Everything must go

Posted by Lou Thomas on 24 April 2006 at 10:49
Tags: Journalism, Regionals, United States

US regionals have felt the heat as much as their UK counterparts when it comes to declining ad revenue but on the other side of the pond they it look’s like the St Paul Pioneer Press doesn’t demand the 30 per cent profit margin expected by some British regional groups.

And hats off to the PP for being so up-front about the sale:

time is running out to submit a bid for the St. Paul Pioneer Press, if there’s still a chance at all.

What a line!

Boris at it again (world yawns)

Posted by Lou Thomas on 3 April 2006 at 09:48
Tags: Journalism, News of the World

Conservative shadow higher education minister Boris Johnson has been uncovered by those self-appointed moral guardians at the NoW.

The ex-Spectator editor has apparently wooed (among other things) Times Higher Education Supplement reporter Anna Fazackerley. He must have have made a good impression on her when the two met for an interview in January. If only all interviews led to similar outcomes.

*sadly your correspondent can’t quite find an excuse to interview Scarlett Johansson for PG*

Teen Snogging: teachers say just say no (but student newspaper reports it all the same)

Posted by Lou Thomas on 24 March 2006 at 16:50
Tags: Journalism

You thought Children’s journalism begins and ends with Julia Sawanna and Dexter Fletcher in Press Gang? Think again.

In North Carolina schools the scoops fly thick and fast… even if the subject of the story also writes for the newspaper printing the story.

Enquirer website confusion

Posted by Lou Thomas on 24 March 2006 at 16:37
Tags: Journalism, North West Enquirer, Online, Regionals

The North West Enquirer, the major new regional due to laucnh next month (as revealed exclusively by Press Gazette) has hit a bump.

Anyone hoping to access a website for the title at www.northwestenquirer.co.uk may be surprised to find the domain name has been snapped up by Insider Media

Meanwhile the newspaper’s website is www.nw-enquirer.co.uk although it’s a work in progress.

Although quite why a business publisher has interest in taking the potential website name of a new newspaper is hard to fathom, unless they’ve had it for years and the whole thing is a crazy accident.

Hacks under attack (because Pete smokes crack?)

Posted by Lou Thomas on 24 March 2006 at 11:34
Tags: Journalism

As safety in this profession goes  it’s not just kidnapping and friendly fire in the Middle East that journalists have to worry about. On a less serious note there has, at least since the antics of Oasis singer Liam Gallagaher, been the worry of “tired and emotional” pop stars and z-list celebs lashing out at eager newshounds.

It’s no huge surprise that Babyshambles tunesmith Pete Doherty has lashed out at some reporters

Perhaps someone should tell Doherty they were only doing their job. Maybe he should try doing his and play some of the many gigs he’s failed to turn up to.

E-paper: the full skinny

Posted by Lou Thomas on 23 March 2006 at 10:00
Tags: E-paper, Journalism, New Media

Where others dip their toes, PG jump right in and swim 50 lengths. Top tech site Gizmodo have a got a little info about one new way of checking out e-content on the Polymer Vision e-paper device but we’ve got it all and what their competition are up to.

F-Paper confusion

Posted by Lou Thomas on 20 March 2006 at 14:54
Tags: Blogs, E-paper, International, Journalism, New Media

Confusion over at The Editors Weblog. The De Tijd trial is going out to 200 subscribers via e-readers (tablet-like devices that enable readers to access content).

Distinct from these are E-newspapers. These will be foldable and more like a traditional newspaper but getting news about reality-tv nobodies and Chelsea defeats on such products are a few years away yet.

Cash for answers

Posted by Lou Thomas on 17 March 2006 at 14:43
Tags: Express, Issues, Journalism, Nationals

After a week of speculation across the journalistic spectrum over exactly how much money tucked into a brown envelope is needed to become a Lord, The Daily Express have a story about their good mates at the Beeb paying once great footballer Diego Maradona £50,000 for an interview.

Their story on page 5 today says:

The Argentinian footballer would only agree to talk about the hugely controversial handball incident for money. The fee is an extremely unusual sum to be paid by a BBC documentary.

The Express may be on to something, after all, the BBC is funded by the public which means, by extension, that we are all helping Maradona with his retirement fund. But has the Richard Desmond-owned title ever paid an interviewee £50,000 for a chat..?

It’s Snow Joke for funky attire

Posted by Lou Thomas on 13 March 2006 at 10:28
Tags: ITN, Journalism, Television

We know he’s one of the most respected journalists/presenters in the UK but how much Jon Snow is too much?

Yes, the great man is lined up to present the British Press Awards and has just been in Iran with Channel Four. But now he’s joined such luminaries as Che Guevara, Tony Montana in Scarface and Mr T by having his familar countenance plastered over some cool clobber.

Next week’s t-shirt icon: Huw Edwards.

Grand Theft Auto eat ya heart out

Posted by Lou Thomas on 10 March 2006 at 10:54
Tags: Journalism, Training

The experience vs education debate provokes strong feelings from many veterans and novices in journalism, with those having spent years studying and thousands of pounds at Uni often clashing with those who believe in the old route from tea-making editor on a local paper upwards.

Most now recognise that both can be massively beneficial but learning the trade through a computer game may make even the most devoted academic types balk.