Critical Review

Winchester News Online (WINOL) is a student run independent Journalism, created by a mix of Second and Third year Journalism students. As a team, we cover a variety of journalistic platforms such as news, production, sport and features. In the past term, WINOL has grown from strength to strength by changing the website style, creating a new fashion feature website and covering events such as the BJTC awards, Hampshire Police Debate and the American Elections. 

Our largest achievement this term has to be the WINOL site - www.winol.co.uk. We moved from Joomla to Wordpress earlier on in the term, allowing us to be slightly more limited, yet it gives the site a specific structure making it look extremely tidy and professional. The website is clearly laid out, having a sport section to the left, news in the middle and features to the right of the page. This allows viewers to clearly see the type of story they are looking for. Not only this but a new fashion features section named Absolute:ly has been created, which is shown in a tab at the top of the site. This in my opinion is a great triumph this term as it now allows for a broader audience, attracting females specifically. Another addition to the site is a new features section named New Winchester Review, covering the arts. Once again, this new features section, broadens our audience as they often come for the news but stay for features. We, as a team, have been keeping a close eye on our Alexa Rankings, which state how high we are ranked as a website. As time has gone on this term, our ranking has decreased greatly, with us now being placed in the top 500,000 globally and 10,424 in the UK (statistics from 10/12/12). We continuously compare our ranking with similar competitors such as other University courses, The Hampshire Chronicle and The Daily Echo. WINOL is ahead of any other University Journalism course site such as our competitors, East London Lines who are placed 24,950 in the UK. We are also ahead of the well known newspaper/website; The Hampshire Chronicle, both globally and in the UK statistics. These statistics can portray our success this term, and also how the mix of news, features and sport can all add together to create a triumph in student Journalism. 

This term WINOL has grown from strength to strength. The first few bulletins of the term were not very strong, however this was due to people finding their way with their new roles. In the first few weeks many packages were poorly edited and the variation of shots were also poor. Once again, the reason for this is the lack of practice and both of these issues began to improve as the weeks went by. I believe that with more of an introduction to WINOL in the First year, it may of allowed people to get to grips with each role so they were more prepared in the Second year. Consequently, as time passed, news packages became far more interesting and successful with a variation of news stories from not only Winchester, but also neighbouring cities such as Southampton, Portsmouth and Basingstoke. Overall, WINOL news has been highly successful this term. This is an accumulation of great reporters, a great production team behind the bulletin itself and also a well put together team who all collaborate together to create one brilliant bulletin each week. 

My role this term was as Fashion Features Editor. For me, it was the perfect role as it's the exact type of Journalism I want to be involved in when I finish University. To begin with, as the fashions site had only just been created, it was very hard to get it off the ground. For the first few weeks, the layout of the site kept changing, therefore it made it slightly difficult to know what dimensions pictures needed to be. However, after a few rocky weeks the site began to take shape. Absolute:ly has a main scroller which is for main images and features to be broadcasted clearly on the site. Similar to many other fashion magazines and websites, it has 7 mini sections; Hair, Clothes, Shopping, Gossip, Competitions, Caught on Camera and Make-Up/Beauty. For most of this term I have not only had the title of Fashion Features Editor, but also Dr Fashion. I create a monthly Gonzo style feature where I find students around Winchester who don't dress or look up to their full potential and make them over. One part which I think I could of improved on this term, is doing a few more Dr Fashion features, as I believe they would of been equally as successful as the first. I hope to stay on features next term and carry on my role as Dr Fashion, as well as creating many other features. As I have been in charge of Absolute:ly, I took on the role of writing for the Gossip and Fashion sections of the site. The reason for this was because this is the type of style I enjoy writing, as well as the fact that not many people on feature were willing to be a full part of the fashion team. I hope next term, that with a new group of features writers, more people will be interested in this job, as once this happens Absolute:ly, can only get better as it has been doing. Another obstacle which I have dealt with this term is getting to grips with Fireworks, a similar programme to Photoshop. I had to use Fireworks to create the images used in most of my feature articles. Similar to most things in life, the more I used it and the more practice I had the easier it was to use. By using Fireworks, it allowed me to create images which are in the style of what you see in fashion magazines such as Cosmopolitan, Elle and Heat, which is ultimately the standard we are trying to achieve. 

