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February 2017
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Train to become a journalist with the Press Association Our journalism courses have been the starting point for many of the UK’s leading journalists. Delegates on our courses are trained at the Press Association head office in London and will have access to our main news desks and facilities used by leading journalists. All our tutors are working journalists bringing the very latest knowledge and techniques from today’s digital newsrooms into the classroom. A true testament to the quality of our training is that many national, regional and local news providers send their new journalists to train with us.
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Editor’s Letter
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Welcome to Kettle’s first magazine of 2017. Slightly different format this time around but the same, excellent content nonetheless.
Editor in Chief Leon Wingham
For those familiar with Kettle, you will know that the end of 2016 was close to disastrous for us. This is due to the fact that some total cretin decided to hack into our server and delete as much of our content as they could find - they did a ridiculously good job too. Our site was down for a few days whilst we tried to retrieve what we could, after which we spent the next week or so repairing all of the corrupted files. Not much fun and very costly. But we are a resilient bunch at Kettle and thanks to our incredible team of editors and writers, we were soon on our feet again.
Managing Editors Lorna Holland, Alex Veeneman, Emmi Bowles Contributors Millie Finn, Alex Veeneman, Liz Perkins, Rae Coppola, Cameron Ridgway, Emmi Bowles, Charlotte Bradfors-Gibbs, Chloe Smith, Liam Taft, Julia Rampen, Cristiana Frunza, Tom Earnshaw Olivia Morris Picture Editor Nick Banks Designer Christopher Wolsey Kettle Mag is published by Red Chilli Publishing Ltd 273-287 Regent Street London W1B 2HA www.redchillipublishing.com
2017 is a big year for Kettle as we plan to launch a new site (with better back-ups!) as well as publish the new format magazine every 2 months… So that’s the plan anyway!
In this edition I’ve been fascinated with robots, spaceships and all things sci-fi since I was a kid and stumbled across Rob Turner’s illustrations on Twitter one night, whilst depriving myself of sleep. I think you’ll like them a lot. The New Statesman’s Julia Rampen talks about political journalism and offers some sage advice to those considering this as a career. Likewise, defence reporter, Liz Perkins, tells us how her journalistic career was defined by a chance assignment to Afghanistan... suicide bombers and all! Kettle’s Student Life Editor, Emmi Bowles offers some guidance on how students can survive this semester and Alex Veeneman writes about the relationship between the White House and the US media. Fun times… There’s so much great stuff in this edition and we even have a lovely £15 gift for you all, courtesy of UBER…
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Enjoy LEON WINGHAM KettleMag
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Contents
We need books now more than ever
Make time for some book time.
Films to look out for in 2017
Liam’s pick of this season’s films.
How one assignment changed everything
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Diversity in cinema... 1
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Did cinema become more representative in 2016?
Political journalism in the digital age.
Life as a modern political hack
What is an MA in Gender Studies?
Olivia Morris finds out....
The world and American journalism
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It’s festival season, get your skis on!
Yaaay - Winter festivals!
We’ve got Alli, Deli Alli The Spurs wonderkid who is ready to take on the
The Tabloid Backlash Freedom of speech and banning newspapers
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Kettle goes nuts for knitwear
How to survive semester 2
Essential student advice
Long distance relationships at university
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Life as a ‘committed’ fresher.
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Millie Finn on modern feminism
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What happended to 90s Girl Power? Cathy Newman on women in journalism
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The best jumpers to wear this WINTER
Are robots drawn in colour?
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Amazing Winter skincare Beauty advice to keep your cheeks glowing this Winter....
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Kettle contributors People what did write in this here mag...
Millie Finn is 22, born and bred in Birmingham and is a professional travel writer/editor for an online travel bulletin. She is an English Literature graduate and inspired writer with a passion for fashion, pop culture and blogging. Millie is your frivolity editor and contributing writer for KettleMag. Alex Veeneman is one of the Managing Editors for Kettle. He oversees the Kettle Academy project and is a contributor to Kettle platforms. Outside of Kettle, he is an active member of the Society of Professional Journalists in the United States, serving on its Ethics Committee. He is based in Chicago. Liz Perkins is the defence reporter for the South Wales Evening Post in Swansea. She contributed pieces over the course of six reporting stints in Afghanistan from 2008 to the end of the conflict in 2014. She has also reported from Canada, Cyprus, Germany and Northern Ireland . Rae Coppola is the Women’s Editor at Kettle Mag, who also works as a proofreader. She is in her final year of studying Journalism and English at the University of Salford, with hopes of becoming a writer. She likes her hair curly, her coffee and her nose in a book.
Cameron Ridgway is Media Editor at Kettle and Modern Languages student currently on a year abroad in the South of Chile. Interested in media and world news and drinks far too much coffee‌
Emmi Bowles is a third year journalism student born and bred in Cornwall but now a city lover. Kettle Editor since 2015. Blogs over at justemmi.com. Avid tea drinker. Frequent Zumba lover. Occasional book reviewer. 6
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Leon Wingham is Kettle’s publisher and founder. When not glued to his phone or laptop, you can usually find him in an obscure trainer shop somewhere or maybe building things out of wood or maybe sometimes in the pub. Probably the pub. Originally from Torquay, South Devon, Charlotte BradfordGibbs is a second year English Literature student at Salford University. From a young age she has had a passion for reading and writing. She now enjoys combining her two longstanding passions with her love of anything beauty related. Chloe Smith is the books editor for Kettle Magazine, a Foyle Young Poet 2015 and can usually be found writing something - whether it’s a story, poem or article. Her work has been published by the likes of the Guardian Online and Harmony Ink Press. She’s currently studying BA English and Creative Writing at university. Kettle’s Film editor, Liam Taft is an English student at the University of Birmingham. He is the co-founder of The View From Six, and is a contributor for Redbrick and The Guardian’s ‘Blogging Students’. His work mainly focuses on film, with a niche interest in queer cinema, and LGBTQIA issues. Julia Rampen is the editor of The Staggers, the online political blog of The New Statesman magazine based in London. She previously was the editor of the online Money section of The Daily Mirror, and a journalist for a series of financial magazines. She was Headlinemoney’s Rising Star of 2016. Cristiana Frunza is a 21-year old trainee journalist aspiring to a career in Fashion Journalism. An optimistic and generally happy person who has been passionate about fashion for as long as she can remember. Amongst other passions are travelling, writing, art, wine tasting and makeup. Tom Earnshaw is Kettle’s Football Editor as well as working as a freelance journalist, specialising in sports and culture writing. He is currently completing a Masters of Arts in Journalism at the University of Central Lancashire. www.KettleMag.co.uk
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Image: freepik.com
We need books now more than ever Chloe Smith on the reasons for getting some book time.
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Whether you’re a bookworm or not, you have to agree that books are incredibly important for a variety of reasons, and considering recent events in society are more important than ever. You could probably name reasons in the double figures, but here’s a very small list of reasons why that bundle of joy (and paper, or pixels, depending on how you read) is so vital, especially in 2017.
They’re a comfort Books open up brand new worlds in your head and hands, they can bring you joy, and they can also be an incredible comfort for readers - especially if readers are finally reading about people like them, or are able to relate to experiences that have up until now, not been written about or shared as a universal experience - while ‘diverse books’ or books about people or experiences that aren’t the default are incredibly important - but they can also be great
They can lead to change What you read can definitely lead to change - whether it’s in opinion, or on a larger scale - books are a great platform to allow people an insight into other’s experiences, ideas and principles that they would otherwise not be exposed to. This is incredibly important as it can literally change you for the better as a person, which can ultimately change society for the better.
To allow others a voice But books aren’t just for readers - of course. There is the author - who is just as important as the reader, as without www.KettleMag.co.uk
them, the book wouldn’t even exist. Think about the author of the book you’re reading - whose voice and ideas are being shared, being put right into your hands, because a publisher believed in them and gave them a publishing deal. That’s incredibly important, because that book could be the author writing something for young people like them, sharing their own ideas and experiences, and generally trying to send out their own bit of good in the world. How amazing is that?
To inspire You all have a favourite book - whether it’s the one that inspired you to start reading in the first place, or a very recent read - it’s still a book that holds a very special place in your heart (and rightly so) - and it’s very likely that that book inspired you in some way, whether it was to start writing yourself or to carry on reading, books can inspire others in so many ways. They’re often far more than words on a page, or an incredible story. They hold that much power.
To make us laugh Have you ever had a really bad day, and just needed a good laugh? If nothing else, a good funny book can definitely do that. And between you and me, a smile, and laughter, on a grey day is nothing short of a miracle, sometimes - and that’s how powerful books can be, considering they can give you just that. So that’s why books are so very, very important right now. I hope whatever you’re reading at the moment is enjoyable - but also be sure to remember the power being each of every single one of those words, as well as the joy, and all of the other emotions that that story makes you feel - and never underestimate the gift of a powerful, important book, either! If you know of a powerful book, share it far and wide - and let’s make 2017 the year of positive change - all thanks to books. KettleMag
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As The Tenth Doctor said in Doctor Who, ‘Books! The best weapons in the world!’ but we all know that as well as being great for throwing around when need be, and for being great for teaching others about different experiences, books are also so much more than that.
Five films to look out for in early 2017
By Liam Taft
Manchester by the Sea (13 January)
Lion (20 January)
New year, new Affleck; 2017 opens with the release of Live by Night, Ben Affleck’s latest directorial venture, and Manchester by the Sea, with an awards winning turn by his brother, Casey Affleck. It details the story of an uncle who, after his brother dies, is made the guardian of his teenage son. Critics have labelled it a masterpiece – a tragic, funny, and human story told beautifully and performed with nuance and heart. Acting mainly as a character study, Manchester by the Sea sees a man torn apart by bereavement, in a vital portrait of the fragility of male masculinity.
Dev Patel, eight years since his leading role in Slumdog Millionaire, stars as a young man, adopted by a New Zealand couple after he fell asleep on a train carriage in India – and woke up thousands of miles from home. Thanks to Google Maps, he discovers he may be able to retrace his steps and locate his home village to find his lost brother. Part human drama, part comment on the humanity that lies beneath the surface of technology, Lion is set to see Dev Patel catapulted once again into the limelight, with his “powerful, mature performance” a serious contender for awards success.
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20th Century Women doesn’t have an elevator pitch per se – its synopsis on IMDb merely states that it’s “the story three women who explore love and freedom in Southern California during the late 1970s.” From the trailer, at least, we see Annette Bening as a single mother in her fifties, attempting to raise her teenage son as her own views on love and life come into question. The three women of the title (Annette Bening, Elle Fanning, and Greta Gerwig) represent three generations endeavouring to answer Jamie’s questions about how to navigate the world – when, in reality, they don’t have the answers themselves. 20th Century Women looks like indie paradise: it’s about the plasticity of youth, loneliness, and the search for happiness.
Personal Shopper (3 March) Kristen Stewart is a magnet to public criticism: in the Twilight series she was ‘too dull’, and as she distanced herself from her franchise origins she was perceived as ‘trying too hard’. Personal Shopper sees Stewart as a medium www.KettleMag.co.uk
and PA to the rich and famous, attempting to contact her twin brother from beyond the grave. This is Olivier Assayas’ second successive feature starring Stewart. The film earned him a best director award at Cannes, and was met with several five star reviews after its premiere. Hopes are high, then, for the latest in a long line of arthouse horrors moving into the mainstream – and for Stewart, who is yet to earn the public’s adoration.
Ghost in the Shell (31 March) Perhaps the most controversial release of early 2017: the makers of Ghost in the Shell have been accused of whitewashing, with the casting of Scarlett Johansson in the midst of a predominantly Asian cast – and rightly so. The plot sees Johansson as a cyborg policewoman, attempting to bring down an infamous hacker, in the remake of a much beloved Japanese anime classic. Although its concept may seem a little tire worn – it bears obvious comparisons with The Matrix and Johansson’s earlier feature Lucy – its heady philosophy might just save itself from mediocrity. Ghost in the Shell is in conversation with cybernetics, online security, and the reality of our digital selves. KettleMag
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20th Century Women (10 February)
How cinema pushed diversity forwards in 2016 Did cinema become more representitive in 2016? Liam Taft finds out.
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Clearly, progress still needs to be made; however, 2016 also saw cinema make huge leaps forwards in representing women, the LGBTQIA community, and racial minorities.
Women 2016 saw a string of masterful performances by women – but in particular women over 40. Much has been made of the debate about female representation in the film industry, with particular emphasis being made on the struggles of women of middle age to secure roles onscreen. Last year, we saw Amy Adams, at 42, star in two high-profile films within the space of one month: her work in Nocturnal Animals, Tom Ford’s metafictional thriller, and Arrival, Denis Villeneuve’s sci-fi exploration of linguistics, gave her widespread critical acclaim. Elsewhere, Annette Bening gave one of the best performances of her career in 20th Century Women (although this is yet to be released in the UK). It’s a vital portrait of a fifty-something single mother attempting to teach her son about love and life – and realising that she is still finding out the answers herself. www.KettleMag.co.uk
Also across the Atlantic, Hidden Figures, the true story of a team of AfricanAmerican women whose mathematical skills helped NASA’s first missions into space, is gaining traction in the race to the Oscars, with a nomination likely for Octavia Spencer. There is a trend, it seems, with both Arrival and Hidden Figures of professional women at the top of their game in male-dominated fields, providing role models for the next generation of women scientists, linguists, and mathematicians. At the box office, 2016 draws to a close with a Star Wars film, led by a strong, intelligent, and resilient female protagonist, top the charts for the second year in a row. Both Daisy Ridley and Leslie Jones have created powerful female icons, carrying on the legacy of Carrie Fisher after her unfortunate death last month. Fisher was highly critical of Lucas’ insistence on her wearing that gold bikini in A New Hope; all of this seems in a galaxy far far away as Rogue One gave us the heroine that we wished Princess Leia could be.
LGBTQIA 2015 was the year in which LGBTQIA film went mainstream in the awards season, with Carol being nominated and Alicia Vikander winning an Oscar for her role in The Danish Girl. KettleMag
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Much has been made of the films that failed diversity in 2016. Casper Salmon, writing in The Guardian, compiled a list of films that failed to respectfully represent minority groups: he attacked A Bigger Splash, with its misguided handling of the refugee crisis; Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie’s misrepresentation of the trans community; and described Everybody Wants Some!! as “Trump’s America writ large: A sexist and macho look at a completely imagined past, in which things were great – for straight white men.”
However, these films were incredibly conservative depictions of the LGBTQIA community – they involve white and upper middle class characters played by straight actors. In 2016, however, things were different. Although it is yet to be released in the UK, Moonlight, the poetic account of a black man coming to terms with his sexuality, is becoming a frontrunner in the race to the Oscars. It signposts a huge leap forwards for the representation of black and queer voices in film. Barry Jenkins’ deeply personal movie has been praised for its sensitivity, its eloquence, and for its refusal to hide the reality of what it means to grow up black and queer in contemporary America. It is perhaps one of the most important films of the decade. On the festival circuit, NewFest, the New York LGBT film festival, saw record attendance, and an increasing number 14
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of high-profile attendees. The Pass, in particular, gained critical acclaim for Russel Tovey’s star turn as a gay footballer who feels trapped by hyper masculinity in sport. The festival also proved that queer cinema is moving on from the typical ‘coming out’ narrative and working towards more complex depictions of the LGBTQIA community.
Racial minorities Disney’s latest animation, Moana, was praised for its casting choices. Set in Ancient Polynesia, most of those involved were natives of the Pacific Islands – in both voice acting and behind the scenes. Madeleine Chapman, writing in The Guardian, suggests that Moana has a powerful message: she claims that it has “educated the world on the beauty and troubles facing the South Pacific, while also uniting sometimes rival islands in the realisation that the water between doesn’t separate us – it www.KettleMag.co.uk
represented groups” in onscreen opportunities and industry access. This new policy will, hopefully, inspire other awards ceremonies to adopt similar strategies.
Perhaps the biggest news surrounding diversity in the film industry that made the headlines this year was the ‘#OscarsSoWhite scandal in February. However, nominations for this year’s awards season have been more diverse. The Golden Globes have been awash with nominations for black actors and actresses – with Viola Davis winning for Best Supporting Actress. In addition, the Baftas revealed last month that they are making new changes to ensure that nominations comply with the BFI’s diversity standards. From 2019, in order to be eligible for ‘outstanding British film’ and ‘outstanding debut by a British writer’, film-makers will have to prove they have “worked to increase the representation of under-
We cannot allow Arrival, Moonlight, or Moana to become token films – they do not excuse the lack of diversity still rife in the film industry. Superficially, it seems, looking at the awards successes on display here, we are moving forwards in representing more diverse voices in Hollywood. However, dip beneath the surface, and in the wider film industry, we still have a long long way to go. Still, art can give us solace in uncertain times – and in 2016 minority groups have never needed it more. It’s time to celebrate the films taking a step forwards in pushing diversity as the world takes a huge leap back.
