Lock up yer 4 x 4s!

So, entry no. 2, and after the initial hard hitting piece of politically motivated, highly emotive, international journalism, here's a story about...well...face paint and uni-cyclists!

Or to be more precise, the recent Hovis London Freewheel, where 14 km of streets in my local borough, Westminster, were closed to traffic for the day, giving 38,000 pedal powered people the right to ponder the pros of protection. Both in terms of health, and the environment.

I believe it's good to explore all sides of the spectrum when producing journalism, to encourage and display your own versatility, as well as keeping up with the world around you on both a local and international level. Plus, after going through an 8 hr day introducing us to the joys of learning shorthand today, I figured something a little more light hearted would be sufficient!

So without further ado, here is 'Lock Up Yer 4 x 4s!' complete with images of those quoted from. This article can also be viewed at: http://www.lifeatuni.com/lifestyle/articles/200709_articles/lifestyle_articles_lock.php

Lock Up Yer 4 x 4’s!

Pedal power ruled the streets of London last weekend as the long awaited Hovis London Freewheel swept into town. Chelsea tractors and 4 x 4’s were forced to remain in the garage for the day, as part of a drive by Transport for London (TfL) to promote cycling in the capital. And the verdict? A successful day was had by all, bare the odd grazed knee, of course!

14 km of roads across the city centre, from London Bridge to Victoria Embankment, and on into St. James Park, were closed off to traffic for seven hours on Sunday, allowing tens of thousands of cyclists the freedom to roam the cities landmarks and icons.

The event was open to all human powered modes of transport, from cyclists and tri-cyclists, to roller-bladers and skateboarders, with even one or two unicyclists showing off their well honed skills. With a week to go before the event took place, all 38,000 available places had been allocated to those fortunate enough to register in time, meaning the event went ahead, as expected, at maximum capacity.

Jugglers, buskers, and various street entertainers were also in attendance, many gathering at the after party in St. James Park, provided they did not require a clapped out 1970’s VW to make it to the show. And of course, what family event would have been complete without the obligatory balloons, sweets, and face paint?

Along with the atmosphere of family fun, there was a serious message behind the event. According to TfL, “The number of cyclists on the capitals streets has increased by a massive 83 per cent over the past seven years,” and, as the statement goes on, “The mayor (Ken Livingstone) still wishes to increase this further.”

This rise, as well as being attributed to the generous endowment of cycle lanes across the city centre, and often criticised public transport systems, has more than a little to do with the clear benefits to commuters health, and an increasing awareness of environmental issues.

Policies introduced by Ken Livingstone over the past few years, such as the Central London congestion charge, were designed to complement a desire among Londoners for a cleaner, greener environment, and have also contributed to the steady rise in numbers turning to pedal power.

The congestion charge, though controversial when originally introduced due to its effect on small businesses in the affected areas, has since been embraced by most Londoners, relieved by the effect on the hectic natural and social environments. Earlier this year, the charge was extended further, to major areas of West London.

Doing their bit to help out for the day, 23 year old American backpacker Tara Noonan, and 27 year old Trinidadian Garth Gilbert, were all for the positive messages being expounded. Ms Noonan said: “It’s been a long day, but a good one. We’ve had loads of families out together. We had all sorts, even a guy peddling a bath tub. I want the guy with the sweets to come by again. Every time we see him we hold up the stop sign!”

Asked if anyone had been hurt during the course of the day, Mr Gilbert, who’s band ‘G. Force Alliance’ were due to play later on in the day, laughed: “Nothing serious. One guy came off, cut his eyebrow a little, nothing to worry about.”

And after the summer that the whole of the UK has experienced, London included, we even had a burst of sunshine to brighten up the September afternoon. A good day to feel the exhaust-free wind in your hair!

And in the beginning...

Hello world,

Welcome to the ever evolving power of citizen journalism, from one who is about to embark on a 12 month MA Degree at Brunel University. As far as I am concerned...one of the premier journalistic qualifications in the UK.

Now, it should be pointed out, from day one, that there is no such thing as 'citizen journalism', in a definitive context. In the words of one Jon Snow, legendary channel 4 news caster, (who we met today, incidentally, thanks to Sarah Niblock, our spirited leader), to define a socially aware citizen as such is to "ghetto-ise" them. Those of us who choose to pursue journalism as a career are, truth be told, in no position of privilege beyond the bartender, the toilet cleaner, or the street sweeper, when it comes to reporting the news.

We have no access, no specific rights, and, you can bet, use the word 'journalist' in the wrong context to justify prying into things, and you are likely to arouse nothing but suspicion in those you wish to talk to. It is, therefore, going to be interesting to see just how we are taught the craft of journalism. The practical aspects, we have been informed / warned, will be a matter of time and commitment. The ideological aspects, however, depend on our own evolution.

Anyway, in order to get the blog rolling...here we go. Over the past few months, I have been submitting articles to a student based news site: lifeatuni.com. The freedom of expression is fantastic- you can write on any subject of a current affairs nature, that you believe may be of interest to students. So long as you have something to say...this site presents a channel to get out there and say it.

