Neil Arun didn’t want to miss a rare but risky opportunity to embed with an Iraqi police unit, hunting members of al Qaeda. But his employers -- responsible for Neil’s security -- weren’t happy. This film by Richard Pendry nvestigates how a frontline journalist balances risk and reward.
Huge congratulations to Jemma Collins, winner of the 2012 Sky Bob Friend Memorial Scholarship. It is a major achievement and I know everyone in the Centre will join me in expressing our pride in Jemma's succcess. We will, of course, have the opportunity to celebrate together at Alex Crawford's Bob Friend Memorial Lecture on 21 February at which Jemma will receive her award from Rob Kirk, head of editorial development at Sky News. Very many thanks also to the four excellent runners up, Lydia Deichmann, Sam Thompson, Bill Topping and Kieran Watkins. This year's entries were particularly good and competition was intense. Members of the interview panel were immensely impressed by all the shortlisted students. We are proud of you.
The Centre for Journalism's BA in Journalism and the News Industry has been recognised as Britain's top performing undergraduate degree in journalism. At an NCTJ awards ceremony in Belfast City Hall last night Prof. Tim Luckhurst and Ian Reeves were presented with a certificate confirming our top ranking in academic year 2010/11. Tim Luckhurst said: "This award is an immense tribute to all the excellent staff in the Centre who have worked so hard to design and deliver this unique combination of professional education and academic rigour - and to the excellent students who study with us. When we launched the degree we pledged to make it the best in the country. It is particularly gratifying to know that we have beaten all the competition." 
Paul Staines a.k.a. Guido Fawkes has been summoned to appear before the Leveson inquiry to answer questions relating to his advance publication of a version of Alastair Campbell's evidence to the inquiry. Staines says he obtained the document legally. I think it is worth reading and that it makes some powerful arguments, but you can no longer read it by following the link on Guido's website: he has been 
The Centre for Journalism has traditionally arranged a Christmas Party for staff and students. In recent weeks CfJ nerve centre - a.k.a. the excellent Mrs Anastasia Bakowski - has been striving to identify an appropriate venue in which to hold an event this year. Sadly, her strenuous efforts have not met with success. We might blame the Eurozone crisis, the Chancellor of the Exchequer or the Staypuft Marshmallow Man, but the harsh reality is that venues we have hired in previous years have raised their prices to levels the Centre cannot afford. If anyone knows of a local venue that might accept our custom and not charge a huge sum (i.e. more than £1 per bottle) for corkage, then the Centre will, as in previous years, gladly supply some wine. If not we will keep what little spare money we have to contribute to a party for 2012 graduates. Ideas to 
Turn to page 18 of Britain's first and only concise, quality newspaper and rejoice. Our own Sara Malm, editor of the Medwire, has written the column reserved for winners of the iWriters competition. Sara's column is called 'It's a wonderful feeling to scorn the beautiful.' It is an acute, compelling and stylish account of one student's reaction to the release from jail in Perugia of Amanda "Foxy Knoxy" Knox. It is additionally gratifying to see below Sara's byline the description: 'The writer is studying Journalism and the News Industry at the University of Kent.' To read more you will have to get a copy of the i. At twenty pence it is a tiny price to pay to join in celebrating such a tremendous achievement. Huge congratulations, Sara. I'm sure it is the first of many columns for national newspapers. 
The Crown Prosescution Service has 