Yicen Wang

BBC Studio in Bush House

“It’s nine o’clock GMT in the morning, welcome to the world news from BBC World Service.” I believe that many English learners and audiences are familiar with this voice from either radios or BBC’s online service.

BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) is currently the largest media organisation in the world, and is globally one of the most respected media. I was honoured to participate in a Web Media Feedback Session at BBC UKChina in Bush House, the headquarters building of BBC World Service.

BBC UKChina is an online media service, subordinating to BBC Chinese Service, mainly serving for those Chinese residents who are interested in the UK and Chinese communities in the UK. The main purpose for my participation of the feedback session is to discuss with BBC UKChina’s Head, Editors and Producers about the web page’s layout and content and give suggestion on improvement.

Before this feedback session, I was informed to make full preparation for giving suggestion, so I took notes for myself to remind those points. Based on principles of web journalism I have learnt, I took both the perspectives as an audience and a professional web journalist, discussed my ideas with the talents with different nationalities and gave suggestion, for example, titles are expected to match with the texts without repetition; wider subjects, such as how to save living expenses in the UK could be covered and interactive platform could be established for better communication with audiences etc.

The atmosphere was friendly and relaxed, everyone was happy to listen to others and exchange own ideas. BBC members of staff working here are all intelligent in concentrating in producing news and developing the journalism industry, they are still keeping pursuing better future in their career and the development of the organisation they devote, that is the reason why BBC deserves the top respected media organisation in the world.

Bush House

It is 2012 this year, it has been 80 years that BBC World Service started to work at its current headquarters Bush House since 1940; it is 2012 this year, also is the year that BBC World Service will be moved out from Bush House and remove to the newly-built BBC Broadcasting House at Portland Place. Happy 80^th anniversary to BBC World Service in Bush House and may the future flourishing.

“It’s 12 o’clock GMT in the evening, thank you for listening the world news from BBC World Service, goodnight Bush House, and see you again in the Broadcasting House.”

Ants swarming to buses

Ants are not only the insects, in China, they also have another meaning- university graduates. Four years ago, these university graduates came to public concern in Beijing.

They share room together in compact tribes and chase after their dreams. They think that Beijing is a good place for career development and they believe they will have better future, though sometimes suffering from difficulties.

House-renting ads

It is a story igniting your interest and it is also an issue drawing the public attention. Ants are an important group for China’s country development.

Concerning the ants, concerning how the Chinese young talents fighting for their future.

London Property

Many Chinese people are working or studying in London, a growing number of them live in the motropolis for renting or purchasing  properties.

Chinese Investor

Michelle Zhang, the head of the China Desk of DTZ (a London-based property adviser), talks about her experiences. 

Audio: Michelle Zhang’s interview

Chinese Buyer

Sample Sitting Room

Wings Zhang and his wife are from Shanghai, they are now working in London and planning to buy property in this city.

Audio: Wings Zhang’s interview

London’s Real Estate Agency 

Matthew Genders

Matthew Genders is the manager of Parkgate Real Estate Agency, he talks about the property renting market for Chinese clients, he said an increasing number of Chinese clients are demanded in this market and the house prices are increasing.

Audio: Matthew Genders’ interview

England‘s lost its bid for 2018 World Cup, we all know it- but it swaps another with FIFA (Federation International Football Association).

May you are still pity for England’s losing 2018 World Cup right. But now, it is time for England to ”revenge” FIFA.

London mayor Boris Johnson cancels the free offers for FIFA hotel stay in London’s exclusive Dorchester Hotel during the 2012 Olympics.

Swapping between England and FIFA

This news reminds me of a proverb:” You will be offered another window if the door is closed.”

It is disppointed for England’s losing 2018 World Cup bid for English people, but the city London in England will host another world’s sports event- Summer Olympics, it will still enjoy sports two years’ later.

Taking advantage of hosting Olympics, London masters all in this event.

Is it a swapping world?

As a Chinese proverb goes ” No free lunch in the world”. We will get what we want only when we pay for it.

In terms of tangible commodity, we pay and get; as for the intangible things, we pay for the service. We will not get any commodity, but you still need to pay for, for example- massage.

In other aspects, swapping is always existing, except love from our parents. Our parents will not ask us to pay for their love and care.

When getting along with our friends, respect and devoting are also required. We will not well-treated if we do not treat others good. That is also a kind of swapping.

It is a swapping world. Everything needs to pay!

A Chinese proverb goes that “there are no forever friends and foes”.

