Is Social Intution Vital As A Journalist?

It's more than well known that as a Journalist it is important to harbour some form of social intelligence on finding the right stories - but is having a heightened social knowledge and interest vital for the career of a journalist? If you lack this, will you get left behind?

This can all depend on the person involved. In the modern day, if you're interested in pursuing Journalism as a career then being in the know about the world and what is affecting us on a daily basis is a vital step - don't jump into a career which depends on ice-cold precision and concentration if you're not prepared to give it your all. Your words can be read by millions of people, do you really want to get something massively wrong because you weren't fully informed? No. Commit yourself to being the best at what you do, and focus on forming a routine plan of keeping yourself informed in world affairs - get your work out, and watch yourself glide to the top.

This doesn't mean that you have to spend all your time watching the news and doing absolutely nothing but researching other stories, what it does mean is committing the time you do have to writing the best content possible and making it as fool-proof as possible, so you don't have the general public on your back. Speak to your friends, talk to anyone who you can and engage in debates with people - you will learn a lot from the wisdom and knowledge of others.

Do We Need More Serious Journalism?

There's always a place for light-hearted Journalism - I doubt we could completely survive on serious news all the time. But do we have too much light-hearted journalism than is needed? Do we need more serious journalism implemented into the news stream? A lot of people may not want to hear it, but there is a lot we need to do for the world right now, and informing the people is vital. The more we know, the more we can do, There's no time to worry about unsettling people - unsettling people is what is needed to bring about the much needed paradigm shift this world is calling out for.

Environmental damage, mental health information, war and devious forms of politics should be the news we are reporting on - when high street bankers are caught to have taken the general public's earnings and used it for themselves, should we just be angry about this? Or should we put them in prison? By changing the point of view of the news industry, we can allow the change of opinion to happen across the world. Some countries are known for their more prominent usage of 'real' media, and report on real news stories which have been proved foolproof. Nations such as Finland, Switzerland and Iceland have been commended for their ability to keep themselves not only to themselves, but to keeping themselves innocent from any form of corruption - can the UK or the US say the same about their media?

What do you think?

Clickbait - Changing Online Journalism

Online journalism is evolving everyday - however some aspects of it may not be as welcomed as others. Enter 'clickbait' journalism.

We've all come across clickbait journalism. Actually, a lot of websites now employ this tactic to get people to read their articles. It is always important to gain a reader's attention, and producing the most eye catching titles is vital. Clickbait articles can arise from anywhere - they may put a message across that the article is a must read, however when you actually view the article you realise it was merely just a rumour, or something completely different. For websites that do this, they know that it is a sure fire way to get more views on their articles and help boost their website metrics - but is it really benefiting journalists?

The use of clickbait may be lifting the number of views to an article - but it can slowly destroy the credibility of a journalist and their work. The best journalists can keep their titles to the point, short and sweet, and then deliver in the articles. In my personal opinion, I see clickbait journalism a tactic used by weaker journalists to help not only boost their metric rates but also to boost their names amongst viewers. But I see this as again counterproductive, as with more people becoming aware of clickbait journalism, people may turn away from websites that use these.

What's your opinion on it?

Does Journalism Need A Revolution?

We're living in a time where industries are evolving and old fashioned traditions are being abolished (if they're not beneficial for the society as a whole) the new generation have arrived - and wow, it's easy to see. The world is becoming more intelligent to the truth around them, and since the innovation of social media, pulling the wool over people's eyes has become a lot harder. So, does Journalism need a revolution? I believe so, and I'll explain why.

Journalism in a very important industry to every society around the world. It informs us of the world around us and can allow us to empathise and celebrate with cultures so vast and different from ours - this was always the aim of journalism - to create a 'global news network' where we can be informed of the world around us.

However, it is important to get the sharpest, more informed news source that are available to us. If media outlets are sending out news which isn't 100% completely fool-proof - how can that lead for us as the consumer to want to buy into what they're selling? We'll want to read the most informed news - with the real version of the news stories, with a form of empathy which gives humanity to the writing - which people will be able to connect with.

So how can us Journalists achieve this? It may have to begin outside of the crowded circle - independent and citizen journalism is proving to be antidote to recycled almost 'propaganda' forms of mainstream news, with news being reported on at the scene and delivered to the people as quickly and as positively as possible. There's no question that this is the mission, can it be achieved.

It's up to us journalists to make it a reality.

How Does Journalism Affect Politics?

