My Music Magazine "Mashup"

Here's a music magazine I made all by myself, using Adobe InDesign.
All interviews are original.

:)


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Feature Article

Interviews

The voice of Clacton was heard on the day of Brexit

The almost empty train in which I travel has reached its destination after about 80 minutes. I have left behind the Christmassy, cheerful, very expensive, packed with tourists and intoxicatingly cosmopolitan London, and suddenly I feel I am touching down in another country within the same country: I am now at the littoral Clacton-On-Sea.

At first I feel relief. Finally, I can find some peace. The day is a typical winter day, with a pale suspicion of sunshine, which makes the cold weather a little more bearable. Thankfully the sound of seagulls reminds me that the sea is not that far away. I have been walking only for a few minutes in this completely unknown to me corner of England and I am quickly flooded by the feeling that all the answers that I need for my new ambitious story could be found here, in this typically English city, with 55,000 residents, who scored one of the most impressive figures in favour of Britain leaving the European Union last June: an astonishing 70%.

Clacton-On-Sea makes me think of the England I heard about from my English language teacher when I was a teenager. The England of the 70s, with the outrageous fashion, the rugged landscapes and all the English clichés. The ethereal air and luxurious feel of London seem to be thousands of miles away. Forget the well-dressed and sophisticated Londoners, forget the modern cafés and restaurants and the extravagant fashion. Just forget most of what you think you know about the country, that is based solely on the images of London city.

The difference between the capital and Clacton is not just of an economic nature, this is perhaps the least. It is a cultural schism which causes a great shock to the unsuspected visitor, but also provides valuable explanations to why the result of the June referendum was what it was and why it could not be any different.

I say to myself as I walk: welcome to the country of Brexit!

From postcards I have seen that Clacton is full of life during summertime, but just before Christmas it looks like a different place. In the streets there are almost only elderly people. The city has become a destination for retirees and it is estimated that in 20 years from now 60% of the population of Clacton will be over 60 years old. This in itself could be an explanation for the triumphant victory of “Leave”, but that was not enough for my research and so I sought much more complex answers in the central pub in Clacton Main Street, which is located right opposite of the grey-looking sea and the melancholy deserted premises of the summer amusement park. Unlike London, where it would be considered totally indiscreet to speak to strangers, all my efforts to talk to regulars at the Moon and Starfish pub were unexpectedly successful. Everyone seemed happy to give me a quote and I almost felt like I was back home in Greece, in a café at a small remote village, where everyone knows everyone and people are so open with each other and whole-hearted.

“I belong to the silent minority of Clacton” says in a secretive and conspiratorial way Mr. Bryan Adkins, 52, as he’s drinking a pint of cold beer along with his father.

“I think the majority voted to leave the European Union without really believing that this could actually happen. Some still do not believe it will ever happen” he adds.

On the opposite table there is 25-year-old James, who works at a mobile phone shop in one of the most commercial streets of Clacton. He seems to be in a somehow philosophical mood and I truly enjoy talking to him. He confesses to me with slight embarrassment that he did not vote in the June referendum.

“I do not know why I did not vote. From my friends, only half of them voted. And to be honest, I still do not know whether I did the right or the wrong thing. If I could use an excuse, it is that for us here the meaning of the European Union is something quite distant. Yes, we know the positives, as well as the negatives, but that’s about it really.”

Next I see Carol Molony, a 64-year old redheaded woman, who wears a strange for her age outfit with traces of her hippie youth. She seems to be mad for joy when she finds out that I am from Greece. She strongly believes that because of her Irish origin we have so much to share and discuss. She begins to talk about Brexit and she does not want to stop.

“There is no way you can explain the passion of my fellow citizens about leaving the EU without becoming insulting.”

It quickly becomes obvious that Carol was a supporter of the “Remain” vote.

“The problem with all referendums is that we are asked to provide answers to very serious issues that we are poorly informed about. The public is so easily influenced and prone to populist propaganda. Here live people, who do not travel much and actually just repeat what they hear, so they do not have their own opinions.”