This is said based on diplomatic relations between different countries.

When I was in Senior High School, I learned from the politics lesson that countries are keeping diplomatic relations depending on whether counterparts would satisfy their own interests.

US and UK relations

“The US and the UK share same culture, same language, same…”. This sentence is stated again and again and again by both sides’ leaders in public occassions. As for how many times in private occassions, I cannot calculate.

Indeed, the US and the UK share many similarities, from culture to language. What I would like to mention is that they almost have same visions towards many international diplomatic affairs. For example, broking out the Iraq War in 2003.

However, the recent Wikileak changes the two countries diplomatic relations in a certain extent. Leaders from both sides reconsider the bilateral relations after it.

Friends? Foes?

I will not totally agree with you if someone says the bilateral relations between the UK goes to deterioate because of the Wiki event.

But, pay attention, I just say “totally”. Nobody is a prophet in this occassion, nobody can predict the future for the US and the UK.

Countries will keep their relations on interests. In a word, if you satisfy my needs on a certain issue, then you are my friend; while if you cannot do that, you will suddenly become my enemy tomorrow.

That is a draconian rule on diplomacy. Objectively speaking, the US and UK usually remains good relations, they are friends, or even more- intimate friends; while the hidden conflicts exist between China and Japan that make unexpected relations. Or someone states, they are enemies.

I would like to allege, diplomatic relations are special relations, unlike the ordinary relations for our average people, it is much more complicated.

Although I have had practice on Piece to Camera in the television lecture, it is still exicting to do it again today.

Unlike the previous practice Piece to Camera in the lecture, my partner and I go to the Olympic venue of 2012 London Olympics at Stratford.

This Piece to Camera is one part for our television assignment, we are free to choose any topic. As I am interested in sports news, especially the Olympics, then I decide to choose the security measures taken on 2012 London Olympics.

Glimpse to “Big bowl”

Many architectures own their nick name, such as “gherkin“, “Bird Nest” and “Water Cube“. The main 2012 London Olympics stadium is called “Big Bowl”.

When we arrived there, the stadium is under busy construction. Due to London’s freezing and snowy weather, we can see a white world of the stadium.

“Windy, freezing, numb”. These are my most direct feeling during I stand there for one hour.

Piece  to Camera

Set up the tripod, instal the camera, hold the microphone and headphone, I start to rehearse my Piece to Camera.

“Security has been built into the venues of London 2012 Olympics…” I start. Unexpected, I thought I would go through it quickly, because the text is not that long and the content is easy to understand.

However, I rehearse several times, and encounter difficulty in forgetting the text. Even sometimes, my mouth is freezed to numb…

“Again!” “Oh my god!” “Ah!” I shout and try to get through it as good as possible. Finally, I complete my Piece to Camera.

Practice is important

Piece to Camera is a basic and important skill for broadcast journalists. From my point of view, there is no short-cut to do that. I will handle it without any difficulty by thouands times’ practice.

2018 World Cup right finally belongs to Russia. While England loses its bid, which disappointed the whole country.

Reading on the website, I can only listen and see sad faces, disappointed remarks from England.

Reasons for losing

A couple of weeks ago, BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) reported the corruption of England’s football officials. I still remember the exposed grubby scandal infuriated England’s football association, and BBC was blamed as “unpatriotic”.

From journalistic perspective, BBC is to blamed as the supercriminal for losing bid. However, the disputed issue is: does England has 100% sure to win the right for 2018 World Cup if the scandal has not been exposed? I do not know, nobody is a prophet in this term.

Media voices

The UK’s tabloid “Sun” says BBC is mean to sabotage England’s bid, because it has ever been warned not to broadcast the scandal, but finally it insisted to broadcast.

This reminds me of some unknown stories behind broadcast media. Just imagine: a monster stands in front of you and shouts “What do you want?! You cannot broadcast this scene! You cannot add the script of the grubby scandal! You cannot expose this stories!”

Journalistic points

Well, as a journalist student, I am deeply moved by the professional broadcast moral of BBC. Well, I know I may be sweared by England’s football fans, but let’s forget the bid losing, BBC is not the offender in doing journalism.

BBC is neither the UK government, nor the professional radical entity- it is a professional news organisation. What’s the task of a news organisation? Trying its best to reporting neutral news stories, that’s all.

“What’s BBC’s intention for broadcasting the football scandal?” “No any intention, from my point of view.”