In the last weeks of term I produced my final fashion feature which was a package of the Student Fashion Show which was held by Winchester University Students. This show was based on Stereotyping and Diversity and had models creating their own designs. Although editing of this package is not fully complete, I found this a difficult but rewarding experience. Preparing for this event proved slightly tough when trying to find people to help film. We had many problems on the night of the show due to lighting issues of the venue itself. Such issues has taught me a lot for future filming, as I would ensure in future that lighting would be perfect before, that we had enough cameras to film the event and enough time to edit before the end of term. Previous to this I managed to attain Two press passes to the Birmingham Clothes Show Live, which is a big fashion event held yearly. This was a great achievement for me as it took a lot of phone calling, emailing and pestering to get hold of the press passes. Unfortunately, funds were low and it would of cost a lot to get up to Birmingham. Not only this but the Student Fashion Show was held the same night, therefore I made the decision to film the Student Show as it would relate more to WINOL's target audience of students around Winchester. Despite this, I think getting hold of the press passes for The Clothes Show was a big achievement and I plan to film a similar large clothes show next year for WINOL.

I have also taken part in Sound Radio, the student run radio station which Journalism students have been doing every Tuesday. I was asked by Nadine and Kirsty who do an hour show on Tuesday morning from 10am-11am, to participate as Dr Fashion. My role was to come in to their show each week and talk about what I have been doing as Dr Fashion and Fashion Editor, also giving style and fashion tips of the week. As the weeks have gone by it has become easier to feel more comfortable to talk on the radio, yet has also given me a good variation of radio, written pieces and video packages that I have completed this term. By using my blog, it has allowed me to voice my achievements and problems that I have had in my role on WINOL this term. It has also given me another platform to showcase the work I have completed, which can be used in the future. As mentioned previously, WINOL has allowed me to portray my particular interests in fashion by producing a variation of journalistic products, giving me a good platform of work to build on in later life.

Throughout the past few months I have tried my hardest to produce a few main features, including updating the Fashion site with smaller articles every other week. I believe I have been quite successful in doing this and think that with more time and practice I can only get more confident and as a result, produce better features. 

WINOL

It's our last week at Uni this week before the term ends. It's safe to say I have both loved and hated Uni for the past few months but being honest I have enjoyed it. Last week I filmed the rehearsals of the University of Winchester student fashion show which was run by the International students of the University. The show's theme was stereotyping and diversity, with each model designing their own clothes. Each model was from a different type of the world, some from countries such as Japan, Poland, England, Russia and Sweden. There was 2 walks down the run way, the first was the models wearing their own countries stereotypical outfit, the second was the models in their own choice of clothing, wearing plain white masks. These masks were used to symbolise that it's what's on the inside what counts rather than what someone looks like. Ultimately the whole 'don't judge a book by it's cover' applies. 

The fashion show as a whole, was a very successful and a big congratulations to all of the International Students for pulling of a great event.

The feature will be up in the next few weeks, available at www.winol.co.uk.

Channel 5 News

This week we had guest editor Geoff Hill from Channel 5 news critique WINOL and we in return have decided to critique Tuesday evenings Channel 5 news bulletin.

Parts of the bulletin I liked
- To begin with I really wasn't sure about the way Emma Crosby, the presenter of 5 news, was standing up. After a while however I did get used to it and I think it made the bulletin slightly more interesting than when most presenters are sat down reading the news
- There was a good balance of stories throughout the bulletin from floods, viruses, sports personality and celebrity stories. I believe this gave quite a good variety for audiences.
- I also liked the vox pops which were used in the sports story, the reason for this is because for a story like this, peoples opinions are very important.
- The use of graphics in the flood and virus stories were very effective, using graphics for statistics allows the audience to understand these numbers in a much easier way than if the presenter was reading them.
- One of my favourite parts of the bulletin was the 'coming up next' at the end of the bulletin, this really entices viewers to watch the next bulletin and I definitely think this is something we should use on WINOL.

Parts of the bulletin I didn't like
- Emma Crosby, the presenter of 5 news was good, however I believe in certain stories she could of been a bit more serious. When talking about the death of the women in St Asaph, it seemed she was slightly too smiley for such a story.
- Channel 5, much like other main news broadcasting channels have on demand, however you can not watch the Channel 5 news bulletin online and I think that they could really benefit from having this.
- The wink to the camera by Emma Crosby at the end of the bulletin was slightly cheesy, and in my opinion kind of dampened the professional style and quality of the news bulletin as a whole.