Please help the future of journalism In the good old days, publishing was fun - and profitable too. All you needed was incredible content and a decent audience and then advertisers would part with their money in order to reach your audience. And then along came Social Networks. They grew and grew until they had a bigger audience than all the publications combined, hoovering up all of the advertising revenue on their way. This caused publications to lose money and in some cases, close. Nowadays, in order for publications such as Kettle to survive, we need to rely in part on the generous nature of our readers. Sooo if you’d like to help develop the next generation of journalists and social commentators, please spare us a few quid...
Donate here: bit.ly/2kpsaDQ
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connects us.” Racial minorities are celebrated in this hugely popular musical, with Lin-Manuel Miranda, songwriter for Hamilton, providing the show-stopping tunes.
If you ask political journalists about their favourite comic characters, it won’t be long before someone mentions Malcolm Tucker, the foul-mouthed spin doctor played by Peter Capaldi in The Thick of It. Tucker, who gave us the word “omnishambles”, is in turn believed to be inspired by Alastair Campbell, Tony Blair’s director of communications. In 2016, the year of a “have cake and eat it” Brexit, political reality increasingly resembles TV farce. But this time, I suspect even Malcolm Tucker might not be able to keep a lid on it. This is because political journalism itself is changing. Not that long ago, the cycle still revolved around the deadlines of the printed paper. In the last 12 months, by contrast, I have had colleagues tweeting from a boat on which Bob Geldof was pursuing Ukip leader Nigel Farage, while I have live-blogged two of the biggest political surprises of my lifetime - the EU referendum and the election of Donald Trump.
Image: freepik.com
While journalists are increasingly expected to cover news in real time, the way that news is collected is also changing. Anyone can watch parliamentary proceedings online, while Twitter serves as a somewhat chaotic newswire for everything from by-election results to the 16
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minutes of obscure internal party meetings. Politicians, more than any other group I have covered, use Twitter to make decisions public. Meanwhile, their own experience of politics is also shaped by the kind of social media reaction they receive online. So anyone who wants to be a political journalist can take the first stop by following politicians (and not just the ones they like), watching Parliament TV and live tweeting speeches and events. To work as a journalist in an age when news is produced instantly and reported instantly is incredibly exciting. Yet at the same time it can be deeply misleading. For example, I received a pitch from a journalist who wanted to write about a Jeremy Corbyn rally that had happened the day before. It was, the journalist wrote, full of ideologues chanting slogans, and there was footage on social media to prove it. In fact, I’d attended that very same rally in person, and I saw a completely different event. Yes, there were probably a few diehard supporters tweeting away. But I spoke to a number of people there, some of whom were longterm Labour supporters who quite liked Corbyn, and others who were otherwise not very engaged in politics at all. www.KettleMag.co.uk
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Political journalism in the digital age. Julia Rampen on the life as a modern hack www.KettleMag.co.uk
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..while the internet may have made political journalism a more welcoming space, it has not made it any more lucrative.
This kind of incident makes me convinced that while old-school print journalists have plenty to learn about online media, there is a lot they can teach online journalists as well. I was lucky enough to spend some time as a news reporter on a fairly traditional print magazine, where the first rule was always: Pick up the phone. Talking to politicians is particularly important, because for all their tweets, they often have much more to say off the record. It’s hard to get access if you don’t a have a newspaper title behind you, but you can start by turning up at events. Obviously this is easier if you’re in London or Edinburgh, but everyone has a local MP, and councillors. Indeed, the decline of regional newspapers has left something of a vacuum for local politics coverage. And politicians’ decisions affect the country as a whole. Finally, there is the question of how you actually publish your reporting. My first attempt at being a political journalist failed before it had even started, because it seemed that the only way in was through an unpaid internship (I found a paid job as a financial journalist instead). However, thanks to the internet, there is far more scope for online blogs, social media reporting or single articles on a platform like Medium. More importantly, perhaps, there is now also a generation of digital editors which 18
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takes this kind of publishing seriously. A previous boss once said to me he wouldn’t consider hiring anyone who hadn’t managed to build up a blog. However, while the internet may have made political journalism a more welcoming space, it has not made it any more lucrative. If you’re starting out in journalism and have rent to pay, you’re going to have to make some compromises, and it’s worth deciding early on whether that’s along ideological lines, subject matter, or type of publication. As for me, I learnt the basics of the trade on financial magazines, first wrote for a consumer audience at The Mirror as a personal finance journalist, and finally made the transition to politics after working closely with the newspaper’s politics team. Nevertheless, my first six months editing The Staggers, The New Statesman’s online politics blog, has been a learning experience in its own right (I started four days before Brexit). Whether it’s the comedy of Traingate, the tragedy of Trump or the dramatic debates I’ve heard behind closed doors, it’s hard to think of a more fascinating year to be writing about politics. Julia Rampen is editor of The Staggers, The New Statesman’s online politics blog. www.newstatesman.com/the-staggers @JuliaRampenMM www.KettleMag.co.uk
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What is an MA in Gender Studies? Olivia Morris finds out.... When I tell people that I’m studying an MA in Gender Studies, I’m typically faced with some pretty poor and misinformed reactions including: “Eh? Gender Studies? Is that just a bunch of women sat around complaining about men?” “Are you going to be able to get a job with that?” “There can’t be that many people on your course…” “Are there any boys who do it?” and so on… The amount of students on the course offered at the University of Leeds almost doubled from 2015 to 2016 with an additional 12 students taking the MA. There are a variety of people on the course who represent various gender identities, come from all kinds of different backgrounds and cultures, and between us there are more than 19 www.KettleMag.co.uk
different languages spoken, including a student who can sign-language. Students with a masters in gender studies go on to do a wide range of careers including: teaching, working for NGOs, campaigning and activism, further study, journalism, law and many more. The research, analysis and communication skills that the course provides you with means there are plenty of options for students to go on to do. The course in general provides us with an overview of the gendered inequalities that we face in society both in the past and now, and what we can do to tackle these issues. KettleMag
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So what exactly is a MA in Gender Studies, and why is it becoming more popular? With the help of some fellow students and lecturers, I want to bust a few myths about Gender Studies at Master’s level, explaining what it’s really about and why it’s so important, from those who actually do the course.
Francesca Taylor, Student: “In September 2015 I began volunteering for a local women’s charity Support After Rape and Sexual Violence Leeds. It was through delivering frontline women’s services as a helpline volunteer, supporting survivors of sexual violence, that I fully realised the extent of gender discrimination and the necessity for more conversations and studies about gender inequality. “Flash-forward a year on and I’m studying for my M.A in Gender Studies at Leeds with a view to work for a gender based charity in the future. “The course offers an in-depth insight into feminist, queer and postcolonial theories (among many others); ways that we might research gender in a sensitive, effective way; and discussions revolve around important relevant examples relating to gender in the changing, technological world in which we live. “If you are interested in how gender is experienced differently and want to learn from other’s experiences by having important conversations, then I would wholeheartedly recommend studying gender at master’s level,” Says Francesca.
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Karen Throsby, Associate Professor: “An understanding of gender relations in society has never been more important, locally, nationally and globally. Courses like those at CIGS (Centre for Interdisciplinary Gender Studies), and those run by other feminists across the country, enable students to think critically and reflexively about gender relations in all their complexity, and in ways that enable them to engage politically with the social world. “These programmes also enable students to form alliances with feminists from around the world that will endure well beyond the degree programme itself. “In a moment when the future president of the United States can talk unashamedly about sexually assaulting women and still be elected, I can’t think of anything more important than trying to understand gendered power relations and our own complicated relations to them, as well as seeking out points of intervention and resistance.”
Georgie Oi, Student: “I applied to do an MA in Gender Studies because I had been working in the public sector for sometime and wanted to specialise in sectors where a knowledge of gender issues would be useful. For example, working with survivors of domestic violence. “On a personal note, I have experienced sexism all throughout my life and I wanted to empower myself to challenge this.”
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Men can also be victims under the typical gender stereotypes.
Joyce YI, Student: “The reason why I choose gender studies is because I’ve seen loads of gender inequality issues in our everyday lives. Some women are suffering from the ideal female gender roles. “The most horrible thing is that they blame themselves if they do not fit the ideal image of women. Men can also be victims under the typical gender stereotypes. So I’m really curious how those roles and ‘truth’ are established in the society; what things we can do to help ourselves and others to live more freely.” Current students on the course at Leeds
took a wide range of undergraduate courses including English, Theatre, Music, Sociology, History, Psychology, Politics, International Relations and many more. If you are interested in studying an MA in Gender Studies, and would like to know more about it from a current student’s perspective, please don’t hesitate to get in contact with me at info@kettlemag.co.uk I would love to answer any questions regarding the course, or just doing an MA in general. In a world that is becoming ever more uncertain, it is imperative that the students of today equip themselves with the tools and knowledge to challenge what faces us.
