The unquenchable thirst for "MORE"

 

I was just thinking about a simple phrase "Freedom of Speech" ; perhaps the simplest of all concept yet so many revolutions and wars have been fought for this simple phrase.  However it is important to ask ourselves why it is so important?


As I sit in a room overlooking the sea listening to the breeze and the cuckoo outside the window I can't help but feel safe, even in a land foreign to my own. I can't imagine what it is like for a girl my age who I sitting in a room listening to the horrible noise of gunfire and air raids.


For twenty somethings like me war has always been a part and parcel of our existence. We are the children of the 80's one of the most volatile periods of history. Why? well we grew up in the decade when everything was changing. After the radical 70's the 80's was defined by the quest to earn money and the thirst for 'MORE'.
So for people like me it was one of the most confusing eras to be born in. We were born in conservative times when everything was self centric the world lived under a shadow of conflict. The USSR was dying and it's various satellite states were becoming quasi democratic states.


The advent of the 90's brought the first spate of wars. So children in the first decade of their lives saw their parents listening to the news regarding the first Gulf war and the Balkans. As we entered our teens we witnessed the 9/11 attacks and various other acts of terror. The conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq gave a glimpse of that unquenchable thirst for 'MORE' that had gained prominence since the eighties.

The human cost of War

It will be exceedingly naive of one to believe that the greed for 'MORE' by which I mean the urge to gain:

Power, Money and everything else wasn't present before the 80's but at least then the world was preoccupied with the Cold War and wasn't really in the position to indulge in anything other tan spreading communism or controlling the spread of communism depending on which side one was on. However the fall of  the USSR left a void that was quickly fill by the leading countries now concentrating on meddling in the affairs of the countries that were of strategic importance to them. Thus came the advent of the era that I like to call "Senseless Wars" . 

In all this the one most important thing that has been overlooked is that simple phrase again; yes, that phrase that was used to justify the needless loss to humanity : "Freedom of Speech". In all these countless wars that were fought since the late 80's that is the one thing, perhaps the most important thing that has been overlooked. 

I can say this with the utmost confidence as I have been part of the generation that grew up with one conflict after the other. As 8 year olds we could see the flimsy reasons behind the conflicts in the Gulf and the Balkans and we still don't see the reasons behind the justifications given behind the myopic reasons behind the world meddling in the Middle East. So, in conclusion if the world now chooses to start another senseless war in Libya , at least the phrase ie, giving the Libyans the "Freedom of Speech" should not be used yet again to justify another wasteful war. 

NATO hit Tripoli

Dear Reader, in my post I had enumerated on the fact that I had to learn to say a lot in a few words!!! Well let me tell you this, for a person like me it is really difficult..... It's true! I have never been frugal with words ever in my life; not while speaking and certainly not when I write.

However, I had this major epiphany whilst writing stories for my portfolio:
"A Journalist is a Word-smith"
As I wrote in my last blog post, I have increasingly realised that, I find it very difficult to convey a lot in few words. After all, breaking the habit of a lifetime is not easy. Another thing is getting people to communicate to you.

I find that getting people to talk to you is very easy but, getting them to communicate that is answer questions.....oooh boy!!!! a Nightmare!!! I tell you...A COMPLETE NIGHTMARE. I have always operated under the belief that people are generally nice if you are nice to them. It's actually true! If you ask for it, there is never a dearth of friendly advice. I think as individuals we are flattered when someone seeks help; it is in a way a boost to our self worth. However, if one begins to ask something which we consider unpleasant, we tend to shut up like a clam!!!!

In the course of this past month, I have come across some really frustrating instances of people either too  communicative or not at all. The fact that I tend to fall in the former group generally, has made me realise how frustrating I can be sometimes. However, this epiphany does not mean that I will now become the complete opposite and communicate in nods and grunts!!

I suppose dear reader, that the answer to this problem lies somewhere in the middle. I know that sometimes the meaning behind a sentence can be expressed in a single word . However, there are times when one has to be articulate. It is the balance between the two that in my opinion makes a good Journalist. whether one is the interviewer or the interviewee good communication between the two parties is highly desirable.

However I end this post by sending out this conundrum, the select few who possess good communication skills aren't exactly dime a dozen so, what does one do with the majority who either rant and meander or nod and grunt?

Tricks employed by interviewees!!!

Universal Problems faced by interviewers!!!

