Do you know what journalism is?

"If you want to become a columnist at a prestigious newspaper, you must either be best friends with the editor or be able to give really good blow jobs to the right people"

Do you actually know what journalism is? I know it doesn't pay brilliantly, I know it is full of erratic hours, I even know that it's bloody hard work, but today opened everyones eyes that little bit more.

'Fleet Street Fox'...need I say more?

Her real name is Susie Boniface. This lady right here is a journalist; she is a proper fleet street drinking, cursing journalist and what was the first thing she said to us today? 

"The story comes first, the reader comes second and the journalist is nothing" 

There were about 40 people in this session and with this introduction the room was divided. You were either in the group that liked the no bullshit side to her and subsequently loved the rest of what she had to say OR you hated her from the moment she opened her mouth and then proceeded to ask everyone if they felt the same...

I thought she was brilliant, although apparently my blog is 'sweet' so I should probably say how much I hated her. She didn't sugar coat, she didn't need to as there is nothing to coat in sugar. Wanting to be a journalist is a form of mental illness, only an idiot would put themselves through the barrage of physical and verbal abuse that goes on in this business, BUT that is what makes it all the more exciting!

We were told that no-one would understand why we wanted to be journalists; why we had to keep our phones on 24 hours a day and why we have to run from the Christmas dinner table to take an important phone call, but It is the same as me not understand why someone would become a dentist or a forensic scientist. I wouldn't judge someone for wanting to do these things but doesn't make them wrong for wanting to do it.

"Find the balance between Human and Bastard and DON'T BE A TWAT"

The best way to deal with the barrage of abuse you will face is to know that you haven't done anything wrong. Basically if you have gone about a contentious story in a moral way, no matter how hard it is at the time, then you have nothing to worry about when it comes to criticism (Hopefully)

So, this is what happened at lunchtime today, I sat and took copious amounts of notes because 'Fleet Street Fox' made me think that most things are possible and that you just need to shut up, stop being so arrogant and do what you have to do. No one cares if you have an ego the size of a whale, if you show that to a reader they won't read you again. GET ON WITH IT AND STOP TELLING PEOPLE HOW BRILLIANT YOU THINK YOU ARE BECAUSE NOBODY CARES.

-IF YOU WANT SOMETHING ENOUGH AND YOU ARE WILLING TO FIGHT FOR IT YOU WILL GET IT-

I then went home and bought her book, because I love a good scandal.

Two Weeks in and I am a terrible blogger!

Friends and foes I must apologise for my lack of human-ness over the past two weeks. As it turns out becoming a journalist is very very time consuming.

I am enjoying this course so much but I haven't really had the time to explain it. It may be a dangerous thing to say but (whisper it...) I am actually enjoying shorthand, it is exhausting and frustrating and it makes you laugh because it sometimes seems too ridiculous, but when I can see how much I have already achieved it makes it a little bit more exciting!

PA and Law are very heavy subjects but really interesting at the same time and all the tutors are brilliant. All very funny and full of experience and enthusiasm, which is always a good thing.

I am in Group Two or Frost after the late and great Sir David Frost which is the name we gave ourselves. We are apparently the "Rowdy" class but I prefer the word "Curious" as we are only questioning the things we don't understand.

My Day.
I wake up at six o'clock, yes I said six. I'm not great at sleeping as it goes but six o'clock has been a bit of a struggle.
I get the train at about 730, read the metro
Catch a bus
9-1 Will be one of our subjects
2-5 will be another
I get home at 630 (If I am lucky)
I have dinner and then spend the rest of the evening practicing shorthand, reading law, public affairs and ethics or hunting out stories from my 'Patch' which is central Brighton.

I have a few ideas, which I am going to attend to in the next two weeks

so thats that.




In other news...The new iPhone software has majorly slowed my already slow phone down, I had to restore my phone in the process of updating it and it took me two hours to do so...

I'm 5 years old again...

This is it. This is the final weekend before I start my Journalism course which is scary in itself but now it's here. I basically feel like I am starting school again, new people, new stationary, new clothes. I know all the people are lovely, I've said that before but people are scary, I need to get a grip I know but it is all unknown territory at the moment...Who am I kidding this dang shorthand has me losing sleep, I can deal with people as we all do on a daily basis but this shorthand. Shorthand. SHORTHAND. What if I don't learn it in the time and I am the only one who fails? What happens if I get tonsillitis and lose valuable time and get behind? Actually I've already decided that contaminating my fellow students with tonsillitis is something I may have to do just so I don't get behind on the shorthand (Sorry)...I'm sure it will all be fine BUT there is always that little tiny voice that is actually like a tannoy in your head saying "You do know that this is going to be tough" "You do know that the Shorthand exam is out to make you fail?" Am I just hearing voices? If so Shorthand is the least of my worries...It will all be fine!

So...I have a secret but don't want you all to think i'm not serious about the course itself...You ready?

I've spent a lot of money this summer all on things 'For my Journalism Course'. Obviously I think people will totally believe that this is why a lot of the money I've earned this summer has been spent on a new coat, it is definitely going to be cold in the morning and evening, and I'll be travelling so I definitely don't want to be cold, Right? I bought a 'serious' bag, it is smart but casual, a pair of 'Professional' shoes with an ultra sensible heel for those rushed moments in life, and last but certainly not least I bought 'The' dress, the dress that means I am ready to take on the world, I'm ready to do that interview, ready to work into the evening on a new Breaking story all to be ready to go to print. It all sounds very exciting doesn't it? But you see these "things" are all very important to the rest of my life, it sounds very dramatic but it's not. You see all these insignificant yet terribly significant details will add to the experience, they will round things off, make you feel more comfortable and therefore less likely to shuffle and squirm in uncomfortable silences.

Anyway the real fun will be getting on all the right forms of public transport Monday morning, never mind about the actual course yet, this comes first.