We bring you further help in your search for the perfect magazine with this review of Delayed Gratification by Olivia Pimenta…
Delayed Gratification is an independent magazine that intelligently manages to fill in the gaps of conventional journalism. In our increasingly connected world, journalism seems to focus more on the speed of ceaseless updates rather than the ramifications and significance of what goes on around us.
With an issue published every third month, the contributors of this magazine have the rare luxury of time to observe the hectic world around them, and produce work that strikes an effective balance between news and entertainment. Basically, stuff you will want to read.
The publication’s content page is an accurate visual representation of what you can expect to find within. Displayed as a graph, articles and illustrations are placed on a scale from serious and long to short and frivolous. From stories on war crimes, collapsing infrastructure and presidential elections to trendy autumn colour pallets and an elderly couple that unknowingly bought a marijuana plant at a garage sale – its safe to say this magazine will have something for everyone.
Boasting “Last to Breaking News” on its spine, Delayed Gratification is an original piece of work that you will want to read, keep, and re-read. The editors’ vision of “swimming against the electronic tide” has created a thoroughly entertaining publication, and its £10 price tag is well justified.
What are the five most terrifying words in politics? “Michael Crick is in reception” the old joke goes. Exeposé Features meets the veteran of over 30 years of political reporting, and asks him about your place in the future of journalism.
Image credits: DaveBleasdale
While at the UKIP conference, as well as ambushing grandees with probing questions about bald people (Issue 608) we here at Exeposé Features also took some time to talk to the other journalists there to cover the conference, most of whom were slightly more well known than ourselves. The most loquacious, and indeed the most well-known, was probably industry veteran Michael Crick, who we were able to harass for musings on the profession and tips for budding journalists. So if you’re reading the section and thinking you can’t wait to get involved in journalism as a serious undertaking, here’s advice right from the top.
Perhaps the thing he’s quickest to point out is the world of difference in the profession between now and when he started, over a ‘third of a century’ ago. His entrance into the world of journalism, he says, was largely made as a stepping stone to politics, and it was only because he found journalism ‘such fun’ that he did not make this transition. Nowadays, he says, the political arena is so full of think tanks, lobbyists, and researchers that there is a very different path to employment in the political world. You would have thought that this separation between politics and journalism would have purified the journalistic world, and certainly Crick credits the separation of the two and the rise of the aggressiveness of particularly political journalists in holding politicians to account in the ‘vast improvement in political journalism in the last 25 years’.
However, he still criticises the flaws that modern journalism brings, particularly the pack mentality; that journalists are clubbing together to decide ‘what’s the story today, right who are we going for next, who are we bringing down’. It is the homogeneity of this news cycle he finds particularly disturbing, the unhealthiness of the pack all chasing one story when there are always lots of stories out there. And his view of the future of journalism has no room for this. He paints a bleak picture of all forms of traditional media, particularly newspapers, declining rapidly, shedding jobs and opportunities en route, a decline not halted by the slow adoption of web newspapers as well as print. He expressed amazement that they aren’t closing down faster in fact, and maintains that ‘it’s only a matter of time’ before they do. This decline is even more pronounced in local news, with papers closing ‘all the time’, and in broadcasting, although that decline is more in terms of ‘it’s not as well paid or as much fun’. And yet the appetite for information, for ‘information processing, for information gathering, for exposing wrongdoing’ remains, and ‘will probably be even greater in 50 years’. What will cater to this appetite he doesn’t know, but believes it will be found by adopting a far more entrepreneurial spirit when it comes to journalism. He says you have to ‘think about it in terms of setting up a business’ and ask yourself ‘what can I do (that is probably internet related) to acquire information, process, and sell it, where is there a gap in the market’. Innovation, then, is his key for future success in journalism, rather than following the well-known patterns or career paths.
