Introduction
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Media coverage for the Open University,
June 26 2003 – September 19 2003
SECTION 1
1.1
1.2
1.3
1.4
1.5
1.6
INTRODUCTION
Contents
Media Relations Office
News releases issued
Media enquiries
Media coverage
Bouquets for the OU
1.1 Contents
Section 2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
Report highlights
OU news and developments
E-learning and the e-university
Expert comment
Research news
Negative and sensitive coverage
Graduate Publicity Exercise 2003
Students and staff
Lifelong learning
News from the regions
Broadcast features
And finally …
3
4
6
7
11
12
13
13
15
16
17
19
1.2 The Media Relations Office
The Open University Media Relations team, part of the university's Communications
Group, is made up of:
Gary Spink
Head of Media Relations
g.r.spink@open.ac.uk
53343
Louis De La Foret
Media Relations Officer
l.delaforet@open.ac.uk 53256
Eulina Clairmont
Media Relations Officer
e.clairmont@open.ac.uk 53248
Neil Coaten
Media Relations Officer
n.d.coaten@open.ac.uk 52580
Diane Cassidy Team Secretary
d.cassidy @open.ac.uk
58734
1.3 News releases issued
During the 12-week period covered by this report, 21 news releases were issued by
the Media Relations team. Subjects included:
 the university’s fifth place ranking in the Sunday Times University Guide
2003 table for teaching quality at UK universities;
 the launch of a climate prediction PC screensaver project, in which the
university is one of the partner organisations;
1
 OU/BBC peak-time programmes and series, including All Night Star
Party; Ever Wondered About Food; Landscape Mysteries; Science Shack; and
What the Industrial Revolution did for Us;
 the launch by the Open University Business School of an accelerated route
to the MBA qualification;
 tributes to Lord Perry of Walton, the university’s first Vice-Chancellor,
following his death;
 the launch of a joint prospectus by all HE providers in the Milton Keynes
area.
Copies of all news releases issued by the Media Relations team can be downloaded at
www.open.ac.uk/media/
1.4 Media enquiries
The figures below show the number and source of media enquiries received by the
media relations office during the period of this report (June 26 2003 to September 19
2003).
From newspapers (national, local, TES, THES)
68
From magazines (general interest, specialist and trade press)
43
From radio
42
From television
38
From others (including website operators)
36
TOTAL
227
1.5 Media coverage
The figures below show the number and source of media coverage for the Open
University during the period of this report (June 26 2003 to September 19 2003).
In national newspapers
In regional newspapers
In TES, THES
In specialist and trade titles
In general interest magazines
Radio
Television
Others
TOTAL
186
541
22
32
97
45
12
23
958
These figures include press cuttings for OU/BBC series broadcast during the period,
including All Night Star Party; Science Shack; Landscape Mysteries, etc.
1.6 Bouquets for the Open University
“These are exciting times for the OU. With the advent of top-up tuition fees just three
years away an OU degree can only become more attractive …
“It is possible to compare the OU with other universities for teaching and research.
The 19 subjects with an excellent rating for teaching place the OU among the top 10
universities in the country on this measure.”
Sunday Times
2
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Report highlights
SECTION 2
REPORT HIGHLIGHTS
The university was ranked fifth in the Sunday Times University Guide 2003 table for teaching
quality – ahead of other universities including Oxford and University College London. News
of the ranking was also comprehensively carried by Milton Keynes local media. Regional
media across the UK were also targeted with regionalised versions of a news release issued by
the media relations team.
More than 15million people across the UK had the opportunity to read about the successes of
OU graduates in their own communities – thanks to the Graduate Publicity Exercise, the
largest project of the year undertaken by the media relations team.
More than 40 members of the academic community provided expert comment to the media
and wrote articles and letters for publication in national and specialist titles.
The OU/BBC series of Science Shack and the All Night Star Party programme together
attracted more than 180 national, regional and specialist press cuttings.
University projects that attracted widespread coverage included the launch of a climate
prediction project, the launch of a specialist mathematics education diploma, and the launch
of the accelerated MBA programme from the Open University Business School.
