I think I may have just found the most perfect journalistic job going. Well, to be more accurate, it's not going yet, but it's definitely something to think about.
Having just returned from a week skiing in France, I was amazed at how many Russians there were. Try to speak French, and you're met with blank looks, but throw in a few "приветствия" and away you go. And this got me thinking...
Ski resorts need to make money. And so they need to encourage Olga and Vlad to come and splash their cash on €42,000 diamond-encrusted skis, and schuss into the piste-side Louis Vuitton and Dior stores (yes, all that exists in Courchevel). They need them to drink vodka - plenty of it - and dine in the finest restaurants. They want them to spend €8,000 on a hog-roast cooked specially for them at 3,200m (yes, that too happens in Meribel) and they need to keep those helicopters bearing gold card-flashing Russians coming.
So what they really need is a magazine or newsletter keeping the Russians informed of the chicest chalets, smartest eateries and most desirable resorts. And who better to write this magazine than... me! I may only be able to order two big beers in Russian, but that doesn't matter - I can learn! I can test the height of luxury, and give them insider knowledge about the most exclusive enclaves. Yes, I definitely think that being luxury ski correspondent for the Moscow Ski Times is certainly the job to go for.
Sunday, 3 February 2008
Wednesday, 14 November 2007
Pakistan's King Canute
The embattled president of Pakistan, General Pervez Musharraf, is looking more and more like the legendary king who tried to stop the tide. As he continues to defy calls to renounce his military position and hold a free and fair election, his position is looking increasingly fragile.
"I am not a dictator, I want a democracy," he told Sky News. "The day when there is no turmoil in Pakistan, I will step down." Hollow words from someone who, in the last hour, arrested his political opponent Imran Khan and who, over the last few weeks, has repeatedly restricted the movement of his rival Benazir Bhutto.
The arrest of Khan is sure to add yet more fuel to the growing pro-democracy fire - in Pakistan, and in the rest of the world. I was surprised to read an excellent article about Jemima Khan, Imran's ex-wife, and her thoughtful, intelligent and eloquent attempts to protest against the current situation in Pakistan. London will surely sit-up and take notice at Khan's arrest, and increase the pressure on Musharraf.
And Musharraf is looking like an increasingly desperate figure. Unless he wants to go the way of Burma and completely ignore international pressure, risking isolation and a severing of valuable political and economic ties in the process, then Musharraf will have to listen to pro-democracy campaigners. He cannot go on surpressing the press, and fighting lawyers and political opponents in the street. And surely as soon as a regime tries to silence it's critics, then it is on a slippery slope towards failure.
"I am not a dictator, I want a democracy," he told Sky News. "The day when there is no turmoil in Pakistan, I will step down." Hollow words from someone who, in the last hour, arrested his political opponent Imran Khan and who, over the last few weeks, has repeatedly restricted the movement of his rival Benazir Bhutto.
The arrest of Khan is sure to add yet more fuel to the growing pro-democracy fire - in Pakistan, and in the rest of the world. I was surprised to read an excellent article about Jemima Khan, Imran's ex-wife, and her thoughtful, intelligent and eloquent attempts to protest against the current situation in Pakistan. London will surely sit-up and take notice at Khan's arrest, and increase the pressure on Musharraf.
And Musharraf is looking like an increasingly desperate figure. Unless he wants to go the way of Burma and completely ignore international pressure, risking isolation and a severing of valuable political and economic ties in the process, then Musharraf will have to listen to pro-democracy campaigners. He cannot go on surpressing the press, and fighting lawyers and political opponents in the street. And surely as soon as a regime tries to silence it's critics, then it is on a slippery slope towards failure.
Tuesday, 13 November 2007
Private Eye in focus
The lead writers at Private Eye have got it spot on for the past two issues.
Several weeks ago, with an eager-looking Ant and Dec on the front cover:
"Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Take-Away-Your-Money; phone now, only £10 a second"
And this week, issue 1197, with embattled Met chief Sir Ian Blair being interviewed:
"So, Sir Ian, are you planning to resign?"
"No, I'd like another shot at it..."
Genius.
Several weeks ago, with an eager-looking Ant and Dec on the front cover:
"Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Take-Away-Your-Money; phone now, only £10 a second"
And this week, issue 1197, with embattled Met chief Sir Ian Blair being interviewed:
"So, Sir Ian, are you planning to resign?"
"No, I'd like another shot at it..."
Genius.
Monday, 12 November 2007
Alan Johnston: "We will not walk away"
Quite how Alan Johnston could call himself "the luckiest kidnap victim in the world" after four months held in unimaginable terror in the Gaza Strip is quite unbelievable.