And certainly the wild popularity of blogging and other relatively new forms of news delivery seem to support his claim. While his long term advice may be more radical, he does share some gems of short term advice for those thinking of or trying to become journalists in any sense of the word. The importance of relationships (thankfully he does not use the word ‘network’ which has a tendency to fall on student ears long tired of hearing it) is crucial regardless of what kind of journalist you want to be. He recommends keeping in contact with everyone you can, from school, university and work, even (with a laugh) if you don’t like them, and insists upon the importance of having everyone’s contact details at your fingertips to gain even a few seconds edge over competitors. He illustrates this with stories of how he would comb the Washington DC phonebooks a find a ‘surprising number of movers and shakers’ had their home numbers listed there, which he admits may have been a little ‘obsessive or trainspotter-ish’ but serves as a good example of how far you can go to get the edge. The other side of this information hoarding is maintaining relationships with your contacts, a simple matter of ‘putting the time in’, and that your ability to call upon a friend from 25 years ago will be much stronger if you’ve kept up the relationship in that time, even if it’s only a call or text now and then. The other thing he mentions is the importance of finding ways to practice your skills, which may also become routes into the professional world as well. Student media, local radio, and writing for a niche area you have a speciality in – whether it be from your degree or hobbies – are all both training grounds for creativity and possible areas to start your career. Again, entrepreneurship, lateral-thinking and ‘pushiness’ (another skill for a journalist) is a key asset here.
A colleague who joined as an ITN trainee at the same time spent a year travelling around America trading on the novelty of his English accent to get him week long internships at rural TV and radio stations. Now while all of this requires money, as you are extremely unlikely to be paid at such a level (although he points out the even the professionals aren’t making a killing) it’s a worthwhile investment if you’re serious about wanting to be a journo. If you are lucky enough to secure a real internship, you shouldn’t go along assuming you’re set; you should have done enough research to be able to intelligently discuss and most importantly analyse your employer’s output, and indeed your own – why have they done it this way rather than that, what are they getting at here etc. At this point we found ourselves standing on the platform of Exeter St Davids with Mr Crick’s London train pulling up, so we had to end the interview. While undoubtedly his advice does not cover all that he had learned over such a long career, it still serves as an excellent grounding for those who are interested in journalism. If you are, the easiest first step might be to pop along to the Exepose stand at the fresher’s squash; come and chat to us about what we do and see if some experience on the student paper could be the start to a long and interesting career!
Become a cog in the musical machine Image credit: Flickr
There has never been a better time to become part of Exeter’s growing music scene. You can alter the musical landscape through a number of unique opportunities available on your doorstep: whether you want to play, watch, discover, influence, promote or write – Exeter has it all. Here are just some of the ways you can get involved:
Extunes andCampus Bands– Radiohead, Coldplay and The Computers have all come out of Exeter in recent years. Now it’s your turn to become a member of the city’s illustrious alumni by starting up a band. The best way is to sign up to Extunes and Camus Bands in order to source band members, use practise spaces and keep up to date with events. Later in the year, Timepiece hosts the annual Battle of the Bands contest in which bands wage war on each other for the unequivocal right to call themselves the university’s best band.
Xpression FM – If your interests or talents lie in the airwaves rather than on paper, then the university’s award-winning radio station, XpressionFM, could be right up your street. You can join the passionate music team, have a role in Exeposé’s own radio show Xmedia, and could even present your own show after receiving the necessary training on offer every term. It costs a mere £10 each to sign up to Xpression and Exeposé for the year – an absolute snip for the fun you will have.
Exeposé – Exeposé, the university’s most widely read newspaper, offers an inclusive and professional platform for budding journalists to showcase their talent. Be sure to sign up to the paper during Freshers Week to receive content calls, acquire press passes with interview opportunities, and mix with like-minded music lovers. We’re all right, I promise.
Events Management – There are a host of opportunities (some paid) to promote and organize events across campus and in town. Original Sin (Arena, Mosaic) is always after new recruits, while other nights like Beats & Bass and Thick as Thieves would love to have you on board their murky ships. Meanwhile, Feast Your Ears and KINK are exciting new indie nights looking for students who share a passion for live music and eclectic tastes. If this sounds like your gig then contact the clubs/events directly. A word of warning: be careful not to become that facebook friend who shamelessly spams ‘2-1 drinks deals at Arena this Thursday night only!’ on every status. Its not clever and sure ain’t cool.
Live music – Although not renowned for its live music scene, Exeter attracts an impressive array of big and small acts. The Cavern, The Cellar Door, Mama Stones and Exeter Phoenixare the first ports of call if you want to get up close to some live action in the city. That said, your best bet is to travel to nearby Bristol in order to catch the really big fish. Exeposé Music often gets its mitts on a pair of press passes for gigs in Exeter and Bristol, so drop us a line if you ever fancy seeing a band in return for a pithy, eloquent well-written review.
DJs – It’s going to be an exciting year for Exeter’s dance music scene. Nights like Beats & Bass, Thick as Thieves and Our House are proving to be more and more popular, so why not get involved and show the growing crowds what you have in your locker? Beats & Bass put on great DJ workshops for society members. But the best advice is to embrace the DIY ethic and contact the events directly. You could land yourself a resident spot at one of the clubs in no time.
