To help with my journalism course, I arranged to spend a couple of days out in the industry, with the Bristol Evening Post. Firstly, I went to Bristol Crown Court with a reporter to follow some of the court cases. The first case was a sentencing for death by dangerous driving. The defendant was sentenced to 15 months in prison, and a 3 year driving ban. I found it really difficult watching the woman being led away, as she was clearly remorseful for her actions, and was distraught about being taken away from her daughter.
The next case was a man from my home town, who was being sentenced for depositing waste. Bikes, cars, oil drums, scaffolding and metal were piled high in his garden, and after several previous chances to clear it from the Court, he was given a hefty fine, with a prison sentence if it was not paid within 6 weeks.
The final case I sat in is an ongoing case of robbery and manslaughter. Here the jury was still being told details of the case, and so it will be some time yet before this case comes to an end.
After my lunch break I was sent out to do the daily Vox Pops. The questions given were:
Do you think people living in Clifton should be DNA tested? and
What do you think about Chinese lanterns?
I went out into Bristol City Centre, in the Cabot Circus and Broadmead areas, however it is very difficult to get passers by to participate, especially with regards to photographing them. I absolutely hate going out and getting vox pops, and find it really frustrating that very few members of the public are willing to take part, however I do think it is good to get the public's opinion on stories.
On my second day I was sent out to get more vox pops, this time the question was:
Would an increased terror risk put you off travelling?
Once again, I struggled to get people to participate, as with it being cold and wet, people didn't want to be photographed, or be held up while trying to do their shopping.
Back in the office, the news editor told me he wanted me to get involved with the murder inquiry of Joanna Yeates. I was driven to Clifton, and told to retrace her footsteps before she died, from the Bargain Booze on Regent Street, to her home in Canynge Road, noting down the locations of any CCTV cameras I found.
On the way I went into the Tesco Express that Joanna was last seen in, and continued to retrace her footsteps until I reached her house, where I was met by lots of police, and other journalists such as Sky News. Whilst I was there, Hinton Rescue were moving a parked car, which was blocking the final drain that needed to be searched. The car was moved, and the journalists crowded around the drain with baited breath, as the police searched through the leaves and sludge for the missing sock, which unfortunately, still hasn't been found.
I've really enjoyed my time at the Evening Post (except the Vox Pops!) and have arranged 2 more visits over the Summer. It is really good to get a feel of what its like in the industry, and to talk to people who are in the position that you hope to be in in the future. I was really pleased that I got the chance to be involved with some really interesting stories, including the Joanna Yeates murder inquiry, which has made national headlines.
I would really encourage anyone interested in Print Journalism to try and arrange a visit to their local paper. It's a really rewarding experience.
