 Finding
out, the interview and getting the place聟.
One
Thursday afternoon towards the end of the school year, the
Head of English asked me to come to her office 聟 "oh
dear, what have I done now" - was the first question
on my mind, but she handed me over a A4 piece of paper saying
she'd found me a perfect opportunity at the 91热爆 which she
thought I'd should go for!
'91热爆
BLAST YOUNG REPORTERS SCHEME'... Sounds interesting?! I entered
my details on the 91热爆 website and really promoted myself as
much as possible 聟 I didn't hear back for absolutely
ages, but then one day (I remember it was my Sixth Form Induction
day) - my mentor to be, Sarah gave me a call and asked me
to come in for an interview with some other possible reporters
聟 one of which is my co-reporter this year.. ROXY!
The
actual interview went very fast but was both nerve-racking
and exciting and there was quite a high competitive tension
around the table. I really didn't think I had a hope in hell
being the youngest person there, plus the only male 聟
at the end of the interview, Sarah and Jeremy said that we'll
get a call sometime the next morning - I'm not keen on waiting,
but oh well聟 we waited聟.
To
my surprise I got a phone call from Sarah about 6pm that night
聟 which was a real shock - I remember her words聟
"Hi Jonathan, it's Sarah from the 91热爆. I'm really sorry
to say, but YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO SEE MY FACE FOR THE NEXT
TEN WEEKS!" My initial reaction was 聟 actually,
I can't remember it now, but I do remember I had a big smile
on my face!
Anyway,
time passed and before I knew it the training weekend had
arrived聟
Blast
Mania in Bradford
Friday
16th July and Saturday 17th July saw myself and the other
handful of Blast reporters make an early morning trek from
our home towns to Heaton Mount part of the Bradford School
of Management. Heaton Mount was an amazing place and everyone
was in awe of the place.
We
met the other Blast reporters, their mentors and the national
Blast team - everyone had a great time and learnt a lot, everything
we would need to know in the world of web journalism from
writing skills to photography and the ins and outs of the
91热爆 and the 91热爆 Where I Live website structures. Was a truly
motivating and interesting experience and we all made great
friends with the other reporters from across the country.
Now,
a special mention must go to the chef who made the food! Yum
聟 Yum 聟 I know it shouldn't really be of importance
but a mention must go out into how nice and well laid out
the food was 聟 I certainly didn't go hungry! Hehe!
Me, Roxy and Faye (the Coventry Blast reporter) managed to
get home OK, after a mad rush at Leeds and nearly missing
the next train to Birmingham - but we caught it, just in the
nick of time! Was a good team building and bonding experience
to say the least!
Tuesday
27th July 2004
First
day! I arrive at the Mailbox, sign in and get given the grand
tour of the new 91热爆 building. I get shown around all the English
Regions office space, the WM studios and production suites
as well as all the other sections that are based in the Mailbox.
Familiar
faces keep popping up around the place, including Ashley Blake
from Midlands Today and Ed Doolan from Radio WM. He was a
really great person to talk to - as I'm interested in radio
journalism and production and he gave some great advice and
we both agreed on how great an experience this was.
Me
and Roxy are getting along really well. We're currently working
on our profiles and interview pages so that you guys can see
all about who we are.
After
lunch, we pop out and go and take some snaps across the Mailbox
and the Brum Canals to add a bit of pizzazz to the diary and
profile pages. Hope you like our cheesy smiles!
Well,
that's the end of day one! And it's been a total blast (no
pun intended!!)
Wednesday
28th July
JJ
gets into the office again and realises he forget to shut
down the computer and was left open with all my emails, settings
and everything! Ooops! I started off by contacting the press
team at the Alexandra Theatre to try and sort out an interview
with the cast of Fame, which features 100 young people and
they learn the whole thing in two weeks. Rather them than
me!!!
I've
just been invited to Party In The Park in Cardiff and I'm
looking into which artists are from Birmingham and seeing
if we can arrange some interviews with them 聟. Not having
much luck yet, but... I'm trying lol
For
the rest of the afternoon, I'm working on an article about
'Creativity in the Mailbox' - I found some interesting things,
which I didn't know existed including a flower school!
I
interviewed the guys at the Flower School and took some photos
of everything. I'm also on a mission to get some clearance
for pictures of the works of local artist, Willard Wigan,
managed to track down his PR guy who said he'll send me some
piccies 聟. Still waiting 聟. Hmmmm.
Thursday
29th July
I
get in a bit late - (I had some problems at the bank, ya see!),
and we're off to the old 91热爆 building, Pebble Mill to do an
Interactive Safety Course. Yes, it was as boring as it sounds聟but
it's the policy.
Let
me tell you a little story聟.I went to the canteen to
get me and Roxy some chips and on the way back I managed to
lose Roxy's purse! Oooops! I went on a major search around
Pebble Mill to find it, the front desk, the canteen, checking
all the lifts, I even got Shefali from Midlands Today to help
me look as we both met in the lifts! What a random experience
that was.
Talking
of random, I was casually walking (that's a lie, I was running
in desperation to find her purse) 聟 anyway, on my finding
travels around Pebble Mill I managed to walk into the set
of the TV show, 'Doctors' 聟 thank the lord they weren't
filming at the time!
I
eventually found the purse in the canteen, where I first looked聟
anyway, it was found and me and Roxy continued with our stupid
course - then headed back to Mailbox and I continued with
this diary, after another call to the PR guy of Willard Wigan
for these photos聟 the quest continues聟
Won't
be in much next week, as I'm doing some broadcasting experience
workshops at Birmingham University ... so, be kind to Rox'
for me, will ya?
More
diary gossip from JJ
See
Roxy's diary here
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