Steve Klein Work - Write up of career from notes, How journalistic content is covered, 3 different journalism jobs

Task one - 

Steve Klein from a young age of 15, always wanted to be a professional footballer as a left back but suffered a knee injury which in result resulted in him no longer being able to perform and play football any longer. During this time Steve took to writing and reporting, his mother and father oth worked in the printing and journalism field as a living so it was almost as if it was in the blood. Because of Steve's previous interests, writing and reporting about football seemed like a great way to get started. So he contacted the local paper and wrote a letter applying to work there. Steve did, but not in the way you would think, he would deliver and make tea and coffee for the people who worked there and also did some early 80s filing but only wrote a few stories, one being about an interview he had done with a Millwall player.

Despite recieving his first by line in the paper he recieved no pay for his efforts and went onto studying journalism in college at the London college of printing, doing A levels in nightschool whilst balancing a day job. Straight after monday college, Steve would go into work at the dagenham post before covering stories at the crown courts as a juniour reporter. In order to avoid getting the sack, Steve passed his driving test and was given the opportunity to start writing his own news stories and with his own paper. He covered crime reporting and left sports reporting behind, Steve got to go out with the police, ramming down doors and wearing flak jackets as he would observe and take notes. And from this, Steve has began to formulate contacts and had moved onto bigger things.

Stories like Alison Mainwearing in 1990 where a man asked to borrow her car and she was cut up and pulled into a bathroom in Marshland, and her brother wanted to kill the murderer and do the same back to him. Steve attended the funeral of Alison and so became good friends with the family of Alison, building their trust and published an article in the Daily Star about the whole ordeal and funeral which was his first by line in national paper - a journalists dream. Since then Steve has gone on to cover stories about Ealing hospital and people dieing out on the hallways and aisles of the hospital because there was no room, and the secret tapes of John Humphries, Ladbrook Grove railway with 150 dead and so on.

Task two - 

Journalistic content is delivered in a number of different ways, one of the main ways of recent is the introduction of apps and the internet, allowing people to surf the web and find out information completely online without having to go out and purchase a paper. For this section i want to focus on social media, social media is what a lot of people all around the world use, it allows us to share and pass on content written like new stories, video's and images which has created a big part in todays social media. Places like Twitter and Facebook are great way for people to get out the information they want to tell everyone and things they have read. Here is an example.

A tweet talking about an event as it happened

Because of Twitter, we are able to, as journalists, find out information as it happens and as soon as it happens via hashtags. Though what is displayed is not professional by any means, it can be used in our own work as quote or small queue to explain and show what people were thinking as the event happened. Twitter can act a sort of, way in which people can view and read small snipets of a story as it happens but there are Twitter account in which people are professionals in their field and do post good pieces of journalism.

Twitter also benefits the writer and journalist behind the screen looking for a story too. You can crowdsource and reach out to people for information on the site, ask for them to contact you via an email or phone call. This is useful because now you wouldn't need to fly out to or go visit the place you're trying to source information from and can do it relatively from the comfort of your own home/office.

Crowd sourcing for information

Tabloids and Newspapers, though seen as a potentially dieing and outdated form is still produced to this day since the 1600s. Content is deliever on pages and double page spreads every day for the viewer to look at and read upon. Generally, newspapers and tabloids cover a range of different topics throughout their pages, things like local news, the sporting world and news abroad can all be found in one newspaper. The reason most people are now switching away from the printing press of newspapers is because of internet accessibility and how much of a wide range there is for people to choose from online, which is usually free as well as an added benefit.

Online websites will be my last way i describe how journalistic content is delivered. Websites over a lot more than a newspaper can and also more than social media. They allow us to even look back at previous stories which happened a while ago and also usually come coupled with an image or two like newspapers have. The biggest advantage to news being published on a website is the fact a video could also be uploaded with the written story. Videos and such of the actual event happening or an interview with someone relevant to the story give a lot more incite to the whole article as well as provide a visual aid in which the person can view to have a much stronger view and impression on.



Task 3 -

The types of jobs I will include in my work will range from full time to part time work and include different professions from being a Products Editor for a convenience store, technology report in Florida to
Job one: Product Editor for a Convenience Store

Posted date: 11th September 2015
Closing date: 11th October 2015

Job Title: Products Editor – Convenience Store
Employer: William Reed Business Media
Salary: Competitive plus benefits
Location: Crawley, England

Purpose of role: The purpose of this role is to be able to write new product and promotions based on news stories and features happening recently. You will also need to make Editorial decisions regarding a hierarchy of content for inclusion in both print and online editions of work.

Responsibilities and tasks: The key responsibilities and tasks you’ll need to complete are essential to you matching what the job is looking for and to make sure you’ll be able to completely what you’ve been assigned to if you are accepted for the job.

