WRITING COMPETITIONS

Just a few competitions for you wannabe journalists to start getting yourself into. Will try and post some every week. Good Luck!


On the Road Writing Competition

http://www.gumtree.com/london/31/34608431.html

Writing competition for novels and short stories. Might be too late to write a manuscript for a novel unless you have one lying around! Still enough of time to write a short story. See website below for details.

http://www.gumtree.com/london/03/36754303.html


Fabuluso XX

LAW FOR JOURNALISTS : WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR IN A MAGISTRATE COURT : PART 1

Hi and welcome to another addition of my feature. I realized that previously I have not talked about the different courts present in the UK judicial system and what kind of cases you can expect to write on in each court. I would like to start with the magistrate court. This week I will explain minor or summary offenses dealt with by the magistrates. And of course, give you any juicy gossip that it currently taken place in the media world as I type!

- A magistrate court is much more formal than the youth court. To give you an idea see the two pictures above, just so you are aware of the layout.

- A minimum of two magistrates sit in on summary or minor offense trials while at a crown court, only one magistrate is required to supervise the more serious (indictable) offenses. However in some courts you might notice that full time district judges may not need the assistance of magistrates and might adjudicate on a case alone. This usually happens when there is a complex or lengthy case at hand.

- Most prosecutions or convictions of a defendant (the one who has been accused of an action against the claimant, who is the individual who brings an action against the accused) are carried out by lawyers who are employed by the Crown Prosecution Service. They work on behalf of the police and so are employed by the state, so as to say. Most prison sentences start at about 6 months and then can be increased as the defendant is found guilty of more offenses.

- Court lists can be made available to the press before court proceedings so that journalists have an idea of some details of the defendant for their story. However, it is well known that a defendant's address or name will not be published and will be kept anonymous.

And now for your latest in media news and entertainment:-

- Mark Ronson has reconciled with Amy Winehouse and plans to help her release her third album.
- Timbaland will be performing at the Ultra Music Festival in Miami on this Saturday. Ooooh!! I am so jealous of those who have got tickets to this. Hopefully someone puts this footage on Facebook.
- And the animal rights group, PETA has asked for Michael Jackson to leave the animals alone after he revealed plans to want to ride an elephant for when he performs on stage in London!

And that's it for now... remember to always play and say in a way that helps you get recognised in this big big world.

Fabuluso xxxx

FEATURE: LAW FOR JOURNALISTS: REPORTING SEXUAL OFFENCES

Hey Guys! Sorry I have not been writing for a while. Due to this, my next feature will be within the next week so that I can catch up with myself, so to say. This week, I will cover what journalists should know whether reporting on stories concerning sexual offenses. And as per usual, I will also provide the gossip on the going - ons of the music and entertainment industry. Hope you are having a great week end so far!

As with the youth, a journalist has a duty to not identify the defendant guilty of a sexual offense through publication of vital particulars such as age, name or detailed description of the defendant.

Anonymity is also given to those who complain of sexual offenses who are mostly protected during their lifetime. These do not just include sexual assaults but also sexual offenses that have had no physical contact.

The complainant can only be identified by the press if they give written consent, in a report of non sexual proceedings or if the judge decides that anonymity is not to be granted in the public interest.

Remember, that if you want to know more about these topics, then read more. Do not just take these statements to heart. As every journalist knows, you have to always do your research.

And now for the entertainment gossip:-

- It has been confirmed that Rihanna is not going to be recording a single with Chris Brown as rumored.

- Comedy duo Cordon and Horne are to play at the Isle of Wight festival.

- Gwyneth Paltrow is to be away from Chris Martin for about a month due to her working schedule.

That's all for now folks.

See you a bit later on this week.

Fabuluso XX

FEATURE : LAW FOR JOURNALISTS : REPORTING THE YOUTH

Hello and welcome to another addition of law and journalists.


There are restrictions for journalists when reporting cases of children involved in criminal or civil proceedings.

So short points to remember:-

For example, section 47 of the Children's and Young Persons Act 1933 says that reports of proceedings that took place in a youth court must not contain anything like a name or address, in the report that can identify the child. No photos are allowed either. Pretty simple issue of confidentiality for under 18's , really. These principles can also be applied to adoption cases.

