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Facebook will no longer target you for your race, sexual orientation and religion

Sun, 14 Nov 2021 00:51:00 GMT

New Year and a new advertising policy at Facebook and Instagram. Meta Platforms has confirmed that starting January 19 2022, it will “remove Detailed Targeting options that relate to topics people may perceive as sensitive, such as options referencing causes, organisations, or public figures that relate to health, race or ethnicity, political affiliation, religion, or sexual orientation.”

The announcement by Graham Mudd , VP Product Marketing, Ads, points to specific examples to make the point. It points specifically to areas like health causes, sexual orientation, religious practices and groups and political beliefs.

So if you have shown an interest in for example finding out more about lung cancer or same-sex marriage or the Catholic Church or with political beliefs – you will not be targeted.

Advertising is central Facebook’s revenue. According to Investopedia , 98 per cent of all revenue that the company generated, was from advertising. The company received $69.7 billion as advertising fees. According an article on the Guardian website, nearly 2 billion people use the Facebook app every single day.

Other technology companies are also making reforms. Next year Google will suspend support for third-party cookies used to track online activity. Apple is also phasing out tracking technology on its devices.

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Biden tries to save local news, raises eyebrows

Sat, 13 Nov 2021 22:38:00 GMT

US president Joe Biden wants to introduce a $1.85 trillion social spending bill. One of the provisions in that bill is, well, making the (local) news.

A provision that helps save local newsrooms is hitting the headlines – a payroll tax credit for companies that employ eligible local journalists. According to media reports, media outlets could claim a tax credit of $25,000 for the first year and $15,000 for the next four years for a total of 1500 journalists.

One of the supporters of this move to save local newsrooms has been Steven Waldman, Co-founder & President @Report4America , who told CNN , “You have 1800 communities in America with no newspapers thousands more with ghost newspapers. It has become so serious that people are unable to get basic information about their communities.”

While the bill has support from some Republicans, Rep. Steve Scalise, from Louisiana, is unhappy and called it a scam earlier. “Tax credits for journalists. Make no mistake—this is Biden and Dems in Congress helping pay the reporters’ salaries who cover for them. Experts say it’ll cost American taxpayers $1.67 BILLION over 10 years. What a scam.” He said this on Twitter earlier.

Interestingly, the US government is seemingly ‘saving’ local journalism while also expecting journalists to be fair and impartial in their reporting; some media outlets have pointed out. Another anomaly, as highlighted by the LA Times (first reported by AP), is that

“Gannett, one of the nation’s largest remaining newspaper chains, could gain as much as $127.5 million over five years, according to an analysis by the AP.”

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Mobile phone apps as an internal communication channel

Fri, 04 Jun 2021 11:40:00 GMT

An internal communication specialist is focused on getting company news to employees at the right time and for the right reasons. But how do you reach out to the workforce, and what are the most effective communication tools? In our series about internal communication channels, we dwell on the all-important employee app.

Employee apps have become very popular over the years. There’s a reason for it. Reaching employees on the field or away from a company terminal means companies can unwittingly create a two-tier system: the haves and the have-nots. Usually, the have-nots are the ones who need company information the most. So how do you connect to those who are difficult to reach? In a post-COVID-19 workplace, where remote or hybrid working will be here to stay- what channel can bring everyone together?

Hello, employee app!

Some of the advantages of using an employee app as a channel of communication are:

A> Reaching remote workers: It can be an excellent solution for companies that want to create one version of the truth for everyone – employees who work in the office and away from the office. In a blog by Stuart Sinclair on Talk Freely , he writes, “An app offers a single channel that addresses all your internal comms needs, effortlessly. Dedicated to building that vital connection between employee and the business, it is accessible to all, even those who have been historically hard to reach.”

B> Ease of use: Many apps out there allow a quick login and are incredibly user-friendly. Frank Wolf, from Staff Base , writes, “Highly regarded for being streamlined and convenient, their functions are being developed to meet the most essential organizational needs, and they can be quickly implemented, especially compared to the large and cumbersome IT projects of the past.”

C> Good in a crisis: Imagine trying to send a message about a crisis engulfing the company to a workforce in different time zones or those who don’t have access to the company intranet. An app can cut through all the hoops. Caroline Duncan writes in this blog by Desk Alerts Alerting Software , “An internal communication app is one of the fastest ways you can reach your employees with important information, news or advice. This means that speculation and rumours can’t take hold.”

D> Quick and snappy comms: we are used to consuming bite-sized chunks on our mobile phones. A quick update here, a lovely photo from the site there and a farewell message to a manager retiring after 40 years of service – that’s the kind of things people want to read on their phone. As Dan Hawtrey says in this blog by Content Formula , “it can encourage more focused, shorter communications and often ones that may be more social in nature, reflecting how we use social media, often from our mobile device. This results in shorter and more engaging content, which is usually more impactful and saves everybody time.”

Using employee apps can be a big decision for any company – and a significant investment too. However, there can also be pitfalls that internal communication teams need to be aware of.

What are the options out there to choose from when it comes to an employee app? There’s an excellent blog we’d like to recommend for that too. Scott Gerber has written up a handy list of app names here.

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5 questions in an employee survey

Wed, 02 Jun 2021 17:58:00 GMT

The pandemic has highlighted the fantastic work that internal communication practitioners do. For example, aligning an organisation to the company’s goals, keeping employees motivated and most importantly, being a source for company news – and this is only the tip of the iceberg.

But how do internal communication practitioners find out how employees are feeling? Well, surveys are an essential tool to find out. But what should you ask your employees? Here we present a list of few question areas that the experts recommend.

A> Where do you get the news?

How are employees getting news about the company? Are they reading company channels? Or are they asking each other about it? “One of the primary goals of the internal communications survey will be to find out what your current communications channels are,” an informative blog from Survey Sparrow says. Channels are important. As internal comms professionals, it is our job to find out what channels employees are engaging with. “Despite the criticism about focusing too much on channels, with a plethora of traditional and social media channels now used inside organisations, it is still important to know which channels employees find most helpful,” says Kevin Ruck, Co-founder of PR Academy, in this excellent blog.

B> How good is the information you are receiving?

It is crucial to find out a bit more about how employees rate the information they receive. A blog post by SoGo Survey says , “Among other elements, you might ask employees to rate their satisfaction with the amount of information received, its frequency of delivery, the accuracy of content, and relevance of the material.