Speaking at a moving church service held last night on Fleet Street to mark the Day Of The Imprisoned Writer, Alan gave a powerful address in which he said he wanted to use his high profile to shine a light on forgotten imprisoned journalists all over the world. People such as Normando Hernández González, currently in prison in Cuba, and U Win Tin, detained in Burma for the past 18 years.
And Alan's words had a powerful impact on the people gathered in that church. He told how he had taken much comfort from the continued campaign for his release broadcast by radio, especially by the words of Brian Keenan, who said "We will not walk away". On Saturday evening Alan said he had the opportunity to meet Brian in Dublin - he had not walked away. Alan's dignity and honesty were spell-binding, and he is a true ambassador for foreign correspondents everywhere who struggle to do their job under difficult circumstances.
But I think he's right to point out that most journalists do not receive anything like the show of support which Alan benefitted from. Groups like Amnesty International, the Committee for the Protection of Journalists and PEN need our support. There are many people still held unlawfully for trying to expose corruption, deceit and decay in society. We must not walk away.
Speaking at a moving church service held last night on Fleet Street to mark the Day Of The Imprisoned Writer, Alan gave a powerful address in which he said he wanted to use his high profile to shine a light on forgotten imprisoned journalists all over the world. People such as Normando Hernández González, currently in prison in Cuba, and U Win Tin, detained in Burma for the past 18 years.
And Alan's words had a powerful impact on the people gathered in that church. He told how he had taken much comfort from the continued campaign for his release broadcast by radio, especially by the words of Brian Keenan, who said "We will not walk away". On Saturday evening Alan said he had the opportunity to meet Brian in Dublin - he had not walked away. Alan's dignity and honesty were spell-binding, and he is a true ambassador for foreign correspondents everywhere who struggle to do their job under difficult circumstances.
But I think he's right to point out that most journalists do not receive anything like the show of support which Alan benefitted from. Groups like Amnesty International, the Committee for the Protection of Journalists and PEN need our support. There are many people still held unlawfully for trying to expose corruption, deceit and decay in society. We must not walk away.
Friday, 9 November 2007
Happy Birthday News 24
With BBC News 24 celebrating it's tenth birthday, it's clear how much things have changed over the past ten years in media-ville.
Every day in London we are bombarded with media - from the Metro and London Lite free newspapers, to giant plasma screens in every train station constantly streaming news, and the internet making world events accessible at the touch of a button. It seems that you can't sneeze without it being instantly reported.
And yet it would be wrong to assume that London's experience is replicated all over the world. Living in Madrid taught me that not everyone is as obsessive about keeping their finger on the pulse of world news. And for many, the technology to transmit and produce this media onslaught is just not available.
Last week I was priviledged to hear an inspirational talk by Salim Amin about his struggle to set up Africa 24 - a continuous news channel for the continent. It seems like such a fantastic idea one wonders why it hasn't been done before. I suppose that the answer lies in technology - that it is more difficult for people in developing countries to access the internet, own televisions. The radio is still king in many parts of Africa.
BBC News 24 can be very proud of a decade of coverage. And Africa 24 should be a welcome addition to the stable.
Every day in London we are bombarded with media - from the Metro and London Lite free newspapers, to giant plasma screens in every train station constantly streaming news, and the internet making world events accessible at the touch of a button. It seems that you can't sneeze without it being instantly reported.
And yet it would be wrong to assume that London's experience is replicated all over the world. Living in Madrid taught me that not everyone is as obsessive about keeping their finger on the pulse of world news. And for many, the technology to transmit and produce this media onslaught is just not available.
Last week I was priviledged to hear an inspirational talk by Salim Amin about his struggle to set up Africa 24 - a continuous news channel for the continent. It seems like such a fantastic idea one wonders why it hasn't been done before. I suppose that the answer lies in technology - that it is more difficult for people in developing countries to access the internet, own televisions. The radio is still king in many parts of Africa.
BBC News 24 can be very proud of a decade of coverage. And Africa 24 should be a welcome addition to the stable.
Thursday, 8 November 2007
The YouTube dilemma
I think my first reaction was probably shared by many. As horrible scenes of terrified school children fleeing a gunman flood the screen, I immediately think: America. Not again.
And yet the latest in a horrific wave of school slaughters was not in the US of A, but Finland - not a country normally associated with extreme violence, Hollywood-style shoot outs and gangster glorification. When a crazed gunman burst into the school in Finland, shooting seven pupils and a teacher before killing himself, the echos to American tragedies were all too clear.