Just as James said earlier, Carol confirms that Clacton does not suffer from issues like high unemployment or influx of immigrants, two of the main reasons why England voted to leave the EU. So what is the reason why this Brexit stronghold did not want to be part of Europe anymore?

As I continue chatting with Carol, a middle-aged man behind me overhears us and breaks in on our conversation.

“Britain should only belong to the British!” he shouts to me and the whole pub turns to look at him.

Carol explains to me that the loud chauvinist is named Oliver Wrenn and he is a firm supporter of Brexit.

He continues talking to me in a slightly aggressive way, as he takes a sip of his beer, but I am struggling to understand what he is saying. His thick native accent is too hard for a foreigner like me to understand. Judging by the wet marks on his Christmas jumper, he must have been drinking quite a lot, so I choose to ignore him, although his patriotism has somehow made me think that most of the regulars in the pub feel the same way as him.


I speak to a few more people at the Moon and Starfish pub, but more or less I get the same answers. Many people are not sure why they voted “Leave”, others feel that the EU membership is limiting their freedom and a few believe that with Brexit, their wages and pensions will receive a high boost. No one however, seems totally sure about their vote and I sense hesitation in the voices of some when they speak to me.

I get the feeling that Carol was right when she said that people here, in Clacton, are “poorly informed”. Maybe misinformation is the key answer to the question of my reportage. Maybe people repeat what they watch and hear on TV, maybe they blindly accept what their preferred political party advocates or maybe the hope for a better future has influenced their decision.

As I am leaving the crowded pub, I realise that the first images I saw as I came out of the Clacton central railway station were very representative of the “Leave” vote. Here, in this city, blows a nostalgic air of the old England, with the lost traditions that have been flattened and mutated at London, with the big multinational companies, the bright lights, the glamorous lifestyle, the loud clubs and the politicians who have ceased to care about the simple and common people.

The voice of that old England was heard on the 23^rd of June in 2016.

Alcohol can be our heart’s biggest enemy

When I first moved to London, one of the first things that really shocked me about life in the UK was the British drinking culture. In my head, I had pictured English people very well-mannered, reserved and sophisticated, completely different from those infamous British youngsters who love visiting my country during the summer – especially the island of Corfu, which has become a regular English destination for partying – and drink everything that can be found in liquid form in bars and nightclubs. Don’t get me wrong though. The British are of course well-mannered and elegant, but maybe not so much after 7pm, when the local pubs are starting to serve pints of beer and Jack Daniels on the rocks.

In the beginning, I found it almost scary how pervasive alcohol is in the British and Irish society, to the point where I cannot imagine anymore a social occasion with my British friends, where alcohol is not part of it in some form or other. It just feels like English social life revolves around alcohol.

The worst part however, is the huge peer pressure to drink and ‘be merry’. And if you decide not to drink, then you are labelled ‘boring’ and not willing to ‘live life on the edge’ and have fun.

I have tried for years now to tell my friends that there are so many more things we can do in our 20s than getting drunk and being sick and embarrassing. Cinema, sports, dancing, cooking. You can do all of these things and more without needing to be intoxicated.

I have always tried to show them how harmful alcohol can be for our mental and physical health and how poisonous it is for our bodies. But I always get the same old answer: “a little bit of alcohol here and there can be fun and good for you.”

I remember even when I was a child my grandpa used to drink a glass of red wine with his lunch every single day and when I used to ask him repeatedly why he did so, he used to say that “a glass of wine every day is very good for your heart.” As I was only a kid, the smell of alcohol annoyed me and I always wanted to prove him wrong, but I just did not know how.

A few days ago, I was very happy (and kind of satisfied in a strange way) to read about a new, revolutionary research from the American College of Cardiology, which proved that excess alcohol intake is one of the many causes of serious heart conditions.

Alcohol has been mainly associated with liver damage. However, it appears that it also increases the risk of heart arrhythmia, stroke and heart failure, as much as hypertension, diabetes, smoking and obesity do. Furthermore, the study concluded that the reduction of alcohol consumption can decrease cardiac arrests.

