About

The Western Eye newspaper was established by Emma Judd (Communications officer 2003/04) in 2003. It was intended to both provide students with the latest news, while also providing an opportunity for those who are interested in helping produce it. In 2005 UWESU changed it’s constitution which removed the post of Communications officer, and was brought under the remit of the Activities President. However due to the scale of the job, a full time publications editor is currently employed by the Union, all other posts are voluntary and any UWE student can get involved.

At present it is published once a month during term time. The paper is financed by UWESU, with some additional revenue generated through advertising. It is distributed as a free paper across all UWE campuses and can be downloaded from the WesternEye website shortly after publication. Soon we hope to have an archive in Bolland library and we are also planning to distribute some copies to all halls of residence and on the Ulink buses. Westworld can also be found around campus as well as some local boutiques, art galleries and cafes.

Aims:

To provide an opportunity for those interested in journalism to get involved.
To be an independent newspaper able to express all views from students.
To keep UWE students up to date with the events that are affecting them.

Get Involved

Getting involved in your student newspaper, WesternEye, is your chance to make your mark at UWE. Produced monthly, the WesternEye has been running for eight years, is written by students for students. It is editorally independant from the University and Students’ Union, and thus supports a culture of open accountability between students, the University and the SU.

This is a great opportunity to gain experience in journalism and expand your creativity by bringing fresh ideas to the newspaper and being part of a committed and lively team. It will keep you informed of current SU and University news, events, campaigns, UWE sports and societies, lifestyle, features and also features student comment section, all crammed into one exciting newspaper.

Westworld

Westworld was previously an independant UWESU magazine, but unfortunately the recession and budgetary constraints mean this is no longer possible. However, it has been kept alive as a supplement of WesternEye, featuring sharp magazine style design and covering topics like art, music, culture, fashion, theatre and photography. It also exhibits work from UWE students.

Getting involved in WesternEye and Westworld is easy, just contact the editor on: Tel: 0117 32 82842
E-mail: editor@westerneye.net, or go to the Contact section of the website.

Comment Debate
Is it time to legalise prostitution in the UK?

>James Byrne looks into the dispute behind a profession surrounded by stigma and negative assumptions… There has been intense debate over the last few years over whether to decriminalise, or even legalise the business of prostitution. On Monday 2nd April UWE held a debate on the issue between freelance journalist Julie Bindel and Women’s Institute representative Jean Johnson. Julie Bindel favours the approach taken by Sweden, where the act of selling sex is decriminalised and the act of buying is [...]
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Comment Debate
Internships: should we really work for free?

>As competition for jobs reaches an all time high, Aminah Jagne explores the world of internships and whether they really are accessible to all… The National Statistic’s survey of the labour market has reported that unemployment is at its highest since 1995 and in the last ten years alone the number of recent graduates has risen by 41% to 1.5 million. As a result, the percentage of graduates in ‘lower skilled’ jobs (jobs that don’t “generally require competence through post-compulsory [...]
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Comment Fibloids
The Daily Mail lays yet another Brick on women…

>Charlotte Barnes looks at the recent controversy surrounding the Daily Mail’s columnist, Samantha Brick and her article, ‘“There are downsides to looking this pretty”: Why women hate me for being beautiful.’ Over the years of publications the Daily Mail has often caused quite a stir in terms of its portrayal of and conduct with the female population. We are often greeted with over-dramatic snapshots of a celebrity who forgot to put make-up on that morning or a 55-year-old star who [...]
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Comment
WikiLeaks, Facebook and the illusion of privacy

>James Byrne analyses a poignant comment on modern culture created from one meme in particular. ‘Time Magazine’ confirmed its status as a dinosaur of old media by naming Mark Zuckerberg ahead of Julian Assange as its ‘Man of The Year’ for 2010 – despite Assange’s major achievements with the site being between 2007 and 2009. Recently, an internet meme comparing the actions of the two men has been doing the rounds. The meme is based on a ‘Saturday Night Live’ [...]
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Comment
Cyber Stalking Employers

>Charlotte Barnes looks into how and why our relationship with Facebook may become complicated in the future The use of social networking sites has sky-rocketed in recent years, to such an extent that for many people it has become the preferred method of communication. We absent-mindedly update our statuses and throw pictures online of our wild nights out, with very little thought as to who sees them. Now our Facebook wall is not just open for scrutiny from our nearest [...]
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Comment
The fight for gay marriage rights intensifies

>Rikki du Heaume updates us with the latest progress in the US surrounding same sex marriage In my first article for the WesternEye I urged readers to pay attention to what was happening across the pond in the Republican primaries; perhaps the longest drawn out political process in the world. A contest in which friend became foe and a candidate’s true colours mattered. Back in October, Texan Governor Rick Perry and Minnesotan Congress woman Michele Bachmann were the bookies favourites. [...]
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Comment
Generations drowning in debt

The broken glass in Greece falls on frozen streets these days as Mediterranean states experience unprecedentedly low temperatures. It is testament to the sad desperation of the Greek people that there are often protests and riots in freezing conditions. Ten years of austerity or Greece leaves the Euro zone – problem solved. It’s like saying the rest of Europe will be warm if Greece leaves Europe, utter erroneous nonsense perpetrated by neoclassical economists whose faith in the system as it [...]
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Comment Debate
‘Khethiwe Must Stay’ – UWE students make a stand against deportation to Zimbabwe.

UWE students have taken a stand against the deportation of a local Bristol woman to Zimbabwe through protesting and writing letters to MP’s. Khethiwe Mashavave, a Bristol resident since 2002, claimed asylum due to the dangers she faced resulting from her political activity in Zimbabwe. As a strong supporter of democracy in Zimbabwe, Khethiwe has remained active since making Bristol her home, volunteering for Bristol Refugee Rights, participating in a local group calling for democracy in Zimbabwe, and helping out [...]
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Comment
Copyright or wrong?

Ever heard a song that rings a bell? Sarah Adams can put your mind at rest whilst questioning the legality of incorporating these ‘golden oldies’ into modern day hits I’m one of those annoying people who remember random celebrity’s names, film quotes and many other pointless pieces of information that I will constantly bring up in conversation whenever possible. I’ve recently realised this also applies to music where I’ll hear a track and have to tell you as many nuggets [...]
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Comment
Coming soon to a Google Maps near you…

With the pilot of Google’s evolved Street View mapping system now able to enter stores, has online technology gone a step too far? Too often do we pass by shops and businesses that do not catch our attention with a lack of visual appeal. A great business will always stand by the saying “never judge a book by its cover”. Yes, a shop may have the best lit and colorful logo and the funniest adverts on TV, but this is [...]
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