C> Do you think you know what the company’s goals are?

It may seem obvious enough – everyone in a company must know about its goals. Well, try taking a survey to find out that it’s often not so straightforward. A blog by Kate William on Survey Sparrow points out, “This question is a self-assessment, instead of a simple test of how much an employee knows. Rather, it tests how much employees feel like they know. This is a more important metric. What matters to us is that employees feel like they’re an important part of the company.”

D> Are your line managers communicating effectively?

Managers are crucial to a company’s success. “However, recent studies have shown that 85% of executives weren’t confident in their leadership pipelines and that 65% of employees would rather get a new boss than a pay raise,” according to this blog by Polly .

Interestingly, questions about managers are given a lot of importance by experts. Another blog here, by Ragan , suggests asking questions like: “1. Does your manager effectively deliver essential information? Does your manager explain how the organization’s plans affect you? Does your manager treat everyone on the team fairly?”

Asking questions like these can act as a safety valve to relieve and reveal the tensions that may be simmering between line managers and their teams.

E> Are you being heard?

Employees feel valued when they feel like the company is listening to what they have to say. Their levels of motivation are directly proportional to this. However, “Companies need to beware of simply paying lip service — employees become sceptical of organisations that say they are listening but fail to act or implement change based on insights. If, however, as a business leader or line manager, you take suggestions on board and put them into action, your employees will feel part of the change,” according to a blog by People Insight.

Of course, employee surveys come in all shapes and sizes. I hope these question areas will be of help when you are compiling your next one.

(By Rahul Joglekar)

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ESG and PR: a huge opportunity?

Tue, 01 Jun 2021 21:02:00 GMT

ESG stands for Environmental, Social and Governance issues. Many would argue this is the only story that matters – the story about how we are running successful corporations but also conserving our planet for future generations.

We are at an inflexion point, and if things don’t change – we will lose our home – planet Earth.

But what’s the opportunity for public relation specialists in communication ESG and telling the stories that matter – and those that hold company boards to account – internally and externally.

Three thoughts about ESG and PR for you:

An interesting blog by Stephen Waddington reveals that according to research published by Vuelio , 63% of PR professionals say that they can define ESG and its impact on their clients. He points out that communication planning in this area is critical. “Communication planning should not begin and end with intent but instead demonstrate a roadmap of action along with evidence of progress. It should also take a long-term view and truly consider an organisation’s role within the publics that it serves,” he says.

This blog by Agility PR points out that according to their research, “73 per cent of American consumers noted environmental concerns like natural resource conservation or a company’s carbon footprint/impact on climate change.” A study commissioned by KPMG states that 91% of students said they cared about working for an “ethical” company. Communicating the ESG priorities of a company internally and externally in a clear, consistent and effective way is a huge opportunity for PR professionals.

Public relations specialists respond to the big stories of our time and take the conversation forward. From BLM to MeToo. But there’s been no story like the pandemic ever before in living memory. Philip Tutt-Leppard from 360 integrated PR writes in a blog post, “Social inequalities between different groups – in terms of health, financial resilience, and life expectancy – have been brought into sharp relief. So has our interdependence, borne out of the simple phrase ‘no one is safe until we are all safe’”. A razor-sharp focus on ESG and the storytelling around issues that matter is only going to increase.

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Vaccine misinformation PR campaigns: a cause of concern

Tue, 01 Jun 2021 12:30:00 GMT

Famous bloggers in France and Germany are being offered money by UK based PR agencies with links to Russia to spread misinformation about vaccines, this according to the Guardian newspaper . The paper reported that Fazze, an influencer marketing platform, was reportedly approached by a firm that claims that it is based in London.

The same agency, also contacted French YouTubers to “explain … the death rate among the vaccinated with Pfizer is almost 3x higher than the vaccinated by AstraZeneca”.

Leo Grasset says an agency approached him with a ‘colossal budget’. He posted what he was expected to do on his Twitter feed here .

The instructions he says were, “act like you have the passion and interest in this topic”, and avoid using the words “advertising” or “sponsored” in posts or videos because “the material should be presented as your independent view”.

A German YouTuber, Mirko Drotschmann, also received a similar request. He posted that on his Twitter feed here .

The PRCA has weighed in. PRCA Director of Marketing & Communications Koray Camgöz MPRCA said, “The activities highlighted in this report are deeply concerning. They appear to suggest a front company was established by foreign actors to dissuade the public from taking the Pfizer vaccine. The company reported is not – and never was – a PRCA member.

“PR and communications professionals have a duty to fight mistruths, and we’re proud of the role PRCA members play in advocating the highest ethical standards.”

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Fintech PR: top tips

Tue, 01 Jun 2021 11:11:00 GMT

We’ve all heard the word fintech. What does it mean? According to one definition ,“Financial technology (Fintech) is used to describe new tech that seeks to improve and automate the delivery and use of financial services.” It enables users and customers to manage their financial operations better with the use of technology.

The digital economy is now penetrating every sphere of our lives. Fintech is going to ride that wave. According to one prediction , the industry will be worth $309.98 billion by 2022.

What’s that got to do with the PR industry? Well, a lot. It is up to Public Relations specialists to create an image of the company they want to ‘sell’ to the public. Here are some top tips from fintech PR gurus about doing that:

Three tips from fintech PR gurus:

Understand the market

Sanjay Dove is a senior account manager at Wildfire, and he says in this blog , “At the heart of any PR strategy — fintech or otherwise — is a strong understanding of the market you’re looking to reach. Without a clear understanding of what makes people within the market tick, what they’re driven by, what they like, what keeps them up at night, and what they think of you and your competitors, it’s impossible to put together a PR strategy will make an impact. That goes for fintech or any tech industry.”

Cut out the jargon, please

Have you heard fintech companies using words like digital disrupter, game changer and digital shift? Well, this blog by PRCA advises you to avoid using ‘woolly buzzwords’.

The blog says , “To succeed in such a busy sector, PRs need to clearly articulate how Fintech X is solving a particular problem better than anybody else. And they need to do this in plain, jargon-free English, backing up their assertions with clear market research, data and evidence wherever possible.”

What problem are you solving?

It is tempting for businesses in any space to talk about themselves: how their business is better than the competition. But good PR, especially in the fintech space, revolves around solving problems – what is the problem you are trying to solve?

In this blog , Gemma Dunn, from Missive, says, “Companies often want to communicate why their business is the best thing out there – leagues ahead of competitors or revolutionary in a new space. But jumping immediately to talking about your product can often cause journalists to switch off. First, take a step back and think about the problem that your business, product or initiative is solving, and then you can position yourself as the provider of the solution.”

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Report: 50 new PR firms launched during COVID

Tue, 01 Jun 2021 09:53:00 GMT

Launching a new business is never easy. There are pull and push factors behind why people give it a go. A new report highlights the launch of 50 new PR agencies since January 2020.

The PR market is a crowded place. The report says that the UK is home to more than 4500 PR agencies.

It isn’t easy for entrepreneurs who are taking the plunge – especially when it comes to raising capital as a new firm.

“The majority have funded their new businesses from savings or lifestyle changes. The payoff is acknowledged as the opportunity to make personal choices and align work with life,” the report says.

It also points to an interesting phenomenon that has occurred post pandemic. A video call is a great leveller. “Everyone looks the same when they turn up on video call.”

Another interesting but unsurprising aspect of the report is the dominance of London as the city of choice for most new agencies.

The report put together by Stephen Waddington of Wadds Inc, is a really well researched and compiled journey into the life and times of PR agencies circa 2021. A must read.

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Famous Pakistani journalist, Hamid Mir, off air after comments about the military

Mon, 31 May 2021 16:39:00 GMT

Hamid Mir, who works for Geo New in Pakistan is one of the country’s most well-known journalists. He called out the military last week on television.

Capital Talk, Mir’s show, will not feature him as the host from Monday. Sources have told Al Jazeera that the network was pressured to fire the journalist.

Just a few days ago, another journalist, Asad Ali Toor was attacked for making critical comments about the military and the government.

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said, “Forcing a popular news talk show host like Hamid Mir off the air after voicing criticism of Pakistan’s military—and support for a fellow journalist—only underscores the lack of true press freedom in Pakistan,” said Steven Butler, CPJ’s Asia program coordinator. “Critical comments about key state institutions are an important component of democracy, not a scourge to be eliminated.”

Al Jazeera reported that Mir said about the military there: “If you’re breaking into our homes to assault us, well, we cannot enter your homes as you have tanks and guns, but we can make things public, things from inside your homes,” Mir said at the protest, alluding to the military’s involvement.

In 2014, Mir was attacked and wounded with bullets for another one of his programmes on TV.

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Who’s telling the climate change stories?

Mon, 31 May 2021 15:29:00 GMT

The UK comes in second after Australia in the total number of articles published about climate change since 2004, the Media and Climate Change Observatory (MeCCO) reported.

MeCCO is led by researchers at the University of Colorado. They monitor press in 59 countries to ascertain reporting on climate change.

Of the 54 countries that the researchers studied for print media coverage, more than half increased the number of articles published on the topic in the last five years.

Argentina, South Africa and Brazil top the list of emerging nations that have seen an increase in the reportage around climate change over the past few years.

Max Boykoff, MeCCO lead investigator told the Press Gazette , “It’s not just whether climate change is explicitly in an article or not of course, but it’s how it is characterised and it is whether it’s treated with disdain or enthusiasm, which are just two among many emotional registers.”

Closer to home, how climate change is being reported is rapidly changing. Let’s take for example the announcement by Boris Johnson about the 10-point green recovery plan. “This is a volte-face of enormous proportions,” said James Painter (reported by Bloomberg ). He researches the media’s representation of climate change at the University of Oxford’s Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism . “Five years ago you would have had the right-leaning press absolutely slamming the prime minister’s announcement.”

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Now, read your favourite podcasts on Spotify

Mon, 31 May 2021 13:00:00 GMT

Spotify the podcasting giant is making some changes to how users consume podcasts. In the next few weeks, users will be able to read auto-generated podcast transcripts. The idea is still being trialled so it will only be available on Spotify Original and Exclusive content.

Users can also scroll through the content and navigate to the bit they want to listen to.\

A Spotify press release said , “This is just the first step for the podcast transcript experience: Our overall ambition is to enable transcripts across all podcasts on Spotify.”

This is a really important update for those who may be hearing impaired. The company believes it will open up podcasts to a wider audience.

Spotify says it reaches over 356 million people around the world and accessibility is an important issue for the website. “We’re continuously making accessibility improvements to the experience to help many of our users enjoy the songs and podcasts they love more easily.”

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Twitter Blue: paving the way for a subscription service?

Mon, 31 May 2021 11:23:00 GMT

Twitter Blue service has shown up on app stores. Could the social media giant be getting ready to launch a subscriptions service in the coming days?

App stores list the paid-for service, but none of its features are available as yet.

The app’s price is £2.49 in the UK and $2.99 in the US, according to the BBC . Some media reports claimed that the Twitter Blue service could allow users to undo their tweets, but there has been no confirmation of this from the company.

There are also no details available as yet, about the countries the service will launch in.

There have been news reports about a subscription service for a few years at Twitter to boost revenue.

Jane Manchun Wong works on revealing features of new apps on the internet. She claims to be the first subscriber of the new service and has published some of the latest information on her Twitter feed. (@wongmjane). She said that the service allows users to put in colourful themes and icons.

Twitter launched a ‘tip jar’ service enabling users to make small payments.

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Netflix’s Inaugural UK Documentary Talent Fund: who won a commission?

Mon, 31 May 2021 01:04:00 GMT

And the winner is…well, a total of 10 filmmakers who are part of Netflix’s fund for aspiring filmmakers. It’s all part of the Documentary Talent Fund launched by Netflix earlier. The filmmakers will each get a sum of £40,000 for a film that they will produce. The film cannot be longer than 8-12 minutes.

The brief consisted of one line: “Britain’s Not Boring And Here’s a Story.”

The panel of judges consisted of:

Akua Agyemfra (Cultural Strategist, bea.London / #Merky)

Jamal Edwards MBE (Entrepreneur, Founder & CEO of SB.TV)

Joanna Natasegara (Producer, Director & Founder of Academy Award®-winning production company, Violet Films)

Jonny Taylor (Original Documentaries Commissioning at Netflix)

Kate Townsend (Director of Original Documentaries at Netflix)

Kirsten Johnson (Award-winning Director, Cinematographer & Cameraperson)

Lindsey Dryden (Emmy®-winning Producer, Director & Founder of Little By Little Films) Shanida Scotland (Head of Film at Doc Society).

Topics revolve around some current topics like identity, self-belief, empowerment and disability.

The list of filmmakers and the films they are working on was released by Netflix:

Kate Townsend, Director, Original Documentaries at Netflix, commented: “We’re delighted to be announcing the recipients of our first ever Documentary Talent Fund. We were so impressed with the richness of applications received and the originality demonstrated across the board, and want to extend our congratulations to this year’s deserved winning teams. It’s such an exciting glimpse into the future talent of UK documentarians and we look forward to collaborating together to empower each team to fulfil the potential of documentary filmmaking.”

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Fate of Belarusian journalist Roman Protasevich

Mon, 31 May 2021 00:49:00 GMT

Belarusian journalist Roman Protasevich has made headlines across the world for the dramatic manner in which he was detained by authorities there.

His mother has now appealed to the international community for help.

She said, ” (I appeal to the) whole world and all governments” to “hear the scream of my heart, see the tears of the mother, and help him”.

Earlier, the G7 issued a statement . We, the G7 Foreign Ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States of America and the High Representative of the European Union condemn in the strongest terms the unprecedented action by the Belarusian authorities in arresting independent journalist, Raman Pratasevich and his companion, Sofia Sopega, after forcing flight FR4978 on which they were travelling to land in Minsk on 23 May.”

Reporters without Borders (RSF) has held a protest last week against the way journalists are treated in Belarus.

Belarus had last week, forced a Ryanair plane flying from Athens to Vilnius to land in Belarus. Roman and his girlfriend were on board the aircraft. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has told media that Roman was planning a rebellion. He also attacked the west for a “hybrid war” against his country.

RSF Secretary General Christophe Deloire said Behind this fence is Belarus, the country with a government that is locking up a generation of journalists who are little more than 20 years old,” Deloire said. “Journalists are not terrorists, although Alexander Lukashenko has used this term to refer to Raman Pratasevich. On the contrary, the terrorist is the person who puts journalists in prison and uses his crimes of violence to intimidate the public. And this is exactly what Alexander Lukashenko does.”

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Can AI solve the problem of defamation?

Mon, 31 May 2021 00:21:00 GMT

Defamation and hate speech are the big banes of our times. Don’t you just wish that someone, anyone, could work on technology that could help newsrooms cope with it better?

Well, CaliberAI is that company. Neil Brady, the founder of CaliberAI, is a former journalist who worked with the Guardian and Storyful. His father, also a journalist, served as the editor of the Irish Times.

The idea is simple enough. Software that automates defamation and helps editors and readers.

“I said to him, ‘Do you think an editor, a journalist, would use that if we could build that kind of tool?’” Neil Brady recalls (as reported by Wired magazine). “And he said, ‘I’ve no bloody doubt they would.’ And that’s when we said, OK, let’s do it.”

It’s got off to a good start. The start-up has received funding of €300,000 pre-seed funding from Enterprise Ireland.

“Our main product right now is a browser extension,” Brady explained . “It’s a bit like a cross between the spellcheck function of a word processor and the notification functions of Grammarly or Textio. It warns a user when something with a high risk of being defamatory or hateful has been typed, prompting she or he to think before publishing.”

The main target market for the company is newspapers, radio and other media outlets.

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UK’s most read newspaper is…

Fri, 28 May 2021 18:04:00 GMT

The Mirror newspaper recently broke the story about their own readership. The paper reported that 32 million adults across the UK read the mirror across all digital platforms. This was according to Comscore , an industry body.

The newspaper competes very closely with The Sun newspaper. Editor-in-Chief Lloyd Embley said in this report , “It’s been a challenging year across the board but these results show just how hard the Mirror teams have worked every day for their readers, delivering everything from political scoops to breaking sports and entertainment.

Interestingly, The Sun newspaper, a few months ago, had said that they are the most read newspaper in the UK with 36.5 million readers (according to industry body PAMCo ).

The newspaper report goes on to say, “During the Covid-19 pandemic, we have spoken up for our readers, holding the Government to account on failures while celebrating our NHS heroes and urging greater freedoms for Sun families to see each other and enjoy a pint at the pub.”

Just last year, it was the Daily Mail, celebrating its success – as, wait for it, the most read British newspaper.

Geordie Grieg, The Mail ’s editor was quoted by the Independent newspaper . He said, “humbled that our readers have backed us so magnificently and loyally by buying the paper to make us Britain’s bestselling paper.”

Last year was a bad year for most newspapers that rely on readers that buy copies at newsstands. The Guardian newspaper reported that both the FT and the i newspaper had reported a loss of more than 35 per cent in circulation because of the pandemic.

On the brighter side though, many English newspapers both in the UK and the US made huge gains in digital subscribers during the same period. The Press Gazette reported that newspaper added more than 100,000 new digital subscribers during the pandemic.

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GB news launch date confirmed

Thu, 27 May 2021 16:19:00 GMT

A new TV news channel will appear on the airwaves on 13 June at 8pm BST. It’s called GB news.

The channel has a line-up of well-known faces from the news industry and is headed by Andrew Neil formerly the BBC’s top political presenter. According to media reports, he will also front the evening news coverage on the channel.

Other big names who have joined the channel include – Simon McCoy, formerly with the BBC, Alastair Stewart who has worked for many years at ITV and former journalist from the Sun Dan Wootton.

The first show on the channel will be called Welcome to GB News . The GB news website said, “We’ll share what’s really happening, bringing all of the nation together, all in one place – uniting, not dividing.”

According to the BBC, the morning show is to be called The Great British Breakfast. It will be presented by former Sky Sports presenter Kirsty Gallacher, Darren McCaffrey and Rosie Wright.

Simon McCoy will host the afternoon show. Another show is called Alastair Stewart And Friends. Andrew Doyle will host a programme called Free Speech Nation, described as “a fearless filleting of the country’s thorniest debates”.

GB News is backed by the Discovery group, among other investors. Discovery CEO David Zaslav said last week that, alongside CNN, GB News will be an important part of the merged Discovery and WarnerMedia outfit. “We love CNN. If you go to Europe we’re entertainment, non-fiction, the leader in sports and we’ve been on attack with news. We’ve just made a very big investment in the UK [in GB News], in terms of direction for us, and our plan was to roll across Europe, because we believe one of the differentiators is live, news, live sports,” he said.

According to media reports , the channel will be a right of centre station. The GB news website, however, said, “We’ll talk about the stories you want to talk about and ask the questions you want answered, because your agenda is our agenda.”

Tune in to Freeview channel 236 to watch GB News. It will also be available on other platforms like Sky, Virgin media etc.

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Curry restaurant business reels under pressures of the pandemic

Sun, 25 Apr 2021 23:51:00 GMT

Curry is often thought of as a British dish. The chicken tikka masala was born here in the UK. Restaurants that serve Indian food are extremely popular and are a common fixture on the high streets in this country.

But Covid-19, is wreaking havoc and will see some top restaurants close due to the pandemic. Others are suffering huge losses.

Let’s take for example, the Taj Mahal in the market town of Bridport. “The bills still need to be paid and there are so many overheads,” Sarah Ali Choudhury, told the Financial Times newspaper. “We are not sure that we can recover from the past four months. We can only hope that summer season will bring more people,” she added.

Many restaurants are still doing takeaways, but that isn’t enough for many to stay afloat. Aston University in Birmingham said in a report that pp to 30 percent of UK Indian restaurants may struggle to reopen after COVID-19 – putting thousands of venues and tens of thousands of jobs at risk.According to their findings:

Shahab Uddin, who owns Streetly Balti in the West Midlands, said he reckoned as many as 30% of big venues could fall victim to the pandemic if they are no longer able to pack their diners in.

The impact “could actually be worse” according to Professor Monder Ram, Director of the Centre for Research in Ethnic Minority Entrepreneurship at Aston Business School, unless venues invested and raised prices to realistic levels.

The estimates mean up to 2,500 out of around 8,500 Indian restaurants might never reopen, potentially leading to 30,000-plus job losses.

Yet it is interesting so many UK restaurants stepped up to the plate during the pandemic to provide free food to the NHS and other charities.

According to curry industry representatives, British curry houses gave away about five million free meals during the pandemic.

The Mirror newspaper reported that a survey of restaurants by the British Bangladeshi Caterers Association (they also organise the British Curry Awards), found that food worth £45 million had been handed out to the needy, key workers and NHS staff since the first lockdown in March.

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UK sends life-saving medical equipment to India to help fight Covid-19

Sun, 25 Apr 2021 23:33:00 GMT

More than 600 pieces of vital medical equipment will be sent to India to support the country in its fight against Covid-19, the UK Government has announced.

The assistance package, funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, includes ventilators and oxygen concentrators from surplus stocks. It will be used by the Government of India to provide vital medical treatment to those suffering from Covid-19 in India.

The Department of Health and Social Care have worked closely with the NHS, as well as suppliers and manufacturers in the UK to identify reserve life-saving equipment that can be sent to India.

India has this week reported its highest numbers of new daily cases and deaths since the pandemic began and is facing severe shortages of oxygen.

Following discussions with the Government of India, the first shipment of equipment will leave the UK today, arriving in New Delhi in the early hours of Tuesday morning. Further shipments are due to follow later this week.

In total, nine airline container loads of supplies, including 495 oxygen concentrators, 120 non-invasive ventilators and 20 manual ventilators, will be sent to the country this week. This equipment will be crucial in helping to save the lives of the most vulnerable in India. The oxygen concentrators, for example, can extract oxygen from the air in the atmosphere so that it can be provided to patients, taking the strain off hospital oxygen systems and allowing oxygen to be provided in situations where hospital oxygen supplies have run out.

The UK is working closely with the Government of India to identify further assistance it can provide in the coming days.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “We stand side by side with India as a friend and partner during what is a deeply concerning time in the fight against Covid-19.

“Vital medical equipment, including hundreds of oxygen concentrators and ventilators, is now on its way from the UK to India to support efforts to prevent the tragic loss of life from this terrible virus.

“We will continue to work closely with the Indian government during this difficult time and I’m determined to make sure that the UK does everything it can to support the international community in the global fight against the pandemic.”

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said: “We are supporting our Indian friends with vital medical equipment at a difficult time for them in this pandemic.

“We have all got to work together to tackle Covid-19. India is a very important partner to us, so we’re providing oxygen concentrators and ventilators to help save the lives of the most vulnerable. We will be following up on this first delivery with further support, based on our ongoing discussions with the Indian Government.”

Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock has said: “The heart-breaking scenes in India show once again how awful this terrible disease is. We are determined to support the people of India through this very difficult time, and I am hugely grateful to those who have worked hard to make this initial delivery happen.

“This first delivery of life saving equipment will provide much needed assistance and we stand ready to do more. The global pandemic has challenged health systems all across the world and the best way to overcome adversity is to unite and defeat this dreadful disease together.”

This is the just the latest example of UK-India collaboration throughout this pandemic, to the benefit of both countries and the world.

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A grieving Indian community in London, looks for solace, turns to god

Sun, 25 Apr 2021 23:18:00 GMT

It’s a bright spring day outside the International Siddhashram Shakti centre in Harrow, London. But inside the prayer room, there is darkness. As devotees come one by one to a Covid-safe worship centre to mark the Hindu festival of Hanuman Jayanthi, there is a sense of gloom, not usually seen at Asian events in the UK.

Dilip Chaubal wears a forlorn expression. His empty eyes, seen above his mask, tell of the grief he has had to endure. “In September 2020, I lost my niece to Covid. Six months later, in April, I lost my nephew. He passed away in Ahmedabad due to a lack of oxygen. My sister-in-law, who lived in Surat in Gujarat, also passed away because of Covid,” Dilip explains. He has also lost a cousin to old age, but because of travel restrictions, he could not visit India to say his goodbyes.

As the second wave ravages India, the diaspora community in London is shocked at what’s going on. A lockdown in the UK has prevented in-person gatherings like these for over three months. But instead of the joy of meeting one another once again, there is an overwhelming sense of loss.

On Sunday alone, 349,691 more cases of the virus were reported in India, and 2,767 lives were lost. India was put on the red list of countries , restricting travel between India and the UK, last week.

Inside the main hall, leading the prayers and chanting the Hanuman Chalisa (Hindu prayer) is His Holiness Shri RajRajeshwar Guruji.

“We’re knocking on the doors of Lord Hanuman (an Indian deity). We’re saying, ‘Please Lord Hanuman, please look after our community, the universe, and (give us) world peace and harmony”, His Holiness explains before beginning the 8-hour ceremony beamed live on religious Indian TV channels.

