The CIJ Investigative Journalism Summer School

This weekend, I attended the Centre of Investigative Journalism's Summer School at City University London. The three day course focussed on high risk investigations such as taking on greedy corporations, secretive governments, cheats, criminals and predatory celebrities. I learnt a lot at the CIJ Summer School which I believe will benefit me in my future journalistic career. 

Workshops I attended:

- I took part in a workshop led by successful journalists Melanie McFadyean, Robert Miller and Martin Tomkinson, which taught me the tricks and tips needed to conduct serious interviews for print and broadcast. They also demonstrated to the class what necessary skills are needed to avoid pitfalls when interviewing.

- I also attended classes about company accounts. In these sessions, I learnt how to access company documents and what to look for in them when writing a news story. I found this extremely helpful and will definitely come in useful.

- Professor Mark Lee Hunter led a workshop about story-based inquiry where he explained how to frame, sell, write and promote a story. I learnt how to use hypotheses in the method of investigation and how to write up the best story possible.

- To add to this, Court Reporter, Paul Cheston, taught me how to do court reporting and get the best stories. This class was a practical guide on everything you need to know when doing court reporting. I now can't wait to put this new knowledge into action!

- Famous journalist, Andrew Jennings, led a workshop called 'How to Write Stories Readers Will Remember'. I found this workshop very beneficial and believe I have gained crucial knowledge to help me improve my writing.

Keynote speeches I attended:

- As well as workshops, there were a number of key speeches from guest speakers which I found extremely inspiring. There was a panel discussion, speaking of the case of Jimmy Savile. This gave me an insight into how stories are broken and how they are brought to the public domain. 

- US Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist, Seymour Hersh, offered tips on how to make news stories more important. He shared his own personal experiences of how he dug deeper for a news story.

- Ioan Grillo talked about investigating Mexican Drug Cartels. He discussed reporting on dangerous subjects and the personal risk involved, which I found very fascinating.

Overall, I am pleased that I spent time and money on attending the CIJ Summer School. I learnt many more skills and gained crucial knowledge from the industry's top professionals. I am looking forward to putting my new found expertise into action.

Abbey Hartley

New Employee At Matalan

On Thursday I had an interview with the clothing store, Matalan, hoping to receive a part-time job. Yesterday I was offered a position as a Sales Assistant! 

I'm very excited about this opportunity, as it will help improve my communication skills, team work ability and interaction with the public. To add to this, a part-time job will keep my CV up to date in regards to employment. Matalan also provides the chance to progress into different departments such as fashion PR and marketing. 

I have my induction next week and then part-time hours will commence. I'll keep you updated on my experience at Matalan.

Abbey Hartley

Critical Reflection

My Strengths

Traits I am proud of:

- I believe I'm very organised. I like to plan my work in advance, so I never miss a deadline and complete tasks to the best of my ability without stress.

- I'm a very calm and collected person. I handle situations well under pressure and have the skill to remain together in stressful times.

- I work well individually but also complete tasks effectively within a group. I also believe I am a good team leader due to being assertive, confident and organised.

- I'm an extremely out-going individual who is easy to get along with. I find this useful when conducting interviews. To add to this, I like to offer help and advice to colleagues around me.

My Weaknesses

Traits I wish to improve on:

- I think my public speaking can do with some practice. I get very nervous when delivering pitches and speaking to large groups of people. This is a skill I hope to develop in future projects.

- I sometimes lack inspiration and creativity when developing ideas. I think my imagination needs to be broadened to help improve on this weakness.

Abbey Hartley

Future Outlook

Short Term Appraisal

What I expect to achieve in six months:

- Offer a good performance in my week long placement at the Birmingham Mail in April 2013. This will be my first work experience within a newspaper environment, so I am very excited about this prospect.

- Impress 69 Degrees in June 2013, when I complete a week long placement there. This is especially important to me as I aspire to work for a fashion and lifestyle magazine in the future.
- Achieve experience and knowledge in the investigative journalism sector, as I am completing a two week long placement at Help Me Investigate in July 2013. During this time, I will also be attending the Centre for Investigative Journalism Summer School which I'm very much looking forward to.

- Work well at the Worcester News, when I complete three days of work experience there in August 2013. I am hoping to use skills I learnt at the Birmingham Mail to impress staff at this newspaper.

Long Term Appraisal

What I expect to achieve in three years:

- As stated before, my main aim after completing my degree in BA (Hons) Media and Communication is to work for a showbiz, fashion, culture and lifestyle magazine. I have a huge interest in these topics and would love to write about them as part of my career.

- I am hoping to graduate from Birmingham City University in 2014 with at least a 2:1 (or preferably a first class). I also wish to have an impressive CV with huge amounts of experience to promote.

- Another one of my aspirations for the near future is to travel. I would love to visit Australia or the USA to go sightseeing and experience different cultures. I believe this adventure would broaden my knowledge and help develop my independence and confidence.

Abbey Hartley