Production

This as far as i have got with my local newspaper. It shows that i have completed my main story. Although i still have to go through and check it as a printed version, this will allow me to find mistake that i had not seen before. It may also mean that i change the layout of some of the stories so it fits better. I will also check my layout against other newspapers so that i can make sure it is in keeping with traditional local newspapers.

I keep on changing between having the title on the front cover, stretched across the whole page or compact but in a bigger font so it will still be as striking. I also would like to include another piece of advertising on the front cover. I think this is appropriate because local newspapers have a tendency to have a lot of advertising because this is how they are paid for. The newspaper can rent out spaces this will allow for the paper to be paid for without having to put a higher selling price to the non residents and will allow the newspaper to remain free for those that live in the particular areas.

Progress

I am currently continuing to write and edit articles for my local newspaper. Before i wrote my first article i imagined that i would reread it and be able to edit first time, but in fact i am rewriting it more than i thought. I think i underestimated how many times i would have to go through it, although it is better so that it reads better as a newspaper article. I still have to take some pictures for an article, and i am doing a homes for sale or rent section which i will take pictures for. I am going to use homes that i easily have access to so that it means i will not have problems with copyright, if i was to take the pictures from an estate agents website. I am trying to keep my stories as local and recent as possible so that when i come to have people to review it they will know my topics and will be able to give a good review.

ALl of the pictures that i am using, i have taken myself so that i do not have problems with copyright. The only copyright i have given is for Station taxis, i think this is the easiest way.

Copyright

My local newspaper will contain a lot of local advertising, i asked permission from station taxis which is a local taxi company that are based in Wymondham. The first email below is is what i sent to the company, I needed to obtain permission from the company as they produced their own logo.

My name is Hannah and i am currently at Wymondham High Sixth Form studying media.
I am producing a local newspaper for my examination piece and would liketo include some advertising from the local area. Would it be possible if iwas to use your logo/business name from your website. My newspaper willnot be published but will be seen by examiners.

Thank you very much for your time

Yours Faithfully
Hannah Harvey


Below is the response that i recieved from back, i am very pleased as i did not expect to hear back as most companies would believe this to not be important enough for them to repsond to.


Dear Hannah, yes it is ok to use our web site details,good luck in your exams and do not forget us when your need a taxi,
Simon Pilgrim

1st Draft

Confusion over the future of Royal Norwich Golf Club

Oct 22 2009

MYSTERY surrounds the future of Norwich’s oldest golf club, following rumours of its impending closure and sale for building land.

Last week the Eastern Herald received a letter from a golfer concerned about the future of the Royal Norwich Golf Club, after he had heard reports that it would close in the next 12 months.

The letter, from a Mr B Ownley of Spixworth, said he had been a member of the club for the past 23 years and was a regular user of the local golf course.

Mr Ownley said: "My wife and I enjoy a game of golf. We went up to the course on a lovely sunny day only to find that there were just the two of us out on the course all morning.

"When we returned to the club house the barmaid, told us that the staff had been told unofficially that the club was to close and the land sold for housing development."

Despite numerous attempts to get their side of the story, the Eastern Herald failed to speak to any officials from the golf club this week.

Further enquiries with local Broadland councillors and the business community failed to shed any more light on the club’s future.

Broadland councillor and businesswoman, Elen Jones said: "We’re not sure what’s going on there. I can confirm that an outline planning application has been received for a significant part of the site and that it is currently being reviewed by officials.

Norwich City councillor for Hellesdon West, Mike Thomas said: "As far as I know, there have been no announcements it will close, but there has been a drop in membership recently. If this is the case, from my position as a councillor and a keen golfer I would ask people to support the club by using it."

Royal Norwich Golf Club was opened in 1905, and occupies approximately 73 acres of land, on either side of Drayton High Road. It was granted the title ‘Royal’ in 1931 following the Royal family regularly playing the course, whilst resident at Sandringham. However, in recent times the club has seen a steady fall in its membership numbers and increasing running costs.

The Eastern Herald contacted Mr Hugo White, current club captain who declined to make any comment.

However, the Herald has learned that a national building company has been contacted to discuss a joint building venture with a local entrepreneur businessman. Neither party would make any comment.

The club also has the unique distinction of playing host to a round of golf between three British Prime Ministers in Clement Atlee, Sir Winston Churchill and David Lloyd George.