• You will need to take the role of ownership in preparing product news pages and such for the print magazine
• You will also need to take the main lead role in posting product new stories to the Convenience Store’s website and newsletters
• Write stories for the above two bullet points and to work with other team members to ensure that a copy is produced accurately and on time with a deadline.
• Take the role of lead writer for a number of different specific product categories, as required.
• Support the rest of the editorial team by producing other stories, features and articles, as required.

Job two: Technology reporter for Jacksonville Business Journal

Posted date: 15th October 2015
Closing date: 15th November 2015
Industry: Newspapers/Wires
Loaction: Jacksonville, Florida
Position: Reporter
Specialty: Business/Technology
Job Status: Full-time
Salary: Negotiable

Description:
The Jacksonville Business Journal is hiring a reporter focused on technology.

The beat is broad, reaching into a range of sectors: The entities you would cover include one of the largest web services companies in the nation, a leader in mortgage industry analytics, pioneers in banking and insurance technology and a burgeoning startup scene. Even better, as we work to expand this beat, you'll get to help us decide where we want to take it.

We’re looking for someone excited about technological innovation, someone who can translate complicated topics for a diverse audience. Coverage would include a mixture of business-to-business issues as well as consumer-facing activity.

The Jacksonville Business Journal is a daily online publication with a weekly print edition. As part of the American Cities Business Journals, we and our 42 sister papers make up the No. 1 source of local business news in the country.

You should have a bachelor’s degree or the equivalent. Experience covering tech would be helpful, but a good track record on other beats plus a provable interest in the topic could go far.

If you're interested, email JBJ Editor Timothy Gibbons a PGP-encrypted cover letter, using the key and and address in his Twitter bio. Include your resume and clips as non-encrypted attachments; we’re not concerned about security in this case so much as looking to gauge your comfort with technology.

Job three: Military Staff Writer for Pilot Media

Posted date: 15th October 2015
Closing date: 15th November 2015
Industry: Newspapers/Wires
Location: Norfolk, Virginia
Position: Writer
Job Status: Full-time
Salary: Negotiable

Description:
The Virginian-Pilot, the commonwealth’s largest newspaper, is seeking an energetic, enterprising reporter to cover the military. This beat includes covering the world’s largest naval base as well as a large community of veterans from all branches of the armed forces. This is a highly visible job because covering the military is one of The Pilot’s most critical missions. The paper has had two Pulitzer Prize finalists come from its military coverage. We place an emphasis on watchdog journalism, but we’re also looking for someone who can take readers inside the military culture and produce vivid, compelling narratives. Creativity, resourcefulness and the ability to cultivate sources at all levels of the military are a must.

Covering the military frequently requires going aboard vessels and airplanes and occasionally into the field with troops. Job candidates must be able to tolerate the noise and physical exertion typical in such conditions.

We are looking for candidates with at least three years of reporting experience and a proven record of beat development. Experience covering military affairs is not necessary but is a plus. Candidates should also understand how to build audiences through social media and have the ability to do a variety of story types. Knowledge of Excel and Access is also a plus.

Include a cover letter, resume and work samples in your application.

Steve Klein Work - Inverted Pyramid

Steve Klein Work - How sources and contacts help journalists, Who will i use as sources and notes, My written story

Task 1 - 

Sources and contacts enable journalists to gather and write down information they wouldn't normally get from just observing the top their story is meant to be about. In this i wil talk about how you can source your information and how to do it online as well. Speaking about online, let's talk about the first way people source their information for story writing. The first is Social Media but namely Twitter, Twitter allows the user to post a short sentence about what they're doing when then they do it to keep people who follow and updated with their current life and events. It also allows for people to crowdsource for information. I touched upon this in my last written piece but would like to go into more depth, crowdsourcing is where the journalist reaches out to the people on Twitter stating what they are looking for and how they should be contacted if anyone has any good and reliable information to tell. They also cleverly use and place #hastags in their post which means over people will be able to find posts by people who have used the hashtag if they have anything to talk about in that topic or post a topic themselves with the same hashtag. If a hashtag is used enough it becomes trending and gives the journalist even more exposure and can draw in people who perhaps haven't seen the tweet about the journalist asking for information but has something useful and helpful to the journalists needs.

Another example of crowdsourcing:

Task two - 

Who will I gather and source information from?

I will gather and source my information from people I know and may have something to say about the story. These people include, Nichola (My mother – Enjoys going onto the pier every summer and is interested in its development), Jordan (A close friend – Likes to spend the summer holidays at the beach and enjoys thought of the possibilities of what can come with the funding if finalised), Scott (A close friend of my mothers – attends the beach regularly) and Harry (My brother – enjoys spending time at the sea front and on the pier in the summer).

Why are these people useful/important to my story?

My mother; Nichola
My mother would be a good person to interview and gather information from on how she feels about the pier getting funding because she has a strong connection with the pier, she likes to visit it at summer and has done for a long while every summer. This is good because my mother knows a lot of background information of the pier and give reliable quotes about previous and past investors willing to invest into the pier.