The Beagle 2 Mars lander project, whose lead scientist is Prof Colin Pillinger of the
university’s Planetary and Space Sciences Research Institute, also continues to attract a
comprehensive range of coverage.
E-learning continues to be a popular feature theme for the media. In a recent Guardian article,
for example, the writer referred to the university as the “biggest online provider”.
3
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OU news and developments
SECTION 3
OU NEWS AND
DEVELOPMENTS
News that the university was ranked fifth in the Sunday Times University Guide 2003 league
table for teaching quality across the UK HE sector attracted coverage. Initial coverage was
carried in the following:
BBC Look East (TV breakfast news slot); BBC Three Counties Radio, FM103 Horizon
Milton Keynes, MKWeb website
Information about later coverage will appear in the next Media Coverage Report to Council.
The death of Lord Perry of Walton, the university’s first Vice-Chancellor, was widely
reported in UK national, Scottish and Milton Keynes media. Four of the five UK daily
broadsheets carried comprehensive obituaries.
Daily Mail; Daily Telegraph; Financial Times; The Guardian; The Independent; The Times;
Glasgow Herald; The Scotsman; The Guardian Weekly; Milton Keynes Citizen; MK News,
Milton Keynes, MKWeb website; BBC Three Counties Radio
Obituaries following the death of Prof Richard Maidment, chief executive officer OUW
(USA), were also published in the national press.
The Independent; The Times
The university’s Department of Earth Sciences was among the groups responsible for the
launch of a new research project that will use two million home PCs to run a climate
prediction model. The launch was widely covered by press and broadcast media; many of the
items referred to the OU’s involvement.
Financial Times; BBC World Service; Today, BBC Radio Four; Breakfast, BBC Radio Five
Live; BBC news website; Yahoo news website; Nature; New Scientist; New York Times;
Reuters news service; ABC Science (US) website; Google news website; Government News
Network
The launch of a joint prospectus from the five institutions – including the OU – that offer HE
opportunities in Milton Keynes was featured in specialist press.
Further Education Today; BusinessMK, Milton Keynes
The award of an honorary doctorate to Heather Mills-McCartney continued to attract national
coverage.
Daily Mirror; OK! Magazine; Hello!(x2); Liverpool Echo; The News, Portsmouth (x3);
Sheffield Star; Evening Herald, Ireland
The award was criticised in a wide-ranging article about the growing marketing trends for
universities to attach themselves to celebrities in an Irish title.
Irish Independent
Fellow honorary graduate and artist June Mendoza was also the subject of media coverage.
Cambridge Evening News; The Artists & Illustrators Magazine
… as was honorary graduate Sister Frances Dominica, who set up Helen House, the world’s
first children’s hospice.
Oxford Mail (x3)
The offer of free introductory Spanish courses to David and Victoria Beckham on their move
to Madrid – in a bid to arouse general interest in language learning – also continued to attract
coverage.
Times Higher Education Supplement; Blackpool Gazette; MK News website
4
The launch of the university’s mathematics education graduate diploma (for existing teachers
who find themselves teaching maths without expertise in the subject) was widely reported.
The Press Association; Times Educational Supplement; Bolton Evening News; Bristol
Evening Post; Edinburgh Evening News; Jersey Evening Post; Leicester Mercury (x2);
Liverpool Daily Post; Newcastle upon Tyne Journal; Shropshire Star; Western Mail;
Wolverhampton Express & Star; BBC News website; Ananova news website; BDaily website;
This is Lancashire website
Coverage of Queen’s Birthday Honours Awards for Prof Colin Pillinger, of the Planetary and
Space Sciences Research Institute, and for Dr Edward Brech, honorary research fellow with
the Open University Business School, continued.
Times Higher Education Supplement
News to changes in university funding from the Higher Education Funding Council for
England were reported by the THES. It stated that a greater focus (and higher levels of
funding) for part-time providers could be of benefit to the Open University.
Times Higher Education Supplement
The launch of an accelerated MBA programme by the Open University Business School was
featured in specialist business and education press.