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How one assignment can change everything.
Image: Defence Images, Flickr
Liz Perkins on Russian tanks, suicide bombers and a life changing opportunity.
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Back then I was the health reporter from the South Wales Evening Post and the MoD wanted reporters covering that topic to go out to Helmand Province to write about the work of Welsh medics stationed at the field hospital in Camp Bastion.
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In one exclusive, I wrote one wanted to reveal that he didn’t trust the Afghan police that he was working alongside after one rogue officer killed his friend in a green on blue attack. After much argument with those in the Army who were checking my stories for Operation Security (OPSEC) issues, I got the story released – it made the Post front page and also was picked up by some of the London-based nationals.
It was a challenging environment to cover in many ways, not only dealing with the searing heat, the desert dust, but also being able to get articles filed home that offered a truthful insight into the conflict.
Determination not to bow to pressure and change the line I had was key in producing the exclusives I did on what was the biggest ongoing news story in the world at that time. I had the opportunity to see where Prince Harry was stationed with the Gurkhas on J-TEC hill in Garsmir, where I went out and about with soldiers from 1st The Queen Dragoon Guards. It gave me the opportunity to understand more about Afghanistan’s war-torn past, with Russian tanks still left behind serving as a reminder.
The difficulty in being an embedded journalist working alongside UK forces is sometimes you interview soldiers who do not follow the party line.
Getting out from the relative safety of Camp Bastion, although that was sometimes prone to attack with a suicide bomber targeting close to the field
I had only one answer and my editor agreed to the trip. It was the first of six reporting stints I did in Afghanistan before British troops withdrew two years ago.
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Afghanistan was an assignment I never thought would land on my desk. But one phone call on a July day in 2008 from the Ministry of Defence (MoD) changed all that and the course of my career.
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...my best advice is always be determined, never give up, pass your shorthand and law...
hospital a month before I first visited, to Nad Ali and Babaji was a great experience. I remember interviewing a Swansea soldier with the sound of gunfire in the background. I was told it was the Taliban fighting on The Dash area and asked whether I had been in a patrol base while it had come under attack. I hadn’t and it didn’t happen that day. But Afghan people walking through the area did bring the wires and the battery from inside of explosive device to our soldiers, underlying the sense of danger and risk faced day in day out by our troops. I aimed to give an insight to our readers as to what Afghanistan was like and also tried to reflect on human interest stories linked to the conflict as well as looking at operations, the cost in terms of the death toll, the attacks from the Taliban, what strategy they were using to target our soldiers, what was being done to counter that and combine it with the political side. I wanted to make it relevant in a way that the Iraq conflict never was. On returning from Helmand Province the first time, it changed my perspective and I embraced the change of direction and left behind health reporting. Reporting on the troops has taken me to Canada, Germany, Cyprus, Northern Ireland and to the Brecon Beacons on numerous occasions to watch soldiers in their training. As a journalist, you learn to be flexible 24
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and seize the opportunities that come your way. Afghanistan has led me to be highly commended for my journalism at the Wales Media Awards in the category of Newspaper Journalist of the Year in 2015. I also was invited to the Garden Party at Buckingham Palace, a couple of years ago, following my work in Helmand and continued support of the Poppy Appeal, which raises funds for the Royal British Legion to help our veterans. Defence reporting was something I fell into, although I had always admired the work of the BBC’s Kate Adie and Jeremy Bowen. If other journalists are looking to follow that path I would suggest writing about the Army, Navy and RAF at local level and seeing what trips materialise. It’s highly unlikely a job in defence will come up straight away on a London national or paper of that calibre wherever you are based. I’m only one of three British regional journalists who hold that title. To succeed in journalism, my best advice is always be determined, never give up, pass your shorthand and law – those are the basics to land you a job – and be open to the possibility of covering different subjects. After all, my plan was to become a tennis writer, and I’ve ended up travelling around the world with my job in a way I’d never dreamed of. Liz Perkins is Defence Reporter at the South Wales Evening Post. @lizperkinspost www.KettleMag.co.uk
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BECOME A KETTLE CORRESPONDENT Kettle is looking to add university correspondents to it’s “Student Life” section.
If you fancy representing your university and reporting on from around your campus then please contact: Emmi Bowles on studentlife@kettlemag.co.uk www.KettleMag.co.uk
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The world and American journalism Alex Veeneman looks at the relationship between the white house and the US media.
The relationship between the American media and the administration of US president Donald Trump had been contentious ever since the real estate investor and developer announced his plans to seek the office on the Republican ticket. That continued after his inauguration. On Saturday the 21st, Sean Spicer, Trump’s press secretary, took to the podium at the James Brady Briefing Room at The White House for the first time. Spicer criticised the media for the reports that were made on the amounts of people who attended Trump’s inauguration compared to that of former president Barack Obama. Spicer said that journalists had engaged in “deliberately false reporting,” according to a report from National Public Radio. 26
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“Photographs of the inaugural proceedings were intentionally framed in a way, in one particular tweet, to minimize the enormous support that had gathered on the National Mall,” Spicer said. Spicer then left the podium and took no questions. His appearance occurred as women’s marches in Washington, London and other parts of the world had taken place. Criticism of Spicer was rampant, while attempts to verify the claims Spicer made were conducted. Brian Fallon, the former spokesman for Hillary Clinton’s campaign, said Spicer had lied to the media. In an interview with the broadcaster CNN the following day, Fallon said Spicer should resign if he could not stand up to Trump, and expressed concern about the conduct on the profession. www.KettleMag.co.uk
Yet, in an interview with the American broadcaster NBC, Kellyanne Conway, an advisor to Trump, said Spicer had given alternative facts, and that the crowd numbers could not be confirmed. Conway added that the notion from the interviewer, Chuck Todd, could impact the relationship the White House has with the media. “If we’re going to keep referring to the press secretary in those types of terms I think we’re going to have to rethink our relationship here,” Conway said. The issue of crowd numbers came weeks after Trump’s own press conference as president-elect, where he criticised CNN and BuzzFeed and labelled them as fake news, over reports regarding a 35 page document with claims about Trump and his relationship with Russia. Trump also criticised the media during an appearance at the headquarters of the Central Intelligence Agency, hours before Spicer spoke to the media that Saturday at the White House. Spicer added that the issue of accountability was a two-way street, according to reports from the Associated Press news agency distributed to American and Canadian media. “There’s been a lot of talk in the media about holding Donald Trump accountable, and I’m here to tell you that it goes two ways,” Spicer said. “We’re going to hold accountable as well.” www.KettleMag.co.uk
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As the world’s attention turned to the United States during the election and inauguration of Trump, American journalism had become part of the story, leaving questions within media circles as to how to not just cover Trump, but to practice journalism through established norms and ethics in the digital age. Separately, there were also questions as to the impact of the model American journalism would have globally, as social media becomes a norm for consuming news. Megan Boler of the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto in Canada, said that information being presented as news is being personalised to confirm current beliefs, and in an age of the 24/7 news cycle, there were benefits for Trump in that media culture. “[There was] already a culture that would benefit an incoming president who was not going to abide by any fact based, reality based standards,” Boler said in a telephone interview. “In his particular case, we’re also looking at someone who is a mastermind.” Boler, citing his work with the famous reality TV programme The Apprentice (a version in the UK which stars billionaire Lord Sugar), said Trump knows how to use media to influence opinion. “He is willing to disregard any traditions or standards or norms or how things have been done, even though it’s not written in law,” Boler said. “He is deciding not to deal with the press in the way former presidents have.” Boler said journalists were still committed to those standards, but raised concerns about the decline of standards in the 24/7 news cycle. KettleMag
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“I’m concerned, if yesterday’s briefing is any indication, that this is somebody who will put his standing with his boss ahead of his integrity and standing with the press corps,” Fallon said. “Those are things that are dangerous territory.”
