Interview with:Simon Royal [simonroyal]
JOURNALISM
 | What is your specialty? What subjects do you deal with? Computing |
| In which media do you presently work or have you worked? I am professional trained journalist and graphic designer but in recent years have turned my writing skills to the online world. |
| Please list a web address where where one can view an example of your work. My personal website is http://www.simonroyal.co.uk but I also write for Low End Mac at http://lowendmac.com/ed/royal/index.html. |
| What is "news"? News is anything that is relevant to your reader or target audience. News can be anything from your latest project or taken from other sources on the web or print as long as it is relevant to your audience. |
| To you, what is objectivity? Objectivity is providing news, reviews and stories without personal opinion or bias. This is not always to achieve as most people have a 'side' they sit on and it comes across in their writing. |
| Which paper do you buy on Sundays? Where do you read it? I have never read a Sunday paper. |
| Does freedom of expression end where the editorial line begins? There is no editorial line. Freedom of expression has always had a place in the editorial world. As the journalistic world grows and barriers come done, freedom of expression becomes greater. |
| Do you feel that analytical and investigative journalism is being lost? To the contrary. In this competitive world where you now have to fight for online and paper space, analytical and investigative journalism has even more of a place. |
| With a camera on every mobile phone, is every citizen becoming a correspondent? I don't think so. A lot of people don't use their cameras and even less people use them to report from incidents. They are still a novelty to most and a few use them for capturing hilarous antics and uploading them. |
| How would you explain the boom of the tabloid press? People still love to read the latest gossip and celebrity news and the tabloid press is still the easiest way to do it still at present. |
| What is your position regarding the right to privacy of famous people? Celebrity comes at a price, but I do think the paparazzi take it too far. |
| What can you teach us about the art of the interview? Back to basics. Research your subject, research your interviewee and their company. Be polite. |
| Would you say the journalism blog is revolutionizing the profession? Blogging is giving those without the opportunity to get into the journalism world. For existing journalists it is another avenue to get into. Blogging has revolutionised the online world nevermind the profession. |
| Will the paper press disappear? Eventually it will, but people still like to read a paper. Once electronic devices are cheap enough and are capable of receiving e-papers wirelessly without user intervention then the paper press will fade away. |
| What are your thoughts of the free papers distributed in cities? They have their place. They are usually funded by advertising and are localised. They can be great for local journalists. |
| What is the book you would like to write? I would like to write an autobiography, but the main event in my life is yet to happen. |
| Is there a motto or ethical principle that clarifies your decisions in moments of confusion? If it is legal do it. If morals come into it, think twice before making a decision. |
| What advice would you give to someone who has just left university and wishes to start in the profession? Experience is everything. Cram your spare time learning every function and flaw of the software packages you need. Pay attention and study everything around you. |
BLOGGING
| What is your blog address? What subjects do you deal with? http://www.simonroyal.co.uk/blog.html
It deals with computing, mobile phones, technology and my personal life. |
| What was it that made you create your blog? On what date did you start it? I have been blogging for about 4 years and I started as I wanted an easy avenue to report news. |
| What blogging system have you adopted and why? I use Blogger hosted externally on my own web space. I wanted an easy to use system but wanted an address that matched the rest of my web site. |
| How has 'having a blog' contributed to your life? It has made me search for news stories and it takes up a lot of my spare time. |
| Have you created relationships with other bloggers or readers of your blog? Yes, I have met many a like-minded people via my blog. |
| How often do you post? Does regular posting of your blog require a lot of effort on your part? I post every day. Sometimes I can post 10 or more posts a day, others can be a single entry. |
| Does blogging bring in income for you? Can one make a living from posting? I don't make an money from my blog. I think it is possible to make a living from it, but I don't. |
| How do you promote your blog? I promote my blog via TwitterFeed and RSS feed. I promote my main site which includes my blog via every social networking site I can and in the signature of my emails. |
| How would you define your readers? Have you got a faithful audience? My audience is other tech mad like-minded people. I have a small following of regular readers. |
| How do you see your blog evolving in the future? Other peoples awareness of it is growing. I see it getting more followers in the future. |
| What advice would you give to someone who wishes to begin a blog? Do it. It is great fun. Just try and keep it on topic. |
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488 visits Whohub
Simon Royal
Norfolk
|
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