Fashion Feature - Faux Fur

1. Cream fairisle faux fur collar cardigan – River Island £55

2. Faux fur twist snood – River Island  £30

3. Faux fur gilet – Primark £12

4. Black leather look faux fur collar jacket – River Island £60

5. Fur earmuffs – Accessorize £17

The fall runways were sprinkled with pieces of fur this season, making it a ‘must have’ on your winter wardrobe wish list. With the weather in England constantly changing, fur pieces can be a complete saviour. If it’s not too cold, fur gilets allow for a simple, fashionable look, allowing your body to keep warm in the process. Yet if it’s cold, a large fur coat or a fur snood can be perfect for wrapping up in the winter weather. The versatility of fur makes it easy to create a stylish look this season, whether you add a fur gilet/coat to jeans, a maxi dress, leggins or a skirt and blouse, it can change your look in seconds. Celebrities such as Olivia Palermo, Kim Kardashian and Kate Moss have been seen out in fur gilets, snoods and coats, keeping warm this season. Consequently, although it does seem unlikely, you can go wrong with fur and too much of it can be seen as a problem. To pull the look off to perfection, it is best to wear one piece of fur at a time, teaming it with simple pieces such as jeans, boots and a plain tee with a fur gilet/coat.  Faux fur accessories are also on trend, you can purchase snoods, hats, ear muffs and gloves in many high street stores for under £20. Unfortunately, although most is faux fur, the bigger pieces such as jackets, gilets and cardigans can be slightly pricey, however no pain no gain! You might need to break the bank slightly for some statement pieces but it’s worth it!

By Georgia Spears

Fashion Editor

So this week is my third week as features fashion editor for WINOL and our online magazine Absolute:ly. This week has probably be one of the most productive so far as I have managed to sort out 2 new features to be created before we break up for Christmas. This thursday I will be attending the Winchester Student Fashion Show rehearsals, filming the catwalk models, behind the scenes hair and make up and an overall document of what goes on in a fashion show. Not only this but I have attained press passes for the Birmingham Clothes Show Live for next Friday, so I will be creating a gonzo style piece, where the camera will follow me around for the day whilst I interview a variation of people and also film the fashion show itself.

To be fair, I am completely loving my position as features fashion editor as this is the exact type of job I want to be doing when I leave University. We have recently changed the layout of Absolute:ly and it is now looking far more professional, allowing us to have a much bigger space to put up photos and sections to put each feature under. I am creating a fashion and gossip feature each week as well as producing Dr Fashion each month. Currently I am looking for someone to volunteer for a free makeover with me as Dr Fashion, come on you know you want to! If anyone knows someone around Winchester how may be interested in doing this, please feel free to contact me and let me know.

I will be attempting to blog every feature I produce for WINOL and Absolute:ly, uploading it on my blog as well as www.winol.co.uk.

HCJ Lecture 5

The following notes are from our most recent HCJ lecture on Freud.

- The all encompassing theory is the theory of everything. It relates to how everything starts off with a problem.
- Freuds work addresses a problem -> the misery of human condition.
- Our unhappiness is because we are divided. Ultimately, we are alienated by ourselves. Marx had a similar starting point.
- Freud believed that we don't know what we want, we are unhappy inside. Not only this, but he thinks that we are all troubled. Freud was a psychiatrist for a while and listened to peoples problems. By doing this, he found out that most people had problems, and if they thought they didn't, then they were kidding themselves.
- Freuds answer to this was psychoanalysis. 'We think that we are rational, but were not'. He believed that there is a secret part of ourselves that make decisions, but we didn't even know about it.

We live in a Freudian world, whether we like it or not. Freud was an atheist, even though both his parents were Jewish. He was not only an atheist, he was also a cocaine addict, was deeply ambitious and also a well known celebrity of his time. He believed that he had discovered the archeology of the mind. Freud strongly believed in the unconscious mind, he thought that people will say what they really think by accident, even if you don't want to say it. Ultimately, it's because it's what you really believe and want to say. You can access the dominant part of your mind through your dreams. Most people do need psychoanalysis, as they have underlying problems that they don't know about. This is one of Freuds most adamant points. At the centre of this is a deep pessimism, Freud was very pessimistic about us as humans, his theories are a dark vision of humanity.