Financial Advisor; Education Guardian website; MKNews website
Winners from the recently-held Open University Business School awards event were featured
in specialist and regional titles.
Scotsman on Sunday; The Rush (Aldershot); Wiltshire & Gloucestershire Standard;
Professional Manager
News that the OUBS MBA Alumni Association membership will grow to more than 13,000
in 2003 was carried by national and specialist titles.
Financial Times; Financial Advisor; The Scotsman; Project Manager Today
Milton Keynes media carried news of a presentation, attended by the Vice-Chancellor, by
CitiSchool, which gives disaffected young people a chance to learn in the workplace.
Sunday Citizen, Milton Keynes
Building work for the new Library building and Offices X attracted more coverage.
Milton Keynes Citizen; BusinessMK, Milton Keynes
5
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E-Learning and the e-university
SECTION 4
E-LEARNING AND THE
E-UNIVERSITY
The development of an e-democracy co-ordinators’ training course by the Hansard Society, in
association with Dr Gilly Salmon, of the OUBS, continues to attract coverage.
Local Government IT in Use
Online studying is allowing graduates to continue in education while working (headline),
reported a national title. The biggest online provider is the Open University, which has 22,000
postgraduates worldwide and offers more than 25 degrees wholly online as well as many
others with online content. OU Pro-Vice-Chancellor Professor Linda Jones, says: “Online
links generally with the advantages of Open University study.”
The Guardian
Online bonus, e-ventually: UK eUniversity (UKeU) is a joint venture between the private and
higher education sectors. Typical problems are those experienced by the University of
Cambridge and Open University’s postgraduate certificate in “Learning in the connected
economy”.
Times Higher Education Supplement
If you can teach, learn online: The initiative on TeachandLearn.net is due to be launched next
January by the Open University in partnership with BBC Worldwide, and will be available to
schools and education authorities.
PC Home
Turning the online wheels: What are e-tivities? How do you use them? And do they work?
Gilly Salmon guided readers through these frameworks, giving working examples and
outlining the benefits for those who participate and set the training budgets.
Training Journal
Adding sight and sound to the educational mix: The sector is beginning to see underused
audiovisual content being delivered to desktops and integrated into VLEs in higher and further
education.
Library & Information Update
6
Expert Comment
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SECTION 5
5.1
5.2
5.3
5.4
5.5
5.6
EXPERT COMMENT
Academic comment in
print media
Academic comment on
broadcast media
Press articles by OU
representatives
Published letters by OU
representatives
New titles by OU
representatives
Other items
5.1 Academic comment in news articles
Dr Andrew Ball
Faculty of Science
About the proximity of Mars to Earth in August 2003
Glasgow Herald; Western Daily Press, Bristol; Wolverhampton Express & Star
Dr Cindy Engel
associate lecturer for the Faculty of Science
About animals actively taking care of their health
Aberdeen Press & Journal; Scotland on Sunday
Dr Mark Fenton-O’Creevy
Open University Business School
About democracy within businesses
Management Today
Mike Follows
associate lecturer
Mike Follows was among experts responding to readers’ science questions.
Focus
Dr Colin Gray
Open University Business School
About how recessionary trends are affecting the small business sector Making Money
Dr Iain Gilmour
Faculty of Science
About chemical evolution and the latest theories attached to it
New Scientist
Mike Green
Open University Business School
About training for school governors
Times Educational Supplement
Prof Doreen Massey
Faculty of Geography
On the launch of a pamphlet, with other academics, that proposed decentering some
London-based Government departments to offset regional inequality
Financial Times; The Guardian; The Times; Public Finance; Regeneration and
Renewal
Frank Monaghan
Faculty of Education and Language Studies
He took part in judging for a national competition that aimed to find the UK’s best
business names.
Dr John Murray
Faculty of Science
About increases in the population of the White Admiral butterfly
7
Chichester Observer; The News, Portsmouth
Prof Rosemary O’Day
Faculty of Arts
Some of Prof O’Day’s comments to History Today magazine about the nature of
history on TV were reported by a national title.