Lynn Walsh, the president of the US Society of Professional Journalists, said in a telephone interview that discretion lies with the public when it comes to journalism, yet there still are ethical questions about the journalism that is practiced in the digital age. “You do have more and more online news organizations starting up - but is that person following a code of ethics? Are they asking as ethical and professional journalists? That may not always be yes, and if so, you have information being shared, and [people may] lump it in with other journalism that reaches the ethical standard.” Walsh says more work needs to be done in describing roles of analysts, particularly on US cable news networks – many of whom are not journalists, but are paid as contributors. “We need to be better about distinguishing what their role is and being transparent about giving an opinion and associations,” Walsh said. On the subject of the relationship between Trump’s administration and the media, Walsh said SPJ and other journalism organisations had penned a letter to the Administration requesting a conversation about access to Trump. Other areas included the strength of the Freedom of Information Act (which also allows for UK residents to request US government data under the law) and the ability to talk to government employees who are experts in particular subjects instead of going through public information officers. The organisation did similar efforts under Obama’s presidency, meeting with the former White House press secretary Josh Earnest, but no action was taken before Obama left office.
been sent to Clinton if she were elected. SPJ had been subject to recent criticism by some users for bias, and being poor representatives of the profession. “The issues we fight for (public access, press freedom, ethical journalism) are issues the US Constitution protects,” Walsh said. “These aren’t partisan issues. We may not get the most accurate information from a third person. If we don’t get the right information, the public can’t get the right information.” Yet, the issues surrounding journalism are not just limited to the United States. “It is clear to me that there is a severe crisis in the profession of journalism,” Boler said. “I understand that many journalists and the press want to uphold those [double sourcing, accuracy and fairness] standards but because of the diverse ways in which information is being disseminated, it’s much more rare that the information that comes across our computers has undergone the rigorous journalistic standard. There is nothing geographically or nationally specific about the erosion of shared and common sense of the news.” Walsh says that education and work in media literacy (discussing what is news and what is opinion), especially in schools, is crucial when it comes to the relationship between audiences and media. Additionally, news organisations can do better at labelling whether something is news or comment, so the public can understand. “Someone’s opinion is not bad information to have,” Walsh said. “But, there is a difference between facts and opinion.”
Walsh said the same letter would have 28
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UNIQUE SHIRTS
for parties, stag dos, golf days and basically any event where you want to stand out from the crowd.
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Are robots drawn in colour? Leon Wingham talks robots and monsters with illustrator and graphic designer, Rob Turpin
What’s your name, where you from and what are you on?
drawings for people of spaceships, robots or weird imaginary places.
I’m Rob Turpin, from York, I’ve been living in and around London for the last twenty years.
So just what is it about robots and spaceships?
Tell us about what you do and how you got into it and what you are working on right now. I’m a graphic designer by profession, although I was thrown out of two different art colleges so I have no formal qualifications at all. After ten years managing bars I got back in to design and spent the next decade doing that. Four years ago I decided to start drawing again - at school I’d always been ‘the kid that draws’. I set myself a challenge to draw a robot a day for a year as a way to get back in to the habit. As a result of that I decided that what I really wanted was to be an illustrator. Since then I’ve illustrated one book, been featured in a couple more, written an illustration tutorial for an art magazine and done a fair amount of commercial illustration. The majority of the time I spend drawing is still private commissions - individual www.KettleMag.co.uk
I’ve always been interested in space and fascinated by science fiction so robots and spaceships are part of my artistic DNA I suppose. Everything to the Asimov stories I read as a kid, to watching the first space shuttle launch at school have become part of who I am and they find their way onto the page whether I like it or not. Your robots are bursting with character - do you set out with these characteristics in mind or do they simply evolve with the drawing? A lot of my robots and space drawings form, very loosely, part of a narrative I’ve started called Asteroid Belt Blues. It’s a series of interconnected stories and drawings set in the Asteroid Belt in the future. When I draw robots or spaceships I’m often thinking about where they might fit in that universe and whose side they might be on. KettleMag
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How often do you typically draw in any given day? I draw as much as I can. If I’m freelancing as a designer I’ll draw on my lunch hour and when I get home. If I’m working on illustration and commissions then I’ll be drawing between eight and twelve hours a day depending on how busy I am. One thing I’ve learnt since starting drawing again is that I have to draw every single day. It’s the only way to improve. There’s a lot of enthusiasm for SciFi art (for want of a better term) at the moment - why is that and which artists/illustrators do you most admire? The internet has made a lot more scifi art or concept art accessible. Ten or fifteen years ago you were only exposed to it if you were a fan and searched it out. Now it does seem to be everywhere. There are a bunch of people whose work I love, from classic illustrators like Arthur Rackham, Norman Rockwell and Virgil Finlay to comic artists like Jock and Carlos Ezquerra, to concept artists like Raphael Lacoste and Sparth (Nicolas Bouvier). My favourite artist is Ian McQue, he’s an illustrator and concept artist for games and films. His work is an astonishing variety of robots, mechs, spaceships, castles and weird landscapes. There’s nobody working today whose work inspires me like Ian’s. Ian McQue is on Twitter and Instagram: @ianmcque
I really like a recent illustration I did for Graphite Magazine. It was part of a tutorial about illustrating a piece of sci-fi writing. I’m really pleased with the way that turned out. There’s also a painting hanging on the wall at my parents that I did when I was 17. It’s (strangely) of an Australian aborigine holding a dead turkey! It came out perfectly. If I tried another ten times to paint that scene I wouldn’t get anywhere close. Something dark lurks beneath many of your buildings - do you worry about having monsters under your bed? Always have, always will. The thing to remember is that to them, we’re the monsters on top of their beds. What advice would you give to students who are looking to pursue a career as an illustrator? Firstly - draw. There is no substitute for practice, and no shortcut to getting good. I didn’t draw for nearly twenty years and it’s my biggest regret. Secondly - be curious. Read books, watch films, look around you. Be interested in the odd stuff, the weird, the strange. Fill up your head with curious and wonderful things and it will find its way onto the page. Finally - if you could be one robot from film/literature, which would it be and why? I’d probably be one of the weird drone robots from any of Iain Banks’ Culture novels. They all seem to be quite sarcastic and much wittier than me.
There are probably loads of them but is there one piece of your work that you are most proud/fond of? 32
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Twitter & Instagram - @thisnorthernboy Blog - thisnorthernboy.wordpress.com Facebook - thisnorthernboyillustrates
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It’s festival season, get your skis on! Laura Brown considers a winter festival
When people say the word ‘festival’ there’s usually two images that spring to mind; a sun-drenched field with the beer and cider flowing or a muddy rainy field with mosh pits left, right and centre
Image: freepik.com
However, there’s a breed of festival that has been slowly and steadily growing – the winter festival. Based in popular ski resorts, such as Andorra and Italy, the winter festival scene combines 36
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But what exactly is it about winter festivals that keep people coming back and why should we all be heading to one this year? Snowbombing is just one winter festival that has taken off and every year draws in huge crowds to the slopes for a week of music and sport in the snow.
that appeals to everyone. For music fans; the chance to see some of your favourite bands in a location like no other and for the lovers of winter sports; a festival added in to your usual adrenaline filled holiday. Speaking about their time at Snowbombing, one of this years acts and festival royalty, Groove Armada said:
“Snowbombing is one of the rare places where you recapture the libertine spirit Founder of Snowbombing, Gareth of the early house parties. In ’88, pre Cooper, explains just how quickly the mobile phone, you could be cut off from festival has grown. the world and lost in House paradise by going to a marquee on “When Snowbombing first Mr Motivator the south downs. Now that started it was only meant to freedom has been lost to doing the be a ski holiday but it quickly the social network. Being morning ski physically removed in the outgrew that and became a warm up, real festival. We are lucky mountains helps to rekindle to have some of the best a sense of abandon. Taking Eddie the venues in the world that down the phone mast that Eagle doing serves the valley would be make the festival altogether ski lessons, more different. Forests, better still. mountain stages, igloos and Pat Sharp’s then some standard venues plan for ’17 is to finally Fun Haus and The that are not at all standard make a weekend of it. Gigs more. for Snowbombing week! either side have meant Snowbombing should be that every trip so far has about having a laugh with friends so we involved a pizza, a leisurely bar crawl try and do some fun things – we’ve got down the high street, a DJ booth, a Europe’s biggest fancy dress party, the tour of 5 or 6 dancefloors, a shower Snowbombing car rally with 200 cars and a drive back to Munich. Each time coming in from the UK, Mr Motivator as we leave, smiling faces head up to doing the morning ski warm up, Eddie sunkissed mountains.” the Eagle doing ski lessons, Pat Sharp’s Fun Haus and more.” With comments like that, we’re already getting jealous we’ve not been. It’s not hard to see just how much fun there is to be had. With all of this So why not head out to a snowy plus the likes of Chase and Status, mountain side in Europe this year, The Counteeners, Slaves and Groove see your favourite bands and throw Armada playing the slopes this year, yourself down a mountainside. There’s there will undoubtedly be something snow-much fun to be had. www.KettleMag.co.uk
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dance and/or indie music with winter sports, a beautiful location and a good measure of partying thrown in.