Do you know anymore about this or any other story? If so, call us on 01603 424242.


I have completed my first draft of my main front page news story. There are several aspects of it that i have analysed and i will rewrite, alter or take out. I realise i will have to do this several times. One section of it which i am going to add to is i don't think i have got enough personal opinion in it, which will mean i could for example go ask some individuals or local businesses opinion, which will hopefully be one way i could improve it.
Further more the way that i have started writing the news report is not in a way which you would normally see it done. So i am going to reword some it accordingly so that it sounds more like a news report.
On the front cover i am going only give the title and basic information about the story, and then at the end i am going to add in a sentences which will tell the reader to go to another page. I am using this method to firstly attract peoples attention then once i have it, it won't give away a lot of information but will encourage them to read on throughout the rest of the newspaper.

Whats going on in your local area?

I have gathered some information from a website which reviews people that live within a certain area of your choice, and the types of newspapers they read, along with some other relevant information. This will provide me within enough information to be able to review and see what i believe readers would like to read and the types of newspapers people are more likely to pick up.

If you click on the link below then you can find where to gain information on the types of papers people buy in and around your local area.

http://jiab.jicreg.co.uk/JIAB.cfm?NoHeader=1

I think it is very interesting how much information you can so freely find out about people as whilst looking for this information i also managed to find a web site called 'upmystreet' which goes into a lot more information and also goes into a lot of depth about crime figures, income etc. If you are interested you can access this from the link below, it means that i can research peoples interests so that my newspaper is as successful as possible.

http://www.upmystreet.com/local/schools-in-nr9-4bu.html?bcsi_scan_2A0B5F79983137E2=5YyjPGlx7m4PZGLgvXNX3QUAAADyIIgC&bcsi_scan_filename=schools-in-nr9-4bu.html

From this information i found that in the area i picked, South Norfolk's crime levels are below the national average. If they was a sudden increase in crime i could report on this and find out if it has happened across the country or if it is just within that area.

What are people interested in?

I think it is very interesting how people tastes have changed over the years especially young peoples opinions. Seeing as todays youth are soon going to be running the world i think its very interesting to find out their opinions on what they believe to do in their spare time and what they find interesting. So please respond with the types of local, national and international papers you like to read and what you think could be done to make them more interesting.

The "Diss Express" Editor responds

I recently discussed with a teacher about finding out some information directly from a local newspaper, which we have sucessfully managed. Below is a copy of the email that was sent to "The Diss Express" they were very quick and helpful to reply which has meant that i have a lot more knowledge which i have found hard to obtain. I managed to easily gain an email address from not only their website but also from the newspaper it self, this is where i liked the idea about including the contact details for them, as it made it so much easier for my self and i imagine it would be the same for other readers.


Below is a copy of the email that was sent to the editor.

Dear Mr. Penny,

I hope you are well. My name is Warren Holmes and I am one of the media studies teachers at Wymondham High School. I am currently working with a student who is creating a new local newspaper for her final piece and is conducting a case study of your publication. As a result, I am writing to see whether you could be kind enough to answer the questions below, so as to provide Hannah with information that could be used in all stages of production.

1. What are the aims of the newspaper?
2. Who are your target readers in terms of age and gender?
3. In what ways do you hope the publication contributes to the community it seeks to serve?
4. What do you aim to achieve with each edition?
5. How do you prioritise/organise newspaper content?

I appreciate that you are busy, but any feedback would be greatly received.
Thank you
With best wishes, Warren


In response to the email that was sent from Wymondham High below is the email that we received back. Some of the information was very interesting and i am pleased that we carried this task out. I have analysed this data and i have put it into an easier format of a spider diagram, this means that i can easily look at my data without having to read through every time.

Dear Mr Holmes,
Thank you for your email. In response to the questions - purely from an editorial point of viewrather than advertising:

1. What are the aims of the newspaper?
To provide information and news to readers and web users throughout the 500 square mile area we cover and beyond.

2. Who are your target readers in terms of age and gender?
Typical readers are aged 45-70, equally split between male and female, but we try to provide a balanced news, features, information and sport menu to appeal to a much wider range.

3. In what ways do you hope the publication contributes to the community it seeks to serve?
We provide news and information that is not readily available, pass on other items of interest to a wider audience and also get involvedactively with local events.