The Guardian
Prof Rob Paton
Open University Business School
About databases showing charity accounts
Scotland on Sunday
Prof Colin Pillinger
Faculty of Science
About the Beagle 2 project, for which he is lead scientist, and Mars being at its
closest to Earth for 60,000 years. He provided comment to a wide range of media –
see Section 6 Research News.
Prof Steven Rose
Faculty of Science
About the causes within the brain that lead to Alzheimer’s disease
The Guardian
Ormond Simpson
The Open University in the East of England
About learning methods and student support
Yorkshire Post
Prof Gary Slapper
The Law Programme
About new laws on corporate manslaughter
The Law Society’s Gazette
About the incorrigibility of some young people
The News, Portsmouth
About pending court cases brought against food manufacturers from those who claim
an addiction to fatty food has damaged their health
Sunday Times, The Publican
5.2 Academic comment on broadcast media
Prof Stuart Hall
Emeritus professor
About the social history of the Notting Hill area of London
Prof Trevor Herbert
Faculty of Arts
About the popularity of the Mamma Mia musical
BBC Radio Four
BBC Radio Wales
Prof Doreen Massey
Faculty of Geography
On the launch of a pamphlet, with other academics, that proposed decentering some
London-based Government departments to offset regional inequality
BBC London News (radio); BBC Radio Cumbria; BBC Radio Stoke; BBC Radio
Lancashire; BBC Radio Devon
Dr Bill Purdue
About the Royal Train
Faculty of Arts
BBC Three Counties Radio
Prof Steven Rose
Faculty of Science
Prof Rose’s regular contributions to BBC Radio Four’s Moral Maze programme
continued.
Prof Gary Slapper
Law Programme
About plans by the Lord Chancellor to remove the Law Society’s powers of selfregulation.
You and Yours, BBC Radio Four
Prof Bob Spicer
Faculty of Science
About Palaeocene/Eocene Thermal Maximum
Material World, BBC Radio Four
8
5.3 Press articles by Open University representatives
Christopher Belshaw
Faculty of Arts
Christopher Belshaw was the joint author of an article that asked “What constitutes a
good character?”
Nursing Standard
Alan Davidson
Open University Business School
Alan Davidson was the co-editor of an article about management styles.
Association Meetings International
Prof Ron Glatter
Faculty of Education and Language Studies
Prof Glatter was the author of an article about managerial change in education.
Education Journal
Prof Stuart Hall
Emeritus Professor
Prof Hall wrote an opinion article subtitled “Blair’s project has been to absorb social
democracy into neo-liberalism”.
The Guardian
Dr Sue Holwell
Faculty of Technology
Dr Holwell wrote an opinion article about healthcare processes for a specialist title.
Healthcare Equipment & Supplies
Jenny Houssart
Faculty of Mathematics and Computing
Devices to help infant school pupils learn maths skills were the subject of her article
for a specialist title.
TES Teacher
Dr Alan Marr
Faculty of Education and Language Studies
Dr Marr wrote an article about innovative methods of controlling disruptive
behaviour among school pupils.
Nursery World
Dr Kerry Platman
Open University Business School
Dr Kerry Platman’s article about age discrimination was published on a union
website.
www.unison.org.uk
Prof Colin Russell
Emeritus professor
An article about William Richardson, who discovered electrolysis, was written by
Prof Russell.
Chemistry in Britain
He also wrote an article that tracked society’s changing opinions of chemistry for the
same title.
Janet Seden
School of Health and Social Welfare
Janet Seden was the co-author of a specialist title’s article about stress in the social
care sector.
Community Care
Prof Gary Slapper
The Law Programme
Regular comment columns by Prof Gary Slapper continued in a national title. Recent
subjects included litigants without lawyers and prosecutorial discretion.
The Times
Prof Bob Spicer
Faculty of Science
In an article for the publication of the Natural Environment Research Council, Prof
Spicer told the story of fossilised leaves in Tibet.
