Sunday 27 December 2009

"FATAL ERROR"

A spelling mistake by an Education correspondent is as bad as a Driving Instructor failing a driving test, an actor fluffing their lines or Wayne Rooney missing an open goal.

Okay, you get the idea, but I did indeed manage to spot a glaring spelling mistake by BBC News' Education correspondent, Gary Eason. In the third paragraph, Eason spells the word 'announced' as 'annmounced' - embarrassing for any journalist, especially a journalist working for the BBC with Education being his specialist field. The mistake (pictured, left) has since been amended.

The print screen (above) was taken shortly after 0:11 on 23/12/2009 when the mistake was yet to be spotted. At this point, I also e-mailed Ofcom to notify them of the error. I did not receive a reply.

But later the same day, not only was the word 'announced' omitted from the article, but it was changed dramatically. The print screen below shows the updated version, which includes a different headline to that of the previous version (pictured, above).

All print screens come from the same article (and URL).

"It's true...and I can prove it!"

Monday 14 December 2009

WINOL (WEEK 4)

Another frustrating week at WINOL.

On Monday, I used the morning to try and get on the guest list for live music at the Railway and Joiners. It proved quite difficult as it seemed the relevant people only arrived at the venues in the afternoon.

In the features conference, we discussed the disappointment of not putting what’s on guide up on the site. I realised I should have pushed production to do this. But the usual procedure of producing the script and getting hold of accompanying creative commons pictures was still good practice. I've been in contact with a lot of local bands on their MySpace to get permission to use their pictures.

On Tuesday I came in with my script but problems in the studio continued. After countless takes, Paul’s ‘Date with Fate’ was done perfectly but had no sound when it came to editing. Therefore, that and my what's on guide was left until the following day.

On Wednesday, by the time that the studio was sorted, it was time to film the bulletin so ‘Date with Fate’ and what’s on had to be scrapped.

On a positive note, I watched the bulletin and Cara presented very well. Rob Kirk from Sky News was very impressed with our efforts and it was fair to say it was the best bulletin yet.

Tuesday 8 December 2009

PREVIEW: YOUR DEMISE AT SOUTHAMPTON JOINERS - 14/12/2009

No holds barred Your Demise come to The Joiners on Monday (14th December).

The St. Alban's quintet are in Southampton as part of their 'Santa Slaughter' UK tour in December. They are looking to equal the dizzy heights of success of Enter Shikari.

From having their equipment stolen to line-up changes to breaking down on the M1, Your Demise's six year journey has been a rough ride. The guys eventually reaped their reward in April when their debut album, 'Ignorance Never Dies' was released.

On the stage and in the studio, they are highly energetic and utterly unrepentant; Kerrang! described their unrelenting music as "the shape of punk to come." Their debut single 'Burnt Tongues' is
just revving of the engine that is 'Ignorance Never Dies.' 

Your Demise will hit you as hard as any metal band you have seen this year.

Check out Jon Hopley's review of Your Demise next week here on WINOL.

Monday 7 December 2009

WINOL (WEEK 3)

Week 3 of WINOL was full of 'technical difficulties.'

I arrived to hear, as expected, that my latest listings post had been mangled in the conveyor belt system that is Joomla. For the second week running, I had to spend Monday morning sorting out the spacing and web links in the what's on guide temporarily signed in as an administrator.

As time consuming as it is, I am the listings man and have to tell the good people of Winchester what's going on at all costs!

We hit more 'technical difficulties' on Tuesday when my what's on video guide was meant to happen. I read out the featured listings in one take, only to get back on Final Cut Pro and find there was no sound! It emerged that there were problems with the tape decks in the studio. We had to wait until Wednesday for it to be fixed, so the listings and 'Date with Fate' feature had to be put on hold.

On Wednesday, a new sense of optimism filled TAB 9 as the studio was fixed and we could go and film!

'Date with Fate' proved a huge success amongst ravenous WINOL 'employees,' especially when put up against the what's on guide. I'm only assuming this, as nobody bothered to post it up on the site this week.

Oh, I do enjoy 30-mile round trips for nothing!

It wasn't all doom and gloom on Wednesday though; while 'Date with Fate' was marvelled in, I managed to compile the week's text version of the listings tucked away in the opposite corner of TAB 9!

Newsflash! Today, on the 7th December, my review of Vagina Monologues (that I worked so hard to get a press pass for) has finally been approved and posted on WINOL!

This comes exactly THREE WEEKS after I went to see the show.

So, as you can see, everything is going well...