Course Diary

Week 13 :- 23 Apr – 27 Apr

END OF TERM 2

The Week I exited my placement in a press office. I didn’t enjoy it and felt that I didn’t live up to expectations. It left my thinking I’m unsuitable for any journalistic role or that of a press office. I was left wondering if I should complete my MA programme.

Personal Comment :- I found myself wondering whether I want to complete my degree programme this week. I found that I couldn’t type or concentrate on my written skills in a working environment. I’ve now questioning my whole career in journalism or PR. I’ve been persuaded to submit my end of Term 2 coursework to earn a post-graduate Diploma. But should I continue and finish of earning a full MA if I’m going to be unable to use it if I type too slowly for a working environment.

Course Diary

Week 12 :- 16 Apr – 20 Apr

The Week I spent my first week at my placement in a Press office. I found it hard to satisfy the brief of tasks given without having feedback on first efforts. Clarification of some of the task briefs I felt was required.

Personal Comment :- I found that some briefs were a bit on the vague side and so were open to interpretation as to how to set them out. Typing speed is inadequate. I’m finding I’m taking my work home with me to complete it. Would I like to be a press officer. Certainly some aspects of it I handle well. I’m certainly full of ideas. But on execution I’m mediocre. Room for improvement I think.

Course Diary

Week 11 :- 9 Apr – 13 Apr

The Week I have finally landed a formal work experience placement in a Press office, for a car brand here in the midlands. I’ve done some reading around the brand and products. But done very little else this week, tho ugh made further MIPAA enquiries.

Personal Comment :- I am relieved I now have a proper work placement organized. I will still dedicate some efforts to the Coventry car day and the separate MIPPA event. It will help me develop organization skills for PR events, which is good if I want to be a press office as a career.

Course Diary

Week 10 :- 2 Apr – 6 Apr

The Week With no formal work experience placement in a Press office, I’ve been tasked with organizing the Coventry car day at Coventry University and MIPAA events.

http://wwwm.coventry.ac.uk/newscentre/Pages/NewsArticle.aspx?articleID=983

I also spent time writing up a script for a two-way interview radio package.

Personal Comment :- Not having a proper work placement to organized, has largely left me at a loose end. So I can dedicate all my efforts to this Coventry car day and the separate MIPPA event. It will help me develop organization skills for PR events, which is good if I want to be a press office as a career. But I still feel I should be asking for £1,000 of my course fees back. And at the moment I’m doing very little in the way of study (I’ve done most things ahead of schedule).

An F-Type Jaguar is coming! Finally!

On display at the New York motor show was a new F-type Jaguar that’s to arrive in mid-2013. First there was the C-type, then D-type racing cars of the 1950’s. The 1960’s gave use an E-Type for the public road. But the world has being crying out for a Jaguar to be labelled (or should that be ‘crowned’) as an F-type. After five decades of waiting, although there have been an interim of other sports coupes and cabriolets from the brand. Namely the long produced XJS and two incarnations of the XK, the F-type is coming soon.

Jaguar’s Chief designer Ian Callum said “A true sports car needs to be pure in both its purpose and form. The C-type, D-type and E-type Jaguars were all sports cars that held true to this principle in their era, and the F-TYPE will hold true to that same principle in its time, a time that is soon to arrive.”

The forth-coming F-Type is under accelerated development since the positive reaction of the C-X16 concept in September 2011, and prototypes are already being produced at Birmingham’s Castle Bromwich plant for on-road testing, before the final production-line model rolls out of the same facility next year, priced at around £50,000.

Drawing on Jaguar’s expertise in aluminium, the car will be of aluminium construction and be a strict two-seater, with the focus being on being rewarding to drive. It will be available as a soft top convertible initially, followed by a conventional hard-top coupe. It will be powered by a range of petrol engines – a new line up of performance powerplants, propelling the car up to 186mph.

The new F-type will join the existing Jaguar Range of XF, XF Sportbrake, XJ saloon, and XK coupe and convertible. Due to the arrive of the F-type, future XK models will move up market, being bigger and offering a true 2+2 configuration to rival the likes of the Maserati Gran Turismo.

Jaguar’s global brand boss said “The core appeal of Jaguar’s cars is their sporting heart, and that heart will beat stronger than ever before in the F-TYPE. Engineers and design teams have produced a world-leader in a market segment that we have been absent from for too long. But no longer – the F-TYPE is coming.”  

Course Diary

Week 10 :- 26 Mar – 30 Mar

The Week Now that lectures have finished, I’ve been concentrating on finding a work experience placement in a Press office. Spent time e-mailing almost every press office of most car brands to achieve a placement. Also spent time writing up an extended interview piece for my portfolio and a radio package of the same.

Personal Comment :- I may have left it a bit two late to organize a work placement. The feedback I am getting from some press offices is that I should have started organizing months in advance. Many press offices simply don’t even return my e-mail enquiry. I’ve been left to my own devices to find a placement, while the university organised placements for half the class. Luckily, I’ve been handed a lifeline by my lecturer if no press office will have me. Having a lack of internet recently – maxed out my broadband limit – doesn’t help. This is why this posting is on a Wednesday and not the previous Sunday.