Although the newsday is empahtically and irreversibly cancelled, the Gillingham Building and the newsroom are both open and warm if people want to drop off equipment, say goodbye to friends or read the newspapers.

Today it was announced that France lost its AAA credit rating whilst the world’s stock markets slid. Can this really be considered as a surprise though as recently a high percentage of EU countries have had their credit ratings reduced? Since France has had its AAA rating since 1975, the country is now suffering from […]

Al Jazeera has just bought Current TV Channel. The $500 million deal sets pace for Qatar-funded network’s penetration in the US, a market it has struggled to reach for some time now. Since its inception in 1996 as an Arab language channel, the Doha-based television outlet has established a strong footing around the world. The […]

I read an article in the Sun today which stated that once again David Miliband will leave the Labour 2012 Conference in Manchester before his brother and leader of the Labour Party Ed gives his main and final speech. As it turns out David hasn’t attended any one of his brother’s speeches since his acceptence […]

This is the programme that Sarah would like second years to watch this afternoon: Storyville: the Most Dangerous Man in America. http://bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00qvkrr

Handed in a blue USB stick with keys attached.

Don’t forget there is a revision session on Wednesday for Year 3s re-sitting NCTJ Law exams. This is for the General Reporting paper. It’s 1100 – 1300 in the old MA newsroom. Please bring with you the test paper which I e-mailed to you – completed – and we’ll go through it. (Note, the Court […]

It’s not often a news story or report makes me go ‘wow’, but this feature on an island called St. Helena, a remote British island that is “stuck in time” was quite startling. It’s a surreal read check it out: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/8465785.stm

Rob and Nick passed a shorthand mock and are on course to greatness. Winners!

Around the world, children and adults alike have flocked to theatres to see Harry Potter’s sixth cinematic outing. Despite glowing reviews, fans of the novels may be sorely disappointed. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince was the book that defined the rest of the series. Brimming with blistering detail, it put the preceding five novels […]

A message for all NUS representatives and a call to all students Now that we have reached the end of our time at the 2011 National Union of Students (NUS) Conference, let us pause and reflect. We have elected Liam Burns as the new NUS president, a president elected by 446 votes to represent seven million students. Seven […]

It may seem viable to pay for online content uploaded by the ex-giants of Fleet Street (now that they are losing money faster than Lord Ashcroft can spend it). However, a free publication appears to be making a profit! Has the ‘pay-for-content’ debacle found a decent counterpart among free journalism?  

In addition to all the revision classes, we have several guest speakers who are visiting over the next few weeks. In particular may I draw your attention to Michael Crick the Newsnight political editor who will be speaking on Thursday 14th May and Sir Robert Worcestor who is coming on 18th May.  If you are […]

Here is the assignment I mentioned yesterday. Paul Attachment Size MAPublicAffairs.doc 24.5 KB

Apologies. I said I would give you a new essay deadline. I know you have been waiting.   So, the deadline is now next Friday, 21 January, at 3pm.  The teaching for the essay and the module is now complete. While the hand-in time is next Friday, many of you will no doubt wish to complete […]

In the aftermath of the Newtown shootings, The Journal News, an American news website, published the names and addresses of hand gun permit owners in New York’s Westchester and Rockland Counties. The interactive map pinpoints the exact location of residents able to hand guns; however the model of hand gun is no specified. Did Journal […]

  Before his future prospects were boosted by the death of Osama bin Laden, the US President was already in a good mood. His speech to Whitehouse correspondents last week was one of the best he has made. Watch, enjoy.

  It has traditionally been the freelancer’s lot to be courted when news is hard to obtain and discarded when the pickings are easy. But recently freelancers reporting from Syria have found themselves in the perverse position of being unpopular with clients who desperately want a scarce commodity.   Over the past year, a dwindling […]

Iain Dale blogs.

Remember, you have unlimited transfers available before the start of the quarter-finals stage. You can also change your captain for the quarter-finals. The transfers and captains must be made before 6:30pm on Thursday 21st June. Come on England! ********************************************************************************************** He’s been threatening to take top spot since Matchday 1 and finally he has done it. […]

On 1 May, Facebook announced that they are working with the NHS Organ Donation Register to increase the number of people on the donor register. You can now click on a tab on their Facebook page and fill in your details to joing the register. Sixty five per cent of people would join the register […]

  Admittedly, I had never heard of the Stephen Lawrence case until I came to Uni. Perhaps because I was under a month old when the murder took place, perhaps because evidence has taken so long to settle, hence the length of time taken to identify and prosecute the murderers – or maybe it was […]

  A highly mobile global population demands measured and well informed debate surrounding immigration. The British press has so far failed in their charge as public facilitator of debate and will continue to do so unless some kind of change is instigated.   Negative portrayal of immigrants in the British press came to a head […]

Russ the builder, who lives in Folkestone, has been doing some work on our house this week. Russ is in his late 50’s and over a cup of tea he told me that his hobby was bee keeping. He began to tell me all about it. I tried to look interested, but sneaked a furtive […]