When trying to get yourself ahead in politics, being an exceptional leader is only half the job. Having the media on your side, is the other half. So far, Jeremy Corbyn has been given the 'warm welcome' by the media that we expected - his left-wing views have been dragged into the dirt, along with the fact that he didn't sing the national anthem at the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain. Corbyn has made it perfectly clear that he believes in the abolition of the monarchy - and he stuck true to his guns.

Corbyn had every right not to sing the national anthem - how many of us really do anyway? But the topic I aim to discuss is how exactly journalism affects politics, and the effect it has it more than painfully evident. After all, a successful media campaign managed to bring the Conservative Party back into power in 2010, much to a lot of people's dismay. But how powerful really is journalism on politics?

To the neutral - very powerful indeed. Remember, news outlets can easily be more partisan towards a certain party, and this could influence voters to vote for a party which doesn't necessarily go along with their own situation - for example, living in a poorer area and voting conservative may be incredibly counter-productive not only for yourself, but for your community. Journalism is literally the tip of the iceberg for a cut-throat industry like politics, and one simple news story can destroy the whole career of a politician. We only need to look to the U.S, to the Watergate scandal where the career of Richard Nixon was destroyed, and journalists were first on the scene to completely tear him down.

Will the same happen to Jeremy Corbyn? In this day and age, people are a lot more smarter and well-informed, and it's more easier to determine that people will be able to tell the difference between a real news story, and something which is simply propaganda. The people are behind Corbyn, and not even the journalism industry may be able to prevent him making his way to Prime Minister.

What Makes An Exceptional Journalist?

As many of you who are reading this will probably already know, Journalism is a cut-throat business with no guarantees. There's no time to be lacking with your work, and creating top quality content is consistently vital to be considered one of the best in your industry - so what makes an exceptional journalist?

It makes little different who you work for, and even if you work freelance. You HAVE to be ready to broaden your mind amongst all walks of life. Open your perceptions to new ways of improving your work, and never rest on your laurels. There are thousands of journalists all over the world - millions if you count the citizens who find news stories for themselves. If you want to be just one of many, then just follow what you see as the basic quota for achieving a career in journalism. If you want to be exceptional - be prepared to walk grounds other's aren't prepared to. Be vivacious in your dealings with the work you do, and don't take no for an answer. Create a polarising personality in the industry and build your empire by working the way you want to. No visionary ever created their intimidating legacy by following the rules of others. They made their own.

Follow more obscure news stations where stories may have broke before the more mainstream ones and use these to your advantage. Finding a hot story can be paramount to the career of a journalist, and if you find one of the hottest scoops of the year, you're way on your way to solidifying yourself amongst the giants. Learn all different areas of journalism if you can, so this again will give you advantages over specialised journalists. How will people be able to compete with you if you're talented not only at broadcast and multimedia journalism, but also photojournalism and radio journalism, then just consider how that could help you grow in the industry - with enough clout behind your qualifications, you could even start your own company.

Journalism is an ever growing industry which will no doubt continue to evolve as technology does also. It's up to you to spot the trends - and to make yourself formidable in the journalism industry.

The Future's Bright Under Jeremy Corbyn

This past Saturday saw the end of the labour leadership battle as Jeremy Corbyn unanimously won the vote to become new labour leader - and even though he's come under intense scrutiny due to his hard-line left-wing views which seem to be opposed by a lot of the other members in the Labour party, this may incite the huge reshuffle that many politicians expected to happen if Corbyn took over.

For the first time, we have seen Corbyn create what is to be named 'Minister of Mental Health' which to say that is a long time coming would be an understatement - with this creation of Corbyn's we may finally see mainstream politics take mental health as seriously as it should have always been, and with a minister for mental health this can also help the cabinet to work alongside the NHS in providing a stronger, sturdier service on mental health issues.

Various members of the front bench of the Labour Party have stepped down - former possible candidate Chuka Umunna stepped down after him and Corbyn 'didn't share the same belief' on remaining a member nation of the EU. However with the more individuals who step down, we will see the uprising of a new Labour Party, a Labour Party designed by Jeremy Corbyn who will continue to focus on working towards a better future - not just for the country, but for the individuals and their own individual rights.

Why It's Time To Boycott Horse Racing - For Good

When you watch Horse Racing on TV, presenters make the coverage and the sport itself look as consumer friendly as possible. The horses almost look like they're having a good time racing each other, and everything appears fine - but to believe it a fair sport is a cruelly wrong belief.

Behind the scenes of the racing industry it claims thousands more victims than just the horses which die out on the track, thoroughbred horses which haven't made the cut of being good enough to race or the horses which are past their prime or even ex-race horses who suffered bad injuries on the track may be sent to the abattoir and killed. Only a few lucky ex-champions get the opportunity to live out the rest of their life in greener pastures.

In a time where a revolution is becoming apparent in the view on animal rights, is there a future for a sport as dangerous and as punishable is this? Fatal injuries are common place in a sport like this, with broken necks, backs and legs some of the most common - however if a jockey gets injured, we hear about it straight away. What about the horse? Why isn't the horse just as important as the jockey?

The focus of Horse Racing definitely isn't on welfare, the booming financial revenue of the sport means that safety will be disregarded for profit - therefore, instead of making the race safer for horses, they use the profit they get on further promoting the sport. Veterinary treatment will be available for the horses as long as they are racing and making money, however if the horse suffers a more long standing injury then the horse will be killed as it is more 'cost effective'.

As long as people continue to bet on horse races, horses will continue to die. Is it really worth seeing the death of an innocent animal just for your enjoyment? It's not an enjoyable sport for the horses, and if you care about the welfare of them - it's time to boycott the sport until the message gets through, that animals are our equals and not our subjects.

Journalism and Social Media - A Potent Combination

What do you get when you combine the power of Social Media and the powerful media industry of Journalism? Well, as you would imagine, this is a huge recipe for success - for both sides.

Every news outlet now has their brand online on some form of social media. Facebook, Twitter and Instagram are amongst maybe the most well known forms of social media which are havens for followers if you can market your brand right. For example, BBC News has 4.86 million followers on Twitter and over 23 million likes on Facebook. This can show you that even though the BBC News page holds more power on Facebook due to it's higher amount of interest - it overall shows that with a grand total of almost 30 million followers spread between both, BBC News is a hot topic for social media users.

Having the ability to get your articles and opinions out to such a higher number of individuals really does highlight the power of their voice - so with this ability comes great responsibility. Using this power positively is vital, as once something is on the Internet - people can access it and have it saved to their phones/computers in seconds. The 'potency' of the mixture of Journalism and Social Media can be taken either 1 or 2 ways -  you can use it to share a positive message or use it to spread news about a situation which people should be informed on, or it can be used to fool the masses who consume it into believing something completely false - for the advancements of a regime or implementing a belief system into the minds of others.

How do you think current media outlets use it?

Jose Mujica Offers To House 100 Syrian Refugee Children

Few may know him - and it's probably likely you haven't, Jose Mujica is one of the most unsung heroes of our lifetimes. The humble Uruguayan Ex President (his term came to an end in March 2015) has been donating to charity and helping those in need throughout his whole term in power, and continues to do so in the face of the Syrian refugee crisis - and has announced he is offering to house 100 Syrian children who are looking for somewhere to take shelter.

Often called the 'poorest president' he lives very simply on his farm and keeps to himself - however it is easily commendable that he is rich in spirit and humility, and his attempts to soften the refugee crisis has once again shown that life is much more important to him than money.

The children are planned to arrive there around mid-September, each will travel with a guardian. Mujica is somewhat of a celebrity to those aiming towards peace and bringing peace to the world - and with a move like that, his support will only be doubled.

Is Citizen Journalism Taking Over?

The power in which a smart phone can give you in 2015 is astonishing - and in comparison to where we were at the start of the millennium (when we believed the computers could wipe us out) to now, the world around us has been almost shaped by the influence of technology.

Citizen Journalism can also be known as public, street, democratic or guerrilla journalism and is based upon citizens who can play an active role in the process of reporting/analysing information for the public to disseminate.

'Citizen Journalism' isn't really a new concept. The ability of an everyday citizen to find and sell a news story to a news station is something which has existed for decades, and will continue to happen even more as we see technology continue to rise. So what does the future hold for professional journalists in relation to citizen journalism? The ability of citizens finding stories can only grow with the use of technology, but can it push professional journalists off their pedestal? Probably not.

See, citizen journalism will become more important in our society but mainly because it will allow less opportunity for false information to get out to audiences around the world - also, we're living in a time where lies of yesterday are being brought to light and the people causing the crimes are being made punishable. It's a time for free speech to celebrate itself, and in all truth, we need citizen journalism to grow to help continue the shift which is occurring more than ever right now.

"When the people formerly known as the audience employ the press tools they have in their possession to inform one another"

Online Journalism - Getting Ahead In The Game

Whether you're keen to write a breaking news story or if you're just looking towards updating your portfolio with more work - the most valuable form of journalism at use now is online journalism. By the time you've hand written an event which you're planning or have seen, a tech savvy individual will always have already took the iniative and got it out to their audience for everyone to read. This is to people who haven't already realised - we're now living in the digital age.

Getting ahead when it comes to be a Journalist can sometimes be a tough piece of work - at the end of the day, with our Smart Phones and iPads we can literally be our own journalists and sell our work for money. Producing the most valuable, the most appealing work is what we need to always aim for. A qualification in Journalism can get you in a good position in the industry, but online journalism is far from a dead cert - if you have talent to write, you don't need qualifications, companies will want to back quality, rather than quantity.

Don't take what I've just said in the way that having qualifications means you can't have quality - far from it, however containing your originality is something you must always do, whatever you learn in your education should not drown out your own unique voice. Take information on board and use it to your advantage, however do not let yourself be sculptured by someone else's information. Be yourself and be original, and this will show in your work.

US Federal Guidelines Reccomend Plant Based Diet

Back in 2010, the UN released a report which highlighted that U.S citizens should adopt a plant-based diet for health and environmental reasons - whether people took that advice, that still remains to be seen. However, for the first time ever - the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee of 2015 have outlined very similar recommendations to the U.S citizens. A huge shift in perspective and mentality is inspiring people everywhere to invest in their health, more than ever before. So what was highlighted in these guidelines?

 "The overall body of evidence examined by the 2015 DGAC identifies that a healthy dietary pattern is higher in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, low- or non-fat dairy, seafood, legumes, and nuts; moderate in alcohol (among adults); lower in red and processed meats; and low in sugar-sweetened foods and drinks and refined grains" the 571-page report gives an in-depth look into the current diets of U.S citizens, and what exactly should be done to counteract the growing levels of an overweight and obese population.

Even though the guidelines still include meat in the dietary guidelines - what's most important to consider is that they now have fallen to the bottom of the list, with veggies, fruits and grains now taking top spot. So what will this mean for the U.S? Is there going to be a dietary shift across the world which we were expecting to see?

“On average, the U.S. diet is low in vegetables, fruit, and whole grains, and high in sodium, calories, saturated fat, refined grains, and added sugars" amongst the other matters which were discussed in relation to the current dietary view of the U.S, it's all about setting a better example to future generations about how exactly we need to change our dietary stance, and why moving to a healthier, cleaner, plant based diet is the future of our world.

Elon Musk Builds Alternative 'Non Grading' Unschooling

Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX and Co-Founder of PayPal has explained in a recent interview that he built an alternative school for his children and then went on to further describe the process of unschooling, and how exactly it works.

“Some people love English or languages. Some people love math. Some people love music. Different abilities, different times. It makes more sense to cater the education to match their aptitudes and abilities,” Musk said. By this, Musk's description of this school seemed to perfectly match up with this philosophy. Musk himself said that he had a horrible time in public school, and believed that 'unschooling' was a new and more valuable way to educate a child.

'Unschooling students learn through their natural life experiences including play, household responsibilities, personal interests and curiosity, internships and work experience, travel, books, elective classes, family, mentors, and social interaction' this is a description of it found of the internet - and this fairly sums up not only the core values of unschooling, but it highlights how unschooling focuses on the real challenges of life.

There is various different views on unschooling - some may not understand it, some may not trust it, but if Elon Musk, an inventor and entrepreneur can get this idea off the ground, who knows how this might change future educational systems? It's not hard to see that the school and educational curriculum will soon be going through a reform - and is this the answer we have been looking for?

A non-graded, fair and balanced system of Musk's is in it's earlier days, but the ability to create a completely new curriculum for education could allow us to focus on our strongest points, instead of us expecting to enjoy work which doesn't stimulate our minds. Is this the future? Leave your opinions.

Read More: http://www.trueactivist.com/elon-musk-builds-alternative-un-school-without-grades-for-his-children/

Dubai and India Boycott Seaworld With Recent Petition - Is Seaworld Falling Apart?

Activists in the United States could not make their disdain for SeaWorld any clearer... this may be the reason why SeaWorld are seeking to go international.

However - this may not seem as easy of a transition as it seems. Many animal activists including Melanie Barrett suggested that Dubai would be a quite obvious location for SeaWorld to open in - so she started a petition to try to stop them in their tracks. So far, this petition has gathered over 100,000 signatures!

“ SeaWorld speaks so excitedly about plans to open a Middle East park but how do you think the whales feel about that? Do you think the whales are excited to be crane lifted into a jumbo jet and flown half way across the world only to be put in another tank in the middle of the desert?” as United Arab Emirates media outlets reported.

If this petition gains as much traction as it is expected - then SeaWorld might have yet another issue n their hands, and if SeaWorld refuses to budge in relation to the health and safety of their animals, we may be seeing the bankruptcy of SeaWorld.

Baltimore Restaurant Closes For 5 Days To Feed Homeless

Each year Baltimore hosts what is called 'restaurant week' where the restaurants of Baltimore showcase what they have to offer, and businesses are able to get free advertisements and promotion to bring their company up to a bigger scale.

However, Michael Tabrizi has a different idea. Not really interested in cashing in on restaurant week, Michael has decided to shut down his restaurant to the general public for the next week so that he can feed the homeless, free of charge.

“I decided that, after all of the chaos earlier this year, it would be better to do something for the city to unite the people. It isn’t about revenue and money right now, we’ve done restaurant week before and we know the numbers, but right now it’s more important to promote the welfare of the city and its residents rather than to promote the business" Tabrizi told Baltimore Magazine.

Baltimore has definitely suffered a rough year this year. With the massive upheaval which arose between the public and the authorities earlier on in the year, Baltimore had to rebuild not only the city, but to rebuild the trust between both the people and the authorities, however Tabrizi believes that every little helps and he is doing his bit to try to rebuild the city and help the people unite once again.

“The main goal is just to show people that actions do matter. Baltimore has a long way to recover and we can’t just rely on other people to lead. It’s our city. My dad used to always say, ‘You can’t control what people do and say, but you can control how you act.’ My reaction is bringing people together and showing them that I care,” Tabrizi said.

The Drowned Child - Why Are We Dehumanising Refugees?

In what is slowly becoming one of the biggest humanitarian crisis' of our time, yesterday emerged one of those images which will stand time for being a symbolisation of the struggle - like the crying children in Vietnam to the starving child in Ethiopia, the image of a drowned child washed ashore in Turkey became an image which really begins to highlight the horrors which are happening in the world for people trying to flee the war torn country of Syria.

The image of the child, who was a 3 year old boy named Aylan - spread round the Internet like wildfire, and it became the top trending image on Twitter under the hashtag #KiyiyaVuranInsanlik (humanity washed ashore). It was believed that Aylan and his family were crossing the Mediterranean from Bodrum to the Greek island of Kos for shelter, when the boat capsized leaving Aylan and his 5 year old brother Galip no chance of survival. It was revealed over 12 migrants died when this boat capsized, and others may be feared dead.

What has led us to dehumanise individuals in need? The title 'migrants' is not only dehumanising these people but it's impossible to understand the situation which these people are going through right now. They are trying to escape a war torn country and are attempting to make a better life for their families, surely anyone can understand that. Germany and other EU nations have already stated their intent to take in these migrants - so why can't the UK follow suit? It is an important time for humanity to stick together, and if we can't show our unity this will not only paint the UK in a bad light, but it may be devastating for people just like Aylan. Don't turn away from this issue, for their sake.

The War On GMO's - Germany Follows Scotland And Bans GMO'S

After new rules were implemented by the European Union which now permit individual member states the choice of blocking farmers from using GM organisms even if it may have been accepted  on a EU wide basis - countries are now taking full advantage of this new rule and banning GMO's from being used in their food production.

Scotland were one of the first nations to take this opportunity of opting out of growing GMO crops, and now it appears as if Germany are following suit. Other EU countries have till October 3 2015 to opt out of bloc-wide approvals, will there be any other countries which follow Scotland and Germany? I don't assume it would be a surprise to many, as the jury is still out on whether GMO crops can succeed in ousting real crops.

This now makes Germany one of 70-74 countries which have banned GMO crops across the world as the continuous revealing of side effects of the use of GMO crops continue to be revealed, and this clearly shows how they refuse to idly sit by and continue to use Genetically Modified crops which have shown no current advantages for their food production and their crop production.

What's your opinion?

Locals Using The US-Mexican Border As Volleyball Net To Promote Peace

We have learnt from the past that walls will never divide humanity - no matter how tall or wide, the love shared throughout us is to strong to quell, and this was evident as the annual volleyball match between both sides of the US and Mexican border occurred this past week.

