Lesson 7: Directing Your Writing
1) List and describe three publications (newspapers, magazines or websites) for market study (and send web links to them). Indicate why you think each is a potential market for the stories you might write. (Up to 500 words.)
THREE PUBLICATIONS FOR MARKET STUDY
Luke Richards
Word Count: 500 (Not including links)
The first publication that I have chosen for market study is the Tottenham and Wood Green Independent.
The Independent is a weekly local newspaper published by Newsquest Ltd. The newspaper covers news and sport in the borough of Haringey and surrounding areas.
The newspaper’s sport content is unsurprisingly dominated by local Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur, a subject matter I write about often.
However, looking through recent additions they regularly report on other local clubs such as Haringey Borough.
They have also occasionally profiled local people in the community who have been involved in grassroot sport.
In terms of news, The Independent report on local issues which are widely reflective of the rest of London.
Crime, travel, health, education and recent strikes in the public sector are regularly discussed.
While interview features aren’t as prevalent in this publication, they do enjoy reporting on local achievements and work in the community.
The paper also encourages freelance contributions. As local newspapers seem to be more open to this, I believe this would be a suitable publication for my writing.
LINKS:
https://www.thetottenhamindependent.co.uk/
https://www.thetottenhamindependent.co.uk/sport/
https://www.thetottenhamindependent.co.uk/news/
https://www.thetottenhamindependent.co.uk/send-us-your-news/
The second publication I have chosen for my writing is the Sunday Times. The Sunday Times is a national Sunday broadsheet newspaper that is published by News Corp.
In 2019, it was estimated that its readership reached 700,000 copies.
The Sunday Times cover weekly news and political events as well as supplements including travel and food that are perhaps ignored in its daily sister paper.
The reason for choosing this newspaper is that it has a history of covering aspects of my subject for a story- Dawn Ferdinand, headteacher of the Willow Primary School on the Broadwater Farm estate in Tottenham.
In 2019, The Sunday Times readership raised over £300,000 to fund summer activities for the school which is based in an area that is ravaged by poverty.
The positive aspect in choosing this publication is that the readership is already aware of the issues surrounding the school and the area.
They would perhaps be interested in reading about a teacher who turned a failing school into an outstanding one.
The challenge of choosing the Sunday Times would be that the Broadwater Farm has been covered by several of their journalists.
However, through my research I haven’t been able to find a feature interview with Dawn Ferdinand.
LINKS:
Much of the Sunday Times content is behind a paywall. I will include these files upon submission.
https://twitter.com/timespolitics/status/1145254421498122240
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hG6HjJY3mYQ
https://inews.co.uk/opinion/headteacher-school-coping-coronavirus-677209
Sunday Times broadwater farm 1
Sunday Times Broadwater Farm 2
Sunday Times Broadwater Farm 3
Sunday Times Broadwater Farm 4
The final publication I have chosen is the Guardian Teacher Network.
The online weekly newsletter regularly offers interview features, opinions and news that are sympathetic to those working within education.
While its readership maybe focused on one specific sector, it is closely associated with the Guardian and its sister newspaper, the Observer – the oldest Sunday newspaper in the world.
They’re considered to be a liberal newspaper regularly covering news from the public sector with a readership reaching 137,000 people.
It appears that articles from the GTN and the Guardian/Observer are shared.
If the interview with Dawn Ferdinand is considered to be good enough for one publication, it may get featured in one of the main newspapers.
LINKS:
https://www.theguardian.com/uk
https://www.theguardian.com/observer
https://www.theguardian.com/education
https://www.theguardian.com/teacher-network/2018/mar/21/guardian-teacher-network-newsletter-sign-up
https://www.theguardian.com/education/2014/nov/24/-sp-the-education-team-at-the-guardian
2) Suggest a subject for a story for one of these publications. Justify your choice of subject matter for that particular publication and write a brief indication, in note form, of your proposed treatment of it. You don't need to submit the full story.
SUBJECT FOR A STORY IN ONE OF THE ABOVE PUBLICATIONS
Luke Richards
My subject for a story is Dawn Ferdinand. Dawn Ferdinand is the headteacher at the Willow Primary School on the Broadwater Farm in Tottenham.
My feature interview would broadly touch on how a headteacher has turned a failing school on one of the country’s most notorious estates to an outstanding one.
However, while this achievement is impressive, what is more interesting is the person - particularly how someone from the Midlands came to Broadwater Farm.
Much is written about the disparities between London and the rest of the country. However, are there social and political similarities between Ms Ferdinand’s upbringing to those who live on the Farm?
I would lean towards choosing the Sunday Times for my article. My reasoning is that the Sunday Times have a history of covering the area.
As discussed in the previous task, their readership was also involved in funding holiday activities that helped keep young people out of the clutches of gangs and crime.
I also feel that the Sunday Times may have a broader appeal across the country and reach beyond the ‘metropolitan liberal.’
Further notes are below.
BROADWATER FARM HISTORY
-For those that don’t live or work there, the Broadwater Farm is a housing estate notorious for violent crime and poverty.
-Concrete tower block. Built in 1967 for social housing. Population of 3,800 as of 2005.
-Ethnically diverse community. 39 different ethnicities. Large Afro-caribbean community.
-It is famous in the mainstream media for riots in October 1985, following the death of PC Keith Blakelock.
-Relations between the black community and the Metropolitan Police have been strained for decades mainly due to racial tensions.
-1985 riots started following the death of Cynthia Jarrett during a police search in her home. Should be noted that independent authorities haven’t been able to conclude whether Ms Jarrett died because of sudden cardiac arrest or police actions.
-More recently, the 2011 London Riots started when Mark Duggan (who lived on the farm) was shot dead by police.
-In 2014 and 2017 the Royal Courts of justice concluded that Mr Duggan was lawfully killed by the police. Disputed in parts of the community.
