14 October 2009
Voicing the un-
heard
by Danielle Cook and Radina Choleva
H
ead of Quicksilver Media
and Executive Producer of
Channel Four’s Unreported
World, Eamonn Matthews
lead a Coventry Conversa-
tion on Thursday, the 8th of October. A
passionate and award winning reporter,
he talked about his experience on the
films he produces.
Eamonn’s Unreported World explores
the harsh truth of people living in dif-
ferent parts of the Earth, some being
ranked as the most dangerous or in-
tense regions. The documentaries offer
these “people on the ground” a change
to be heard, as Eamonn claims: “We are
trying to give voice to the people who
don’t have a voice.” He argues that his
crew “is going on the ground and show
what’s happening, what’s real”.
images source: quicksilvermedia.tv
Eamonn Matthews back in the days he was out on the field.
Now he spends his days in his office.
“It’s raw, harsh
and very real. Our
up-front reporters
go right to the
primary source, the
people.”
Matthews labels the modern TV
reports as being opinionated, lack-
ing facts. Separating his investigative
reporting programme from that, he
describes his work: “It’s unreported
journalism. It’s raw, harsh and very real.
Our up front reporters go right to the
primary source, the people.” Also, he
underlines the gap between current TV
programmes and Unreported World: “I
want to stress that we use a two person
teams, one camera and nothing magic.
In TV people use bigger teams, but our
small camera relaxes people.” The Times
newspaper made this distinction as well
saying that Unreported World is “one of
the handful of programmes that act as
a bulwark against the crushing idiocy of
television”. One of his films takes about
eight and a half weeks to make.
“To be risk free
means to never
leave the office.”
Portraying the production of his
documentaries, Eamonn highlights:
“We have a game plan. We must make
sure our team and fixers (local journal-
ists) are safe. The team never leaves the
office without double checking that we
have a story.” Still, when they do leave,
“it’s their responsibility to deliver the
basic story”. Talking about safety he
admits: “To be risk free means to never
leave the office”.
Matthews answer to media students’
request for advice was: “you must have
a narrative story for television and to
just be passionate about it”.
 Being back after two decades: the Co
^
ming
time traveller’s view of Uni to Cov
By Steve Bradley

In the classic eighties TV series, captain Buck Rogers blasts off on a mission to explore
deep space, only to become frozen in time and return to earth 500 years later. Similarly,

Snow’s again
there were times last week when I’ve felt like I’ve just woken up in the 25th century.
Almost twenty years now since I first graduated
image source: crunchgear.com

with a degree in law and went on to a career in

the NHS. I’ve just returned at the ripe old age of „„ Channel Four’s well-known
41 to study for an MA in Specialist Journalism at News Presenter, Jon Snow,
Coventry University School of Art and Design. is becoming a familiar figure
Life seemed so much simpler back in those among the Coventry Conversa-
heady, sepia tinted days of September 1988. tions series. Having lead two
Osama Bin Laden was still on the payroll and full auditorium lectures in the
Jeremy Clarkson had yet to express an opinion. previous years, Snow comes
If you could actually find a computer, it probably again to discuss the qualities
didn’t have a mouse and a ‘module’ was something astronauts went to the moon in. and skills one needs in order to
Down at the Student’s Union, a pint of Guinness set you back only 80p and Joy Division perform well as a journalist in
warned that “love” might tear us apart. “Global warming” was just a pricey extra on high- today’s media. The Conversation,
end central heating systems. called “The best and worst of
As one of the lucky 10% from my social background who actually made it into higher times – Who would be a journal-
education, I remember feeling privileged to be at university and looking forward to the ist in the second decade of the
bright future ahead of me. 21st century?” is an inaugural talk
Fast forward to 2009; it’s a brave new world. A world where swine flu, iPhones, globali- for Snow as a visiting Coventry
sation, Burberry hot pants, Wikipedia, Snoop Dog and Lindsay Lohan manage to coexist University Professor.
together. Not to all these pesky university rules and regulations that didn’t seem to mat- This not-to-be-missed event will
ter much before. be held at the Coventry Cathe-
dral, at 10am, on this Thursday,
“Global warming was just a pricey extra on the 15th of October.

high-end central heating systems. “

imagae source: campaigniran.wordpress.com

Yet, to tell the truth, the business of being a student is not so much different. The lec-
turers even seem to care a bit more about our education than they did in ‘88. With over
300 institutions offering degrees to choose from, they simply can’t afford not to.
Still, it’s reassuring to know some things haven’t changed at all. Kylie’s still on the radio,
Mr T is selling chocolate bars, and Knight Rider is back on Telly. If only Arsenal were top
of the football league, I’d swear, it’s just like being back in the late eighties!
image source: discoverx.wordpress.com

image source: picasaweb.google.com

Coventry Conversations are now

more famous than ever as one
could simply find them on the
first page of iTunesU alongside
Oxford University and MIT lec-
tures. Pick up the Buzz next week
the beginnings of IT illustration of a Space Module
for more details.
The student and staff newsletter of the Media and
Communications department of Coventry School
of Art and Design
Edited by Teo Beleaga
Submissions invited to teo.beleaga@gmail.com
With many thanks to John Mair, Steve Bradley, Radina
Choleva and Danielle Cook.