Colombine, Virginia Tech - obvious examples. And the resonance is even stronger when you realise that the murderers all have in common their desire to publicise their deeds, and gain grim fame from the attrocity. Finnish killer, Pekka-Eric Auvinen, posted a clip entitled "Jokela High School massacre 11/7/2007" the day before the murders, in the same way that Cho Seung Hui sent videos explaining his actions to news stations in the US. Was Auvien influenced by Hui? Would he have carried out the act if he hadn't seen Hui's bloody rise to fame? Are the media to blame for this frightening rise in school killings?
A Canadian broadcaster refused to show the Cho Seung Hui's videos, saying that it would encourage copy-cat killings. That to me was an extremely brave decision - albeit one which was heavily criticised for censorship.
But how can we deal with this phenomena? It seems that more and more disturbed young people are looking to the internet and television to publicise their warped take on reality, to act out their demons and gain notoriety. Perhaps the recognition that they always wanted. Maybe we shouldn't show it. And how should news editors react? I admire the Canadian take on it - that these people should not be given a platform. But even though he refused to show the footage, rivals did, and I don't doubt for a minute that they scored immensly higher ratings. We are all drawn to this gruesome tale, and yet repulsed by it.
I would love to say with certainty that, in their position, I would take the high moral ground and not show any such videos, YouTube clips or material "promoting" these assassins, in an attempt to avoid copy-cat killings. But with news station chiefs hungry for ratings and the public fascinated by these sick actions, then I honestly don't know how I could resist the ratings pressure and not show what I believe is morally wrong. Does this make me a bad person? Or just someone trying to keep on top of their game? I don't know myself.
And yet the latest in a horrific wave of school slaughters was not in the US of A, but Finland - not a country normally associated with extreme violence, Hollywood-style shoot outs and gangster glorification. When a crazed gunman burst into the school in Finland, shooting seven pupils and a teacher before killing himself, the echos to American tragedies were all too clear.
Colombine, Virginia Tech - obvious examples. And the resonance is even stronger when you realise that the murderers all have in common their desire to publicise their deeds, and gain grim fame from the attrocity. Finnish killer, Pekka-Eric Auvinen, posted a clip entitled "Jokela High School massacre 11/7/2007" the day before the murders, in the same way that Cho Seung Hui sent videos explaining his actions to news stations in the US. Was Auvien influenced by Hui? Would he have carried out the act if he hadn't seen Hui's bloody rise to fame? Are the media to blame for this frightening rise in school killings?
A Canadian broadcaster refused to show the Cho Seung Hui's videos, saying that it would encourage copy-cat killings. That to me was an extremely brave decision - albeit one which was heavily criticised for censorship.
But how can we deal with this phenomena? It seems that more and more disturbed young people are looking to the internet and television to publicise their warped take on reality, to act out their demons and gain notoriety. Perhaps the recognition that they always wanted. Maybe we shouldn't show it. And how should news editors react? I admire the Canadian take on it - that these people should not be given a platform. But even though he refused to show the footage, rivals did, and I don't doubt for a minute that they scored immensly higher ratings. We are all drawn to this gruesome tale, and yet repulsed by it.
I would love to say with certainty that, in their position, I would take the high moral ground and not show any such videos, YouTube clips or material "promoting" these assassins, in an attempt to avoid copy-cat killings. But with news station chiefs hungry for ratings and the public fascinated by these sick actions, then I honestly don't know how I could resist the ratings pressure and not show what I believe is morally wrong. Does this make me a bad person? Or just someone trying to keep on top of their game? I don't know myself.
Wednesday, 7 November 2007
God Save The Queen's Speech
Yesterday, for the first time in my life, I watched the Queen's Speech. As a politics graduate, I knew what it was, but had never really been concerned enough to watch it. Youth of today...
Watching it with my fellow International Journalism students was a revelation - a Kenyan colleague couldn't take his eyes of the screen, while a Greek friend asked me constantly who they were and what their roles were and a Spanish friend was hoping the Queen would trip up to make the news more interesting!
Later we had to compile all our stories and lay them out in the style of The Independent - quite a stressful exercise, as there was so little time to do so much. But a good experience - and, I suppose, a reminder of why Britain is such a source of inspiration and fascination for those coming from foreign countries.
Watching it with my fellow International Journalism students was a revelation - a Kenyan colleague couldn't take his eyes of the screen, while a Greek friend asked me constantly who they were and what their roles were and a Spanish friend was hoping the Queen would trip up to make the news more interesting!
Later we had to compile all our stories and lay them out in the style of The Independent - quite a stressful exercise, as there was so little time to do so much. But a good experience - and, I suppose, a reminder of why Britain is such a source of inspiration and fascination for those coming from foreign countries.
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