We’ve got Alli, Deli Alli
Image: Twitter
Tom Earnshaw on why the sky’s the limit for this wonderkid EURO 2016 saw some of the year’s best sporting moments. Wales’ fairytale journey to the semi-finals of the competition was something football fans from all corners of the UK were secretly proud to witness. The shock progression of Iceland stands out as another, although to England players and fans, it’s harder to see that after the Three Lions were victims of that shock, crashing out in a 2-1 loss to Nordic minnows. One England player involved in the full 38
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90 minutes of the loss was Tottenham Hotspur’s Dele Alli. Prior to the tournament, Alli’s involvement with the national team was relatively fresh and his overall impact had been limited. This was in part due to the restricted role he was ordered to play on more than one occasion under then-England manager Roy Hodgson. This version of Dele Alli is a thing of the past. Dele Alli of 2017 is a different beast. www.KettleMag.co.uk
The additional freedom has also seen Alli reach 10 goals in 20 Premier League appearances this season, matching his tally from the 2015/16 season in 13 less appearances. These are numbers the likes of Frank Lampard, Paul Scholes, and Steven Gerrard could only have wished for at the same age. In the history of the Premier League, only two midfielders having reached 20 league goals quicker than the Spurs playmaker, those were former Tottenham man Rafael van der Vaart, who did it in 8 less appearances, and former Southampton midfield wizard Matt Le Tissier, who reached the number in 2 less appearances. Both Van Der Vaart and Le Tissier were benefactors of being comfortable in similar attacking, free roles to what Alli is currently enjoying. “He’s now more mature,” Pochettino said of Alli. “I like a player to be like that, I think it’s important. People can see he’s smart and clever.” Bearing in mind Alli’s 2015/16 domestic season ended rather hastily after serving a three match ban for punching West Brom’s Claudio Yacob in the stomach, it’s fair to suggest the England international has grown as a person since such immature antics. His tweet after the charge said: “Gutted that my season is over. Shouldn’t have www.KettleMag.co.uk
reacted like I did. Will learn from this and come back stronger.” It’s this attitude that enables young players such as Alli to learn from mistakes and grow as a person both on and off the field. His ability to have a laugh helps, too. When an old Myspace photo of him went viral online, he told Complex UK: “I thought it was funny and I was going to put it as my WhatsApp photo – or wear it as fancy dress.” His grounded, ordinary guy attitude alongside bundles of talent is a recipe for the success he’s going to enjoy for the next ten years and beyond. It’s why he’s attracted interest from clubs throughout Europe. Barcelona, Manchester United, and Real Madrid have all reportedly shown interest in the young midfielder, with a £70m fee being a suggested asking price. Tottenham would of course be mad to sell a player of his quality for any price. They’ve had naturally gifted players in his position before and let them go, most notably Real Madrid superstar Luka Modrić who they sold in 2012. The good thing for Tottenham is that so much has happened since 2012. The club wasn’t in dire straits by any means, but Spurs’ growth has been remarkable. They attract a different calibre of player and manager, they compete regularly for the Premier League and Champions League titles, and they’re currently building a brand new stadium, which will also double as a venue for NFL London games. The rise of Dele Alli has fit in neatly with how Spurs’ club model has progressed as a whole. If both club and player are wise and are willing to invest in the same future, the sky could very well be the limit. KettleMag
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The Milton Keynes-born man is flourishing under the guidance of highly rated Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino, who in turn has reaped the benefit of giving a player of Alli’s quality a free role in midfield. Pochettino’s at the time somewhat risky decision to establish a 3-4-2-1 formation saw three back-to-back braces for Alli, who, alongside Christian Eriksen, have been allowed to wreak havoc with frontman Harry Kane, who himself has scored a hat-trick since moving to three at the back.
The Tabloid Backlash Cameron Ridgeway on freedom of speech and banning newspapers
The end of 2016 saw a number of Students’ Unions proposing policies to ban tabloid newspapers from their campuses. The unions at City University London, Queen Mary, and Plymouth University have all passed policies to ban tabloids from their premises. At City (home to one of the best ranked journalism faculties in the country), where the union was the first to propose such a ban, reception is mixed. Given that there are no outlets on campus selling papers, and that all papers including the ‘banned’ tabloids are available in the libraries and the journalism department, the scope and effectiveness of the ban itself is debatable. Bridie Pearson- Jones, a postgraduate Journalism student at City, said that the ban itself was “odd” given many tabloid papers employ a large number of City alumni and lots of current students also want to work for them. At
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university’s Free Speech society started the January term by handing out free copies of the Sun and talking to students about the ban and press freedom on their Mile End campus, a move that they said was a last resort after repeated protests against the decision. Emily Dinsmore, an undergraduate physics student who helped hand out the free papers, said that censoring newspapers of a similar political viewpoint was an “assault on free speech” and suggested that only views “rubber stamped” by the Union were acceptable on campus. She added that not agreeing with what a newspaper publishes should not give the right to stop other people from purchasing or reading them, as in her view this was “Orwellian” and went against the basic right to think and speak freely. A ban on selling the newspapers at Plymouth University came into force at the start of 2017. In a statement at the time www.KettleMag.co.uk
There was a mixed student response to the move, with some protesting to the Plymouth Herald that they had little or no say in the decision - one student said the ban discouraged debate and was the “exact opposite” of what a university should be, while others agreed that tabloids spread “lies” and did not fulfil the purpose of a newspaper.
accused the Mail, Sun, and Express of “sexism”, “demonising refugees and minorities” and “undermining the rule of law” after the Mail published its controversial front page declaring three Supreme Court judges “enemies of the people”.
Campaigns such as Stop Funding Hate have urged businesses to consider the ethical impact funding advertising in tabloids. The campaign warns that customers are becoming increasingly aware of how brands purchasing advertising in the Mail, Sun and Express are undermining not agreeing their ethical values by funding the “demonisation” with what a of their customers, but they do not agree that a tabloid newspaper ban is an effective way to publishes deal with this.
Tabloid titles are among the most widely read newspapers in the UK the March 2016 National Readership Survey found that the Mail was the most should not widely read newspaper in Richard Wilson, Stop the UK, with around 29,500 give the right Funding Hate co-founder, to stop other said that the campaign did readers in print and online. They have, however, been support the removal of people from not criticised on more than tabloids from universities one occasion for the hostile purchasing or as this suggested that nature of some of their reading them. customers should not have content. The revelations the right to use freedom of phone hacking by the of expression to influence News of the World, and the consequent their advertising choices. He said that findings of the Leveson Inquiry that both brands and newspaper publishers newspapers had violated privacy and were free to choose where to publish “recklessly pursued” a number of and advertise, as freedom of expression sensational stories regardless of the was a basic human right belonging to harm they may cause has done little to all. boost reputation. Writing in the Guardian, City University Tabloids have also been accused of lecturer and media commentator Roy fomenting social division, bias, and Greenslade criticised a tabloid ban as publishing fake news on numerous illiberal, a form of “censorship” and a occasions in recent years - most “clear denial of press freedom”, a view notably around the EU Referendum echoed by many other journalists and vote in June last year. Public trust in alumni of journalism courses. the media has been affected by recent scandals and is now at an all time low It is this balance between the right to of 43 per cent according to the most freedom of speech and those who feel recent Edelman Trust Barometer. tabloids offend much of society which The motion that proposed the City ban, makes the ban such a controversial titled Opposing Fascism in the Media, issue. www.KettleMag.co.uk
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the ban was passed, the Union’s Executive Committee condemned the “hateful, non-factual and antiscientific” nature of the Sun, Mail and Express and said that it was “unethical” for it to profit from their sale.
Cathy Newman on women in journalism By Alex Veeneman Five and a half years ago, ITN, the news organisation that produces Channel 4 News, did something that was a first for that programme – it named its first female co-presenter, sharing presenting duties with Jon Snow. Cathy Newman since that time has become one of the most prominent 42
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women in television, and in British journalism. She takes that status amidst trends suggesting that there are more women studying journalism around the world, and UCAS figures showing that women are outnumbering men in journalism programmes at universities in the UK. www.KettleMag.co.uk
In a telephone interview, Newman said the decision by ITN to appoint her as a co-presenter signalled a culture change in the role of women presenting news on television. She added that the ability to represent the diversity of the population was at the core of Channel 4’s principles as a network.
considering the seniority of her role. She went to her boss about it, and got the pay rise overnight. Newman said that instances of discrimination, especially to women, never leave you. “Women who have climbed the ladder have done so in the amounts of discrimination,” Newman said.
