I announced a few weeks ago that Saddleworth News was going to become part of the Digital Journalism course at University Campus Oldham, part of the University of Huddersfield. Well, it’s now time for the handover to take place.
Articles by the students will begin to appear here in the coming days and weeks. I hope you’ll show them the same courtesy and encouragement that you’ve shown me!
The e-mail address to send stories, letters, tips and anything else to remains [email protected]
There may well be a brief break while the students settle in, so please do show them patience if you find that comments aren’t being moderated or e-mails aren’t being replied to in the normal way for a time. But I know the students are keen to hear any story ideas that Saddleworth News readers may have, so feel free to get in touch if there’s anything you’d like them to look into!
This is the 2,110th and last article that I’ve posted here since Saddleworth News began in February 2010. I’ve enjoyed writing every one, and they will all remain here as an archive. I’m getting back into work as a journalist and lecturer, but I’ll still be living in Saddleworth. I can be contacted at my personal e-mail address [email protected] or via my new blog about journalism: www.richardjonesjournalist.wordpress.com
Thanks for reading the site, and I hope you’ll all continue to do so.
Richard
Richard,
I am sure I’m not the only person who would like to say “thank you”.
This site has been very entertaining and informative for me since I discovered it about a year ago.
You have evidently worked very hard to make it a success and it’s a shame for the readers that you have other things you would now like to do instead.
Best wishes to you for the future and good luck to the students who are taking over.
Loved reading your site almost every day since moving to Saddleworth last October. Best of luck in your future and thankyou!
Oh dear! Hope it will continue to be as entertaining and wideranging in its coverage of Saddleworth News
Best of luck for the future Richard, loved reading your site and having the chance to make comments
Bon voyage Richard - the best of luck for the future. I’ll be reading your new blog with interest! Well done to on generating such an interesting site and a very loyal readership.
To the students - these are big boots to fill but I’m pretty sure you’re all very capable of dealing with it. Enjoy yourselves too.
Cheers
Chris
Sadd News! Well done Richard for creating a diverting, original and informative site. Well-written and professional - a hard act for the students to follow I reckon. Good luck and thanks!
All the very best Richard with your new work. I have enjoyed your service you have given us with the Saddleworth News. Looking forwarded to reading events from the University.
Thanks for the website Richard. Wishing you all the best for the future.
Richard, Saddleworth News has become a daily “must read” over the last couple of years and your skill at finding news and writing about it in such an interesting manner are testament to your journalistic skills. We, at SaddleworthOnline.co.uk, will be happy to help the new editors in any way we can.
All the best Richard. I wish you luck in your new adventures. You have done a great job at providing balanced articles-I hope this continues! I am sure you will do well in a new media position.
To the old editor - I only came here quite recently, but congratulate you on your successful penetration into the local political, and social scenes - a very hard act to follow. Very best wishes for your future.
To the new editor - a very hard act to follow - but without trying to be negative, you need to try harder.
Only one item this week - 15th October. We’re accustomed to daily input, and without it, your hit rate will decline.
I am a natural supporter and hope you can continue the established success.
I agree with Neil.
I suspect it’s difficult to be firing on all cylinders straight away, but I am already finding myself checking this site less frequently than I used to.
I don’t think there’s an immediate need for anything too serious; perhaps just run a few stories on local events and businesses - something that stops people from being disappointed when they load up the site and see nothing has changed.
You could even run a story to introduce yourselves; I’m sure the majority of readers would be quite keen to find out more about the people now running this site.
So sad to see this once great site reduced to - well nothing really! If the this is an example of what’s to come they might as well shut it down right now. No news is not good news. If this is what University Campus Oldham thinks a is a good deal then it reflects badly on that organisation. I’ll give it a week or so but if it doesn’t improve then goodbye.
Hi everyone, it’s Richard the old editor here. Just thought I’d respond to the complaints made above.
I’m afraid it’s inevitable the site is going to be updated less often and in less depth than was the case when I wrote it. I was lucky in that I had a lot of experience as a journalist and a wide range of skills, as well as a little time on my hands as I looked after my young daughter, that I could put into creating Saddleworth News.
I think it’s simply unrealistic to expect anyone to replicate that, especially if it’s a student or students still learning those skills and with other commitments too. I agreed with the University that this site should be updated at least twice a week. Obviously that’s a lot less than the twice a day or more that I used to write on it, but as I’ve already explained, things have had to change. I think twice a week is fair, and hopefully the articles will become more about quality than quantity in the coming weeks.
As for Geoff’s suggestion of closing the site down, I did consider that, but I thought that would just be a selfish thing to do. I had a few possible offers aside from the one from UCO, a couple would have involved me continuing the site as before with a business directory bolted on, and another publication offered to pay small sums of money to re-use my articles, but either option would have meant me turning down paid work to keep this site going for a pittance. I thought that the link-up with an institution like UCO was the best way to ensure the site kept going in some form, and I still believe that.
There’s a limit to what I can do (students will be assessed on their work here so I can’t do it for them), but I hope all Saddleworth News readers will show a bit of patience and support, and judge the UCO students’ efforts on a few months rather than a few days.
I would not be too quick to blame the students for the lack of updates - after all they are only students and twittering is far more important. I blame the lecturers/teachers.
If the students are serious about news gathering and maintaining the site as a worthwhile project, then the people running the course should be providing students with professional advice on how to go about it. They should be setting deadlines, tasking individuals with researching content, organising interviews, developing relationships with local people who can provide leads, etc.
I know this is not the real world for students - but think of it this way: If a student is serious about working in the media, then what a great example to have for your CV - a real live interactive news site - that has been well respected (to date) and encourages local debate.
Students will have to show some real talent and aptitude if they want to succeed in getting on in their media careers in the future. Times are hard and they will only get harder. Good luck.
I don’t think we should really be blaming anyone. It’s a shame that Saddleworth News isn’t the same as when Richard was in charge, but he’s explained the situation and it’s wholly understandable that he handed it over to someone else.
I am sure that UCO could do more, but they don’t have to. If we continue to use this site to criticise UCO, they will probably question whether it is worth them running it at all.
I agree that it will probably benefit students to have this on their CV; but there are a few things to consider:
1. How many of these students live in or have a substantial knowledge of Saddleworth? I’m sure anyone could get to know the place if they try, but it will require a lot of effort if they have previously had very limited involvement in the area.
2. Richard was able to make this site a success by calling in with local politicians and business owners, to conduct interviews; or just simply driving to the scene of a current event to take photographs and tell us what he sees. Most students will not be able to drive and will have to give up most of their daytime to being at college.
3. As a team project, there is less incentive for an individual to make this a success, when their name is not attributed to an article.
There are ways around all of those issues, but remember that Richard did a fantastic job, for scant personal reward, made possible by his unusual personal circumstances; hopefully others will be able to maintain the very high standard, but I understand if they don’t.
Having said that, I would very much enjoy an increase in the amount of content and I am happy to share my thoughts, if anyone from UCO wants to contact me.
If the students can post more articles and keep the standards up, great. If not, I’ll continue to use (and hopefully enjoy) the site, just not as much as before.