4. What do you aim to achieve with each edition?
To provide interesting and stimulating content, supporting the community but also provoking discussion and acting as a watchdog for public bodies and services. The fact by doing this we increase sales is obviously a major part of keeping a successful business going.

5. How do you prioritise/organise newspaper content?
We aim to include anything and everything that comes into news desk -either proactively via our team of reporters or passively fromcorrespondents and readers. The news team, ultimately me as editor, make the decision as to how much importance to give to each item.

The easiest way to see how the newspaper is organised would probably be to come in to the office for a few hours. Feel free to contact me if this would be of interest.
Please pass on my good luck wishes to your student with her work.
A copy of her case study would make fascinating reading to see how weare viewed from the outside if that would be possible please? Kind regards,

Yours sincerely,
Steven Penny

EditorDiss Express
01379 658015
Norfolk & Suffolk House,
Mere Street,Diss,
Norfolk, IP22 4AE


The information that Mr penny had provided for me is very interesting and i know i will find it very helpful and hopefully from this i will end up with a local newspaper that people will enjoy buying.

Pitch & Treatment

Pitch
The Village, an exciting new publication for readers in Wymondham, Barnham Broom, Barford and Wicklewood. Offering local news, personal stories and up to date information the new local newspaper aims to provide a voice for people in areas of Norfolk.

Treatment
"Putting the heart back into the community" ...
Such thing is central to this new publication, whilst certain parts of Norfolk are well served by print media, others are given little opportunity to become part of a wider community. The Village will address this issue, providing a weekly snap shot of life as most know it, through a combination of local news, human interest features and advertising. The typical structure of the publication will be a lively mix of local columnists who will offer reflections upon reported news effecting the area. They will also be ample chance for readers to contribute and have their say, so as to reinforce the key notion of community. Being free to all residents in the area through their local newsagents is meant to encourage a sense of unity. In offering the local newspaper, free of charge it is envisaged that "The village" becomes regarded as an informative friend who's company you are willing to share. The layout has been specifically developed for ease of access. In addition to a clearly identifiable masthead that is complemented by a catchy tag line, the footer of each page will feature details that can be used by readers such as email, or a telephone number to potentially make contact with the editorial creative team. The highlighting of this is intended to emphasise that the publication is dependent on contributions from the reader.

Local Newspapers

A newspaper is a publication containing news, information, and advertising. General-interest newspapers often feature articles on political events, crime, business, art/entertainment, society and sports. A local newspaper refers to news coverage of events in a local context which would not normally be of interest to those of other localities, or otherwise be of national or international scope.

The two newspapers that i have looked closer at is the Diss Express and The Lowestoft Journal, both of them feature the places that they are writing for in the title. There are some similarities and differences with the papers which allow me to complete a textual analysis on them. The front cover of each of the newspapers have stories which are relevant to them areas, perhaps as a coincidence both front covers are centred around problems with housing. The Diss express has a picture centred on the front cover and the story to go along side it was wheelie bins and hedges being set on fire resulting on some homes have to be evacuated. The Lowestoft Journal has a front cover which would draw people in immediately, telling readers an amazing 11,000 new homes are proposed to be built. This would certainly attract peoples attention and even if they wouldn't normally buy this local newspaper then they might on this occasion to read the story and check on this piece of local news, which could effect them.

The Diss Express has decided to use some housing advertisement on the front cover to draw people in and let them no that there is a high possibility of more to come inside. Another striking away that they try to attract people is by having a picture of a poster that you can claim for free. If a family were in the newsagents and a small child say that you could have this then they would probably be able to convince there parents to buy it so that they could then claim their free England poster.

The Lowestoft Journal is slightly different as it devotes a lot more of its space to companies to advertise their companies on. I would say that just over half of the front cover is taken up by the front cover story and the rest has a title, and the covering story. You could presume that this is the way that the newspaper is mainly funded as they do not get enough from sales alone. I think this is extremely important but in some cases is either the making or breaking of a successful, long term newspaper.

I had a look at the Diss Express website http://www.dissexpress.co.uk/w.dissexpress.co.uk/) which i found to be very useful and if you have access to it, then a lot more informing. The website also included the most up to date information for the area. whereas the information that is in the newspaper is only as up to date as when it was printed and published.

