Tag Archives: politics

The space shuttle: the shape of things that never came.

Posted on July 18, 2011 by Samira Ahmed

Or How The Space Shuttle Promised Me The Universe, But Left Me On The Gantry Of Broke Dreams. It seems appropriate that the final Space Shuttle mission launch got pushed off the front pages and main broadcast news coverage by … Continue reading →

Posted in Children, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Eet is, ‘ow you say, uncanny, no?

Posted on July 5, 2011 by Samira Ahmed

Fans of Asterix will need no reminding that the comic featured a youthful Jacques Chirac as a thrusting young politician in Obelix and Co (1976). But this morning provided a particularly delightful example of the potential of looking at politics … Continue reading →

Posted in Comics/graphic novels, Crime and Justice, Culture, Politics, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Don’t misquote me — lessons in interviewing from Johann Hari and Ed Miliband

Posted on July 2, 2011 by Samira Ahmed

Two incidents this week revealed  quite useful lessons about responsible interviewing. The Independent’s star columnist Johann Hari was found to have been quoting interviewees from other sources, while passing the quotes off as his own interview. Here’s Johann Hari’s own … Continue reading →

Posted in journalism, Media, Politics, Radio, TV, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Swingeing (cuts) 80s: Lessons from The Ghost Town Generation

Posted on June 30, 2011 by Samira Ahmed

They were playing the jaunty TV theme tune to “Jeeves and Wooster” on Monday night when guests walked into the Financial Times summer party at Lancaster House near Green Park in London. It reminded me of how much I enjoyed … Continue reading →

Posted in Business/Economics, Culture, Education, Film, Music, Politics, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Privilege: Lessons from the Swinging 60s and the Swingeing (cuts) 80s

Posted on June 30, 2011 by Samira Ahmed

This has been superceded by the longer post above which is the full comment piece on how far we really are re-living aspects of the 1980s: major strikes, job cuts, recession, Two Nations. Since the Royal wedding in April I’ve … Continue reading →

Posted in Business/Economics, Culture, Media, Politics, Religion, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

From Roots to Amina: A history of the well-meant liberal hoax

Posted on June 14, 2011 by Samira Ahmed

The liberal hoax for a “good cause” has a long tradition. Most bizarre in Tom MacMaster’s defence of his long and increasingly reported fake identity as Amina Arraf, an imprisoned lesbian Syrian blogger, was his claim that he was challenging … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, journalism, Music, Politics, TV, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Truth About The Jam Generation (80s remix)

Posted on May 10, 2011 by Samira Ahmed

Since David Cameron claimed class war anthem “Eton Rifles” as one his Desert Island Discs, many political journalists seem to have bought the argument that they are “The Jam Generation”; the subject of a recent Radio 4 series. It seemed … Continue reading →

Posted in Comedy, Culture, Education, Film, journalism, Media, Music, Politics, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Code-name Geronimo: Parallels between the Apache hero and Osama Bin Laden

Posted on May 3, 2011 by Samira Ahmed

Played out via helmet cam, Hollywood-style still photos released of the Commander-In-Chief, in the Situation Room supervising the kill. For an operation that was reportedly a year in the planning, an elementary understanding of the history of the American West … Continue reading →

Posted in Cowboys!, Film, Politics, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Prevention in Pakistan: Cameron’s new strategy?

Posted on April 5, 2011 by Samira Ahmed

This is my post for Channel 4 News about David Cameron’s announcement of £650 million in education aid.  Amid all the fuss about Libya, has the Coalition Government’s smartest foreign policy decision been made quietly  and efficiently? The Prime Minister’s visit … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Politics, Religion, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

From Casablanca to Calais: refugees on film

Posted on March 30, 2011 by Samira Ahmed

On 10 June last year I chaired a panel discussion at BFI Southbank with directors Stephen Frears, Mat Whitecross and Kenny Glenaan and cultural commentator Professor Terence Wright. We were looking back on the portrayal of refugees in film as … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Film, journalism, Politics, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment