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EDITOR’S LETTER
elcome to the 25th anniversary edition of XCity. It’s often said that the root of good journalism is asking a question, but it’s equally true that good journalism is about coming up with the answers. So what better starting point for our celebration of journalism at City than a spot of afternoon tea with Kelvin MacKenzie? The legendary former Sun editor rewarded us with an article spelling out why journalism courses are a waste of time and money and should all be abolished. And so we had our question. Is what we’re doing, and by extension what City have been doing since the first journalism diploma course started in 1976, worth anything? Certainly a qualification isn’t the path for everyone, and many a fine journalist (MacKenzie included) has started by leaving school at 16 and working their way up on a local paper. Nonetheless, it goes without saying that most of us at XCity disagree with Mr MacKenzie’s sentiments. We toyed with the idea of printing a response or rebuttal, and almost got as far as enlisting Roy Greenslade to write an appropriately hefty argument to the contrary. But then we realised there was no need. The proof is in this perfect-bound pudding. Every page of this magazine exists solely because of City University’s journalism department. Every feature, news story and interview has been pitched, researched, executed, written and subbed by students and staff on the magazine MA course. It’s by us, about us, for us – for the department and its students, past and present. In addition, we’ve created the most comprehensive and interactive XCity website ever, stuffed with exclusive material including videos, slideshows, features, news, infographics and competitions. What better rejoinder could we offer? I should also mention our exclusive interview with Sir Harold Evans, who in 1976 provided inspirational support during the launch of City’s first postgraduate journalism diploma. We’re also celebrating the calibre of journalists City produces in our ‘25 of 25’ anniversary feature, in which notable alums from the past quarter-decade reflect on what their days at City taught them. Exhibits B and C, Mr MacKenzie. And in case we needed further vindication, Jeremy Paxman recently reassured me that while journalism courses aren’t the only way in, if he were to employ anyone from a course it would be from City. This vote of confidence is repeated by editors throughout the land. The above’s only a taster of what we’ve crammed into this issue. We’ve got writing tips from AA Gill, Robert Peston on financial journalism’s failures and Zoë Heller on how she made the much-coveted switch from journalism to novels. We’ve sourced the freshest news stories from the hyper-local, the winner of the new XCity Award, to the international, with the story of one former student who witnessed the earthquake in Japan. We hope you find the reading experience of this year’s XCity as engrossing, emotional and all-consuming as we’ve found the writing and production experience.
XCITY Issue 25 Spring 2011 Editor Emma Dibdin Listings Editor Helen Stuart News Editor Clare Conway Deputy News Editor Ianthe Butt Features Editor Helena Lee Deputy Features Editor Nikki Osman Managing Editor and Ad Manager Jemima Johnson-Gilbert Production Editor Elizabeth Davis Art Editor Andy Tweddle Picture Editor Harriet Thurley Chief Sub-editor Jenny Roper Online Editor Charlotte Barnes Deputy Online Editor Daniel Masoliver Online Production Editor Aleeza Khan Multimedia Editor Miranda Thompson Reporters Katherine Button, Sophie Monks Kaufman, Olivia Wakefield Publisher Jason Bennetto Thanks to Dan Davies, Getty Images, Mary Ivers, Christopher Niesyto, Cindy Quillinan, Clive Raven, Shane Richmond, Barbara Rowlands, Roger Tooth (Guardian) Malvin Van Gelderen
Emma Dibdin, Editor
Illustrators Ian Baker IBaker4544@aol.com
XCity Magazine Department of Journalism, City University Northampton Square London EC1V 0HB Tel +44 020 7040 8221 Email journalism@city.ac.uk Web http://xcity-magazine.com
Bryan Conway bconway@tcd.ie
Printed by The Magazine Printing Company Wilf Hanson www.wilfhanson.carbonmade.com
Ali Coombs
XCity is written and produced by the Magazine Journalism MA programme
XCITY
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