NERC News
9
5.4 Published letters by Open University representatives
Prof Jim Coleman
Faculty of Education and Language Studies
About the benefits of language students studying abroad
Times Higher Education Supplement
Prof David Elliott
Faculty of Technology
About the energy audit of wind turbines
The Times
Prof Clive Emsley
Faculty of Arts
About the need for a Metropolitan Police Museum
The Times
Prof Martyn Hammerseley
Faculty of Education and Language Studies
About the difficulties involved “in using policies to improve social institutions”.
The Guardian
Prof Arthur Marwick
Faculty of Arts
About the 1960s sexual revolution
The Sunday Times
Roger Mills
The Open University in the East of England
To clarify a previous THES article about HE opportunities in East Anglia that made
no reference to the Open University in the East of England.
Times Higher Education Supplement
Prof Andrew Porteous
Faculty of Technology
About the use of combined heat and power plants
The Guardian
Dr Philip Sarre
Faculty of Social Sciences
In response to a previous article that implied that an OU degree was a “relatively
expensive qualification”.
Times Higher Education Supplement
Prof Gary Slapper
Law Programme
About the criminality attached to some rail “accidents”
The Independent
Alan Woodley
Institute of Educational Technology
His letter corrected a previous erroneous suggestion by another correspondent that a
merged UMIST and University of Manchester would be the UK’s largest university.
Times Higher Education Supplement
5.5 New titles by Open University representatives
Prof Robin Wilson
Centre for Mathematics Education
Four Colours Suffice: How the Map Problem was Solved by Prof Robin Wilson was
reviewed in a specialist title.
Physics World
5.6 Other items
Prof Bob Moon and Liz Bird
Faculty of Education and Language Studies
Prof Bob Moon and Liz Bird were among specialists in teacher education who
attended a meeting with MP Kerry Pollard.
St Albans Observer
Dr Peter Scott
Knowledge Media Institute
TES reported that Dr Peter Scott was to be one of the guest speakers at an education
conference.
Times Educational Supplement
10
Research news
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SECTION 6
RESEARCH NEWS
Centre for Higher Education Research and Information
The launch of research into learning outcomes that will help to shape UK higher
education strategy was featured.
Further Education Today
Faculty of Social Sciences
Work by Dr Graham Pike in the forensic psychology research team was referred to in
an article about new criminal identification software.
The Engineer
Faculty of Science
The university’s involvement in the Wide Angle Search for Planets (WASP) project
was referred to in a regional press article about the scheme.
Sunday Independent
Prof John Murray, of the Department for Earth Sciences, has formulated a new way
of predicting how much lava will erupt from Mount Etna, reported a science title.
Focus
Specialist press carried news of the launch at the university of the Interdisciplinary
Centre for Astrobiology.
International Laboratory
Faculty of Social Sciences
Research by Dr Daniel Nettle that showed that women prefer taller men to pass on
their genes to their sons continues to be of interest to the media.
Men’s Fitness
Open University Business School
Research by the OUBS for Lloyds TSB was featured in a national title. It found that
more than half of all small businesses have been crime victims in the past year.
Mail on Sunday
Research by Chris Cornforth about charity governance was featured in the Society
section of The Guardian.
The Guardian
Planetary and Space Sciences Research Institute
As the Beagle 2 Mars lander continues its journey to the Red Planet, extensive
coverage continued. More than 200 press cuttings have been received during the
period of this report. Please note that not all cuttings name the university in their
coverage – sometimes because of the large number of partners involved in the
project. Beagle 2 was launched on June 2.
Recent coverage has included:
a) an update on the mission’s progress at the time (late August) when Mars was at
its closest to Earth for 60,000 years;
b) the project’s aim to encourage in everyone, including children, an interest in
science;
c) news about a project display at the Royal Society’s Summer Science exhibition;
d) work by some of the industrial partners on the project;
e) continuing specialist press coverage about scientific aspects of the project;
f) continuing regional press coverage focussing on some of the contributing
companies, organisations and their staff.
11
The project was also the subject of several broadcast media programmes, including
one for the Discovery channel, one for BBC Radio Four, and a segment during the
OU/BBC All Night Star Party programme.
Other research
Reference continues to be made to research, published in 1999, in which OU teams
were involved, that found no increased risk of autism after the MMR inoculation was
given.
