What moral universe are you from? Everyday tragedies and the ethics of press intrusion into grief

Nowhere is the conflict between the professional values of journalists and the values of ordinary people more apparent in the UK than in press coverage of families grieving for victims of accidents or crimes. Attempts from the beginning of the 1990s to forbid press intrusion into grief or shock have been steadily resisted by the British Press Complaints Commission, whose voluntary Code of Conduct requires journalists to make inquiries and publish material with “sympathy and discretion”. Editors argue that such inquiries are in the interests of accuracy and may be welcomed by relatives but the voluntary code fails to address the problems posed by sensational journalism and its lack of compassion and empathy for grieving families

Normalising the unthinkable: the British press, torture and the human rights of terror suspects

This paper explores contemporary media coverage of torture by examining in detail the editorial positions taken on the issue of “extraordinary rendition” by UK national daily and weekly newspapers during December 2005. It explores the historic origins of the myths dominating mainstream media coverage of torture drawing on comparisons with UK press coverage of brutality by British forces in previous emergencies, including conflicts in Kenya and Northern Ireland. In addition, it discusses the extent to which the contemplation of the use of torture in anti-terrorism strategies has been normalised in the process of media debate. In conclusion, the 2005 “rendition” controversy suggests that dominant myths surrounding British uses of torture are “alive and well”

Global literary journalism: exploring the journalistic imagination

Global Literary Journalism: Exploring the Journalistic Imagination (Peter Lang, of New York) brings together the writings of 22 academics focusing on literary journalism in a wide range of countries and regions including Canada, Finland, India, Ireland, Poland, Sweden, Latin America, the UK, the United States and the Middle East. The University of Lincoln is well represented: Jane Chapman, Professor of Communications, focuses on the journalism of Arundhati Roy, Rupert Hildyard, Principal Lecturer in English, writes on John Lanchester, Nick Nuttall examines the gonzo writings of Hunter S. Thompson, PhD student Florian Zollmann delves into the John Pilger archives, while another PhD student, Anna Hoyles, explores the early journalism of Moa Martinson. Rod Whiting looks critically at Ernest Hemingway’s career as a journalist – while John Tulloch’s chapter on Gordon Burn is titled ‘Journalism as a Novel: The Novel as Journalism’ and Richard Keeble writes on the war reporting of the Independent’s award-winning Robert Fisk. The final chapter, by Susan Greenberg, of Roehampton University, and titled ‘Slow Journalism in the Digital Fast Lane’ examines literary journalism in the age of the internet

Review of "Robin Hood: The Forresters Manuscript, British Library Additional MS 71158" by Knight

Tulloch's review of "Robin Hood: The Forresters Manuscript, British Library Additional MS 71158" edited by Stephen Knight (Cambridge: D.S. Brewer, 1998)

Review of "From Galt to Douglas Brown: Nineteenth Century Fiction and Scots Language" by Letley

Tulloch's review of Emma Letley's book "From Galt to Douglas Brown, Nineteenth Century Fiction and Scots Language" (Edinburgh: Scottish Academic Press, 1988)

Imagery in "The Highland Widow"

The overt central theme of Scott's "Highland Widow" is obvious enough and generally agreed on. The story deals with the passing of the old Highland values of those who 'esteemed it shame to want anything that could be had for the taking' and the imposition of new 'civilised' values appropriate to a 'settled government of laws, that protect the property of the weak against the incursions of the strong'. How then are we meant to feel about this story from the past? One possible way to examine some of the issues at stake is to look at the imagery. There is a persistent strain throughout the story of imagery of the natural world: animals, birds, hills, clouds. An examination of how these images are used provides us with some interesting hints as to how we should respond to the events and characters

Review of "The Days of the Duchess Anne: Life in the Household of the Duchess of Hamilton 1656-1716" by Marshall

Tulloch's review of Rosalind K. Marshall's book "The Days of the Duchess Anne: Life in the Household of the Duchess of Hamilton 1656-1716" (Phantassie, East Linton: Tuckwell Press, 2000)

Robert Garioch's Different Styles of Scots

In 1977 Robert Garioch was asked by Duncan Glen, as editor of 'Akros', to describe his poetic language. He did so very succinctly; "My language is my native local Scots, plus words and expressions of any other date or provenance, from speech, dictionaries and books: I follow the practice of most writers in Scots, at least since they became self-conscious sometime about the eighteenth century. Latterly I have been inclined to spell less phonetically, assuming, e.g. that a reader will not usually pronounce the final letters of 'and' and 'of'. Also I use Scots of different styles for different purposes, and try to use it as any writer would use any language." This description is very helpful and what this paper aims to do is largely to flesh out these comments with details. In particular it takes up Garioch's comment that he used "Scots of different styles for different purposes". Indeed, the whole question of his language will be examined from this particular angle

Myocardial infarction: a clinical study of the aetiology and prognosis, with special reference to the influence of anti-coagulant therapy on prognosis

1. A historical review of myocardial infarction in all its clinical aspects is presented.2. The increasing importance of myocardial infarction as a cause of death has been investigated by a study of the annual reports of the Registrar- General for Scotland between 1937 and 1947.3. The aetiology of coronary thrombosis with myoca dial infarction is briefly reviewed and two clinical factors of possible importance are reported.4. The clinical details of a series of 100 cases o myocardial infarction treated conservatively are de- tailed, and the features of importance in estimation of immediate prognosis discussed. The survivors have been followed up and the clinical course pursue has been analysed to determine the factors governing ultimate prógnosis.5. A series of 70 cases treated with anti - coagulan has been similarly analysed and compared with the conservatively treated series, to determine the valu of this measure in (a) immediate prognosis, and (b) ultimate prognosis.6. Clotting changes which occur after myocardial infarction are presented and tentative suggestions made as to the response of the body to the presence of a mass of infarcted tissue.7. pecific anti -shock therapy is summarised and experience with 3 cases cited.8. Embolic coronary artery occlusion is briefly mentioned and six cases are listed. The incidence of coronary artery embolism in subacute bacterial endocarditis is presented.9. serial electro- cardiograms obtained in 65 cases using standard limb leads, augmented unipolar limb leads, and unipolar praecordial leads,have been anal- ysed, and the features of diagnostic importance stressed.10. The conclusions are presented.11. Finally clinical details of 35 cases are report- ed