Drama productions – Plays offer a whole host of musical opportunities, from belting out a chorus to getting involved with the sound production side of things. Sign up to the drama societies and keep your eyes peeled for the vast array of productions that take place across the university throughout the year.
There is one week left for you to enter the Exeposé competition.
Enter Exeposé’s January competition to win a place on an investigative journalism course at the world-famous Frontline Club in London.
This month, the Exeposé online team are offering you the chance to take part in an investigative journalism workshop run by multi-award winning journalist Iain Overton. Overton has investigated counterfeiting in the pharmaceutical industry, UK deaths in custody, corporate killings in Iraq, and Glasgow gangland murders linked to security contracts. His work has been recognized with a Peabody Award, two Amnesty International Awards, a OneWorld Award, a Prix Circom, a BAFTA Scotland and 3 RTS nominations, and Overton is former managing editor of the Bureau of Investigative Journalism.
The workshop itself takes place on Friday 8th February at the Frontline Club in London. It will include an introduction to investigative journalism, tricks of the trade, how to remain undercover, and how to survive as an investigative journalist.
The competition winner will be awarded a free place on a course that will be of great interest to any students thinking of going into the media, and especially to those interested more specifically in investigative journalism.
How do you enter the competition? Simple. All you need to do is submit an article to Exeposé before 6pm on the 31st January. When sending in your article to the appropriate section, make sure that you also send the email to editors@exepose.com. All articles will be considered, no matter what the content is, and also published online.
Watch Iain Overton’s documentary on fraud and corruption in Europe:
There are two weeks left for you to enter the Exeposé competition.
Enter Exeposé’s January competition to win a place on an investigative journalism course at the world-famous Frontline Club in London.
This month, the Exeposé online team are offering you the chance to take part in an investigative journalism workshop run by multi-award winning journalist Iain Overton. Overton has investigated counterfeiting in the pharmaceutical industry, UK deaths in custody, corporate killings in Iraq, and Glasgow gangland murders linked to security contracts. His work has been recognized with a Peabody Award, two Amnesty International Awards, a OneWorld Award, a Prix Circom, a BAFTA Scotland and 3 RTS nominations, and Overton is former managing editor of the Bureau of Investigative Journalism.
The workshop itself takes place on Friday 8th February at the Frontline Club in London. It will include an introduction to investigative journalism, tricks of the trade, how to remain undercover, and how to survive as an investigative journalist.
The competition winner will be awarded a free place on a course that will be of great interest to any students thinking of going into the media, and especially to those interested more specifically in investigative journalism.
How do you enter the competition? Simple. All you need to do is submit an article to Exeposé before 6pm on the 31st January. When sending in your article to the appropriate section, make sure that you also send the email to editors@exepose.com. All articles will be considered, no matter what the content is, and also published online.
Enter Exeposé’s January competition to win a place on an investigative journalism course at the world-famous Frontline Club in London.
This month, the Exeposé online team are offering you the chance to take part in an investigative journalism workshop run by multi-award winning journalist Iain Overton. Overton has investigated counterfeiting in the pharmaceutical industry, UK deaths in custody, corporate killings in Iraq, and Glasgow gangland murders linked to security contracts. His work has been recognized with a Peabody Award, two Amnesty International Awards, a OneWorld Award, a Prix Circom, a BAFTA Scotland and 3 RTS nominations, and Overton is former managing editor of the Bureau of Investigative Journalism.
The workshop itself takes place on Friday 8th February at the Frontline Club in London. It will include an introduction to investigative journalism, tricks of the trade, how to remain undercover, and how to survive as an investigative journalist.
The competition winner will be awarded a free place on a course that will be of great interest to any students thinking of going into the media, and especially to those interested more specifically in investigative journalism.
How do you enter the competition? Simple. All you need to do is submit an article to Exeposé before 6pm on the 31st January. When sending in your article to the appropriate section, make sure that you also send the email to editors@exepose.com. All articles will be considered, no matter what the content is, and also published online.
Watch the documentary on Somaliland from his award-winning series Places That Don’t Exist below:
Delayed Gratification is an independent magazine that intelligently manages to fill in the gaps of conventional journalism. In our increasingly connected world, journalism seems to focus more on the speed of ceaseless updates rather than the ramifications and significance of what goes on around us.
exeposedev 