Derby Evening Telegraph
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Negative and sensitive coverage
SECTION 8
NEGATIVE AND
SENSITIVE COVERAGE
News of a Quality Assurance Agency audit for Kolding Kobmandsskole, whose courses are
validated by Open University Validation Services, was published in THES. The audit
concluded that “there can be only a limited confidence in the university’s stewardship of the
quality and standards of its validated awards”, the newspaper reported.
In response, OUVS director Kate Clarke said the QAA report appeared “to challenge the
legitimacy of accreditation as a model for collaboration”.
Times Higher Education Supplement
Following the death of Lord Perry of Walton, Daily Mail columnist Nigel Dempster reported
that “thanks to a hapless charlady, the reputation of the late Liberal Democrat peer Lord Perry
is being unfairly tarnished”. He went on to describe how – erroneously – a cleaner at his
London club had given the impression that he had enjoyed access to the club for free by
posing as a member of another club in Edinburgh. In fact, members of the Edinburgh club are
allowed to use the London club when in the capital.
Daily Mail
The end of the USOU venture last year was referred to briefly in an article about children
using the internet as a study tool.
New Statesman
Student Andres Gutirrez-Aldana was told to leave Britain immediately, reported a local
newspaper, because his OU course did not comply with the Immigration Service’s studying
guidelines because it is not full-time.
Bournemouth Daily Echo
In an article about a newspaper advertisement for a primary school’s job vacancies that
contained a number of grammar and spelling mistakes, a quote from Dr John Marks, a former
Government education adviser, included the following:
“I have marked work for the Open University since 1970, when people used to come in with a
reasonable grasp of grammar and spelling. It has gradually deteriorated over the years.”
Daily Mail
12
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Graduate Publicity Exercise
SECTION 9
GRADUATE PUBLICITY EXERCISE
All new graduates are invited to agree to details about them and their studies being released to
media local to their homes; more than 3,000 students took up the opportunity in 2003.
More than 1,100 news releases, targeted to local media according to the postcode areas they
serve, were issued to newspapers and local radio stations.
Those news releases resulted in the publication of more than 300 articles, which more than
15million readers had the opportunity to see.
The Graduate Publicity Exercise 2003 is now complete. Full details about its success can be
found in the report:
Open University Media Relations: Graduate Publicity Exercise 2003
Produced by the Communications Group for Council Residential Weekend, 2003
Copies of the Graduate Publicity Exercise 2003 report have been distributed to members of
Council with this Media Coverage Report.
The Graduate Publicity Exercise 2003 report will be available from Monday, September 29 in
the OULife E-Extra News section at http://intranet.open.ac.uk/index.asp
l
Students and staff
SECTION 9
9.1
9.2
9.3
9.4
STUDENTS AND STAFF
2003 graduates
Former students and
pre-2003 graduates
Current students
OU staff and
representatives
Current and former Open University students and staff are often featured in
all types of media. Many of them mention their OU connections in an article
that has an unconnected theme. The lists that follow are by no means
exhaustive.
9.1 2003 graduates and successful students
2003 graduates whose studies were mentioned in press articles included:
 Steve Hopkinson, BSc(Hons), who was mentioned as a former
Birmingham milkman who now works in the Co-op ‘s IT department.
 Jackie Lees who was featured in an article about switching to a diploma
system for schools.
13
9.2 Former students and pre-2003 graduates
Former students whose studies were mentioned in press articles included:

 Four children collected a posthumous honorary degree in music at an
award ceremony in Manchester on behalf of their mother, Veronica
Head, who died of a malignant brain tumour. She had studied for her
music degree for several years.
 Derek Wyatt (BA art and architecture), MP for Sittingbourne and
Sheppey is noted in the press as being Parliament’s e-vangelist – pushing
new technology issues.
9.3 Current students
Among current students who mentioned their studies in press articles were:
Ron Cameron, 34, of Alves in Moray, who rescued his five-year-old
daughter when their house caught fire.
Tracey Parker, PhD student, who led a delegation of Space Camp UK
students to a week’s NASA astronaut training in the USA, which
included simulated space missions.
