“Every great journey begins with a single step.” Anon.
In years to come, a blue plaque will probably stand outside the C300, an otherwise anonymous classroom on the third floor of the Tait building. For it was here that initial plans were drawn up by the interhacktive ‘Real Lifers’ (not to be confused with the ‘Onliners’) for what can only be described as an Unexpected Journey.
As in all things, fate had intervened. Adam Tinworth’s train was delayed and unrestrained by his iron fist, class discipline quickly collapsed. Music was played and idle chatter turned to grand ambitions and bold plots. Most audacious of them all was the flesh put on the bones of a long forgotten prophecy by Judith Townend.
Whisper it quietly friends, but a conspiracy has been hatched for a “meet up”. Pencil it into your diaries for the evening of the 28th of February.
Not just any ‘meet up’. A meet up in a tavern. Big Henry Kirby, a man rumoured to have consumed a few shandies in his time, was appointed landlord and given the task of finding a venue. His brief? A self contained upstairs room for c25-35 people. Not too formal, but somewhere a vigorous discussion can take place without interruption.
Details remain vague, but the subject will explore the relationship between social media and journalism. George Arnett impressed us all with his deep thinking and erudition, asking simply: “Am I a journalist?” Enthused by an atmosphere thick with post-modernism, another suggested “Journalisn’t” as a title.
A Question Time format is the early favourite. The aim is for a relaxed discussion with some moderation and structure to keep it moving.
The meet-up will be liveblogged. There is talk of making an alliance with a broadcast journalist to film, for posterity’s sake, what looks set to be an earthquake of learning to shake the very foundations of knowledge.
George Arnett showed himself to be a capitalist as well as a savant, promising to play hard ball with multi national conglomerates when negotiating for sponsorship.
Rumours that team hoodies with ‘#interhacktives ‘I’m all real baby’ on the back were being made are unconfirmed.
Jess Denham will deploy her feminine wiles to promote the event. She wants to know what you want to know. Tweet her questions you want asked and suggestions for how you think the evening should be structured. Most importantly, come.
Mauricio Saverese brings wordly experience laced with understated latino charm. As foreign minister, he will have embassies in all the major capitals by Wednesday.
No one’s sure of Sian Boyle’s role, but it’s definitely important.
The Premier League transfer window may be closing, but community journalists and social media managers can expect to be relentlessly pursued with requests and invitations to come and speak at the meet up. It would be indiscrete to name names at this early stage, however, I can assure you that there some heavyweights in the running.
By Henry Vane