However this anonymity can be lifted in the public interest if one needs to find a juvenile guilty of a serious offence or to avoid injustice to the defendant or witness. This does not often happen in the news so when it does make sure you milk it and get your name out there!

Anonymity is not guaranteed for juveniles in adult proceedings. Also,after a child turns 18, he /she is not guaranteed any immunity.

Anonymity is also granted if youth are the subject of care proceedings but surprisingly there is no automatic anonymity imposed in ASBO proceedings. I guess the saying goes that what you dish out you get back. There is nothing really like a fair trial...

Next week: reporting on sexual assaults.

Fabuluso XX

FEATURE: Law for Journos.. and your fix of media

CRIMES- WHAT KIND ARE THERE?

As I mentioned in my introductory article for the feature in the previous week, there will be a lot of boring banter before I get to the interesting section of the law which gets journalists in the big T i.e. trouble.

In order to understand what the law sanctions for journalists you need to understand more about the legal process.

When someone commits a crime, the court expects there to be a criminal act as well as a guilty mind.

However it is possible, that in some crimes, no guilt needs to be established for conviction. These are known as 'absolute offences'.

The crime, that a journalist is most likely to come under is contempt of court, which is when a journalist commits a crime against the court itself. A journalist can be convicted even if he does not have a 'guilty mind' meaning that a lawyer does not have to have proof that a journalist had any intent to do this crime in order to convict him.

I know what you are thinking... never trust a lawyer right?

What's the different between a lawyer and a bucket of garbage?

- The bucket!

Not funny? Ok... moving on...

Crimes can either be against people or property. Most people know common crimes when they see one so you should know unless you have just recently come out of hiding. I am just going to cover the ones that might not be so familiar to you. You might come across these terms if you are covering a news story that requires you to sit in the courtroom.

- MANSLAUGHTER (most people might know this but just in case)- The unlawful killing of a person but where there was no intention to kill or cause harm unlike murder.

- ASSAULT - a hostile act that might cause a person to live in fear of an attack.

- BATTERY - the actual application of physical force on a person.

- ABH - An assault that causes actual bodily harm which court lawyers might refer to as 'a section 47 offence'.

- Malicious wounding or GBH - An assault again, but one that causes a wound or serious bodily harm. Referred to as a 'section 20 offence' Criminal law is as easy as chips so far isn't it?

- Wounding with intent or GBH with intent - Finally, this is an assault that causes a wound or serious bodily harm but one present with an intent to cause serious bodily harm. So if I was thinking of wounding Mr. Blobby because he annoyed me and then wounded him, when I next saw him in London, then I would be guilty of this and go straight to prison!

Another bad joke... I kno..

Most crimes against property are easy to understand and when they are said in the court, a journalist would easily be able to gather the crime committed. So they do not really need a mention here.

Well, nuf said about the law and lets move on to some media goss...

1. Nas has been working on a new song with the master of rappers, Dr. Dre himself. This song is to be included in Nas's new album 'Detox'.

2. Lily Allen has made her latest album free for streaming on MySpace Music, a week before its release on February 10.

3. Calvin Harris, who formerly collaborated with Dizzee Rascal has announced details of a new UK tour.

I guess all that's left to say is... read me again, in a different post, in the next few weeks.

Fabuluso xxxx

LIP SYNCHING ANTICS

I was shocked to read that Jennifer Hudson has lip synched while singing the national anthem at the SuperBowl. To make matters worse she was told to do this by her agent, who felt that this was the best thing for her confidence.

So, what can we learn from this my fat blog lovelies?

We can learn that even big stars who have already starred in the musical hit sensation, which was 'DreamGirls' can get nervous about singing live. So it is perfectly natural to be nervous and get the jitters.

We can learn that maybe it is best to get rid of those stage frights early. Fat Talent Live is a perfect way for all talents to practice what they do best before they are thrown into fame.

Also get yourself a decent producer. Someone who actually believes in you and your singing talent. Someone who will still trust you to perform with all your might even if you were the last person standing. Sometimes a producer can even be someone close to you, like a member of your family. Remember your family has to love you no matter what!

And lastly come watch Fat Talent Live..... it is inspirational.

Fabuluso xxx

DARE TO MISS DIARY - UPCOMING GIGS

EVENT: Free Fridays!