Tracy Kitchen, studying for a science degree, who is being sponsored by
HSBC Bank to take part in scientific projects around the globe. Tracy is
going to Iceland to studying glaciers.
Rebecca Rosenthal spoke for 6,000 Open University students in Wales
when she visited the Welsh Assembly.
9.4 OU staff and representatives
 Sally Vickers, former English literature tutor, now touring Britain
promoting her second novel Mr Golightly’s Holiday.
 Jane Lucas, part-time science lecturer, noted for opening her garden to
visitors in Woman and Home magazine.
 Nitin Sawhney, lecturer, has released a new CD of his music and is
listed by press as one of five good reasons to stay in.
 John Zarnecki’s appointment as professor is noticed by the media.
14
Lifelong learning
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SECTION 10
10.1
10.2
10.3
LIFELONG LEARNING
General features
Current courses
Future courses
10.1 General features
Readers were encouraged to consider studying with the Open University through
articles in the following:
National titles:
Independent on Sunday
Irish Times
Sunday Independent (Ireland)
Regional titles:
Anglo Celt
Barrow Advertiser, Barrow-in-Furness
Birmingham Evening Mail
Guernsey Press & Star
Hartlepool Mail
Haslemere Messenger
Hexham Courant
The Journal, Newcastle upon Tyne
Morpeth Herald
Newcastle Herald & Post, Newcastle upon Tyne
North-West Evening Mail, Barrow-in-Furness (x2)
Oxford Times
Peterlee Star
Teesside Evening Gazette
Western Mail
Specialist titles
CA Magazine (focussing on OUBS courses and programmes)
Executive PA (focussing on OUBS courses and programmes)
Expatica.com website for expatriates in Europe
Lincolnshire Today (focussing on SHSW courses and programmes)
Methodist Recorder
Nursery World
Zest (women’s title)
10.2 Current courses
Knowledge, Information and Care course from the School of Health and Social
Welfare was referred to in an article about health informatics in a specialist title.
BMJ Journal
10.3 Future courses and developments
Among the new OU courses highlighted in media articles were:
Winning Resources and Support
Third Sector (x2)
15
The university’s participation – with other providers – in the new Centre for
Excellence in Leadership (for further education staff) continues to attract coverage.
The Guardian; Times Higher Education Supplement
News of the university’s new undergraduate computing degree was featured in local
press.
Salisbury Journal
An appeal for solicitors to join the university’s expanding law programme as
associate lecturers was featured in a specialist title.
Law Society’s Gazette
Staff tutor Rob Janes outlined the career options available to chemistry graduates for
a national press feature.
The Independent
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News from the regions
SECTION 11
Region 1
Region 2
Region 3

Region 4
Region 5
Region 6
Region 8
NEWS FROM THE
REGIONS
Events and activities organised by or featuring the Open University in
London that attracted coverage included:
 information events in Croydon.

Events and activities organised by or featuring the Open University in the
South that attracted coverage included:
 information events in Swindon;
 participation in the Oxford-Cambridge Arc project for encouraging
businesses and the knowledge sector in the region to work together.

Events and activities organised by or featuring the Open University in the
South-West that attracted coverage included:
 a Newton Abbot school that offers OU courses;
 an OUBS open event in Bristol;
 information events in Bath, Swindon, Taunton, and at the regional centre
in Bristol.
Events and activities organised by or featuring the Open University in the
West Midlands that attracted coverage included:
 a robot event for children at a school in Malvern.

Events and activities organised by or featuring the Open University in the
East Midlands that attracted coverage included:
 an information event in Lincoln.

Events and activities organised by or featuring the Open University in the
East of England that attracted coverage included:
 an information event in Colchester.

Events and activities organised by or featuring the Open University in the
North-West that attracted coverage included:
 information events in Oldham and Skelmersdale.
16
Region 9
Region 10
Region 11
Region 12

Events and activities organised by or featuring the Open University in the
North that attracted coverage included:
 a West Cumbria school that will offer OU courses to its most talented
students.
