THE BALLYFERMOT Press has taken over the position of student newspaper for Ballyfermot College of Further Education (BCFE) from the SMedia Award winning Ballyfermot Post from today. The Post, edited by SMedia Journalist of the Year nominee, Cian Ginty in 2007/’08, produced three editions over the course of the academic year.

The first edition of The Ballyfermot Press will be available in late November 2008.

Although The Press will publish in a revitalised tabloid format, in contrast to the broadsheet style of its predecessor, students can be assured the hard-news focus employed to great effect by The Post will not change.

A news section, edited by Ciaran O’Dwyer, will be the driving force behind this years publication. Students can expect to read in depth reports on issues ranging from the current debate over the re-introduction of third level fees to soft-focus reviews of BCFE student related extra-cirricular activities.

The features pages will provide insight and colour on various topics of interest to students. Under the control of Susan O’Driscoll, the features team are looking forward to producing some of the best reports in the student media. Students should be aware of posters dotted around BCFE detailing some of the issues covered in the features section that are set to be published in the first edition of The Press.

The staff of The Press aim to make The Ballyfermot Press and ballyer.net the go-to location for all BCFE student related news and information. With the advent of a BCFE focused entertainment section it is likely ballyfermot students will open The Press to see themselves or their classmates looking back at them. The entertainment pages, edited by Una NíChartaigh, is what will make The Press “your paper, your issues, your college, your news” for BCFE students.

Music is a commonality that unites many Ballyfermot students. In reflection of this The Press will contain several music pages. The ‘On the radio’ report in each edition will review the best of radio-friendly tunes to receive recent release, ‘On the way’ will list the songs which are likely to hit the DJ playlists in the upcoming weeks and ‘Off the the airwaves’ will detail the songs that, for whatever reason, will never make the airwaves. Reviews of various BCFE bands and reports on the careers of former BCFE music students will also be contained in this exciting section.

As Sports Editor, Óisin Ó’Connell will bring a insight and analysis befitting of a man with a passion for all things sporting. Dublin based sports issues, including the developing financial crisis in the Eircom League affecting St.Pat’s Athletic and coverage of the upcoming Homeless World Cup taking place in Australia with participants from Ballyfermot are amongst some of the topics tackled by the sports reporting team for the first production of The Press.

The Ballyfermot Press always wants to hear from BCFE students. Whether you are looking to promote your music on ballyer.net or want to complain about the lack of car parking spaces in your block, we want to know.

Feel free to call or text the editorial team on 0879431203 at any time. Alternatively leave a comment on any ballyer.net post you see here, discussion is encouraged.

Mark Coughlan

Editor - The Ballyfermot Press