So, in light of the recent report from the US General David H. Petraeus into the effectiveness of the US troop surge in Iraq, coupled with recent news leaks from the MoD, here is my own opinion on the powers that be and their attempts to control media output from Iraq, four years on from the invasion. This article can now be found at: http://www.lifeatuni.com/lifestyle/articles/200709_articles/lifestyle_articles_rep.php


A GOOD REPUTATION? WE’RE GAGGING FOR IT.

Over the past few weeks there has been a noticeable shift in the nature of the negative information that we have been receiving from Iraq with regards to the ongoing conflict in the main stream media. A shift in that, there appears to be less of it. Maybe the United States’ top man on the ground, General David H. Petraeus, is correct in his recent assertion that George Bush’s ‘troop surge’ is paying dividends.

Or maybe it has more to do with the fact that a war weary public is getting tired of the death, the violence, and the bloodshed, and would much rather keep up with the showbiz ‘careers’ of the Big Brother house mates now that their 15 minutes of fame are, mercifully, coming to an end.

If I was a gambling man, I’d bet my bottom US dollar on the latter explanation, as opposed to the former. An explanation which should please our elected leaders, to whom Iraq has become an almighty brimstone around the neck. And blatant attempts to obstruct the reporting process do not do their reputations any favours.

The long awaited report of General Petraeus into the current state of affairs in Iraq, seven months on from the introduction of the troop surge, was delivered, as expected, on September 10th. And, as many predicted, it may as well have been in the hand writing of one George W. Bush.

As the Independent reported on the day following General Petraeus’ report, “Claims that the US military strategy is paving the way for a stable society bear little resemblance to the reality on the ground. The US is accused of manipulating figures relating to violence to fit their case, ignoring evidence which shows that the influx of 30,000 troops has done little to end the continuing bloodshed.”

The importance that those in power, with their various political motives and agendas, place on limiting any negative reportage from Iraq was exposed back on the 10th August when, on the front page of the Guardian, it was reported that the Ministry of Defence in the UK had issued a series of gagging orders to British troops, “barring military personnel from speaking about their service publicly.”

As the report continued: “Soldiers, sailors and airforce personnel will not be able to blog, take part in surveys, speak in public, post on bulletin boards, play in multi-player computer games or send text messages or photographs without the permission of a superior if the information they use concerns matters of defence.”

The report went on to quote directly from the MoD guidelines, which stated that: “All such communication must help to maintain and, where possible, enhance the reputation of defence.”

However, there do remain independent groups and NGO’s, trustworthy sources of information, to whom the truth remains more important than any covert, or overt, political agendas. And the picture they paint is far from that which was delivered by General Petraeus, and one which most definitely does not “enhance the reputation of defence,” much to the consternation, no doubt, of the MoD.

The ‘Iraq Body Count’ (IBC), an independent analytical project, is one such source. Those behind the project take great care to underline the fact that the IBC website is not intended as a news portal, but rather an independent analysis. Any information released by the IBC is based on carefully compiled facts. The projects purpose is to compile a record of all non-combatants killed in Iraq as a direct result of the 2003 military invasion.

As the IBC website states: “Deaths in the database are derived from a comprehensive survey of commercial media and NGO based reports, along with official records that have been released into the public sphere.”

In order for an ‘incident’ to be added to the ongoing project, the site explains: “All inclusions are derived from a minimum of two independent data sources.” In short, the IBC strives to deliver a true, unbiased account of civilian deaths in Iraq, free of political or national interests.

Confirmed records displayed by the IBC only list the body count as recently as August the 8th, though a section entitled ‘recent events,’ which is consistently updated, due to the uncertain nature of reports coming out of Iraq, gives a more up to date account.

For example, on Sunday, 16th September, at least 71 civilians died in ten separate incidents, including 11 Iraqi civilians shot dead in Baghdad by US security contractors, while in Baquda, a 6 year old boy was killed by sniper fire.

On Tuesday 11th September, 33 people died, including ten policemen who were killed in two separate incidents in Qaiyara and Mosul.

On Saturday 8th September, 59 people died. Four of these, who were found by police, had been killed returning from a funeral.

It is indicative of news values in the modern day that the death toll in Iraq, though as horrific as ever, is for the most part no longer considered worthy of main stream media coverage. These events are occurring on such a regular basis, that they are losing their worth to the media. Which no doubt comes as an enormous comfort to the likes of the MoD, who would really rather everybody concerned just kept quiet.

However, in the light of projects such as the IBC, the MoD have little to worry about. It is difficult to imagine how anything could do any more harm to the “reputation of defence,” than our interventionalist foreign policy in Iraq has done alone.

As you read through the list published daily by the IBC, which goes on, and on, and on, you are struck by a sense of numbness. The death count, and the details, are shocking, and disturbing, though words such as these are hopelessly insufficient. There is no way to describe how you should feel when faced with such indisputable, horrific facts and figures.

The world knows full well that, at the time of writing, post war Iraq has all gone horribly, horribly wrong. It is far, far too late for those who would rather the truth was kept under wraps to start searching for ways and means to convince us that everything is going just fine.