That instance led Newman to speak out and to champion women, and campaign for equality, to help women achieve their potential and achieve what they “It was an important statement for the deserve. She hopes that the stats programme to make,” Newman said. suggesting more women are studying journalism translates to change within Newman says it’s more the industry, and that than just about being in the I want society women climb to the top of presenter’s seat come 7pm. the ladder.
as a whole to
find it more “I hope they feed through Journalism and storytelling is at the heart of what acceptable for to change at the helm Newman does. Her focus is of newspapers and the men to pull two-fold – encompassing not screen,” Newman said. “The their weight proof is in the pudding.” just the news of the day and the big interviews, but also projects and investigations, bringing Newman hopes for societal changes, for stories she cares about to the screen. men to share stay at home parenting roles, and a revisit to the planning “Our driving motivation is to speak of work-life balance, in the hope that up for those who don’t have a voice,” women can achieve their career goals. Newman said. “With the interviews we Newman says she gets support from do, we don’t take things at face value - her husband, who picks up their 2 we’re questioning all sides of the story.” daughters from school. Newman credits ITN for the opportunities that have been afforded to her, even as sexism and discrimination continues to remain a concern in the industry. While at the FT, Newman was asked by senior management to recommend people to take on as reporters. One of the people she recommended was hired, but had earned £10,000 more than she did, www.KettleMag.co.uk
“What needs to change is that it shouldn’t be the responsibility of the woman to pick up the kids,” Newman said. “I’m surprised that more men aren’t sharing that role. I want society as a whole to find it more acceptable to men to pull their weight and the question - is it necessarily KettleMag
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At the time of her appointment, Newman had been with Channel 4 News for 5 years, joining as their political correspondent in 2006 after a career in print media, with The Independent, later the Financial Times.
what the couple want for a woman to backpedal [career-wise]” Trolling on social media has also been a problem. Newman says while people are supportive, she has become subject to messages on Twitter. It was especially the case after her interview with the controversial columnist Milo Yiannopoulos of the US web site Breitbart, whose executive chair, Steve Bannon, advises the US president-elect Donald Trump.
said. “If you believe in what you’re doing and believe in yourself, you shrug it off. I didn’t come into this job to be liked. I came into this job to make a difference to hold people to account, to hold people accountable.” Newman advises any aspiring journalist to never give up and not take no for an answer. She also advises to network, write down every name and number you’re given and make contacts at the top to help give you the best stories. Newman encourages women looking to go into journalism to believe in themselves, have confidence, and care less about what people say. She tells her daughters that there is no job out of reach for them. In the end, Newman’s mission remains the same.
Newman, citing the UK’s vote to leave the European Union as well as the US presidential elections, says she wonders if these events have given licence for people to say things that wouldn’t have been said before. She says the views have been magnified by the echochamber of social media. “I can’t understand why we’ve descended to this level of vitriol,” Newman said.
“My aim is to do the same job the blokes do.” Newman said. “I love my job, I love the evolving nature. There are downsides, but there are huge opportunities. You need to be sure of yourself, and don’t let the bastards get you down.”
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The best jumpers to wear this WINTER Cristiana Frunza goes nuts for knitwear
There’s nothing quite like the comfort of a warm jumper, whether it’s worn individually or on top of something else. Possibly the item you get the most wear out of, the jumper has been around for ages really and it’s still not out of style. 2016 witnessed the craziest of trends on dresses, jeans, jackets and especially jumpers. Here are a few of the best jumpers of this season…
The wide sleeve jumper We all love a bit of a statement piece and this is one you can’t take your eyes off it… £15.00 from asos.com
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The ruffle jumper The ruffle trend has been conquering hearts since summertime so why not make the most of it and wear it during winter too? ÂŁ40.00 from asos.com 46
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The cold shoulder jumper Another massive trend which hit the shelves and gained popularity quickly. ÂŁ22.00 from asos.com
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The oversized jumper Now this really is the definition of comfort-chic… £40 from riverisland.com
The turtleneck jumper A classic piece which should not miss from anyone’s wardrobe. £25.00 from missguided.co.uk
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The knitted jumper A knitted jumper is probably the best investment you can make during the cold season and look good in at the same time. ÂŁ20.00 from boohoo.com
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How to survive semester 2
Image: freepik.com
Emmi Bowles drops the knowlege The Christmas and New Year celebration are definitely 100% over now and university is starting to set back in. It’s easy to think that because semester one was a breeze that you can just coast through these next few months and boom, summer fun. But sadly no matter what year you are in semester two of university is brutal. Luckily I’m here to offer some friendly advice to help you get your ass in gear.
have left to do work on them.
Get organised
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You see that calendar and diary your parents got you for Christmas which has been sitting in the corner of your room untouched… pick it up and start using it. Even if you just mark down when your exams and deadlines are it will help you to visualise how long you
Getting organised also means getting on top of things and this includes revision. Even if you think you have ages until your final exam in May trust me you don’t! Those four months will fly past quicker than Usain Bolt so start finding time to hit the books.
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It’s not just organising your schedule that you need to think about but organising everything. I’m not saying you should go overboard and colour code your socks but decluttering your room, putting all your work for one module together and making sure you know where your calculator is will just make everything a lot easier for you.
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The same goes for assignments. Leaving it till the last minute can work out for the better if you are the type of person who performs best under pressure but trust me your lectures can tell if it was done the night before. Don’t put yourself under that stress and start writing a little each day. If you are doing a dissertation then setting a word count goal each day or week can be a big motivator.
Don’t be tempted Semester one was all about having fun and making friends. Semester two on the other hand is about discipline. You have to learn to say no to going out when you have a 9am lecture the next day. It will be hard and you will get called boring for it but when you turn up to lectures and get better grades you will be glad you turned down the tequila. Temptation isn’t just in the form of going out; it is also in the form of Netflix and Sky Go. Student life would not be student life without binge watching a Netflix series most weeks. But in the run up to exams and assignments you need to say no to that next season and turn it off. Try and get a good eight hours sleep a day so you don’t feel sluggish and actually might want to get out of bed for that morning seminar.
Make time for yourself Focusing on university and exams and your work is great and so important. But there is one thing that is even more www.KettleMag.co.uk
important than all of that - you! I know you have a million and one things to do and you are so busy but just take a day once a week for yourself. When you stop looking after yourself things can really go downhill so take an evening to sit back and relax. Forget about the revision and the stress and treat yourself with your favourite things, whether its a pamper and movie night, a Netflix binge, or a night in/out with your friends. It is ok to have fun every so often, even during exams season. University shouldn’t be a bore and you shouldn’t punish yourself with nonstop revision. Live a little – just remember to get back into your routine once you’ve had your day of relaxation.
Remember what you are here for When you are bogged down with work and you feel like the semester is never going to end and you just want to run home to mum and dad just stop and think. Remember why you came to university in the first place and why you wanted to study for your degree. Giving up and packing it all in when the going gets tough is easy, but sticking it out and getting to where you want to be in life after your degree is worth the blood, sweat and tears. Think about how far you have already come and how a few more months isn’t much. With the determination you will survive semester two. Whether you are in foundation year, first year, third year or doing a masters, semester two can be gruelling, but remember you’re not alone. Millions have been in your shoes and gotten through it, and millions are in the same boat as you right now. Keep your chin up and carry on and you will make it to the finish line. KettleMag
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If you have to go to the library to revise then get in there early or better yet book out a study room – but trust me you need to start reserving them ASAP! Come Easter a nightclub will be quieter than the library so book your study rooms now before they are all gone.
The good, the bad and the ugly: long distance relationships at university Image: freepik.com
Kettle Mag women’s editor Rae Coppola writes about her experience of being a ‘committed’ fresher.
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social positive. Andrew first visited me at Halloween, and coincidentally there was a Halloween party at my halls, so he was thrusted into it, and met all of the friends I had made in the first few weeks of university.
University is a time for personal growth, and couples may grow apart, but every relationship has a chance to flourish if you’re willing to work at it and be an honest and committed partner. Obviously, the choice is a personal one, and students should not make a decision based on the advice of one person, but instead judge for themselves.
We found that the ‘full university experience’ was both overrated and over exaggerated. Not everyone goes out and gets drunk every single night, taking a different person to bed each night. Most of the time, students have pre drinks, go out, have a takeaway, and share a taxi home with their flatmates to make it cheaper. Being in a relationship does not mean you can’t do just that as there is no law against having fun with your friends, and by all means, you should have it and encourage your partner to do the same.
