Freedom? – A Poem

via eatmorerealfood

BY ZOE WICKENS

Do you hear the thunder

like crashes

the bombs just keep on dropping,

lights out

black out

who will be left in the morning?

She sleeps in her bed

thousands of miles away from

the horrors all over the news,

her friends are only a phone call away

but in the war zone

there is no freedom,

never mind mobile phone signals.

Everything they once knew is in

ruins. Soldiers march into

nightmares, things she could only dream of

tucked up in an English night.

What could she possibly know

of being too afraid to fall asleep,

of living in the darkness

under a cloud of smoke

peppered with gun shots?

It’s not enough

to read and watch

such destruction. She can’t stand

the inability to help.

The call to join and fight

to become that person

photographed holding a gun

with their face covered –

unimaginable to most

but what goes through their minds

flying to the nearest country,

risking it all for what they believe.

She doesn’t understand,

but knows the downfall

is found in everyone’s pockets

you can press a few buttons

and the world can read your thoughts.

Some will pray for their souls

but she will stay awake

thinking and writing

about stories

people are dying to tell.

Are there jobs for Journalism graduates?

BY ZOE WICKENS

via stmarys

 

It’s incredibly well known today that there are not many jobs for university graduates out there. This is quite a daunting fact, something that to be completely honest, absolutely terrifies me. I doubt there will be anything that could make me change my mind about wanting to be a journalist, but the knowledge that it can be exceptionally difficult to not just find a job but get far enough into an application to secure an interview can make many rethink their life choices.

When I decided I wanted to be a journalist at the age of fifteen, the media industry was very different to how it is now. I somewhat naively assumed I could get a good job in journalism within a few months of graduating. At the time, that was probably true but six years later, that is certainly not the case. I’ve lost count of the number of jobs I’ve applied for. I’ve widened my search for internships, almost all of which are unpaid, meaning I would have to have a part time job on the side in order to pay bills. London is definitely the place for journalism jobs, but who can afford to live in the capital on a part time pay cheque working an internship and still keeping up the search for the journalism job dreamt of at night? Not many have the money behind them to do this, I certainly don’t. Do you see the problem? It’s tough.

My three years at a London university studying to become a journalist and watching my money disappear on rent, travel and food – all of which are on the rise – has taught me an awful lot about life. I worked very hard at college in my native East Sussex in order to get to the position I’m in now, including putting myself through an A-Level in French, one of the hardest things I have ever done, because I thought it would make me stand out. It was so difficult that I grew to hate it. It’s very easy to fall into the belief that none of it matters because I am struggling just like the thousands of other soon to be journalist graduates to find a job, despite knowing that they have been well educated. Everyone who has ever been job hunting knows how dejecting this is.

The worst part of journalism job applications and actually, all types of job applications is the word “experience.” I can’t count the amount of times that I’ve read a job application description and thought: “I don’t have that exact experience, but I could learn.” So far, this has always been followed with a rejection response or even worse, no reply at all. Experience can mean a variety of things but the majority of the time, employers are trying to say that they want applicants who have had experience in the exact part of the industry the job is in. Whilst this would be very helpful, not every graduate will have that experience or have had the chance to for financial reasons or simply a lack of time. Lots of students work a part time job alongside studying, when they’re not working shifts or on essays, there isn’t much time in the day left. I can guarantee though that every single person who is not experienced would try their utmost to learn as much as they can and never stop asking questions in order to catch up with the rest of the team.

We can prove that we’re worthy of the job, I promise. We’ve just got to be given the chance.

Feminism in Social Media

BY ZOE WICKENS

via howstuffworks

 

Feminism is one of the most widely talked about subjects today. Rarely can a week pass without there being something about feminism in the news or another celebrity announces they are a feminist or, more controversially, say that they do not identify as a feminist. A common misconception is that only females can be feminists when actually, anyone who believes in equality between sexes through equal opportunities in careers, pay and in positions in organisations can identify as a feminist.

