Fleet Street Fox visits WINOL!

Fleet Street Fox with some of the WINOL team

Today Fleet Street Fox kindly came down to Winchester to visit the WINOL team, and wow what a story she had to share! It was extremely exciting to hear first hand all the tricks of the journalism trade - even if there were elements we didn't want to hear! I guess it's always better to have someone tell you how it is, straight up and as soon as possible, rather then find out the hard way ourselves.

First of all, she had a chat with our class, telling us right from the start how she became who she is today, and explaining the alter ego of Fleet Street Fox. She chose to be a fox, because it represents journalists, rich people want to hunt foxes, and of course foxes are vermin, which holds what most people thinks of us, and what we do. The red and black colours which are the Nazi colours work because red is all about attention, passion and attraction, it's an exciting colour which draws people in, As foxy rightly pointed out if you have two twins, one in a fitted red dress, and another in a black dress, your eyes would draw to the red, because it's fiery. Red top tabloids have the right idea!

Foxy pointed out that in order to be a successful journalist, you have to do what you want to do regardless of other peoples opinion. If you have the drive you will go places, don't listen to people that hold you back. She said there is no qualification that you need in order to get you the job. Essentially all you need is enthusiasm, verging on the edge of a mental illness. Everyday, despite the way people will treat you, despite the put downs, the verbal abuse, the attacks, you have to get up and get on with it. Without fail, getting out of bed everyday to grace the day and tell yourself "brilliant, lets do it all again".

She explained that as a news reporter, you never get the right to your own opinion, you have to keep your thoughts to yourself! Tough as it sounds, you have to be objective. Susie Boniface remained anonymous throughout her writings so she could write about her personal life and delve deep into the dark corners of tabloid journalism.

As a journalist, everyone automatically thinks the worst of you, they think you are a lying, viscious thieving scumbag! Every time you have to knock on someone's door, or answer the phone you have to start from scratch again, and build up the trust, and persuade people that we aren't all horrible people that hack phones. All journalists represent each other, we don't just represent ourselves, we represent our trade. If someone does a bad thing, it makes us all look bad! Journalists have to argue that they are nice. The general rule is, "don't be a twat", and of course this will be a lot easier if you aren't actually a twat. You have to be robust, because you will have to mentally and psychically deal with attacks every single day, but don't let people put you down.

People that are not journalists simply won't understand, that the news never sleeps. You cannot just turn your phone off, and switch off when you want a break, it's non-stop and relationships will suffer. It's a struggle to have a social life outside of your career, few people other then fellow journo's will actually understand this.

Foxy says there are two halves of a brain, one part is the part where you're a journalist and everything is   amazing, but then the other side is that you don't want to actually be there, and you just want to go home to your mum. It's vital to have a balance between these two. If you are too sensitive, and you want to run away from every story then you simply won't last as a journalist, but if you become too tough and obsessed with it, you'll end up turning into a nasty person and hacking phones! So its crucial to keep the balance.

Journalists have to behave like an entrepreneur; you have to sell yourself and represent yourself, to pull people's leavers your way. People always needs journalists, so we won't ever be out of a job, Although the delivery of news may change, for example online or via twitter, news itself doesn't change and people always what to know the latest gossip.

You have to learn at the end of the day that a judge will always believe someone else over a journalist. It's frustrating but it happens. Foxy advised the girls to learn self defence, because girls get attacked more then guys, and the only sympathy you'll get from police is: "thats journalism". Journalism can be a scary thing, it's a whole new way of life, but the story comes first, and you come second.

Thanks for visiting Foxy! And for signing my book! You taught me a hell of a lot about the future I plan to go into!