The prayer room fills up with sounds of chanting, traditional Indian musical instruments and hymns. Lord Hanuman is known for his devotion, resilience and strength.

Muna Chauhan has travelled from the city of Coventry, a journey of around 180 kilometres. “Just by somebody reciting some of our baath or some of our Chalisa , in whatever way or however they feel that they can, I think it makes somebody feel just that little bit better,” she says.

Another devotee, Bhakti Nagavekar, lost her mother in India during the pandemic. She couldn’t be there to mourn her loss. For her, coming to today’s event was a cathartic experience. “I cannot go back to India during this time, so I am trying to do something to make her feel like she is at peace,” she explained.

The British government is now stepping in to offer assistance to India. “We stand side by side with India as a friend and partner during what is a deeply concerning time in the fight against Covid-19” Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced. “Vital medical equipment, including hundreds of oxygen concentrators and ventilators, are now on their way from the UK to India to support efforts to prevent the tragic loss of life from this terrible virus.”

The British government is sending more than 600 pieces of life-saving equipment to India to support its fight against Covid-19.

Back in Harrow, as the British and Indian flags flutter in the wind, many community members felt a sense of calm after visiting the centre. In hushed tones and socially distanced gestures, they bid each other the very best as one batch left so that the next group of devotees could enter the prayer room.

Hanuman Jayant i marks the birth of the god – revered by many Hindus in India and across the world. The Hanuman Chalisa is a collection of devotional hymns sung at religious gatherings in honour of Lord Hanuman.

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“I was on the last flight from Mumbai to London”

Fri, 23 Apr 2021 01:13:00 GMT

It was a race against time for so many travellers attempting to come to the UK from India over the past three days. As India went on to the red list many passengers went into a state of panic.

For Anuj Phatate this was a disaster. He was planning to come to London to be with his wife in the first week of May. “Suddenly the UK announced that India will be in the red list. Once it is in the red list, it would’ve been very difficult for me to travel to the UK. I packed my bag and my son’s bag also.”

Anuj says, “It was the last flight going to London. I paid 1.4 lakhs per ticket (that’s approximately 1400 pounds). That was a huge amount. I wouldn’t even have thought putting that sort of money up for a ticket. But I had to.”

Anuj isn’t alone. Thousands more rushed from Indian cities to the UK as soon as the British government said that India will be on the list of red listed countries.

As the second wave hit India, 314,835 new coronavirus cases emerged from the country today and deaths rose to a sobering figure of 2,104.

Many cities are reporting the lack of oxygen, beds and vaccines.

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India now on ‘Red List’ in the UK

Mon, 19 Apr 2021 23:09:00 GMT

Just a few hours after British Prime Minister Boris Johnson cancelled his trip to India, the country went on to the so-called “red list” of nations.

The British health secretary, Matt Hancock, confirmed that the government would designate India as a red-listed country at 4 am on April 23. India will join 39 other countries. UK citizens who arrive from India will have to quarantine in a hotel for ten days compulsorily.

Non-UK citizens will not be allowed entry into the country. Matt Hancock stressed that the “biggest risk” to the vaccination programme in the UK was the threat of variants. India has reported a mutant strain of the virus, locally dubbed at the “double mutant” strain in India or the B.1.617 mutant.

Experts have predicted that India would be critical to the UK’s ‘Global Britain’ post-Brexit.

The Prime Minister was going to visit India to discuss strengthening trade ties. The visit was first planned for Jan 26, India’s Republic Day but was cancelled because of the second wave of covid infections in the UK. Now, it has been cancelled again.

India is reporting a deadly second wave. 273,000 new infections were reported from across the country, and 1619 deaths took place in just one day. After a relative easing of restrictions, many cities are beginning to clamp down and declare lockdowns.

Labour’s shadow health secretary, Jon Ashworth said in parliament, “Surely we now need to start surge testing and designate the B.1.617 as a variant of concern.”

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Dream building: architecture for undergraduates at the UK’s best universities

Sat, 13 Mar 2021 03:39:00 GMT

Studying architecture in the UK can open doors for you. Architects give shape and design to creative dreams. They make technical drawings that bring an architect’s vision into what a building could look like. They may also restore old buildings – and in the UK you will find many! Or they may be part of a team of architects that renovate a heritage structure to its former glory.

Architects lead exciting lives. They build homes, offices or commercial buildings. You could be employed in a large firm or run your firm. Whatever you do, you will never be too far away from feeling like you are making art and history—building something that others can occupy and call their own.

But what are the best courses to choose from to study architecture in the UK?

Cambridge University

Whatever platform you may look at, Cambridge University does come up as one of the best and most respected options if you wanted to pursue a career in architecture. The Department of Architecture at Cambridge says that students on the programme study under world-renowned professionals and practitioners’ tutelage. The course aims to give students a well-rounded insight into the subject. It deals with the history and philosophy of architecture, culture and urbanism, structural design, and environment design.

For more, click here .

Fees

Home £9,250

Foreign students £29,082

University of Bath

Bath is situated in the picturesque county of Somerset, England. The name quite literally takes from the presence of historic Roman-built baths here. What a wonderful place to study architecture. This architecture course combines academic study with real-life working experience. This course, the website says, “gives you the practical and creative skills you need to explore, analyse and communicate architectural proposals.” Your studies will combine projects that you will as part of your curriculum and work in design studios. You will also study – history, theory and of course, the science of architecture too. The studio is the focus of your study. We want you to grow your skills there and realise your potential.

To know more, click here .

Fees

Home £9,250

International £23,400

University of Strathclyde , Glasgow

Another dramatic setting to study architecture in the UK – welcome to the Scottish capital – Glasgow. You’ll find this university in the heart of Glasgow’s city centre, and you can enrol in a four-year BSc Honours degree in Architectural Studies. Once you’ve done this degree – a host of choices are open to you: you can move towards a career as a professional architect, a career in the creative industries or towards research. Remember, no one can use an architect’s job title unless they register with the Architects Registration Board (ARB) . This university programme is accreditated by the ARB and the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) .

To learn more, click here .