The research, which was led by Dr. Gregory Marcus at the Department of Cardiology at the University of California in San Francisco, took into consideration the analysis of the medical database of 14.7 million patients over the age of 21, out of whom 268,000 (about 1.8%) consumed vast amounts of alcohol daily.

By processing all the data, the researchers found that heavy alcohol use is associated with double the risk of atrial fibrillation, as well as increased risks of heart attack and congestive heart failure. Instead, they reported, that complete abstinence from alcohol could lead to tens of thousands fewer chances and incidents of heart disease.

I contacted myself various doctors on their social media to found out more about their views on the topic:

Dr. Krumhol, cardiologist and medicine teacher said that “older studies have shown that moderate levels of alcohol consumption can help the heart, as they raise our high density lipoprotein (HDL), which is easier known as the ‘good’ cholesterol. Antioxidants are substances that can be found in certain alcoholic drinks, which also help protecting from artery damage. So definitely, the results of the recent ACC research are coming to change a lot of the things we thought we knew and show that we need to decrease alcohol consumption as much as we can, to reduce any chances of hurting our heart. People who avoid drinking are winning in this case.”

Cardiologist and researcher, Dr. A. Banerjee, strongly emphasised on how bad alcohol can be not only for our hearts, but also for our whole bodies: “Have you ever wondered why we vomit after we drink too much alcohol? That’s because alcohol is a poison and our bodies are trying to save us by removing alcohol through vomiting. It can be harmful for many of our organs and heavy drinking especially weakens the heart muscle and causes cardiomyopathy, which means that the heart cannot pump blood properly to the rest of the body and veins, which can then result to premature death.”

“Many people think that even drinking a little is good for our heart, but studies have shown the exact opposite. We only have one heart and we should take  care of it, before it abandons us” Dr. Banerjee added.

Finally, my views on alcohol and how harmful it can be have received scientific confirmation.

Now the tables have turned and I am the one who can put pressure on my friends to stop drinking and enjoy ‘living life on the edge’ without alcohol.

I realise however, that no matter how hard I try to persuade them, alcohol is part of their culture, a very big part of their lives and they will most likely keep drinking, getting drunk and eventually being sick. I think that alcohol is a topic on which general agreement is almost impossible to achieve. I have come to the conclusion that actually only a few people drink because they enjoy the taste of a drink and most people drink to overcome their social awkwardness and anxiety, and be more friendly and merry. I feel that everyone perceives drinking differently and young British people might see it as harmless, because the environment in which they see alcohol being consumed, consists of fun and happiness with friends and family.

Although I might not win in my attempt to change my friends’ minds, I now have an excuse to avoid drinking myself and no one can blame me nor judge me and call me ‘boring’.

At least, I have another big reason to annoy my British friends when they go out and drink and I can encourage them to indulge in other healthier habits and non-alcoholic beverages.

I also have finally an example and a scientific proof to show my dear grandpa that he was actually wrong when he said everyday at the kitchen table that alcohol is good. Shame though that he passed away 14 years ago of heart failure and I never told him.

Pokémon Go: Good or Bad for our health?

Mega crazy frenzy has been caused all around the world since the release of the mobile game Pokémon Go, which was recently named the most downloaded phone application of 2016.

As soon as it launched, Pokémon Go managed to reawaken the imagination of all the Pokémon fans and recover the nostalgic memories of the whole 90’s generation. Within its first week of release, the game was downloaded over 10 million times on the App Store and grossed $440 million globally. It has since gathered over 30 million active users worldwide and as Apple Inc. said in a recent press release, it has become a “cultural phenomenon”.

The mobile game is based on the Japanese media franchise Pokémon – derived from Pocket Monsters – which was created in 1995 by Nintendo and Game Freak, and it urges its players to take to the streets and identify, catch and train tiny virtual creatures.

The interesting fact about Pokémon Go is that it is an “open-world” game and it is connected to the real world. By using the camera and the GPS service of the mobile phone, the game requires players to leave their homes, walk outside and chase Pokémon that can be found in different locations. The aim of the game is to battle other Pokémon trainers and catch all of the 150 Pokémon. It also enhances social interaction and encourages the community of users to meet with nearby players in public places, socialise and make new friends – a factor that makes the game different from other video games which are usually played by the user alone.

