DISQUS

Thanks - and I did agree with you about letters to the editor actually being letters to the other readers, sorry if I wasn't clear on that.

What a shame the article itself doesn't allow comments, so I'll have to post here.

I'm not sure how too many media courses affects the representativeness of the media itself - surely broadening access to those courses makes it more likely that underrepresented groups get a foot in the door.

But I do agree that low starting salaries and, particularly, the requirement for unpaid work experience in an expensive city, puts off a lot of poorer graduates. One of our graduates had to work for Natmags for 3 months for free - supporting herself in London (she was originally from Leeds) - before she landed a paid job. It isn't a route open to most people.

That's my reading for this afternoon sorted, then.

Thanks for the link, Martin - one correction: it is a team of NUJ student members, not a team of my students. The team comprises delegates from universities in Edinburgh, Cork, Gloucestershire, Swansea and Nottingham

I'll add my voice to the chorus calling for your inclusion. You're at the top of my MyGoogle...

An inspiring post that I'll certainly be recommending to my students, and the point about careers early on is also one I'll be recommending we adopt. Last year we introduced a 'Production Event' in year one where journalism students work as a news agency - producing copy for print, TV, radio and online during a 'themed' week (like the BBC's Africa week, for instance). It's a great way to demonstrate the range of forms you may be asked to produce material for, gets students working with specialists in a range of media - and they love it!

I'm definitely interested in this, and have signed up. As someone who teaches both online journalism and new media skills such as web design I've an interest in both the journalism and the technical aspect of this.

That person also posted the question to my blog at - my response:

Do I think "that blogging is journalism?" Some of it, yes.

Do I think "that it is fair to journalists who earned four year degrees and know the ethics (whether they practice them or not)to be over-ridden by bloggers who claim to have the "real news"? Or do you think that blogging is a more direct source of information rather than reading it from a journalist who may be censored?"

Firstly, your question is loaded and badly phrased, giving me only two options, both of which I disagree with. I would disagree that graduates are "over-ridden" by bloggers - in fact any graduate with any sense would be blogging themselves. Bloggers are hardly taking over the news industry, but rather providing an alternative or complementary news service to a public increasingly distrusting of time-starved or lazy journalists who simply rewrite press releases. They are also a great way to hear from people 'on the ground', whether that's people living through the Iraq war, troops fighting there, or police, nurses, teachers and scientists who know more about topical issues than journalists and politicians.