The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Probe into system
An internal investigation into TV licence fee enforcement has found no evidence of “systemic” shortcomings, an executive of the company carrying it out on behalf of the BBC has told MPs.
Capita group operations and performance director Vic Gysin admitted footage and transcripts of enforcement officers obtained by a daily newspaper made for “unedifying” viewing.
He insisted officers were not given financial incentives to drive up numbers of prosecutions, saying performance bonuses were linked to success in persuading households to sign up to payment schemes. BBC director general Lord Hall demanded “urgent clarification and reassurance” from Capita that vulnerable people were not being targeted. The next generation of journalists arehardatwork in classrooms throughout the north-east - thanks to a project which has inspired more than 3,000 pupils.
The Press and Journal Junior Journalist competition has seen hundreds of pupils get to grips with the news and develop their literacy skills at the same time.
Whether designing their own front pages or reading news bulletins, pupils are facing an imminent deadline
“They’ve been hooked by it. We have keen writers in the class”
with their entries due in by the Easter break.
More than 100 schools across the P&J circulation area have signed up, including Newtonhill Primary School near Stonehaven.
Deputy head teacher, Wendy Craig, has been working on the project with her P7 pupils for the past month, and they have even gone back in time with stories from the swinging sixties.
She said: “They have been hooked by it. There are quite a fewkeen writers in the class and I know some pupils in particular have been inspired.
“We have incorporated it with our project on the fifties and sixties and many of the pupils have designed newspapers with stories going back to that era.
“They have named their newspapers. One title is Cup of Tea which is quirky and it’s great to see how imaginative the kids can be when given the chance.
“It has been interesting to see what they have picked out, because some of the children are interested in the laying out of their front page while others have enjoyed researching the topics.
“We have got a bit of everything from fashion to cars and it has been brilliant.”
With prize money of £3,000 to be shared out, pupils are eager to impress.
St Sylvester’s Primary school in Elgin has also enjoyed the project and P5 class teacher Brenda King believes her pupils have learned a lot from the experience so far.
She added: “The Press and Journal Junior Journalist competition has inspired my class to explore news making.
“They have enjoyed creating fun advertisements and using alliteration in some of their headlines.
“The competition has provided an excellent context for learning.
“The children have been motivated to find out information and report on what they have enjoyed doing, both in and out of class.
“Some chose imaginative reports and I amamazed at how well they have done.”
The project has even started lively debate for pupils at Auchenblae Primary School in Fourdoun.
Head teacher John Forrester has watched his P5 and P6 pupils grow increasingly interested in current affairs. He said: “They are obsessed with Donald Trumpand it’s brilliant to see them talking about everything, from national to international news.
“It has got them talking about things in the news. They’re really interested in Brexit and the debate surrounding another Independence referendum.
“I think, as kids, they are naturally drawn to the more gory stories perhaps, but it has been good to sit down and see what spikes their interest.
“Theyhavebeenworking together in groupsandthey enjoy going through The Press and Journal every week and also looking online.”
Every participating pupil will receive a certificate of achievementwhenthe project comes to a close, with the hope some of them will soon light up the front page.
“It has got them talking about things in the news such as Brexit”