Sunday 13 December 2015

News Article 27

Banksy work in Calais 'Jungle' shows Steve Jobs as Migrant 

Banksy artwork at the Jungle refugee camp showing Steve Jobs

This is how BBC News represented the story:

The graffiti artist Banksy has created a new artwork in the so-called Jungle refugee camp in Calais depicting the late Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple.
The artwork shows Jobs, the son of a Syrian migrant, carrying an early Apple computer and a bin bag of possessions. The work is intended to draw attention to the benefits of migration, Banksy said. The artist, who has never revealed his identity, donated elements of a recent installation to the camp for shelter.
In a rare public statement, Banksy said "We're often led to believe migration is a drain on the country's resources but Steve Jobs was the son of a Syrian migrant. Apple is the world's most profitable company, it pays over $7bn (£4.6bn) a year in taxes - and it only exists because they allowed in a young man from Homs."
Banksy artwork at the Jungle refugee camp showing Steve Jobs
The work - painted on a concrete bridge in the camp - shows Jobs in his trademark black polo neck and round glasses. He appears to be carrying a bin bag full of his possessions, as if he were a migrant. In pictures posted on the artist's website, the work can be seen near tents and adjacent to another piece of graffiti which reads: "Nobody deserves to live this way!"
The camp in Calais is home to about 7,000 migrants and refugees, the majority from Syria, Afghanistan and Eritrea. While at the camp, Banksy painted several other pieces, including one based on Theodore Gericault's famous painting Raft of the Medusa, but depicting refugees waving towards a luxury yacht.
Banksy painted another piece in Calais showing refugees waving to a luxury yacht
Banksy recently donated wood and other structural elements from his "bemusement park" installation Dismaland to the Calais camp to help build shelters. The installation, in Weston-Super-Mare, closed in September.
My opinion on the news article:
I thought this was a really interesting story and I have always liked the work of Banksy because there is usually a meaning behind it and I also like the sense of mystery about his work. This particular piece is very impactful as it explores the negative perception of migration and by using Steve Jobs as the subject, it is likely to catch peoples attention and then this issue may start to be seen in a better light. Furthermore, I feel BBC News represented this story very well because they wrote about his piece in detail, including quotations, statistics, contextual information and good images. 
Banksy artwork at the Jungle refugee camp showing Steve Jobs

Saturday 5 December 2015

News Article 26

Syria air strikes: RAF jets carry out second mission



Source of the story: BBC News (breaking news flash)

RAF jets have carried out their second set of air strikes in Syria since MPs backed military action against so-called Islamic State in the country.
It is understood the targets were oil fields again, and the mission involved two Typhoons and two Tornados.
On Thursday, four Tornado jets launched the first air strikes, hitting the Omar oil fields in eastern Syria.
MPs backed UK military action against IS in Syria, by 397 votes to 223, after a 10-hour Commons debate on Wednesday.
My opinion on the story:
Since I heard about this story on Thursday, I have been following it and personally, I feel that is a very big risk to take. I just don't understand how paying back violence with violence is going to solve anything? Surely by bombing Syria, we are therefore victimising ourselves to ISIS and they are more likely to attack us. Furthermore, innocent people are very likely to die during these air strikes, and whether it is very few or hundreds/thousands/millions, it is still innocent people dying who have absolutely no reason to. With the votes being 397 to 223, it still shows that a large amount of MPs were strongly against it and I believe they definitely jumped to a conclusion too quick. So overall, I am struggling to see any benefit of our government doing this and I think that it will sadly, only lead to retaliation and then we are caught in the cycle of war.