Dear Reader, these past couple of weeks have been a revelation for me....I realised one intriguing fact, that there is a writer in every one of us! It's true! Each one of us has an opinion about things that if I may say so, we are not afraid to voice! Imagine if we were to pen these thoughts on paper. Now, this is where it gets interesting, I think that it is the ability to express said opinions on paper that creates the divide between those who are good writers and those that are terrible at it.

A few days ago I read somewhere this very curiously apt phrase- "Journalism is Literature in a hurry". I must say that in the course of my education in the past few months, I have come to realise how very apt this phrase is and also how inadequate my talents are with respect to it.

You see, I belong to the type that rely on the use of heavy words and descriptive phrases when writing a piece. However, In the course of gathering stories for my portfolio, I have learnt a valuable lesson. One, that has helped me realise just how much hard work goes behind becoming a Journalist. The most important ability that a journalist should possess is the 'ability to convey a lot in a few words'.

A good piece of reporting doesn't necessarily involve the use long sentences or difficult words. Think  about it, would you want to read a news story that has you looking through a dictionary after every few words? Another thing that I have learnt in the past couple of weeks is that it is very difficult to research stories in the real world. I had this really good story about a local community fighting to save an Art Deco heritage building.
Let me tell you that researching and writing it was a struggle from the beginning to the end.

One of the most difficult n bits for me was reporting a coherent, to the point story without reverting into my old habit of grandiose writing. Oh dear reader it was excruciating....habits of a lifetime and all that....!!
Well, I end this post by observing the fact that I may have to curtail these tendencies for my portfolio yet, I can at least indulge in this habit when writing this blog !!

Dear Reader, a month has passed since my last blog entry, and boy! what a time I've had!!! All in all, that past weeks have been a bit overwhelming as my spring term came to an end and now, I won't have classes any more.

So now, all I have to do is concentrate on writing my essays and portfolio. As for the former, I must say that I really enjoyed the spring term. My perceptions of queer studies especially in the context of popular culture are very different from what they were in January at the start of the spring term. As for my other subject, I have learnt a lot about Journalism in the context of globalization. Studying global journalism has give me an in-depth understanding into the way Journalism functions in different areas of the world.

In a way it has helped me understand more about the dynamics of journalism in my own country India (a developing economy). I really think that I have a long way to go before I totally understand Journalism and the significance of being a Journalist.

A few months ago, before I started my course my views were soo different. In my opinion Journalists were this amazing bunch of people who could write whatever they wanted, and could openly share their opinions freely. It was this glamorous mirage often described as "literature in a hurry", well I had it all wrong.

In the past couple of months I have learnt the one thing, perhaps the most important fact - Journalism is not fiction. It's the truth, and journalists have a duty to find out the truth and provide information to their audience and readers. To tell you the truth dear reader, the reality of journalism is really different from what I believed it to be. It is not easy being a journalist. There are forces that always work to hide the truth and deflect all inquiries.

Another thing that I have learnt is that it is very easy to perceive oneself as a writer but very difficult to actually become one. For instance I found it really difficult to properly write the two stories that I have already written for my portfolio.Although, when we were informed about the portfolio in class, I thought that it would be a cakewalk. Well, let me assure you that it isn't!

So I end this entry by dedicating it to the noble act of writing rubbish and learning from mistakes. Lets hope that in the coming months I become adept at recycling and using my resources to the most!

Dear Reader, as I sat comfortably on a couch eating a huge slice of chocolate cake watching the BBC news at ten, I caught myself cribbing about the amount of calories I was putting into my mouth!!! I had this sudden epiphany……we are soo selfish!!! I mean it; all of us in our own way are sooo selfish!

What I mean to say is that here I was wasting my time thinking about something that really didn’t make a difference to mankind (well except burden mother earth with a few extra kilos) whilst there, right in front of me some responsible journalist was talking about the revolution going on in North Africa!!!


This self centred attitude has to be one of those things that lead to soo much trouble. I know that as an insignificant student I am not knowledgeable enough to comment on the world in general but hey! all of us are entitled to our opinions.

Yesterday they were talking about how 84 have died in three days of protest in Libya. I can only say that I really admire the people in Tunisia, Egypt and now Libya who are trying to break free from oppressive regimes. However, as a student of history I have observed that the path to liberty is not an easy one.

They aired an interview of Col. Gaddafi some days ago and as I watched him on TV I had this mental vision of the Roman emperor Caligula. I know it sounds weird but I can't help but compare them. In my opinion, Gaddafi is like a modern day Caligula. Just as wily,selfish and stubborn but at the same time insane and clueless.In fact, I would not be surprised if he meets his end at the hands of his own people, just like Caligula who was murdered by his personal guard. The fact that his selfish need to cling to power has led him to attack his own people says a lot. I mean, logically how can one be a ruler if there are no people to rule?

