Newspaper Article 1

TEEN HAVING TRIPLETS

SEVENTEEN YEAR-OLD Martyna Broad, Braintree, has always achieved well. Just a few months into her A levels, she fell pregnant. With triplets. Martyna was previously studying four A-levels, but due to the news of her pregnancy, she has already dropped out from one, and is worried that she might have to drop out of Sixth Form all together.
Martyna’s situation appears to no longer to be a rare occurrence. Teens in the U.K, Essex in particular are falling pregnant. It seems that they are either not interested in contraception, or is just doesn’t cross their mind. A total of 41,325 women under 18 fell pregnant in 2008, and it’s on the up. Of these teens, 49% of them had abortions, but it seems that they’re turning off from the idea of abortion, and on to the idea of raising a family. Martyna said “I just wouldn’t be able to live with myself knowing that I had an abortion”. Despite government pledges to lower the pregnancy rate in teenagers, it doesn’t seem to be having much effect.
Martyna is the second in her family to have a child under the age of 18. Her mum had her older sister at the age of sixteen. She also said that a friend of hers has already had an abortion and two girls in her year group had to drop out of Sixth Form because they fell pregnant.
Martyna considers herself to be “one of the lucky ones” as she has her boyfriend of seven months by her side and is ready to support her and their triplets. She said that she has also received tremendous support from her family and her friends.
An increasing number of teen mums have become single teen mums. It would seem that men, or boys, do not carry the same feeling of responsibility for their child that a woman does. It’s estimated a whopping 54% of teen mums become single mums with in the first sixteen months of pregnancy and having the child.
Martyna is four months into her pregnancy, and has been advised by her GP and many of her teachers, even the head of year to leave and debate taking a part time course at a local college after she has had her triplets. Despite this, Martyna is putting in all of her effort while she can and she believes that she will be able to pass her exams in the summer, but knows university is out of the question.

Out of the three photographs above, I have chosen to use the third. I feel that the first looks slightly comedic, and I don't think that this kind of photograph would appear in a newspaper. It was a difficult choice between the 2nd and 3rd, but I feel that the second doesn't highlight her pregnancy as much as the third does, I also think that even though Martyna is not looking at the camera in either of them, the third looks better because we can see her face from the side aswell as her whole body, whereas in the second she is looking down and the reader can not see any part of her face.
I chose to take a medium shot of Martyna for this story because I felt that having a profile shot would be unnecessary as the story is focused on her pregnancy. A long shot would have also not put enough emphasis on the fact that she is pregnant. It would display too much background and the reader may be more attracted by what's happening around her.

Sports Page Articles

Jaw Break in Girls Hockey

A VIOLENT hockey match between Essex and Suffolk girls ended in termoil after seventeen year old Rebecca Spencer had her jaw broken.
The Essex defender attempted to protect the empty goal after the goal keeper was knocked down.
Rebecca dived out infront of the goal when a Suffolk attacker hit the ball toward the goal with great force, and Rebecca's jaw took a brutal break to the jaw.
Despite this knock back, Essex won against the Suffolk girls with a 4 - 2 defeat.
Out of the four photographs that I took at a friend's hockey match, I chose to use the first for the story, and the other three for my sport's page slide show.
Chelmsford College Introduce Football Academy

CHELMSFORD COLLEGE, after spending £600,000 on a new astro-turf pitch, have introduced a football academy. The group of sixteen and seventeen-year olds below are the start of what could be a bright future for the college.

I chose to write a story about a football academy because I would easily be able to take photographs of the football academy that are a part of our sixth form. I felt that I should change the name of the sixth form college though, because otherwise, the stories may seem too specific in one area, so I chose to base the college in a large and well known part of Essex, Chelmsford.
Out of the two photographs below, I will use the first because the boys kneeling are more centred, this makes it look like a more professional photograph.

Chelmsford City Looking For New Manager

CHELMSFORD CITY are searching for a new manager since Glenn Pennyfather resigned from his position for unreported reasons. City chairman, Mansell Wallace said: "We're looking for some one who fits into our policy of bringing in new, young and talented players."If you are interested in applying for the role, visit www.chelmsfordcityfootballclub.co.uk for contact and application details.

Essex Lad has Sights Set On Rugby Glory

A YOUNGSTER who came through one of the region’s most established youth sections has spoken of his delight after he was named in the England Under-20s squad for the forthcoming 6 nations.

Website Article 6

I am also using the following article on the first page of my newspaper.

