GOOD EVENING, WORLD!

So here we go then. A blog. The main reason I've set this up was after Robert Freeman (Guardian Unlimited) said that journalism students have no excuse for setting up one. His comments on MediaTalk (23/11/2007) convinced me: "The publishing platform is so easy it's almost unforgivable not to start putting your opinions out there." OK then, I oblige.

Most of you who know me will know who I am. I'm a first-year Journalism Studies student at The University of Sheffield, and I also work for Premier Christian Radio and Sorted magazine. I am a big football fan, supporting Southend United and Newcastle United, and I come from Leigh-on-Sea in Essex. I play the tenor saxophone and clarinet to Grade 8 standard, and also sing. I came to university following A-Levels in English, French, Maths and Economics. At university I am involved in the Sheffield Steel Press, Steel TV, Sure Radio, Ceilidh Society, Music Players' Society (friNJE) and Christian Union. I am a Christian and attend St Thomas Church at Philadelphia in Sheffield, and back home it's Leigh Road Baptist Church. My father is a banker, my mother a musician and my brother is studying for his GCSEs at Westcliff High School for Boys, where I learnt my trade too. And I have 592 Facebook friends, giving me a label of "the networker" from some of my closer ones. I do actually know most of them too!

I'm looking at getting into journalism in general - I have done for a very long time - and haven't particularly decided on a certain discipline yet (that's why my course is great as I can try out everything), although I've always loved broadcast. At the moment I'm doing lots of revision for my exams early next year, and I've got a big essay coming up too. So I'm keeping busy and looking forward to Christmas! Hopefully I'll be able to use this blog as a place to proclaim my views on the news and the press, and hopefully you will find it interesting. Hopefully...