Well, we just have to wait and see in the coming months if the Revolution in Libya is as successful as the ones in Tunisia and Egypt.

Gaddafi: The modern day  'Caligula'

Caligula: The original poster boy for 'mad tyrants'  

                           

Dear Reader...the submissions are over finally!!! phew!!! I am relieved and now can concentrate on the brand new spring term...yay!!! I cannot tell you how much I have been enjoying the new courses that I decided to take this term.

Both the new courses are actually very interesting. Queering popular culture is an fun topic and, the classes that I have attended so far have certainly been a revelation! I must say that I’ve started ‘thinking outside the box’ in a way that I have never done before. I really like the idea of studying the queer face of music, cinema, fashion, media etc. It is an innovative way of understanding the popular culture that we are very much a part of.

In a similar way Global journalism, the other course that I am taking this term, has an interesting way of looking at the effects that globalization has had on media and journalism. To be honest, I never really imagined the extent to which these two topics were connected and am looking forward to exploring the said links further.

However the best part of the spring term has been...hands down the training that I have been receiving at the Argus. I confess that I miss researching and writing news, but I have to say that the highlight of my week these days is going to the Argus house on Tuesdays and learning quark express (I know I sound completely mental and need to get a Life!!!).

It is amazing!! I never knew the amount of work that went behind the printing of a newspaper everyday!!! In fact subediting is actually some days, even more interesting than news writing! I think that the attention to the smallest detail and the meticulous way each and every column is planned is nothing short of miraculous (I know, I know...I really need to get out more!!). 

Seriously though, for a person like me who has zero decision making ability, being able to make decisions about the layout of my own tabloid page, with complete freedom to choose the stories and pictures is in a sense, liberating. It is like a child getting to behave like a grownup without the hassle of actually being one!!

So, I end this entry on a note of optimism. I am glad I came here and decided to explore the field of journalism. The overall nature of the course for me may be frustrating and difficult but, I still get to learn some really cool things that have made me grow as an individual. 

PS: Reader, I have included these funny caricatures from a really cool website www.cartoonstock.com for your amusement

In which I struggle with a completely new essay writing style..........

Dear Reader, I begin my first post of the New Year by wishing you a happy new year! I hope that you aren’t suffering from the aftereffects of the event or, in my case, aftershocks from my sojourn in London. I have thoroughly wasted my holidays and after all the steely resolve to polish my writing skills, I have done nothing…..absolutely NOTHING!!!!

However, I did stick to my resolution to relax but unfortunately, I took it too far. I don’t mean to say that I didn’t study for my assignments at all. In all fairness, I did doggedly go through the reading material that I lugged all the way to London. However, I cannot honestly comment on the amount of information that my brain has retained!!!!

Now, in the first week of my return, I am in a state of panic. Why, oh, why do I do this always? I NEVER seem to finish my assignments comfortably without any drama. NO, I have to go and really botch my timetable by rushing things.....The result is that now all my notes are tangled up. They are in a royal mess and I can’t make the head from the tail!!

This may seem morbidly funny to you reader, but I am in near hysterics!!! Yes!! I admit it, ‘I am a scatterbrained loony’. I wish I wasn’t but I am!! I assure you that being me is certainly not a cakewalk. But, perhaps I have some sympathisers who are in the same boat as me.

To top it all, I have to write my assignments in a completely new style!!! Yes! Your eyes don’t deceive you I am in a way flying blind. The Indian method of writing essays is different from the method used in the UK. So, I am in a way a novice like those fresh faced first year BA students!!! On that note I am signing off as reality calls and I now have to wade through a pile of work and my own indecipherable notes. Certainly not for the fainthearted, so I leave with the last stanza from Robert Frost’s poem ‘Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening’.  

The woods are lovely, dark, and deep,

But I have promises to keep,

And miles to go before I sleep,

And miles to go before I sleep.           

Musings about the autumn term

Dear reader, since my last entry, I have regained my lost confidence. I may not be Salman Rushdie (not that I like his style of writing but, he IS successful) but I think that I have improved. In the course of the past couple of day, I have witnessed some of the best and worst moments of living life.

The autumn term is at an end and I am done with the first part of my course. Although I am looking forward to the holidays, I can’t help but feel sad that the term had to end. I really liked Journalism in Transition and the Tuesdays spent at the Argus training rooms.

One of the best bits of the training at the Argus were the days I spent doing practical work, out in the ‘real world’. They took us out to gain experience, gathering real life stories and applying the knowledge that we have gained doing all those mock writing stories.