Attack on Plato
Freud followed Platos ideas of the tripartite self - reason, spirit and desire. This can relate to the chariot image, there are 2 horses and a charioteer. The 2 horses are spirit and desire and the charioteer is the reason. Plato thought that reason is in control of spirit and desire. In contrast to this, Freud thought reason was the weakest, are people are irrational as we are driven by our desires.

Attack on Marx
Marx thinks of the self also via the tripartite self - natural, alienated and species self. He believed that we would progress to a happier self and society. Teleological relates to things moving forward, everything is going somewhere. Our deepest needs are aggression  the wilful desire to hurt others and ultimately seek our own destruction in the death wish - this can be related to the ideas of Hobbes.  Freud takes Hobbes and Machiavellis view in terms of human nature.

The Freudian Personality
Freud sees the reality of human nature as pain and suffering - arising from his own internal division. He splits the mind into 3:
1. The ID - Answer to misery. The ID is with us from birth and is at our core. Sex and aggression are related highly to the ID. It is the dominate part of the personality. "A cauldron of seething excitations" - Freud. The ID is the temper tantrum throwing toddler who throws a fit in the middle of the supermarket.
2. Ego or Self - Reality principle. This is the least powerful personality trait. It is the voice of reason. Moderation and common sense are the traits related to the ego/self.
3. Super Ego - We do not have the super ego when we are born, it comes from the outside, from people such as parents, teachers and society. The Super Ego is totally irrational (the same as the ID). It is the parent saying 'do better', 'be perfect', 'get an A*'. The Super Ego also punishes with guilt. Freud relates the super ego with religion.

Freud believed that society is full of suffering because it is full of pain, and there are 3 types of different pain.
1. Our own decaying body - natural - headaches, back pain etc
2. Nature - the external world - slings and arrows of outrageous future - rain and wind = a pain. It is all unpleasant.
3. Greatest Pain - our every day interaction with one another as people is loaded with pain. People are out to get us, to hurt us, but we as irrational beings are inclined to hurt others also.

Freud thinks that the answer is psychoanalysis, however this is not open to everyone. He believes it is needed to strengthen the ego, however it is expensive and the masses will end up continuing on their destructive path. Freud outlines the same coping mechanisms, but does not recommend them. Some of them are as followed;
1. Chemical solution - Intoxication - it is temporary.
2. Isolation - Temporary and it only works for a few people
3. Religion - As a type of sublimation - mass delusion.
4. Sublimation - Finding socially acceptable releases for aggression e.g. sport.

Civilisation is a collective super ego, imposing moral limits on the ID.

Marx states that if we change the system, things will change, but Freud says that we are the system, if we eliminate property we will not get rid of aggression. The answer is psychoanalysis. Freud claimed he had found a way to deal directly with the unconscious  the ID. In sleep the ego switches off. In dream world the ID is rampant, dreams show the complete truth. Freud believed that there was no way to escape aggression.

Many people don't believe in Freud, however with the media and society, Freud was highly influential. Freud also influenced the modernist movement.

James Joyce - writing in a way of breaking of the rules. Free association - the unconscious would come to the surface. A way to release the ID is to be creative. Childhood obsessions and impacts - Freudian outlook.

Attacks on Freud
Popper - Freud was vague so Karl Popper believed that his theories couldn't be proven.
Schopenhauer spoke of similar things such as controlling sexual urges, therefore it portrayed that Freud was actually not the first person to create these points.

Seminar Notes - Brief

Happiness is the concept of great importance. Plato and Aristotle believed that happiness is the supreme god.
Aristotle refused to link happiness with the pleasure of the senses. He said the relation between an activity and it's pleasure was one of cause and effect.
A Militarian (who calculate why people do things) would argue that before you do an activity, you should estimate the amount of pleasure and pain that will come.

Jeremy Bentham - The felicific calculus (the measurement of pleasure and pain)
Variable 1 - Fecundity - probability that the action will be followed by sensations of the same kind
Variable 2 - Purity - probability that it will not be followed by sensations of the opposite kind

In terms of politics and public policy, Bentham said that we must consider 'extension'. Extension is to consider how widely the pains and pleasures will be spread across the population.

Aesthetic - Schopenhauer and Kant believed in this. It relates to the world as will and idea which was one of Schopenhauers written pieces, portraying aesthetics and the arts.