In my eye, BBC is comparatively impartial in news reporting. While in some occassions, doing journalism is somewhat a dilemma: being patriotic or staying neutral? That’s a tough question for all journalists, and nobody can give a clear answer for that, different people have different views.

Sarcastic statements 

The UK’s national newspaper “Daily Telegraph” says the 2018 World Cup’s bid should be others’ if news organisations are always cautious about divulging information to the public.

OK, I think this is a classic statement- just close all impartial news organisations, and give all neutral journalists an axe.

“My dad is Li Gang!” “My mum is an official”! These are notorious in China, because they reflet power abusing by officials’ children.

Two months’ ago in China’s Hebei Province, a young man drove after drunk and crashed a university student in Hebei University. After that, he did not apologise and compensated, instead, he shouted:” My dad is Li Gang!”

Li Gang is a provincial official with power, so that ordinary people are under his regulation. The cracked girl’s family does not dare call the police.

What an infuriated guy he is!

Civil Servants’ Exam

Last month, another similar event happened in China’s Gansu Province. A candidate cheated in the exam, but was still selected as the civil servant. His colleague complained about that, but was arrested by the police later.

Why???!!! Are you surprised?

To be honest, I did not know why as well at beginning. The arrested person should be the candidate who was cheating. After I known the result, the truth is the cheating candidate’s mum is a provincial official with power.

Bureaucracy

These two stories make me angry, two of the officials’ children are so arrogant that out of control in basic rules.

It is bureaucracy results in this ludicrous situation, I dare say. Although this is negative phenomenon, we can do little to make improvement.

Officials represent government, they should take responsibilities to make ordinary people’s lives better, rather than abusing power.

Angry!

Every year on 30th November, it is Scotland’s National Day- St. Andrew’s Day.

Maybe some of you curious about that why I am so concerned about this day. To be honest, it is this day last year, I graduated from the University of St. Andrews in Scotland.

It is a coincidence that my former university owns the same name with Scotland’s patron saint. Formerly, I may not realise before why the graduation ceremony of St. Andrews University is on 30th November, rather than other days, now I catch the point.

Time flies

I can clearly remember this day last year in Scotland, my friends and I was thrilled to participate the graduation ceremony in our university. That was a extrememly cold day as well: the temperature is bloodily low there.

Today is another 30th November, and is St. Andrew’s Day again. These reminds me of my last year’s graduation ceremony. When I got up this morning, I said to myself: time flies!

Celebration

Maybe you will say I celebrate St. Andrews Day by parties, but the fact is: I decide to do a television shooting as my course assignment. From my opinion, doing this is much more meaningful than having parties.

The main elements of this video are Scottish Ceilidh Dance and Scotia Nostra London Walk. Hope this video couldreflect my intention for celebrating St. Andrew’s Day today, which is also for memorising my graduation at St. Andrews University.

Sky news announces its plan of launching its first foreign language service- Arabic broadcast service.

It is a brand new start for Sky news to go global, I suppose.

As I know, though Sky news enjoys high reputation in the media world, it can still not keep pace with other media giants, such as BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation), CNN (Cable News Network).

Going global

What is the main problem for Sky news long-time staying regionally?

From my personal perspective, it involves marketing knowledge: who is its target audience? For Sky news, of course, it did not position on a global market, based only English language broadcasting.

In this case, its audiences are limited in a certain regional area, rather than enter the international market.

I always maintain that language and audience are the most two important elements for media organisations. Apart from enlarging its target audiences, establishing multi-language departments helps media go global.

Global media organisations

Let’s have a look at the media organisations in a global range, those who are  influential or enjoying high reputation, are broadcasting or printing with multi-languages.

BBC owns World Service for radio broadcasting in more than 30 foreign languages. CNN boasts its dozens of overseas bureaux.

These two media giants are best-known for English learners in China. On the one hand, BBC and CNN are English-based pioneers in media world; on the other hand, multi-languages create more room for international audiences to access.

In China, currently the most two globalised broadcast media are CCTV (China Central Television) and CRI (China Radio International). Why? Easy! Not only they are national broadcast media, but also they are much more international than any other counterpart in China.

So far, CCTV owns its multi-languages (English, French, Spanish, Arabic and Russian) channels. CRI covers more than 40 foreign languages’ broadcasting, topping the world.

Multi-languages= widely-covered audiences

Believe or not, going global has become an inevitable trend not only for broadcast media, but also for others, such as print or online media.

Launching multi-languages platform facilitates attracting more audiences, that’s the ultimate goal for every media organisation, I assume, isn’t it?!