My portfolio consists of two news stories, a feature and a review. I decided to focus my portfolio on areas that I was interested in as this would make it more enjoyable to write.

I found it difficult to find topics to find things to write about which included original sources. Randall (2016 p.32) suggests that news is ‘something fresh, something that people have not heard before and, crucially, is of interest to readers.’ For my first news story, I decided to write about how York City FC are currently in the process of developing a new stadium alongside a leisure complex. This story would be relevant as it is currently being built and is also of interest to locals of York and York City FC fans. This was originally covered by York Press in October 2017 when the construction was beginning however there was no follow up story to update on the process which is why I decided to write one. I decided to include some comments from York City FC fans so that people could see how they viewed the process of moving into the new stadium. I reached out to fans on twitter to get some comments from York City FC fans and this was successful. ‘Now anyone with a Twitter account can potentially reach a worldwide audience from their computer or mobile phone.’ Matthews (2013 p.307) This is demonstrating how important social media is to journalists in terms of posting to a worldwide audience as well reaching out to a worldwide audience for sources.I also tried getting a comment from the club on a current update of the construction however I did not get a reply after various emails and phone calls. From this I have learned that it is important to be persistent when trying to find original sources and also diverse as I could have made this story a lot more balanced. Bull (2016 p.152) suggests that when you are taking pictures for journalism you should fill the frame by getting in close. When I was taking pictures of the construction there was a lot of space but I ensured that I filled the picture. I also took vertical and horizontal images so I had flexibility when it came to publishing my story.

For my feature article, I decided to write about how the clothing brand Supreme has become so popular through its own unique culture. I had never written a feature before so I was unsure how to structure it. Bull (2016 p.368) suggests that describing the scene is a compelling way to start so I used this technique to set the scene of my feature and creates a vivid picture. I feel that the topic I chose is relevant as Supreme is continuing to expand and some people may not know why. My audience for this article was a wide range as it can appeal to anyone who has little knowledge of Supreme as well as people who like Supreme but want to know more about the company. As supreme is exclusive, there is a lot of hype at the stores on the day of clothing releases so I decided to go to the London store and interview people in the line to ensure I had a variety of opinions and views in my articles. Harcup (2015 p.127) states that when it comes to interviews ‘planning anything that resembles a script may encourage a rather stiff and inflexible approach to an interview’. Based on this I decided to prepare a few brief questions to make sure I covered the ground that I needed to but also allowed the interviewee to freely expand on their own points. I asked everyone who I interviewed if I could use their full name and comments in my article and they were happy to do so. When I was at the Supreme store I took some pictures to ensure I didn’t have to attempt to find any copyright free images. However, I wanted to include a diverse range of pictures so I tried to get in contact with Supreme to get permission to use their pictures. I did not receive a reply so I used a picture from their official Instagram page as these are used for promotional purposes.

For my second news story, I decided to write about the Homelessness Reduction Act that was being introduced in Norwich. I felt that this story would be of interest to local citizens of Norwich as this may affect them. I decided to take a slightly different angle to this story by introducing the reader to a charity group in Norwich that is trying to reduce homelessness. I interviewed the founder of this charity group, Tracy Monger over Facebook as this was the easiest way to get in contact. I asked for Tracy’s permission to publish the story about her charity and use her full name which Tracy said was fine after I had emailed her a copy. Frost (2016 p.83) states ‘journalists need a wider concept than impartiality or neutrality in order to be fair to the consumers’. Based on this I felt I had a responsibility to balance this story out and include a comment from the council to avoid bias. I reached out to the Norwich City Council who emailed me a statement released to the media. The picture that I included this story was labelled for commercial reuse to prevent any copyright issues.

For my review, I decided to choose a music concert as I am heavily interested in music and enjoy writing about it. A rapper from London named Nafe Smallz had two headlines shows in London which were both sold out after releasing his debut album, so I felt this would be very relevant. I took some pictures at the show to include to avoid any copyright issues.

Bibliography

 

• Randall, D. (2016) The Universal Journalist. 5^th London, Pluto Press.
• Matthews L. and Anwar, D. (2013) Social Media and Sports Journalism: How is the rise of Twitter affecting football journalism? 307
• Bull, A. (2016) Multimedia Journalism – A Practical Guide 2^nded. Abingdon, Routledge.
• Frost, C. (2016) Journalism – Ethics and Regulation 4^thed. Abingdon, Routledge. p
• Harcup, T. (2015) Journalism – Principles and Practice 3^rd London, Sage.
• York Press (2017) Stadium Building Work to start this autumn after contractors appointed [Internet]. Available fromhttp://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/15590140.Boost_for_community_stadium_project_as_contractors_appointed/[Accessed 27^thJanuary 2018]
• Tracy Monger, Interviewed on Facebook April 4th 2018. tracynpeg@gmx.com 
• Dave Haddock and Adam Mitchell, Interviewed over twitter 18th February 2018. @Townofmylife @adammicthell78
• James Taylor, Interviewed in Soho, London, 5th April, Jamestaylor98@gmail.com
• Josh Heaves ,Interviewed in Soho, London, 5th April, 07840856084
• Nathan Barrows, Interviewed in Soho, London, 5th April, 
• Hi Connor,

Apologies, I must have used the wrong email address.

As discussed, please see response provided to local media recently 

A spokesperson for Norwich City Council said: “Our approach focusses on the prevention of homelessness – preventing 700 households from becoming homeless last year – so we are well placed to meet the requirements of the (Homelessness Reduction) act. 

“We already provide an accessible housing advice service, in line with best practice, and work with the private sector to improve the range of housing options available.”

Kind regards,

Amy

Amy Maxwell
Communications officer
Norwich City Council
01603 212638
www.norwich.gov.uk