Fees

Home £9,250

International £18,950

The Welsh School of Architecture

From the north and south, we now head to Wales – to Cardiff. If you are looking for a university with a long history, you’ve come to the right place. Cardiff University was founded in 1883. It prides itself as one of Britain’s leading research universities. Many rankings list the Welsh School of Architecture as one of the best places to study architecture in the UK. They want to give their students the tools to make contextually sensitive, sustainable, and beautiful design. The course teaches students a range of skills: creative design, building construction, environmental design, issues of sustainability etc.

Fees

Home Awaiting confirmation £9,000 (previous year)

International: Awaiting confirmation

University of Sheffield

Sheffield is a city in the English county of South Yorkshire. If you go down to the city centre – that’s where your education can start. The Millennium Gallery is home to metalwork and art from Sheffield and around the world. The undergraduate degrees at this university provide a mix of theory, design and professional experience. You’ll learn leadership, communication and thinking about what responsibilities does an architect have. Like all the others on this list, the BA programmes are accredited by the Architects Registration Board (ARB) and the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA).

To know more, click here .

Fees

Home £9,000

International: unknown

University College London

As the name suggests, this university is based in London – home to some of the most exquisite urban architecture. The BSc degrees offer a wide range of experiences. The university wants students to develop an independent, creative, experimental and rigorous approach to design. Expect to spend considerable time in both the studio and the workshop. The design portfolio is pretty crucial for students as 70 per cent of the programme is assessed—leading practitioners design teaching and in groups too to ensure that students receive individual attention.

To know more, click here .

Fees

Home £9,250

International: £28,500

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26 March to 4 April 2021: Cambridge Festival

Sat, 13 Mar 2021 01:46:00 GMT

The new Cambridge Festival will take place from 26 March to 4 April 2021 , with more than 350 free online events and activities for everyone.

What’s this new Festival?

It is new, it is interdisciplinary and it is replacing the Cambridge Science festival. Given it is a COVID year – it may not surprise anyone – that it will be held online. There will be all sorts of events: panel discussions, film will be premiered, walks and tours will be held and…please, try this at home activities will be explored.

The University’s Public Engagement team brings the Cambridge Festival to you. To find out about their other events such as Open Cambridge, and their training and development programme for researchers, please visit cam.ac.uk/public-engagement

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16 March, 2pm: Asthma inhalers and COVID-19 hospitalisations: The STOIC Study

Sat, 13 Mar 2021 01:33:00 GMT

Mona Bafadhel is Associate Professor of Respiratory Medicine at the University of Oxford and a Consultant Respiratory Physician. Her work deals with cures and management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) – defined as a condition that makes it harder for patients to breathe (because of inflamed airways).

She is looking at the connection between COPD and the use of inhaled steroids (these are usually prescribed for asthma).

To submit a question please use the YouTube live chat or email OBRCenquiries@ouh.nhs.uk to send a question in advance.

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Open for application: The UK Graduate Route visa 2021

Thu, 11 Mar 2021 23:27:00 GMT

It has been a year like no other for many foreign students in the UK. Lockdowns have caused a lot of disruptions for UK graduates. Classes have been cancelled, many have had to return home and others have suffered from a lot of anxiety due to the uncertain circumstances. But now, there could be light at the end of tunnel – in the form of the Graduate Route Visa 2021.

The much anticipated graduate visa is now open for applications from 01 July 2021.

The key thing about this visa is: if you want to stay on in the UK after your studies legally, you can do that now. This visa is a 2-year scheme, announced by the UK government to welcome foreign students to the UK so they can stay on after completing their bachelors, master’s or Phd degrees.

If you have completed your PhD, the visa gives you the chance to stay on in the country, for three years. You should have of course, completed the course you enrolled for and have studied at a recognised institution.

But remember you need to be in the UK to be able to apply for this visa. You cannot make the application from abroad. Also, you will have to pay a fee for the visa and a surcharge for the use of the National Health Service (NHS).

The fees you can expect to pay for these are: Fee amounts to £700 and the Immigration Health Surcharge at the full rate of £624 per year.

If you are enrolled on a course and you have gone back to your home country and attend your classes online, all is not lost. The UK government has said that you can make an application for the visa, as long as you are back in the country before June 21.

In case you started your course in January 2021, you can come back to the UK by 27 September 2021 to make your application.

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Order Order: Best UK universities to study law for undergraduates

Wed, 10 Mar 2021 23:58:00 GMT

Studying law is first step to embarking on a career that may lead to you becoming a barrister, solicitor or judge. A degree in law also teaches you to assimilate and analyse a lot of complex information, construct coherent arguments and write with razor-sharp precision. It impels you to think on your feet.

Selecting what degree is the best one can be a difficult choice. At Foreignstudentlife.com we want to make your choices somewhat easier.

Here are the top 05 options to study law in the UK at the undergraduate level.

1. University of Oxford
University of Oxford says that the law degree makes you “think for yourself”. You will need to read a lot and your horizons will be broadened to think about the history of law, the context and how things can be different. There two distinct courses of law at Oxford. Course I lasts for three years and Course II is essentially the same syllabus but the third year is spent at a university abroad (countries like France, Germany, Spain etc). You will get a chance to study the law in these countries and broaden your horizons. “Studying Law at Oxford is a unique experience. I feel I have learnt as much about politics, philosophy and sociology as I have about the law!,” Tasmin told the University admission page. You can read more here.
Fees:
Home £9,250
Overseas (including EU) £28,370

2. Cambridge University
The degree at Cambridge is called the BA (Hons) degree. In other colleges/ universities it may be called LLB. While the focus of the degree in English law, you will study other legal systems as well. Many international students will be glad to know that you can also study
Roman law, EU law, international law and so one. There are plenty of opportunities to study theoretical and sociological aspects of law as well – these include jurisprudence or parts of criminology. You can read more here.
Fees
Home £9,250
Overseas £22,227

3. University College London
This degree lasts for three years. It combines theory and research with opportunities to apply your knowledge on a practical level. Students can, if they choose, extend their studies by a year and spend a term or more studying abroad. They can choose from a few countries like the US, Australia, Hong Kong or Singapore. Learn more here.
Fees
Home £9,250
Overseas £22,080

4. Edinburgh Law School, The University of Edinburgh
This school like Oxford and Cambridge has a long and illustrious history. It was set up in 1707 in Scotland’s capital. If you want to be a lawyer in Scotland, this is the place to come to. This degree will provide you with an ideal foundation for further professional study too. Interestingly, the website says that many of the students who study here don’t go on to practice law. They take up other careers like politics, policy making and government service.
Fees
Home £9,250
Overseas £22,000