University Create Stress Through Out Essex

ON AVERAGE, university fees are around £3000, and they're on the increase. Luckily, students going to university this year have to pay this much, where as next years students are going to have to pay around triple. Despite being one of the lucky ones, eightteen year old Sandra Ashbeck from Basildon struggles to find the money to enable her to this once in a life time chance.
Sandra has been accepted by Plymouth University, as long as she achieves three B grades in her A levels. Getting these grades isn't a problem for her, it's just financing her time at university that she is stuggling to come to terms with.
Sandra and her family need to find £3280 so that she can fulfill her dream of becoming a university student. "I've always looked forward to going to university, I've always assumed that grades would be a problem, not money. I don't want my parents to struggle to help me, and I really never wanted to have a student loan, but it doesn't look like I have much choice" Julie, Sandra's mum, told us that her husband and father of Sandra was made redundant a few years ago, and was then out of work. Regrettably, they had to use the money that they had saved up to send Sandra to university so that they could support the family.

This is the photograph that I will be using on my website for this story. Beneath the photograph, I will say that the photograph was donated, by the University of Essex. I have seen photographs that were not taken by the newspaper that they are displayed in or on the website, that say, usually as a caption, that the photograph was donated.
I won't be using this image in the newspaper.

Website Article 5

Cheap Thief Makes Profit

TWENTY-TWO year old, Matt Johnston was believed to be a trusted employee of Colchester's Burtons store.
After nineteen months of working there, his story was unveiled as he was caught stealing money from the till.
Matt had been gathering various amounts of money through out his time of working at Burtons. He had mounted up a £480 sum.
His case was taken to court, and despite been found guilty, he was fined £80 and then free to go.
A few weeks after, Matt became an employee at Sainburys.

I will also be using this on the second page of my newspaper.

Website Article 4

Mother and Infant Die In Blaze

MOTHER AND INFANT daughter have died after an explosion in their home. Police believe that it was due to a gas leak.
The infant was confirmed dead on the scene, emercency services said.
The mother was taken to Addenbrooks Hospital and was being treated for her burns after the explosion. After 3 hours of treatment, she was confirmed dead.
Three ambulances and two fire engines arrived at the scene on Goddard Way, Saffron Waldon, within minutes.
"Despite the ambulance, hospital and fire staff's best efforts, sadly, we were not able to save either mother or child." The spokesperson said.

Initially, I had also put this story on the second page of my newspaper, but then decided that if this story was to be reported in the newspaper, it wouldn't be a small section on the second page, it would be a main headliner, on the front page.

Website Article 3

Primary Prepare for Progressing Pupils

KINGSMOOR PRIMARY School has always been small in numbers. As of September this year, Kingsmoor Primary School in Harlown are preparing to introduce their largest year group to date. On average, each year group has around nine students in it, and now staff are getting ready for a substantial seventeen four-year-olds beginning their school life. Every academic year as of September, class sizes will be expanding and each year group will be divided into their own class, where as now, there are two year groups in each class. Staff are preparing to interview possible candidates who will be teaching the growing pupils.


I felt that it would be fairly easy to create a realistic article about a primary school, and I would be able to take a variety of photographs because my mum works in a primary school.
After talking to her about being able to take photographs of children in her primary school, I realised I had hit a bit of a brick wall, as I would not be able to take photographs of any child with out the permission of their parents, and it seemed like a lot of effort, that could be wasted if I am not successful in getting any permission, as I am only a student using photos for a media project, I may not be reliable in their opinion. So I have decided to take a photograph of an entrance of my sixth form. It was built around a year ago, so it looks and is farily modern. Therefore I would be able to say that this is a new extention to the school, therefore it is evident that the school are getting ready for progress and an
increasing number of pupils joining.



Out of the three photographs above, I have chosen to use the first because it would be easier to arrange onto my website page than the portrait photograph. I also chose this one over the second because it was more focused on the extention, and it would be easier to crop out the piece of rubbish that is on the ground.

Website Article 2

Hedingham Omnibuses Coming to a Stop

HEDINGHAM OMNIBUSES as of the 30th of June are discontinuing the Halstead to Colchester route. It is said that there are not enough riders to keep this route going through out the rest of the year. Regular bus users are distraught at this news.
Through out the last eight months the bus fare has gradually increased from £3.80 for an adult to travel to Colchester from Halstead to an unacceptable £6.50. This seemed to discourage people from travelling this route, resulting in less riders which seems to have caused this.
Mrs Potts uses the service at least twice a week, she is a volunteer worker in British Heart Foundation.
"This means I can no longer help out at work, volunteering at the British Heart Foundation isn't just something for me to do a few days a week, it means something to me. My husband passed away three years ago from heart disease. I want to do my part to stop people from suffering the way that I did"Mrs Potts, among more than eighty others have signed a petition to have the bus route continued.

This article will also appear on the second page of my newspaper.