks to the Mayor’s Fund, Media Trust and of course to the Google staff for making this visit happen.