Jordan; A close friend                           
Jordan is a good person to get an opinion on from the funding because he likes to spend and enjoy time at the seafront and visit the strip of Arcades and other various attractions such as Adventure Island Theme park. This is good because he knows what people enjoy and what may potentially bring people in.

Scott; My mothers close friend                           
Scott is a good person to interview for his views on the story because he, like Jordan attends the beach every summer at a frequent rate. He knows what the people like and can give his experience with the pier and how he would personally improve on it with a £20M budget.

Harry; My brother                                   
 My brother will be able to give an honest opinion of his thoughts and feelings towards the idea of a private investor putting his money into the pier and being able to make a profit out of it. He can also give accurate information concerning the history of the pier and why it needs new additions and something to make more people come visit the pier.

Task three- 

 My Notes-

I am basing my story around the Southend Pier being close to receiving £20 million funding from an un-named investor.

Cost £1.4M to maintain the pier last year and only earned £617k even though it had the most visitors it has had since the 2005 fires.

The pier will still be owned by the council under any such deal made.

Idea’s in the past for the pier:

Tony Garner was granted planning permission to build a Rollercoaster at the end of the pier which would have been the biggest rollercoaster over water in the world.

• A pavilion which since 2013 has been added at the shore end of the pier (features a café, function room for weddings, events and conferences)
• A Cinema
• A Museum
• A Tower

Quotes from an existing article on the topic:

Trevor Bell (Pier Campaigner) –
“I’m excited about this, as long as the pier is going to stay in the public’s hands”
“I would like some sort of audio-visual display on the pier, that explores Southend’s heritage”
“The pier played a major part in the war and is so important to the estuary. I’d like to see something that excites and educates children”
“I’d also like a café and restaurant on the end of it”

Martin Richardson (runs Happidrome Arcade) –
“They can’t do any worse than what the council has already done, which is nothing. They are bringing thousands into Southend with the Airport”
“I think a private investor would be good for Southend”

Chris Petris (Owner of the Rose Restraurant) –
“I think it’s a brilliant idea. Someone needs to run it to make a profit. I would like to think it would be an improvement”
“it’s our biggest attraction, something needs to be done”

My own news story - 

Southend Council on the verge of sealing the deal for a £20M investment to Southend Pier

The longest pleasure pier in the world is up for a £20M investment from an unnamed investor and it appears that the council of Southend-on-Sea is close to closing the deal. Though this is big news for the town of Southend, its not the first time planning permission and investors have tried to get their hands on doing the famous landmark some justice.

Leader of the council, Ron Woodley says that “…whilst we have been looking for an investor to revive the 1.3-mile-long pier, this is the closest we have gotten to actually sealing the deal.” Currently the council and unnamed investor are going over several things that they would not accept as any part of the deal. Despite this, the council has come forward to say that the pier would still be owned by the council under any deal offered and suggested and if any deal of the sort would fall short and fail, the council itself would step in and invest in the pier itself.

           

But not everyone is happy with this investment and the idea of Southend Council investing their own money into it even if the deal falls short. Last year it cost £1.4 million to maintain and uphold the pier whilst only bringing in a mere £617,000 return even despite it bringing in its best visitor numbers ever since 2005. It’s unclear whether or not this investment will make or break the pier but council officials are confident in this investment and look forward to what they can bring to the table in the coming years.

Here is a view on what Trevor Bell, a Pier Campaigner thinks about the pier and future potential investment.

Trevor Bell said – “I’m excited to see what happens with the pier, I am worried though if it will stay in the publics hands”.

“I’d also like to see an audio-visual display, something which could explain Southend’s heritage and educates children about the pier and its uses in the war.”

“I’d also like a café and restaurant on the end of it to enjoy spending time on and look out towards the sea.”

The public have also had their say in what they think about the big investment, local bricklayer and pier attendee, Scott Harvey had this to say, “Although the pier is getting an investment which I think is for the better, it has been a long time and should of came way sooner. Whether its too late now or not, remains to be seen...”

“…We can only be optimistic and hope for the best, supporting the town we live in and paying respect to the landmark which puts us on the map.”

Following on from that, Harry a young adult wanted to give his say in this and the whole situation. “Every summer I enjoy attending the pier and walking a long it, whilst for someone like myself this is enough, I can’t help but wonder what it’d be like if we received such an investment…”

“Personally I would add more for children, its very adult centric and it’d be nice to teach the children of Southend about the history of the pier and how far we’ve come. It’d make for a lot of practical lessons where the children could go on regular visits to the pier and learn with their teachers.”

All in all, the drive behind and anticipation between the public of Southend is excited to hopefully see new additions to the pier no matter if the deal or not is carried through. Though worries of whether or not it will live up to expectations and be able to create a profit later on will remain to be seen. The future is surely bright though with the addition of the Royal Pavilion hoisted onto the pier in 2013. The Pavilion features a café, a function room for things such as events and weddings as well as £500,000 in sprinklers as an attempt to prevent another pier fire.