My partner and I, despite initially agreeing otherwise, chose to stick it out. After missing out on his firm choice, which was coincidentally mine too, he enrolled at a university in Leeds, whilst I moved to Salford to complete our dream journalism course. It was a challenge, and it did have its ups and downs, but I believe it made our relationship stronger. However, we were extremely lucky, and after doing well in his first year my partner transferred to Salford where we moved in together. As we were spending our first year apart, Andrew and I decided we would visit one another every other weekend. At first thought this seemed a tall order, as we were essentially having to make sure half of our weekends were free, and missing out on parties and nights out. However, what initially seemed like a negative and a sacrifice, actually turned out to be a huge www.KettleMag.co.uk
We essential had two university experiences rather than just one. I even got a free Domino’s pizza and t-shirt in two different university freebie fairs. We got to explore two different cities, doing different activities in each. Another plus is that these weekends - which sometimes stretched to three or four days – felt like mini breaks, and time where we weren’t together was spent looking forward to seeing each other. Naturally, we missed each other a lot, but we had separate places to be for the sake of our individual futures, meaning our relationship was no longer the priority and got pushed to the backseat. The cliché, “Absence makes the heart grow fonder,” was certainly proved. KettleMag
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Last Summer, UCAS controversially endorsed and distributed leaflets encouraging aspiring university students to break up with their school sweethearts before they become freshers, but is doing so really necessary?
Fitting university work and busy schedules around seeing each other was the difficult part. Sometimes, we’d burn the candle at both ends and try to write assignments on the train, only to fall asleep as soon as we reunited. Being too exhausted to socialise was not the ideal in someone else’s halls, as you have to see their flatmates to get to the kitchen for a drink or a snack, and you cannot be rude if you are a guest that they are allowing to stay. As a result, we had to forgo some weekends together, and suffer the withdrawal symptoms. Travelling not only takes the energy out of you, but also empties your bank accounts. The cost of buying train tickets on a regular basis meant that our student loans were depleted, but luckily we found that booking in advance meant we could avoid paying extortionate amounts and going into our overdrafts. We also realised that we did not need much money to have fun. The student unions were a good shout for getting cheap drinks and partaking in the occasional 54
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free pub quiz, and offering to review lesser known bands and artists, meant that we got free tickets to gigs. Although I did not experience it myself, some couples did not have the best support network, and endured opinionated individuals telling them that their relationship would not last, and that one of them would cheat on the other. Listening to statements like the latter means that the ugly green eyed monster may show its face, and that all the trust you and your significant other could be lost in a heartbeat. In order for any relationship to work, trust is paramount. Your partner could be a twohour train ride away or in Timbuktu, but without trust you’re going to be constantly fretting about what they might be getting up to. There’s no need to worry though. If you both know your relationship is strong before leaving for university then that means trust is a given. www.KettleMag.co.uk
...if so then please get in touch: info@kettle.co.uk www.KettleMag.co.uk
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When girl power was as simple as 90s sparkle and songs about friendship
Millie Finn on modern feminism 2000. The year of the millennium. The year I turned six and the year I got all of the Spice Girls dolls for my birthday (don’t act like you didn’t get them too). Scary Spice’s mad hair and velvet flare jumpsuit, Baby Spice’s glittery platforms, Sporty Spice’s cross tattoos and tracksuit, and my favourite spice girl to date: Posh Spice. Should she wear the little black Gucci dress or the little black Gucci dress? Timeless. But most devastatingly, no Ginger spice wearing a Union Jack tea towel dress, allegedly made from her Mum’s tea towel. We love you Geri, but we still don’t believe you. 56
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We grew up listening to a band of five girls (all individual in their own style, from knee high white platform boots to metallic tracksuits) sing about loving their Mothers, the importance of their lovers getting on with their friends and never giving up on the good times. And just when you think you’ll never love them more (ignoring the reunion that you missed and still not sure if you ever really agreed with), a video is leaked. On the set for a 1997 commercial they proved themselves to be more than just girls who shouted girl power for the sake of showbiz. At the sleazy request to show more cleavage from their director, the girls show him www.KettleMag.co.uk
To a girl whose favourite shoes were her jelly sandals and favourite thing to do was play bop-it, the Spice Girls dolls were the best present I’d had in all my life (all six years of living through the 90s). And after the SpiceWorld movie, one of the worn-out favourites that I still own on video, we (okay, my six-year old self) knew they could survive standing on top of a moving bus, make best friends with aliens and still be everyone’s favourite girl band. Anyway, they were our first impression of successful women for a lot of us at such a young age and they represented 90s girl power at its finest.
Between then and now, we have seen Nokias turn into iPhones and Furbys turn into hoverboards, so is it an understatement to say that things are slightly more complicated today than they were in the tamagotchi days? The Women’s March took place last month, a day we all hope will go down in history. People all around the world, www.KettleMag.co.uk
from Washington DC to Trafalgar Square, London, came together to protest against Donald Trump, the new President of the United States, and to mock his treatment of women. This is what is forced of girl power today: signs and banners that consist of quotes that say ‘I’m really Quite Cross’ with the female gender symbol in replacement for the O’s of the words; So Bad, even introverts are here; Without Hermione, Harry Would’ve Died In Book 1; Literally Everything About This Is So Awful That I Have No Idea Where To Start; Men Of Quality Do Not Fear Equality; For Most Of History, Anonymous Was A Woman; Women’s Rights Are Human Rights. A sight that makes you overwhelmingly proud and deeply disappointed at the same time, that this is what it has come to. Girl power today is this, and a 100 year old woman driving from Michigan to Washington to support the march, and a group of women from around the world singing I Can’t Keep Quiet after never meeting in person and only ever practicing together online. Sticking together, fighting for one another and speaking out for each other is a sight we need to see more of in life’s simpler times. In times of desperation it is important, but in times of everyday life it is essential. So why wait for a day or event or certain person to spark standing up for women’s rights as human rights? We live in a world where, twenty years since the release of Wannabe, singing a Spice Girls song still gets you through tough times, whether it’s a bad day at the office or a fall-out with a friend. So put your trust back into the girls that tell you to never give up on the good times because living it up is a state of mind, the girls who tell you to look after your friends and love your Mother. Do this everyday, not just today (glittery platform boots not included). KettleMag
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up by pointing in his face, slamming him as a chauvinistic pig and insulting his style by whipping off his chosen accessory for the day: ‘It’s not sunny, stop trying to look cool’. All this prods us to have faith in the behind-thescenes; girl power doesn’t just stop at what you shout about on camera.
Look after your skin this winter Charlie Gibbs gives up some of her best beauty advice to keep your cheeks glowing this Winter....
With cold weather and harsh winds, ensuring your skin stays fresh and healthy during the winter months can be quite a challenge. Here are five top tips to help you keep that dewy summer glow despite the Baltic temperatures.
Good moisturising face wash The first product to make sure you have in your possession to keep your skin looking and feeling great is a good quality moisturising face wash. SimpleŽ’s Kind To Skin range is great for anyone who suffers with sensitive skin, but is also great to use during winter for skin dried out by the weather. They have a brilliant and cheap moisturising face wash which 58
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will leave your skin soft and supple.
Good moisturiser This is perhaps the most important step to take to prevent dried out skin. Going hand in hand with a moisturising face wash should be a good quality moisturiser to apply before any makeup. Thin moisturisers which soak into your skin are the best to purchase, as thicker ones tend to sit on the surface of your skin leaving it looking oily rather than glowing. If you have oily skin already then perhaps opt for an oil-balancing face wash rather than a moisturising face wash, but ensure you still moisturise your skin after washing to prepare it for the cold weather outside. www.KettleMag.co.uk
The application of moisturiser all over your body is subjective: it depends on your personal choice. If you’re prone to dry skin on areas other than your face, then I would recommend grabbing yourself some body butter and/or hand cream. High Street brands such as Boots and Superdrug have their own lines of these products available, as do many higher end brands. My personal recommendation for a high quality hand cream that doesn’t leave your hands greasy is Boots’ Essentials Hand and Nail Cream Intensive for Very Dry Skin: it’s fragrance free which for those with extremely sensitive skin is great, plus it deeply moisturises and leaves your hands supple but not oily.
Moisturising face wipes If you’re a make-up wearer, moisturising face wipes are a must. Over the years I’ve found that cheap face wipes usually tend to only take about half the make-up on my face off before drying out. They also dry out skin, www.KettleMag.co.uk
so for the sake of soft skin I would recommend splashing out a little with these, ensuring that you purchase wipes with moisturising qualities. This way your skin will already be smooth, soft and make-up free by the time you come to wash it either that evening of the morning after. It’s important to remember to take off all make-up at the end of the day too! Try to never sleep in your make-up as it soaks into the pores and creates deep-rooted dirt which end up resurfacing as spots and blemishes.
Eating well Our final tip for keeping your skin clear and healthy during winter is eating well! With Christmas over and done with it seems fitting to focus on getting your body back to a balanced diet. Not only is this beneficial for your insides, diet also has a great impact on your skin too. Staying hydrated and consuming enough nutrients will keep your skin blemishfree and smooth, and will also balance out any oiliness. A balanced diet means clearer skin!
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Body & hand moisturisers
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