The Media Summer - a review and look forward

Britain’s biggest paper shut down, politicians turned on Murdoch, ‘super-injunction’ became an everyday phrase, Twitter and Facebook apparently liberated North Africa and cameras are to be allowed in court. After the year we’ve had, there’s never been a better time to be a part of the Oxford Media Society.

The News of the World’s abrupt demise came as a shock to everyone, with the phone-hacking scandal tarring many of the tabloid industry’s top figures. Dirty tricks would not, however, have been a total surprise to those who heard ex-Daily Star journalist Richard Peppiatt speak at the Media Society last term.

Despite old Rupey’s valiant efforts to save his bid for BskyB, the closure of the NOTW could not rescue his wish and it left a gap in the Sunday newspaper market, which others are trying to exploit. For unique insight into what’s really happening in the crazy world of the press and proprietorship, be sure to attend our events with the Editor of The Independent, Simon Kelner; the Telegraph Media Group’s Executive Director, Guy Black; and Andrew Mullins, MD of the Evening Standard, Indie and i, this Michaelmas.

Twitter was a key part of ITV newscaster, Alastair Stewart’s talk last March at the Media Society and reporting from war-zones was Sky News’ Foreign Editor, Tim Marshall’s specialist subject last Hilary. When Egypt, then Lybia, became news, our minds were cast back to those events as the same debates were played out. Tim’s Sky News colleagues Mark Stone and Alex Crawford became news in themselves with some terrific reporting this summer. Stone’s brave confrontation of looters in Clapham and Crawford’s epic ride into Tripoli with the rebels (the only British TV journalist to do so) made for great TV and became youtube hits. Sky veteran Jeremy Thompson was also allowed to report from Damascus. We are incredibly grateful for Sky News’ sponsorship over the past two terms and look forward to hosting their Associate Editor, John McAndrew in October.

What’s the biggest media event of 2012? The London Olympics. Who better to tell us about one of the most complex operations the BBC has ever undertaken than Roger Mosey, who is in charge of the BBC’s coverage for the whole Olympiad. A former BBC Head of News and Sport, he’s been involved in explaining some of the major contentious issues for viewers including sports rights so is a must-see for you F1 and football fans, who are increasingly losing free-to-air sport. He’s our first speaker on 20th October and currently has one of the most popular blogs on the BBC website.

Who’s your favourite newspaper cartoonist? The Telegraph’s ‘Matt’ of course! The hilarious and creative Matt Pritchett will be here in November to put things in perspective.

Production, commissioning and massive ratings helped ITV1 to win Terrestrial Channel of the Year this month. The two people most crucial to that success join us in November to share their insight and tips on making great programmes and what Simon Cowell is really like! Sara Geater is the Chief Executive of Talkback Thames, the production company which makes Britain’s Got Talent and The X Factor, Britain’s biggest two programmes, along with Cowell. Peter Fincham, ITV’s Director of Television, tells us about how he’s running the channel to wean itself off a dependence on Syco by commissioning hits like Downton Abbey and signing big names like Jonathan Ross and Adrian Chiles. The Fincham event will be held in conjunction with the Reuters Institute, who will be hosting a number of excellent events over the term.

Lastly but by no means least, after a few gruelling first weeks back we can offer the perfect and most relaxing Sunday evening in Oxford! Local resident Will Gompertz will be talking Art in his most compelling manner. The BBC News Arts Editor, one of only a handful of senior journalists to have the title ‘Editor’, was previously a Director at the Tate and has written extensively for the Guardian and Times. Currently he writes regular culture reviews for his BBC blog, which is a must-read.

Membership for the whole academic year is great value at £10. In Hilary term we’ve also got one of media’s most influential people, WPP CEO Sir Martin Sorrell and ITV’s new Business Editor Laura Kuenssberg, who recently jumped ship from the BBC. They’ll be joined by a stellar line-up and in comparison to other Oxford societies we think we offer unbeatable value. All members of the University are welcome at all our events and it’ll be great to meet you. If the next season is as eventful as last year for the media then it’ll be a fascinating time.

Some links:
Alex Crawford's ride into Tripoli http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kwT40TE-pHY&feature=results_video&playnext=1&list=PL09439EEAE3525827
Mark Stone's looters confrontation http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXcI-NL3Tro
Matt's cartoons http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/matt/
Roger Mosey's blog http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/rogermosey/
Will Gompertz's blog http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/correspondents/willgompertz/
The Reuters Institute http://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/index.html

Cheers
Tim Williams

2010 News International Placement Scheme

The News International Benefaction Scheme was given to Oxford University in 1993 by Rupert Murdoch who graduated from Worcester College with a degree in PPE and a further Master's degree.

As a result, the University welcomes each year the Visiting Professor of Broadcast Media (this year it is Stephen Garrett, who delivered a series of lectures on TV series this Hilary) and has a Professor of Language and Communication. The benefaction has also funded three lectureships and a major research grant. It also includes the placement scheme with the most fancy name imaginable: The Rupert Murdoch Scholarship.

Every year, many Oxford student journalists apply, but only 7-14 spend their time in Wapping offices.

Both Oxford's News International Liaison committee and the Editors of the News International papers judge the entrants.

So what stories wrote last year's participants? Check out the links to find out.

Sian Cox-Brooker, The Sun, News Section

http://tinyurl.com/ykntdg5

http://tinyurl.com/ybymkso

Ellie Buchdahl, The Times

http://tinyurl.com/ygpseda

Costas Pitas, The Times

http://tinyurl.com/ylrw3my

Marta Szczerba, The Sunday Times, Business Section

http://tinyurl.com/yglt4em

http://tinyurl.com/yk6cbru

Others who took part worked in Culture section of The Sunday Times or in the features section of News of the World.

From my own experience, the scheme was what you made of it. As in every kind of journalistic work, you had to show initiative and be incredibly nosy from the very beginning. I was incredibly lucky to meet a couple of journalists' contacts over coffee, do research about Kaupthing for a story, eat a lovely lunch in the Design Museum thanks to a PR company and be a PA to John Waples for a week. And I got three bylines. Furthermore, all interns at the time had a trip to the printers and visited the BSkyB studios, which was a very insightful experience.

The deadline for applications is Friday of 0th week of Trinity Term 2010. To apply fill in this form and attach relevant documents.

Good luck!