Besides the fun side of the game, Pokémon Go seems to also have a direct positive effect on human health as it increases physical activity and creates an impulse for users to ‘peel off’ from their normal static position and begin to walk considerable distances.

Yael Maxwell, Senior Associate News Editor for the TCTMD, believes that the game can offer multiple benefits to players, because “it has great potential to improve the health of people who do not exercise and lead sedentary lifestyles. There are many players who need to diet, walk more and become healthier and this game is designed to make people want to exercise.”

“It is strange, but now with Pokémon Go, we exercise more than just our thumb’s swiping skills. Only two weeks after the game was released, millions of people started jogging, walking and stampeding their way through neighbourhoods to catch the mythical creatures” added Mss Maxwell.

The American Heart Association also reported that numerous players were not familiar with the Pokémon franchise before and did not tend to exercise regularly, but since its introduction to the world, “Pokémon Go has been getting players physically moving in the real world, a change from the stereotypical stationary screen time usually associated with gaming. People get up from their sofas and walk many miles, especially in parks and green areas, so that they can find the rarest Pokémon.”

On the other hand, the game has also been quite notorious for leading its players into dangerous and remote locations, while they are trying to track down new Pokémon.

Many video game creators emphasise that great care is required when playing Pokémon Go, as there have already been several reports of accidents from players. Doctors suggest that it is very easy for users to lose their sense of environment or run in unknown places to catch Pokémon, especially during night-time. They also warn that parents are highly advised to accompany their children when they are playing Pokémon Go outside.

Michael O’Riordan, medical journalist for the Cardiovascular Research Foundation, mentions that “Pokémon Go has many pros and cons and is definitely being looked at by many health organisations at the moment, in an attempt to fight obesity, diabetes, etc. My own personal opinion about the game is mixed. It’s good to get people moving and exercising, but it’s not so great to bump up ‘screen’ time even more.”

According to Syracuse NY Local News, over 90 incidents of injuries and deaths that are associated with Pokémon Go have been reported over the last six months. Many teenagers were robbed and attacked at gunpoint when playing the game, while other users crashed their cars because they were playing and driving at the same time. Groups of players had serious bloody knife fights over game disputes and disagreements and more recently, two players declared that they were sexually assaulted by other ‘fake’ players, who pretended to play the game.

Cassandra Warrender, 21, a South-African psychology student, says that “initially the game made me go out a lot and I met many cool people at different Poké stops. Now whenever I naturally leave the house, I open the game and play. I certainly do not feel that it is distracting or dangerous at all. It’s just the equivalent of texting someone while walking. I think there have been accidents, because people acted foolishly and immaturely. It’s a game, but at the end of the day it requires a certain level of attention. It’s honestly just a fun thing to do when you are going somewhere or while you are sitting on the tube and have nothing else to do.”

Besides making headlines for accidents, the Pokémon application has been praised by many for giving a spark of awareness about historic monuments around the world, which are considered important landmarks in the game, such as the statue of Louis B. Russell – the 34^th heart transplant recipient – which is located in Dallas.

The AHA also claimed that “it is very important that Pokémon Go inspires other companies to develop games, which involve physical activity and constant movement that is tracked by a GPS. We are hopeful that in the future more phone apps will motivate users to exercise, be healthy and of course stay safe.”

For more information about the AHA and how Pokémon Go can affect our health please visit: (http://news.heart.org/?s=pokemon+go&lang=ICL_LANGUAGE_CODE)

Josh Massey setting to release debut album (Exclusive Interview)

His debut EP ‘Streetlights’ peaked #75 in the iTunes Singer-Songwriter charts and now 19 year-old Josh Massey is ready to release his first album on big streaming services SoundCloud and Spotify.

With Michael Jackson, Ed Sheeran and James Bay as his biggest influences, Josh started writing music and putting song covers on YouTube at the age of 15. Now he is ready to release his first studio album, full of acoustic and powerful ballads, mainly written and produced by him.

  

The new album takes inspiration from a wide range of music genres and has an individual and distinctive sound. Just like in his latest EP, the upcoming songs are inspired from his personal experiences. They are honest, emotional and heartwarming. “It is a mini collection of certain points of my life from the last 2 years. The inspiration ranged from feeling very lost and confused to feeling in love or being rejected. It is a bit different from the current popular music. The industry today is very messy. Most songs on the charts are meaningless, while there is a whole lot of talent that is overshadowed.”

 The album showcases Josh’s potential, his love for slow-tempo music and his impressive guitar skills. “This album reminds me of why I wanted to be an artist in the first place. I decided I wanted to be a singer on the night I saw Ed Sheeran in concert. Watching him on stage, just with his guitar and the loop pedal. I was so blown away how he can do so little, yet do so much. I was so inspired! When I went home I wanted to learn how to play guitar and everything went from there really.”

Josh has already performed in more than a 100 music venues including Barfly, Paradise and The Hippodrome with Saint Raymond, to support the new album and is also planning to embark on a small European tour.

Check Josh out on iTunes, Spotify and SoundCloud for more music.

Davy Knowles is back with new album and documentary film (Exclusive Interview)

Former Back Door Slam frontman Davy Knowles has returned to London and is about to release a series of new blues recordings, as well as the anticipated music film documentary ‘Island Bound’.

After a relentless four-year tour regime across the USA, in support of Jeff Beck, The Who, Kid Rock, Lynyrd Skynyrd and many more, Davy Knowles is setting to release the follow-up of his 2014 hit album ‘The Outsider’.

Davy is returning back to his classic blues roots and his recognizable style, but he is also exploring different music genres and areas with vivid folk elements in his songs. “My upcoming music is guitar driven blues and rock. Blues is the music I first fell in love with and I have always connected deeply with it. There is definitely inspiration from folk music on this new album however.”

In this album, he is experimenting with several different musical instruments and is providing a variety of melodic blues sounds and tunes. “With this album, I attempted to play the mandolin and acoustic, classic and electric guitars. Playing instruments is what I enjoy doing the most. Singing was not my main passion. It just came later, when no-one else in the band I was in wanted to do it.”

Davy has also revealed that his new album will include some tribute songs to his late father, who has influenced his musical career from the beginning.

“I was inspired to pick up the guitar and learn how to play by my dad. I invited him to play with me on stage on a gig I did in Philadelphia last year. A few weeks later he passed away, so that memory has very much become a treasured one.”

The Manx-born singer will also release in 2016 the musical documentary ‘Island Bound’, in which he analyses and demonstrates, along with artists Richard Thompson and Martin Simpson, how the Celtic and European folk music was firstly preserved and passed down through generations, evolving into bluegrass, country and americana, and ultimately influencing the blues and rock music of today.

“I am very excited about this documentary and for what’s to come next. I hope people enjoy what I have created the past few years. I only wish for longevity in my career, I have no dreams of grandeur. Being a pop-star has never particularly interested me.  Just to be making a living and growing as a musician is all I have ever wanted.”

For more information visit Davy’s official website www.davyknowles.com, and follow him on Facebook and Twitter.

Sasha McVeigh: Q&A with Britain's most exciting young country artist

At only 22 Sasha McVeigh has become a regular name in the country music scene, with her hit album ‘I Stand Alone’ and her energetic performances in the biggest music festivals in Nashville and all around the world.

The Hereford-born singer took some time out of her busy schedule to give to MashUp an exclusive interview about her fantastic journey, her career highlights and her future plans.

Can you please tell us a few things about you and introduce yourself to our readers?

My name is Sasha McVeigh and I'm a British singer/songwriter from the rural part of Herefordshire. I've been singing for as long as I can remember. It’s always been my biggest passion. I'm also a huge Disney fan, so if you follow me on Instagram, you'll see a lot of photos of me dressing up as the movies’ characters.

So when and how did you decide that you wanted to be a musician?

I decided to pursue music professionally when I finished Sixth Form College in 2012. I had been writing, playing and performing since I was a kid, but I never took the professional step until then. My Nana passed away on Christmas of 2011 and it really made me re-evaluate a lot of things. I was planning on going to university, but I stopped and realised that all I wanted to do was follow my music dreams and university would have been settling. My parents supported me 100% which I'm hugely grateful for and a couple months after I finished college I flew to Nashville and the journey began.

So how has this journey been so far? Has it been easy or hard?

It has definitely been an incredible ride! I have loved every minute of it and I have come a lot further than I ever expected to. But at the same time it has been hard, because it is very ‘costly’ to become an artist today. My parents have sacrificed everything to help me achieve this dream and fund my projects. It is so sad that because I am not a millionaire, I struggle to do what I love the most.

Did your parents help you record and fund your debut album ‘I Stand Alone’?

Yes of course they did. They have done everything they possibly could and this album is a family effort. Also, the fans helped me raise money for this album on Kickstarter. Some people donated a lot of money and I felt so happy and emotional that they believed in me and wanted me to make my own records.

So how did it feel to record your very own album?

It’s a dream came true! It’s something that I have always wanted to do and I got to record it with a full band of musicians. Before, I only played acoustic songs, because that reflected what I did in my live shows. Of course I’ve still kept a bit of an acoustic sound in this album, because that’s kind of who I am. There were so many talented and award-nominated musicians involved in this album and most of it was recorded in Nashville. I couldn’t have asked for a better team of people to work with.

In a few words, how would you describe your music?

I write all of my own music and it's definitely a combination of country, pop, folk with some R&B overtones. All my songs are written from personal experiences and are usually entirely true stories. I just prefer to write that way and my fans seem to really understand what I'm saying, which is amazing. 

Do you play most of the musical instruments in your songs then?

Yes, I have been playing keyboard since I was ten, but I only started playing the guitar three years ago and now it has become like another limb. I don't go anywhere without my Martin guitar, named 'Dean', or my Taylor guitar, named 'Elizabeth'. I recently picked up the banjo too!

What was the feedback you received from the fans? Do you find people recognise you more now?

I have received such amazing feedback and comments from the fans, it’s overwhelming! It is extremely touching that people can relate to my songs and sing them back to me at my live shows. It totally freaks me out when people recognise me on the street, because I’m just me and it’s so odd when they say ‘hello’ or ask for a picture. But I love meeting new people!

Who were your main musical inspirations for this album?

My biggest musical inspirations are probably Elvis Presley, Zac Brown Band, John Denver, Taylor Swift and just Motown music in general. They are all artists and genres I've been listening to either since I was a little girl or since I started song-writing at the age of 12. Their influence is obvious on my album. But honestly, I listen to all different genres, I love Adele, Amy Winehouse, Michael Bolton, The Script, the composer Alan Menken, Elton John, to name a few. 

And if you could collaborate with any artist, who would it be?

Ah! That's such a tough question, because I'd like to collaborate with so many different artists for different reasons. But, if I had to narrow it down, I'd say Alan Menken, because he's composed some of the most incredible scores and pieces for Disney movies, or the Zac Brown Band, because they're my favourite country act on the circuit right now.

What would you say has been the highlight of your career so far, your best music memory?

If I had to pick just one, it was probably when I was invited, by The Academy of Country Music, to perform at the ACM Awards Kick-Off Concert in Las Vegas. My name and face was on a 100ft billboard on the Las Vegas strip - it was insane!! The ACM Awards are like the Oscars of country music and it was such an honour to be invited by the Academy to perform for them, especially when I'm an unsigned artist. That was one of the greatest nights of my life!

What are your thoughts on the music industry today and the current artists?

For a time, everyone was worried that the music industry being driven into the ground, but I think when you look at the quality of music being produced both last year and already this year, I don't think we have anything to worry about. There is so much talent out there. As for the shift in digital and physical sales, I think that just shows the change in times. iTunes, GooglePlay and other online streaming platforms are bound to be more popular now than physical albums, because it's easier for people to download the songs or stream them on their phones rather than listening to the CD only when they have a player around.