DATE: Friday 6th February 2009

VENUE: Cargo, 83 Rivington Street, London, EC2A 3AY

TIME: 8pm-3am

PRICE: £FREE!

NO DRESS CODE – NO GUESTLIST

TUBES: Old St / Liverpool St

BUSES: 26 | 35 | 47 | 55 | 149 | 242 | 243

RESTAURANT: 020 7749 7844 // GENERAL ENQUIRIES: 020 7739 3440

Cargo’s Free Fridays returns this Friday with North America South America (N.A.S.A.) who have already established the reputation of being the world’s best connected producers.
N.A.S.A. release their full album ‘The Spirit of Apollo’ on the 17th of February; an album which sees collaborations from Kanye West, Spank Rock, MIA, Santogold, Geroge Clinton, Chuck D, Sizzla, Method Man and David Byrne amongst others.
They will be joined by Italo-Disco darlings Ou Est Le Swimming Pool?, French bleepy/hip hop outfit Debruit and electropop band Medallist.



RA RA Riot, originally formed at Syracuse University, is infamous for its indie rock specialities composed of the very ambitious talents of Rebecca Zeller and Alexandra Lawn on guitar.
RA RA RIOT continue to win new fans for their brilliant blend of new wave pop and having SOLD-OUT the (300 cap) Borderline a month ahead of performance date Ra Ra Riot have now upgraded to the (700 cap) KINGS COLLEGE venue in London… Upcoming February tour dates below…

Wednesday 11 February – BIRMINGHAM – Barfly

Thursday 12 February – GLASGOW – King Tuts

Saturday 14 February – NEWCASTLE – Academy2

Sunday 15 February – MANCHESTER – Night and Day

Monday 16 February – NOTTINGHAM - Bodega

Tuesday 17 February – LONDON – Kings College **(venue upgrade due to public demand)**

For more information, please contact: -

Duncan Jordan

Bella Union

15-20 The Oval

London

E2 9DX

New tel: 0207 739 9700

Mobile: 07866 758952

www.bellaunion.com

SHOP AT REPUBLIC

Although it cannot beat Primark or Matalan for prices, its quality and sense of style cannot be disputed.

Previously I used to think that Republic only sold comfy/ casual wear as my housemate used to love buying these. And so I was not interested in spending my money there.

But, by looking at their website, you are transported in a very kaleidoscopic and glitzy fashion landscape, which I found very appealing. Their prices can seem reasonable if you look at the exceptional material and creativity that is embossed on their creations.

If you are a student, register on the site and you will get 10% with every order. Even if not a student, there is a reason to shop here as you can get 2 clothing items for £30 or £50.

If you are going to make a purchase, I would recommend the timeless Miso chiffon dress above. Republic are famous for their Miso creations and this item does meet the mark. Not only are floral, summery patterns still in but this dress can be worn fabulously on its own or over some shiny leggings of footless tights.

Perfect if you are looking for that extra bit of attention and glamour...

Also, if you are not very enthusiastic about the V- Neck, just draw people's attention away from it by way of some sparkling jewellery.

What's even more is that this dress qualifies for the 2 for £30 range and so you can chose another item of clothing to make your £30 mark.

So if you are convinced, don't delay, shop today.

Also look at their sale items... their gorgeous and you will not break the bank!!

Fabuluso xxxx

The wonderful world of websites

The 'creative writing' section on Gumtree is usually a very useful resource for media students who want to get work experience and possibly internships in the media.

It is the place where I noticed that they were looking for Fat Blog bloggers so now I big up Gumtree whenever I can because they do provide very useful opportunities to get involved in all things creative.

However, recently there have been a lot of people alleging on gumtree that some of the voluntary organisations asking for creative help are not credible. Whether or not this is true, a useful website to check out issues of credibility is http://www.nuj.org.uk/index.html which is the National Union of Journalists.

They have a student website which includes best practice guidelines for work experience and NUJ student membership which gives you a free press card, an opportunity to meet other journalists in your area and up to 75 per cent discount on their professional training.

The NUJ is there to represent and protect the rights of journalists everywhere, so take a look at their website today.

Fabuluso xx

FEATURE: Law for Journalists and... your fix of media gossip!

