UKA: Big Updates All Around

Hello and welcome back to another rather large update blog!

Just a little Heads up - there are quite a few pictures at the bottom of the blog, so the content itself isn't too lengthy, there's just many pictures at the bottom making the article look longer and hence scroll-bar smaller :)

UniBlog (Thursday 26th November)

I've just had my last lecture of the week - which was enjoyable.

This lecture was about media law and defamation in media.

(food break)

The Lecture

The previous night, I set my alarm-clock for 11:05am...I knew my lecture was at 11:00 - and thought that I should set my alarm-clock for exactly the same time....so I could wake up the said time.

The instant I woke up, I knew I made a huge error - rushed over to my computer and booted up the lecture. Fortunately, they were re-capping the COVID restrictions - so I didn't miss too much. Following this was a re-cap on Broadcast Regulations (the previous lecture in this module)

A Small Recap

- Moving images creates immediacy compared to static images

- Regulating Broadcasting avoids harm & offence and protects under 18's

- Re-look at contreversies such as Shawn Ryder and the replacement of Boris Johnson with an Ice Sculpture

Defamation

Defamation is when someone (the perpetrator) exposes another to hatred, ridicule, contempt (made to feel worthless) or causes people to shun or avoid the person defamed.

Libel (Not Liable)

A libel (Lie-bell) is a published/written/image/piece of work/statement that seriously affects the victim's reputation

When reading, readers aren't unduly suspicious - so when suspicions arise whilst looking at the article as a whole - and the context of the (potentially defamatory) line - the publisher's intentions are irrelevant and can be taken to court.

We then looked at inferences and innuendos - inferences meaning when the publisher infers something, but does not directly say it such as:

"Prime Minister Bob Smith was seen leaving the pub on Thursday evening swaying from side to side, his speech slurred"

The publisher (changed the name to avoid legal issues) never mentioned the fact that the PM was drunk - however he inferred it by commenting on his (the publishers') observations.

Innuendos are like inferences, however text which may look innocent at first may actually be more "sexual" or "unpleasant".

"Smith was seen regularly visiting #13, Gorson's Drive on a regular basis".

To some, it may be innocent - and perfectly normal - but to locals and those who live on the street/address - and could know what "goes on" at the address mentioned (totally made up address) it could be defamatory knowing that The PM is into "that sort of thing".

Proving that there is something going on at #13, Gorson's Drive can be also very awkward for those who intend to step forward, but do not know how to due to embarassment/remaining anonymous.

Huge Damages Mean Huge Rewards.

Defamatory work can destroy a person's reputation in seconds - decades of hard work, late nights and hundreds of sacrifices building up a million-or-so-strong fanbase could be destroyed in a matter of seconds.

Trust cannot be rebuilt, and those that have read the article cannot "unread" the article. In rare instances the article can be removed/edited - but for print-publications and television broadcasts - it's out there and there's no way to get it back.

The victim of defamation can - but doesn't have to be - famous - for all the law cares - it could be me - someone could write online that I'm a "horrible, weird person - a scammer, cheat, liar, a bully, an abuser and I will manipulate you if you become friends with me...."

I'm most active on Facebook - so uploading/publishing it there would be most defamatory to me - people wouldn't want to become friends with me - and those closest to me would no longer like to be friends with me - or be associated with me.

If I claim that I've been defamed - and there's proof of it (by the Facebook Post, and subsequent messages from friends saying they're "leaving" me - I could claim damages.

I'm only a student from Surrey - so our lecturer "The Professor", didn't tell us what sort of damages (in terms of money) I could receive in damages, but I don't like to think about either being defamed or having to go through a legal case to get damages from being defamed.

The last part of the lecture we looked at was at the importance of describing the defamed.

We looked at the murder of Joanna Yeates and how her landlord was suspected and arrested by Police - before the media wrongfully vilified (made to look like a villain) Mr Jeffries (the landlord). 8 National newspapers had to pay damages.