Before we end this interview tell us what would be the ultimate dream for your music career?

To get to a level where I can perform wherever I want and wherever the fans want me to go. It's a very expensive to hire venues and sometimes you can't perform in all the cities you want, because there simply isn't enough budget for it. I'd love to not be restricted by that and be able to go directly to the fans. The point is, artists are nothing without their fans. I love hearing from my fans and communicating with them, we're like a big family. So to be able to have no limitations on performing for them, that's the dream.

Finally Sasha, where can we find you performing?

I have been on a UK tour since March and now I am heading to Europe for more shows. All the dates can be found on my website (SashaMcVeighMusic.com). I am so excited to get back on the road again and especially in Europe, because the fans out there are so enthusiastic. I'll be heading back out to the USA to tour in the summer. There's a lot to look forward to this year including releasing some new music which I'm thrilled about. I can't wait to get started!

A closer look at the Christopher Jefferies story and the contempt of court

On December 17^th 2010 Joanna Yeates, a 25-year-old landscape architect, went missing in Bristol, after a night out with colleagues.  Following one of the largest police investigations ever undertaken in the Bristol area, Yeates’ body was discovered on Christmas Day of the same year in Failand, North Somerset. A post-mortem examination showed that she had been strangled to death.

It was later revealed that Vincent Tabak, Yeates’ neighbour, was found guilty of her murder and was sentenced to life imprisonment.

Joanna Yeates pictured in 2009

However, Christopher Jefferies, a retired teacher and Yeates’ landlord, was initially arrested on suspicion of her murder. Although it was quickly established that Jefferies – who was never charged – was innocent of any involvement in the crime, his arrest excited great interest in all media around the UK.

Several UK newspapers published negative articles about Mr. Jefferies and “compendious details of his character and personal habits”. (see Wilby, 2011)

The Sun described Jefferies as “weird, posh, lewd and a creepy oddball”, The Daily Star announced “Jo landlord a creep who freaked out schoolgirls” and “angry weirdo”, while The Daily Mirror branded him as a “nutty professor with a bizarre past, who was arrogant, rude and snob.”

Attorney General Dominic Grieve stated on December 31^st 2010, in an interview for BBC Radio 4 that “newspapers and all media are under a legal obligation to observe the principles of the Contempt of Court Act.” He also added that “contempt laws protect an individual going through the investigative and legal process to ensure a fair trial could take place.”

According to Mike Todd and Mark Hanna “the law of contempt protects the integrity of the administration of justice, and the fundamental principle that a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty. Contempt of law most affects journalists when they publish material which might affect a trial, by making a jury more likely to find a defendant guilty – or innocent – or by influencing witness’s evidence.” (Dodd and Hanna, 2014, p. 212)

“The media may run the risk of breaking the Contempt of Court Act 1981 if they comment on active proceedings, jury deliberations, criticise the judiciary or disobey a court order.” (Bland et al., 2005, p. 15)

Jefferies pictured before his arrest in 2010

Jefferies was released from police bail on March 4^th 2011 and subsequently “the High Court granted the Attorney General permission to bring a case against tabloids and move a motion for committal of Contempt of Court against The Sun and the Daily Mirror.” (see BBC.com, 2011)

Eventually, Jefferies launched legal action against eight newspapers and won an undisclosed sum in libel and substantial damages for defamation from The Sun, The Daily Mirror, The Sunday Mirror, The Daily Record, The Daily Mail, The Daily Express, The Daily Star and The Scotsman. The Sun and The Daily Mirror were also fined £18,000 and £50,000 respectively, for the way they reported his arrest.

The coverage of Christopher Jefferies’ arrest and the lawsuit against UK newspapers demonstrates that the “crime” of Contempt of Court suggests that publications about on-going legal cases might impede the administration of justice and can also create a substantial risk of serious prejudice to any potential future trial. Even though Jefferies was innocent, the media presented him as guilty and these false accusations could possibly influence the jury negatively.