After you navigated to another section of the website then it then meant i found it pretty hard to be able to get back to the home page. I initially thought that you had to click on the home button, this only took me to the home of that part of the website, i had to press the back button numerous times to get back to where i wanted to. I was very impressed with the website as it is such a small local newspaper compared to something more national like the EDP or others that they are competing with. Whenever i clicked on links that navigated me away using a new window then it seemed to take a long time, and some pages didn't even load, and came back saying that they were not going to be loaded.

I am currently in the process of contacting the Diss Express to find out some of their views and opinions form an editors point of view.

Does the thought of creating a music video excite you?

The role of the commissioner

• over seeing every aspect of a music video, to make sure the interests of the artists and record company match.

Video budget

• the amount of air time
• the budget is decided by the record labels and producers
• the success determines how much money is spent on the next video

Selecting a director

• someone that has quite a good previous history
• able to work to a budget
• a treatment that really works with the song

The artist - commissioner relationship

• relationship with he artist is key to make sure it runs smoothly
• although they employ other workers they still work closely
• budget depends on how famous they are

The responsibilities of the director

• bringing an idea to the table
• describing a video well to make sure that the idea is put across well
• instructing people that you work with

conceptualizing the video & writing the treatment

• they need to bring the film to life using the treatment

After looking at both music videos and print newspapers in depth i think that i am going to create my project on local newspapers. I am more interested in this area as it is more suited to me and my creative skills are more channelled towards this specific area. I have got that much prior knowledge of making any short or music videos. So in response to my intial question i don't think creating a music video excites me enough to do it. Creating a local newspaper will be easier to cater for more peoples needs and will not limit me as much. Although it is impossible to please eveyone, however i believe that it will be a lot harder to widely please a large audience through a short film or music video.

What's a music video?

A music video can be comprised of lots of different elements. Usually after a artist has written and produced a song they can choose to make a video to go with it. A video gives visual aid to watchers and listeners to help them realise the meaning behind the song and in basic terms to find out what the song is about. Most songs are written for no other reason than to make money, whereas in the past there was a lot more meaning behind each of the songs. For example Michael Jackson often produced music videos that cost several millions to produce, and once they were released it then sent him into a lot of debt. The video Michael made called scream was proved to be the most expensive music video that has ever been made costing a massive 7 million, this was produced in 1995. I have managed to find a list of the top 30 most expensive videos and 5 of michaels songs feature in it. Sometimes people don't get the meaning to the song and need some help to realise what it is about. The main purposes of a music video is to sell a song, if it has a music video with it it seems to sell it a lot more and give the singer a lot more profit in the long run. The second reasons that a music video is good is it remind you of the song and helps you remember it a lot easier. For example a memorable music video is OK Go - Here It Goes Again, this was created by a band who danced and used treadmills as their video. It was not necessarily the song that people can remember but the video that went along with it now means that everyone knows it and it made them very famous very quickly because of it.

Movie evaluation

The last movie i went to see was Dance flick, which recently came out. Before i went i imagined it to be along the lines of step up 1 & 2, get served, stomp the yard etc, which is quite serious but a very likable and gripping story line. It was not like i imagined, as the story line was based around other dance films that have been released over the last couple of years. Dance flick took the mick out of previous films and showed them in different ways and everything was made a lot more dramatic. For example there is a car crash and instead of people rushing to help her, they all rush to steel her engine so they can catch petrol from the over turned leaking tanker.

In real life this would never happen, as this did not happen in the film like this either in the original film it was left to the imagination, with just the viewers knowing that the character had unfortunately died from a car crash.

The film was split between being shot during the day and night however there seemed to be more night scenes. This meant that it was often night times and there was a lot of artificial light used which were all bright colours however it still seemed to be quite dark and dull a lot of the time. Diagetic and non diagetic music was used a lot as it was centered around dancing there needed to be music. Even when there were not dance scenes, music was still projected in the back ground and played a big part in creating tension.

Overall i enjoyed the film, although i may have felt a bit of disappointed as it had not been what i expected however it made up for it in humour as i sat there laughing throughout the film. But it would have been my fault as i did not find out about it before going to see it i just went off of the name and new it was a dance film so assumed it would be good. I would recommend people to go watch it as i think they would find it extremely funny, but to go there with an open mind. It may also help if you have seen the films that are featured within it, because then you realise the purpose behind it. Although it is not necessary but it enabled me to grasp onto the point a lot quicker.