5. London School of Economics
The LSE is one of the world’s best-known British universities. Foreign student life at LSE is very exciting because given where it is located, the university attracts a huge number of foreign students. Having your campus in London is a blessing in more ways than one. The campus is really close to Royal Courts of Justice and the Lincoln’s Inn, which is one of the four Inns of Court of which all barristers must be members. That’s not all. Some of the city’s biggest law firms are also close by.
Fees
Home students £9,250
Overseas £22,430

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UK’s most affordable MBA programmes revealed

Sat, 27 Feb 2021 23:36:00 GMT

Studying an MBA in the UK can is a big decision. This is mainly because of the costs associated with studying here. But there are universities that have very competitive pricing when it comes to MBA programmes. Foreign Student Life profiles 10 such MBA programmes with a few details that you should consider. Of course, it is important to remember that these are only tuition fees. You have other costs to think about too.

The University of the Highlands and Islands is focussed on further and higher education. The university is a tertiary institution, the only one of its kind in Scotland. The MBA programmes offered here are designed to provide leadership and management skills across the following fields: Aviation, Environment, Executive and Resilience. The university says on its website that the programme has been developed after seeking views from the industry.

Cost: £9,720 (UK students)

Online: £6,000

For more click here .

This university is based in in the South West county of Gloucestershire in the UK. It is spread over three campuses. Two of the campuses are located in Cheltenham and one in Gloucester. The MBA (Master’s Stage Award) course is unique because you can top up your existing qualification. You can do this through six months of full-time study or 12 months part-time study.

Cost: £9,850 (UK students)

International: £14,800

The Business school is part of UWTSD that was formed in 2010 when two great institutions merged – University of Wales Lampeter and Trinity University College Carmarthen, under Lampeter’s Royal Charter of 1828. The Business Campus is beautiful new campus building and houses the Institute of Management and Health .

Cost: £7,500 (UK students)

International: £13,340

4. The university of Bolton is located near the northern English city of Manchester. The MBA programme is designed to develop your strategic thinking skills. The MBA programme tackles areas such as management and leadership practices, development of creative methods to solve business problems and improving business practices.

Cost: £8,500 (UK students)

International: £13,950

Teesside university is located in Middlesborough, a town on the shores of River Tees, in England. The MBA programme focusses on developing strategic leadership skills and recognises the demand for reflective, responsible and entrepreneurial business leaders.

Cost: £6,675 a year (UK students)

International: £8,500 a year

As you may have guessed, this university if based in London. This course stresses that feedback they’ve received from the industry in the design of the programme. The course promises to prepare graduates for a leadership role or create their own businesses. The course also focusses on developing soft skills needed by managers.

Cost: £9,300 per year (UK students)

International: £13,750

It is of course really important for you to remember that tuition fees shouldn’t be your only factor while selecting a university. You should also focus on living expenses, the rank of institution, what alumni are saying about the university and what the job prospects of that particular programme are.

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SEVEN reasons why you should study in the UK

Fri, 14 Feb 2020 09:54:34 GMT

This is a subtitle for your new post

SEVEN reasons why you should study in the UK

Over the past few weeks, it has been fun and exciting lecturing media students in India. Raring to change the world, media students are always so much fun to interact with. I go there to teach but instead come back having learnt a thing or two myself. It also helps me connect with the current India – a serious insight into how younger men and women think, behave and view the world in the world’s largest democracy.

Most ask me one question: “Should I study in the UK?”

YES. Is my resounding answer. I mean, if you had a year to spare, wanted some serious learning and wanted an amazing academic experience – why wouldn’t you study in the UK? I’ve put down a few points here, that even I didn’t know about when I first embarked on what’s been a fantastic journey. I now live and work in the UK and I don’t give this advice lightly.

The main reasons are these:

1. Media capital: The United Kingdom is home to some of the most creative media geniuses that have dominated our world view. As a small island nation – the power the UK has projected across the world, has so much to do with its media. Be it the BBC, the Beatles or Harry Porter – the influence of the UK globally has a lot to with its media that seeps into popular culture in other parts of the world. Studying in a country with a media that has resonance in so many different parts of the world is a rare treat. (Perhaps rivalled only by the US, but read on…)

2. Degrees are cheaper and shorter: I have included this point immediately after the first one because often people compare the US to the UK. It’s no doubt that the US is also a fantastic place to live, work and study – I briefly lived in Boston while working for the BBC and love the US. But it is no secret that degrees in the UK are cheaper and shorter – a master’s degree in the UK will cost you roughly half of what a degree in the US would cost you. And you are done with a master’s degree in ONE year.

3. Education system is fantastic: When I first went to the UK, the best part about the academic experience in media studies was – learning by doing. No rote learning, no boring books to memorise and no teachers shouting at you to do your work on time. You learnt by doing – a practice-based learning experience. (I was amazed when I became the only student who got a distinction in a class of 30+ students!)

4. Visa changes: The re-introduction of the ‘Graduate Visa’ route makes life easier for those who’d like to settle in the UK after their degree. Maybe you don’t want to do that and maybe you want to live and work in India – the option exists and is a really good time to think of that because you can’t predict when and how visa rules may change in the UK.

5. Closer to India: People laugh at me sometimes, but it is true that the UK is so much closer to India then north America. An 8-hour flight and boom you can be in India or vice-versa. Not the same if you are in the US!

6. English: I once spoke to a rather troubled young man who decided to study a master’s degree in an Eastern European country. He said the teachers were great, some speak a bit of English too – but he told me, with disappointment in his voice, that he won’t get a job there or even an internship because he doesn’t speak the language.

7. Truly international experience: Another really big reason is the truly international nature of the student experience in the UK. I have a WhatsApp group of classmates who now work in media industry from Lebanon to Russia to the US – we all keep in touch, share our experiences and often help each other out as well as a network with one another. So it isn’t just about an international student experience, but the UK offers you a lifelong list of contacts in several countries – because many of your classmates will end up going back to their home countries.

There so many reasons why a student would choose to study in the UK. These are just some of them. If you have any questions or queries, please email me on rj@melantra.co.uk

Authored by: Rahul Joglekar, Founder and Director of Melantra Academy London, a media training hub for taking your media career to the next level.