Social Media websites and apps are the places to go to read the many arguments and debates about feminist issues, you’d be surprised at how many comments sections of youtube videos and replies on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram disintegrate into full on insulting conversations. Famous women only have to post a photo of themselves to end up with reams of abuse from other Social Media users about the way she looks. Beyoncé frequently comes under fire for her revealing outfits, despite her strong messages highlighting the importance of feminism in today’s society. Emma Watson launched the He for She campaign last year and has gained global support for this endeavour, and even she was threatened by people on the internet, who planned to release leaked naked photographs of her. Madonna sparks many debates about whether it’s seen as acceptable to dress provocatively at her age and act as if she is a much younger woman. The end of February saw two people jailed for sending extremely abusive and threatening messages over Twitter to feminist campaigner Caroline Criado-Perez, who is among many to have received abuse and threats over Social Media. Is no one safe?

The question ‘have you experienced sexism on any Social Media account’ is always going to reveal interesting stories, particularly with the advantage of being able to be anonymous over the internet. Amber, a feminist English Literature student answered “Yes. I have been called every name under the sun and threatened with rape.” How did she deal with this? “I sarcastically told them that they were immature, nasty little boys, reported them online and blocked them.” Ana, a feminist Creative Writing student replied “most of the time, I ignore the comments, but if I have something witty to call them out with, I may call them out on their behaviour.” These are enlightening examples how people react and whether they choose to ignore the abuse or not or indeed whether they can block it all out, regardless of whether it is hurtful or not.

Many feminist campaigners question why more people do not identify as feminists. There is a surprising amount of hostility towards feminism and those who support it, which poses the question of why all the hate? Ana says “I think everyone should identify as part of the movement that is striving for equality” as feminism is still dismissed by many all over the world, even by women who blanch at the idea of being associated with the more hardcore feminists. Amber makes the interesting point that “people who say stuff like “I’m not a feminist, I’m an equalist” need educating, not criticising”, perhaps suggesting that if feminism was spoken about more in public, people would understand it better. Zowwi, a feminist Photography student highlights the importance of being proud to be a woman, or a male supporter of female rights. “They do not have to say they are feminists in order to do this but putting a label on it does seem to give it more importance.” How about the male perspective on what feminism is? Charles, a feminist Journalism student puts forth “I feel as a man who identifies as a feminist that people should think hard about what they believe feminism to be, it’s very easy to get caught up in the media hype of the word feminist while forgetting its true meaning.” The definition of what feminism is can be blurred by Social Media, as every one is going to have a different idea depending on how it has affected their lives.

A much talked about issue in the media is celebrities saying they are not feminists, because they have “never been affected” by it. One example of this is American actress Kaley Cucoco-Sweeting, best known for her role in the television show The Big Bang Theory. She received a lot of criticism when in an interview last year, she answered the question ‘are you a feminist’ with “is it bad if I say no?” She was also quoted as saying “I like the idea of women taking care of their men” which prompted many comments sparking outrage at this. Amber believes more people should identify as feminists but wouldn’t “criticise” anyone for not “unless they’re openly insulting feminism.”

In a world where telling people their opinions, beliefs and ideals are wrong can be seen as amusing and incredibly easy. Users of the internet and Social Media in particular, hugely take advantage of this. You find yourself asking why others want to try and tear you down in whatever way they can. When asked whether people should be allowed to criticise those who do not identify as feminists, Ana said “as that goes against what feminism stands for, I don’t think so, but I do think that open discussion about the topic should be encouraged.” Is criticising someone who not believing in the same ideals as you ever okay? “You can’t attack someone’s moral choices because it takes away the very framework of being a feminist. If a person has the same ideals as a feminist but feels negatively towards the connotations of the word then criticism towards them is only more likely to push people away”, says Charles.  Zowwi suggests that in general, “we should be less judgmental.” This is sadly, easier said than done.  “I think you should still subtly preach and let people know what your views are, but without being critical.” A brilliant idea, but problematic when in effect as it seems there will always be those who single-mindedly preach without any consideration to other points of view.

As comforting as it is to imagine a world where feminism is not needed and no one ever criticises someone else for their beliefs and choices, it will never happen. Perhaps all we can do is just try and be more understanding of the fact that everyone is likely to have different views. As Amber quite rightly states “being nasty to people who don’t know any better will get us nowhere.”