More often that not most of the media has a tendency to portray the border between the US and Mexico as a war-zone and a hub for criminality - however acts such as this shows a positive example of such diverse populations raising awareness about peaceful collaboration, and bringing peace to both sides of the border. Issues such as drug trafficking and illegal immigration will still not subside, however times like these shows that there still is hope between the two borders that one day the friction will finally be released and peace will be found between both nations.

Termed the 'Fiesta Bi-Nacional' the volleyball match is intended to solidify a more positive transnational relation between Mexico and the US, despite the tensions previously mentioned. The game has been an integral part of this annual fiesta since 1979, and with the current tensions shown between both Mexican and US governments, solidity and oneness is definitely appreciated and needed between both sides.

This coming together has shown not only both the US and Mexico, but it has shown the world that a game as such as this is less about 'where you're from' and more about individuals coming together from opposing cultures and the fun that can be had when differences are set aside.

Humans On Mars? Aldrin's 2040 'Master Plan'

Buzz Aldrin - the infamous second man to walk the moon, has confirmed he is developing a master plan for the colonisation of Mars inside the next 25 years.

After recently becoming a research professor of aeronautics at the Florida Institute of Technology, Aldrin has stated he wants a Mars settlement by 2039, as this will also mark the 70 year mark since the Apollo 11 moon landing. Aldrin has conceded however, that the schedule may be 'adjustable' and through possible complication and other factors which may occur for the astronauts, the plan must be firmly put in place.

The Buzz Aldrin Space Institute is due to be open in the autumn at an event where he plans to discuss his bold ambitions for Mars - and one must concede that these are bold, but promising ambitions for the individual, who clearly isn't getting any younger, but is trying to sow the seeds for a massive transformation for the next generation.

1 Billion Users Use Facebook In A Day - It's Only Going To Rise

Rewind back to October 2012 - Facebook announced that it officially had celebrated reaching the 1 billion users mark. Just the week, they celebrated pulling in that same amount of users in a single day.

Since it's inception back in 2004, Facebook has become a staple in the lives of most of the population, and it's only going to grow. Surely there will come a point where it may stop growing - but with the ever-growing population and the growing number of users on the Internet, 1 billion users in a day may soon be knocked off it's perch.

The site aims to continue to grow, however it may begin to focus in on spreading it's message of global communication in areas where the social network doesn't have as many users. Europe and the USA have the peak amount of users and this isn't expected to change anytime soon, however Latin America, Asia and Africa are still way off the mark in comparison to the further Western world.

However, Facebook can never look backwards - with users increasing everyday, Facebook can only become bigger and more successful than it is already. If it can increase it's users in poorer areas for individuals who have no access to the internet, this may bring about a huge shift in the way the whole world connects - with a stronger availability of being able to help poorer parts of the world through the use of sharing information to help us to stay informed on the situations which are happening across the world, every day, every hour, every minute.

Tyler The Creator Banned From UK - Has Free Speech Become A Myth?

Just the past week it was revealed that American rap artist Tyler The Creator was banned from entering the UK on behalf of lyrics which he wrote in some of his earlier albums - these lyrics were classed as 'misogynistic and homophobic' and also was believing to promote 'terrorist acts' as understandable as even Tyler himself found it - this album, named 'Bastard and Goblin' was released over 5 years ago now, and this has attracted him controversy ever since.

However Tyler and his manager Chris Clancy both believe that he has grown up since then - "I'm not defending his old lyrics. To be honest they make me cringe, but I stand beside him because of who he actually is" Tyler was listed to perform at the Reading and Leeds Festivals over the weekend, however due to this banning order, he had to cancel his dates.

The issue isn't only based on the fact that he lost out on performing to some of his most adoring fans - but why has he been banned for something which really didn't cause that much of an issue and he himself regrets, and now that he has matured he hasn't wrote lyrics like those since.

Has free speech become a poisoned chalice for celebrities and the public alike? Expressing your mind and how you feel has become not only criticised but also worthy of punishment - considering free speech is a god given right of ours, we shouldn't need to feel awkward about expressing how we really feel.

Tyler may have made some negative comments but doesn't most of the music industry? Don't we see the use of free speech used strongly in the world of film? Both sides need to let bygones be bygones - Tyler The Creator still has massive fan base in the United Kingdom, and to ban him from performing there is nothing short of harsh for both Tyler and his fans.

What's your opinion?