The more details you have included in a publication on a suspect, the better and the less chance that two individuals (who potentially share the same name) are mixed up, however you cannot publish information which may affect a court-case.

Kabort

Just because we're heading into December - it doesn't mean the Kabort Drivers can relax - these last two weekends of the Season 4, 2020 season are jam-packed with events, and even heading into Season 1, 2021 next year there are some huge events to come.

First things first, this weekend:

Weekend Events Saturday 28th November - Sunday 29th November 2020

- Winter VLN Round 1

- Jimmy Broadbent's 23hrs Zolder (No Atendees)

Weekend Events Saturday 5th - Sunday 6th December

- VEC (Virtual Endurance Championship) | Hosted | - 24 Hours Of Le Mans

- ISRC (Intercontinental Sim Racing Challenge) | Hosted | 1,500 Miles Of Sebring

- Epilepsy Awareness 6hrs Daytona

- ELMS (Endurance Le Mans Series) | Official | Spa Francorchamps (6hrs)

No doubt there will be a blog covering each of these.

ABARTH

In the crossover between Europe/Japan/Canada, there was a little bit I muddled up - so I wanted to clear that all up here and now.

I've updated each mention of this in each individual blog.

Saturday 21st November 2020

Today saw the end of my time in Russia and saw the ETA (Estimated Time Of Arrival) reduce from "11 hours", to "2 hours" to then just a couple of minutes....I was pumped to finally finish a big chapter - after 500+ hours!

I'd take off at midday on the 21st.

Sunday 22nd November 2020

After my one day and six hour flight, I'd land at Japan at 6pm on Sunday and stay at the airport for the 6 hours until my next flight - grabbing some fast food in the food hall.

Monday 23rd November

After boarding a couple minutes after midnight, the 22-Hour flight to "Deadhorse Airport" would lift off at quarter to one in the morning.

It was a good, enjoyable flight - with a good range of movies available - as it was a "commercial airline" (Russia to Japan was a small little private plane) it had many of the creature comforts and made up for the discomfort suffered the previous weekend.

We'd land at a rather remote runway, and I'd walk a few hundred steps to the "hotel" (was almost like refurbished research centre) for the night. This was my first ever time within the Artic Circle.

Tuesday 24th November

"Jet-Lag Day" woke up at 5pm or so - stumbled around the place, made food, went back to sleep.

Wednesday 25th November - Thursday 26th November

I'd wake up as fresh as a daisy - my body obviously deciding it's had enough sleep - and I'd quickly hit the road.

I'm still absolutely baffled at the the progress I made from leaving the hotel...like those wheels were literally on fire, melting the ice!

In the past 24 or so hours I've managed to cross Alaska, and enter Yukon and am currently staying in British Columbia.

Driving through Alaska I was absolutely taken aback by how stunning it all was - going into this trip, I was a little worried that Alaska was just a white blanket with a straight, unpaved road.....oh but how wrong I was proven!!!

The last picture reallly making up for the slightly "mediocre" journey thus far.

We descended the Alaskan Mountains very quickly - passing the "Farthest North Spruce Tree" before arriving at the tree-line.

The Alaskan roads were absolutely stunninggg - even if the weather wasn't!

Top: The very start of Alaskan Road Markings - any further north and it's only unpaved - or paved without road markings.

Middle: Not a spot of snow - we've truly left the Alaskan mountains behind us.

Bottom: Crossing the Yukon River.

Top: Stunning views heading towards the border

Middle: Crossing the boarder

Bottom: Crossing the dried river bed of the Kluane Lake.

Canadian Mountains Were Phenomenal...

Thursday 26th November - Friday 27th November

Today we zoomed across Alberta, or what I like to call the "Kabort State Of Canada" before clearing Saskatchewan.

Friday 27th November (Ending at 6pm)

Another absolutely "storming" day - crossing Manitoba, Ontario (with an hour break at Lake Superior) before heading onwards to Quebec - Montreal just a couple of hours ahead of us.

Now then! Onto some work!!