I especially enjoyed the trip to the royal pavilion exhibition and learning to write a review. Although I have written a review on an art exhibition, it was from an academic point of view. I learnt the major difference from a journalist’s perspective, which is an attention to detail. Whilst this is important in every piece one writes, it is really important to get the facts right when writing a review for a newspaper.

Brighton Pavilion

The other really interesting day we spent was researching for a court story at the Lewes Crown Court. There are so many rules that we have to bear in mind when reporting a court story. It is absolutely mindboggling!!! Anyway, I have decided to include both these stories in the final Journalism Portfolio. So, I hope that I can write them well.

Lewes Crown Court

On a brighter note, I am going to be in London for the next couple of weeks. I am really looking forward to exploring the city during the course of my stay. To be honest, I have been a bit boring during the last few months. In fact, the extent of my extracurricular activities has been on a scale of 1 to 10 been -0 (cringe worthy!!!). So, in order to regain my sanity after weeks of academia induced insanity, I hereby vow to let my hair down and enjoy the holidays. So happy holidays, dear reader!!!

In which I rant about my own limitations and the general sliminess of politicians

My last entry was all about my efforts to improve my language and writing. It was a noble ambition, dear reader, but how I wish I could convey in words how frustrating it is when whatever one writes is complete rubbish.

As part of my journalism course at the university, I have classes at the training rooms of a local newspaper, ‘The Argus’. As cool as it sounds, the reality is really different. I confess that when I read about this part of the course, I was absolutely thrilled. However, after six weeks of training, the misconception that I had a fairly decent talent for writing has been shattered to smithereens.

The first thing that I learnt was that there is a huge difference between being a writer and a journalist. All the ideas I had about writing are so different from the practical skills that we are being taught. I love to use flowery words but no siree, I now have to say a lot of things in a few words. It is kind of clever how we are being encouraged to play with words. It is also depressing to note that I have absolutely no knack for it. Anyway, I can try!!!  

On a completely different note, I recently witnessed the student protests against fee hike from next year. Apparently, the politician, Nick Clegg, promised the voters that he would not raise the University fees but now that he is in power, he is singing a completely different tune!!! Big Surprise!!! I don’t want to come across as cynical but here it is- “politicians are the same everywhere”.

They lie and cheat their way into power and once they have it, well, they follow their own whims. Well who are they kidding? The public is not completely stupid. So, Mr Clegg, enjoy your position whilst you have it because I don’t think that the public will want you back. It is the same in India!!! I bet the different parties behave like they hate each other in public and then laugh about how gullible we are behind closed doors!!

Anyway, what really impressed me was the united front that the students across the UK have put up. I do hope that they get what they want and on that optimistic note, I end this entry. 

Students Marching in Protest in Brighton

Brighton and Sussex University Students march hand in hand as a symbol of unity

Introductory ramblings

I want to start this new blog by declaring that the sole purpose of this blog is to help me grow as a writer. As a student of Journalism, it is important that I grow as a writer and so, it is with this objective in mind that I have started this blog. I might be boring and cheesy alternatively but the one thing I will try to be is a better writer. So........well......LET US BEGIN with my artistic endeavours!!   

It has been a month since I came to England and to be honest, I have been suffering from bouts of homesickness. Autumn is the time of the year when many festivals are celebrated throughout my country. I was told that it is the same here but I had my doubts about the scale of the celebrations. Well, I was mistaken and HOW!!!

My introduction to England started with Halloween on the 31st of October and was followed by the spectacular Bonfire night on the 5th of November. To be honest, I was astounded by the scale of the Bonfire night celebration that I attended in Lewes. The sheer scale of the arrangements made was only topped by the amazing array of processions and fireworks. It was certainly a sight and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Bonfire Night- Lewes

All this was in a way a fun way to be beginning my academic year. As a journalist in training, it is probably for the best that I get to know my surroundings. We are told that one of the major tools in our arsenal should be our observational skills, as in, our ability to retain the most from our surroundings.

I think that this is probably the most important skill in the trade as we all know that people are not really forthcoming in communicating with journalists. Interview skills are probably necessary but in my opinion, powers of observation are really the most critical skills to have. Imagine being asked personal questions by someone tactless. It might just put one off communicating.

Anyway I just hope that the coming year might help me polish both these skills. The past couple of days helped me realise how much I seem to miss by just drifting by without a clue. So, new resolution at the beginning of the term –“Try to be more alert and tone down on being utterly clueless”