Ahhhhh.... the good old days. If only everything in law was as simple as just sitting on the naughty step...


One important thing to remember as a journalist, is that you have the same legal rights as those of a normal citizen. Therefore, you are not above the law and have to watch what you say, do and publish or someone will try and sue you!

I am going to start with the basics of law and then slowly move on to the harder topics like defamation which journalists and many newspaper and magazine publications have been famously guilty for. I will try and not go too much into detail on any of the topics or issues as I do not want any of you to fall asleep at your computer!!

These are just the basics so if you want to know more, then buy a book or take a course.

Let's get this party started!

The media are meant to act on behalf of the public ( Spycatcher case) and so are not meant to harm the public through what they say, do or publish. However, the Media have not special status and their right to know and to publish are equal to those rights of the public. So the media can be punished for the same reasons that a citizen might be punished.

One of the roles of the journalists that are becoming popular are reporting in courts and so I shall also focus on this from time to time.

A journalist is allowed to enjoy certain privileges that allow him to do his job such as having a press bench in courts for journalists to use when reporting the courts. However it is important to understand that these privileges are not rights and so if the journalist does some that he is not supposed to do, he is fully responsible for his wrong actions and must be punished by law. More details of what journalists are not supposed to do will follow.

Article 10 of the Human Rights Act 1998 introduced freedom of expression in UK law which gave journalists the right to comment on issues but also the right to provide information and news to the public. But even freedom of speech can contain restrictions such as libel which will be explored later on. Sometimes journalists are told to postpone the reporting of a criminal trial by judges especially when it deals with the public interest ( Contempt of Court Act 1981). There are ways again where journalists can challenge these restrictions which again will be explored in more detail, I promise!

Previously, the press used to be bound by censorship which prevents a story going into a paper but this has started to lose its validity ( Cream Holdings Ltd v Banerjee {2004} UKHL 44). Nowadays, freedom of speech has ways of being protected.

Sources of law are made up of custom (common law developed through the ages by royal judges), precedent( specific points of law from decisions of previous cases), equity (rules based on fairness), statutory instruments (Acts of parliament), European Community Regulations and the European Convention on Human Rights.

Two main divisions of law are criminal( deals with offences harmful to the state) and civil (rights against individuals and private parties) law. If reporting on cases, journalists need to be very aware of the different wording used in both the type of cases. For example, in a criminal court, a person is 'found guilty' but in a civil court they are 'found liable' for their crime.


So, that's all for today folks and I will leave you with some media goss, as promised:-

1. Lee Evans and ex- eastenders star Michelle Ryan, will be appearing in Dr. Who.

2. Kate Winslet is the bookies favourite for winning an oscar for the role in 'The Reader'

3. Police in the Bahamas have detained two people due to an alleged plot to gain money illegally from actor John Travolta after the death of his son.

Keep the comments coming on the articles. I will be writing more features on this soon so if you think this should be shorter then please say so!

Till the next time we meet...

Fabuluso xx

WHAT KIND OF MUSICAL TALENT SHOULD WE EXPECT IN 2009?

So what does 2009 have in store for the music scene?

2008 had graciously provided us with the anthem ‘Umbrella’, the boy band comeback and Kanye West finally singing instead of rapping. Kanye started a revolution when a proved that he is a man of many talents and sounds and this theme continues into 2009.

January 2009 begins with the mixing of pop and r ‘n’ b through the sounds of Akon and Lady Ga Ga through ‘Let’s Dance’. It seems like artists no longer want to be predictable and produce the same kind of sounds. January 2009 has not started, thankfully, with too many remakes of some old classic. Instead it has started with a touch of class, dignity and creativity.

Another artist to keep under close surveillance is Kevin Rudolph, another export from America, who has previously played guitar on some of Timbaland’s music. He mixes rock and rap on his new single ‘Let it Rock’ which again sends out a message that the current musical landscape needs to change and evolve with the times.

Perhaps the New Year’s resolution should be to encourage emerging music artists to be an individual. Have a variety of sounds, experiment with a variety of instruments and do not feel that you have to resemble anyone in the current music scene in order to make it. Producers are always on the look out for something different and you might be it! Also, do not give up if you find many of the producers not appreciating your sound. Kevin Rudolph did not and now he is on his way to become a success.

Fabuluso xx