Claire’s Newsround Placement: End of Week 2

So, having been working for CBBC’s Newsround for a fortnight now, one thing I have learnt is that shoots take a LOT of organisation and a LOT of time to set up. Aside from filling in Risk Assessment forms online, there are also Assignment Sheets to fill in so that the presenter and AP (Assistant Producer) involved can know exactly what the VT is about and exactly where and when it’s happening. As well as this you have to organise all of the logistics such as hiring a car, booking a train, finding a hotel for an overnight shoot – this is all done by the same person.

I’ve really enjoyed working in Planning though. Thinking of stories to pitch and then helping them materialise is improving my understanding of Newsround and the types of stories that kids who watch it are really attracted by. Sometimes a story which can seem really irrelevant to me can actually make it as a top-liner on the website; other times something I think is obviously newsworthy for kids doesn’t even get a mention. I thought last week they would definitely mention the news that A levels are apparently going to be made harder; just because, although the show’s target audience is only 6 to 12-year-olds, this story clearly affects them. But perhaps this story didn’t get broadcast because it is too ‘adulty’ (a new word I am becoming familiar with). On the other hand, the TV producers at NR have made a smashing attempt at explaining some of the most complicated headlines this week, such as the rocket in North Korea and the Burma story.

I was lucky enough to be the first to spot the story about the American kids who stopped their school bus (Wednesday afternoon) and that made the morning bull on Thursday, so I was very pleased about my contribution –  I also spotted the ‘Two Directions’ story on Twitter first. Just going to show that the social network can be as important a journalistic tool in the professional world as any news website.

But the highlight for me this week has to be Friday, when I got to go out on the shoot for the story I pitched about wild baby rabbits! The RSPCA keep getting wild baby rabbits handed in to them because people think they’ve been abandoned – in actual fact the mother rabbits are just around the the corner and the reason they’re left alone is to help them adapt to living in the wild by themselves. We went to the RSPCA in Nantwich to film them and boy oh boy were there some cute sights to see. As well as the cute baby rabbits we also saw some fox cubs and ducklings. Check them out…

The shoot went smoothly and the VT is gonna be on NR on Tuesday, so if you read this in time check it out! Working for CBBC has been a really exciting experience so far and I expect this week will be even better.. more stories to plan and on Thursday I am going to be checking out the Blue Peter studios when I go and do some shadowing with them in the afternoon. I’ll keep you posted on how it goes next week.

Until then, it’s ciao from me!

Claire

Join Channel 4’s exciting ‘Battlefront’ campaign

Channel 4 is renowned for the constant opportunities it offers, with a great ‘Kickstart’ section on its Careers website, offering a flux of work experience placements and internships throughout the year, as well as countless open days and Q&As via Twitter. But aside from all of this, there is also Battlefront – an exciting initiative run BY young people FOR young people.

That’s right. Channel 4 is hiring people aged 14-21 to run an online/TV project for a whole year. For the budding presenters out there, they offer four fixed term contracts and these individuals become the face of the Battlefront campaign and present all the packages which are online on the Battlefront website. For everyone else, there is the opportunity to get involved in planning and content-making and all the ‘behind the scenes’ stuff that will create the bulk of the project.

‘But what has Battlefront done before and why should I get involved?’ I hear you ask. Well, aside from the fact that it’s a great opportunity to get Channel 4 on your CV, it is also a fantastic initiative which in the past year has helped 1000 young people find work placements, it has convinced the government to take the issue of young people’s mental health far more seriously than ever before and it has encouraged more young people to become organ donors. Now that’s pretty impressive, right? Imagine what a great feeling you could have knowing you have made a significant change to so many people’s lives!

Well, this year it could be you. The focus for the next Battlefront is going to be THE issue of the moment which is, of course, youth unemployment. To find out more, and for details of how to apply visit the website here.

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Sanctions dropped for young people who abandon work experience scheme early

Latest reports from Parliament confirm that sanctions have been dropped for young people who decide to abandon their work experience. The controversial scheme has caused uproar because of its claims that young people who did not complete their full contract of unpaid work experience risked having their benefits taken from them. For the BBC report click here.

Claire’s Jobsearch: Feb 29

courtesy of tv-live.org.uk

February 29: Yesterday was a really positive day for me as I got a call from the BBC about my BJTC work experience application – they have offered me four weeks work experience on Newsround!!! I’m so excited I can’t believe it. Working on CBBC has basically been my dream since I was about seven years old so I think I will die a happy woman now haha. It just goes to show that if you keep applying you will find something eventually.

I applied for this placement via the BBC Work Experience website; if you’re interested in applying for placements with BBC take a look: http://www.bbc.co.uk/careers/work-experience

Talks in Parliament over Work Experience scheme

Today there are talks taking place in Parliament between the Employment Minister and the firms which are affiliated with the government’s work experience scheme offering young people 2-8 weeks unpaid work experience. Some of the affiliated firms such as Poundland are unhappy with the scheme because they believe applicants should be entitled to go back on benefits if they try the scheme and decide to drop out early.

To find out more, check the BBC website for updates on this story:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-17200688

Welcome to Recession Sessions

Welcome to Recession Sessions UK. This website aims to provide young people with updates about the current economic crisis and inform them about new employment opportunities, particularly in the area of Media and Online.

The editor, Claire Houghton, will also be posting updates about her own search for employment and sharing her stories about work experience and job hunting.

You can also keep up to date with Recession Sessions UK by following us on Twitter and liking us on Facebook.