Events and activities organised by or featuring the Open University in Wales
that attracted coverage included:
 information events in Aberystwyth, Cardiff, Cwmbran, Haverfordwest,
Llandudno, Newport, Swansea and Wrexham,
 participation in an Age Concern pre-retirement event;
 sponsorship by the OUBS of a category in the Welsh Woman of the Year
awards.

Events and activities organised by or featuring the Open University in
Scotland that attracted coverage included:
 information events in Dumfries, Glasgow, Grantown, Inverurie,
Kilmarnock and Renfrew;
 involvement in the Robert Owen Commemoration Lecture in New Lanark.

Events and activities organised by or featuring the Open University in Ireland
that attracted coverage included:
 links with the Institute of Technology, Carlow;
 information events in Ballina, Castlebar, Strabane and Westport.
Broadcast Features
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SECTION 12
12.1
12.2
BROADCAST
FEATURES
Coverage for BBC/OU
programmes
Other coverage
12.1 Coverage for BBC/OU programmes
Science Shack:
The second series of Science Shack (BBC Two), which put seemingly
impossible challenges to the scientific test, was the subject of a
comprehensive range of coverage:
TV listings magazines previews and features and
national press weekly TV supplements
23
National press previews (daily TV pages)
17
Regional press previews and reviews (TV supplements
and daily TV pages)
80
Broadcast features
9
TOTAL
129
17
All Night Star Party
A special Open University live programme for BBC Two, All Night Star
Party handed over some of Britain’s largest telescopes to viewers so that they
could see for themselves parts of the Universe. The programme was billed as
the UK’s largest ever mass sky-watching event. It attracted the following
press coverage:
TV listings magazines previews and features and
national press weekly TV supplements
16
Regional press previews and reviews (TV supplements
and daily TV pages)
31
Broadcast features
5
TOTAL
52
Other series
A number of other OU/BBC programmes and series are currently being
shown or will be shown in the near future. They include Landscape
Mysteries, What the Industrial Revolution Did For Us, The Mark Steel
Lectures and Ever Wondered About Food.
Information about press coverage about them will be carried in the next
Media Coverage Report to Council.
12.2 Other coverage
Local radio across the UK continued to carry reports about a number of open events
for would-be students and about successful graduates.
18
And Finally …
l
SECTION 13
AND FINALLY …
The introduction of new housemate Lisa Jeynes to the Big Brother house – midway through
the Channel Four reality TV series – prompted a number of press articles. Many referred to
the fact that she had completed DD100 An Introduction to the Social Sciences with the
university.
The Sun; Sunday Express; Sunday Mirror; Sunday People; BBC News Online; Western Mail
The trade and technical press sector continues to provide some of the most unusual sources of
press coverage for the university. The recently-completed Michael Young Building and
Offices IX continue to be featured as an example of the latest construction and design
methods.
Architects’ Journal (x2); Architect, Builder, Contractor and Developer; Business Times (East
Midlands); Facilities Management Excellence; Lighting Equipment News
Carl Churchill is only 19, but has been picked to be making multiple millions in a
newspaper’s Rich List 2020. Churchill runs DMC Internet, “a Dunstable-based information
technology empire specialising in connectivity.” He tells The Guardian that he’d like to
continue his education, “…the Open University perhaps. I’d like to be able to prove on paper
that I can do business, and computing, and things like that.”
The Guardian
From a technical journal comes the note that “Achieving high standards of air tightness
requires thorough planning and close management of the construction process.” And OU’s
Business School has it. “The Termodeck system of closely controlled ventilation was chosen
for the building’s office spaces because of its low energy methods of delivering fresh air
without compromising the flexibility for a variety of layouts – open plan or cellular.”
Building Services Journal
“There will be a boom in Open University degrees and courses in history of art for people in
their mid-to-late-50s,” writes business journalist Robert Bruce in an article on why it’s trendy
to look long-term.
Accountancy
To Die For columnist Caroline Roux writes: “I’ve always thought parties were naff. Having
said that, Jerry Hall gives really good parties. She’s done a course at the Open University, and
she’s always reading. She’s a cultivated lady.”
Weekend, The Guardian
19