Arbroath Herald celebrates its 125th anniversary

Posted by Press Gazette on 9 February 2010 at 09:52
Tags: Newspapers, Regional Newspapers

Scottish weekly, the Arbroath Herald, celebrated its 125 anniversary last week. (more…)

Jailing should spell end to libel actions of litigious Dizaei

Posted by Dominic Ponsford on 9 February 2010 at 08:52
Tags: Law, National Newspapers

Lawyers at the Daily Mail will heave a sigh of relief that corrupt policeman Ali Dizaei has been jailed for four years after trying to frame an innocent man following a fracas in a Kensington restaurant.

He was found guilty of misconduct in a public office and perverting the course of justice after a row over £600.

His imprisonment should bring to a close any outstanding lbel actions brought by the litigious  Met Police commander.

In October, Dizaei sued the Daily Mail for libel over a story headlined: “Dizaei and the crooked lawyer” which alleged, according to a writ, that Dizaei betrayed his employers by secretly selling his services as a consultant to defence solicitors, advising them on how to undermine charges brought by the police.

Dizaei was seeking unlimited damages over the story. But following his jailing yesterday it is highly likely that he has no reputation left to defend.

In December the News of the World apologised and paid libel damages to Dizaei over a story in which the paper claimed he dishonestly employed an illegal immigrant.

In September 2009, the Mail and the Evening Standard paid substantial damages to Dizaei over stories claiming he was a bigamist.

Adam Boulton: Dimbleby got ‘too involved’ in Griffin Question Time performance

Posted by Press Gazette on 8 February 2010 at 12:05
Tags: BBC, Broadcast, Television

The first ever television debates between party leaders in the run-up to the general election are in danger of being “negotiated to death”, senior party sources told the Guardian. (more…)

Ten new journalism jobs found today

Posted by Press Gazette on 8 February 2010 at 11:00
Tags: Journalism Jobs

Press Gazette has found ten new jobs for journalists today. To view the daily archive of our journalism jobs search click on Journalism Jobs. (more…)

Peter Preston: Something ‘a bit rum’ about Purves and Muir’s new critic roles

Posted by Dominic Ponsford on 8 February 2010 at 10:25
Tags: National Newspapers, People

Former Guardian editor Peter Preston thinks it’s “a bit rum” that Times editor James Harding has appointed two non specialist writers to the jobs of theatre and film critics: Libby Purves and Kate Muir respectively.

Preston believes that those who have devoted their careers to the genres might do a better job than these relative late-comers.

He writes in the Observer: “The Nightingales, Billingtons and Frenches of this life are much more than fizzy wordsmiths. What they write – thumbs up or down – matters.

“Will Libby Purves be able to supply that essential service? Let’s hope so. She’s 60, too late for a career in theatre reviewing but at least the right sort of age for the audience she’s going to ­command.

“And Kate Muir, on the nether side of 40? If she looks around as the house lights go up, she’ll see that she’s one of the oldest people in sight: 30 is more or less top weight at her Finchley Vue.”

Brown’s tears: Morgan persuades Brown to admit leadership deal

Posted by Dominic Ponsford on 8 February 2010 at 10:14
Tags: Broadcast, Television

There were more tears in a political interview this weekend as Piers Morgan talked to Prime Minister Gordon Brown about the death of his first child.

The Brown interview is due to be screened on Piers Morgan’s Life Stories on ITV1 next Sunday.

Former Daily Mirror editor Morgan also bagged a scoop in the interview has Brown revealed publicly for the first time that he did make a deal with Tony Blair over the Labour Party leadership.

According to the Mail on Sunday:

He told Mr Morgan he was confident he would succeed John Smith as Labour leader when Mr Smith died in 1994, and was devastated when Mr Blair beat him to the job.

Mr Brown confirmed reports dating back more than 15 years that Mr Blair promised to hand over power to him later if he stood aside for him in that initial contest. But he said the secret pact was not reached at the Granita restaurant in Islington, North London, as has been stated, but was agreed before then.

Video: Campbell’s tears: ‘Journalism should be about telling the truth’

Posted by Dominic Ponsford on 8 February 2010 at 09:56
Tags: Broadcast, Journalism, Television

Alastair Campbell accused the BBC’s Andrew Marr of pursuing an “agenda” after an emotional interview on BBC One yesterday.

Campbell looked close to tears and had to take a moment to compose himself at one point as Marr questioned him on Tony Blair’s false assertion about the threat posed by Saddam Hussein in the run up to the war with Iraq in 2002.

He said: “I don’t think people are interested in the truth any more, they are only interested in settling scores and setting their own agenda.”

Marr also pointedly asked Campbell about the 600,000 people believed to have lost their lives as a result of the Allied invasion of Iraq.

Writing on his blog later that day, Cambell said: “…of course I had expected the kind of questions Marr put on Iraq. (more…)

Former ITN chief executive to lead Scottish IFNC bid

Posted by Press Gazette on 8 February 2010 at 08:28
Tags: Broadcast, New Media, Newspapers, Online, Radio, Television

Former ITN chief executive Mark Wood has been appointed chairman of a consortium bidding to run the Independently Funded News Consortia pilot in Scotland.

The move will put Wood in direct competition with his former employers in the battle to secure public money for the venture. (more…)

Ten new journalism jobs found today

Posted by Press Gazette on 5 February 2010 at 12:02
Tags: Journalism Jobs

Press Gazette has found ten new jobs for journalists today. To view the daily archive of our journalism jobs search click on Journalism Jobs. (more…)

The London Weekly: launches…but where can you get it?

Posted by Press Gazette on 5 February 2010 at 10:39
Tags: Free Newspapers

The London Weekly hit the streets today. Press Gazette is yet to lay its hands on a copy - but here’s a quick first look courtesty of Jennifer Whitehead.

This pic shows the paper hasn’t managed to spell Phil Tufnell’s name correctly and has missed a few hyphens from its strapline.

What it contains, well, it all remains a bit of a mystery and only adds to our speculation earlier this week that the paper might be nothing more than a mirage. (more…)

Channel 4 fails to win gagging order

Posted by Press Gazette on 5 February 2010 at 10:18
Tags: Journalism

Channel 4 has failed to win an injunction that would have prevented reporting of a High Court libel battle brought after the broadcaster was accused of faking elements of a documentary supposedly showing members of Michael Jackson’s family moving to Devon.

The station was looking to ban coverage of part of a case brought against it by Michael Jackson’s former bodyguard, Matt Fiddes, the Guardian has reported: (more…)

Clifford wins release of NoW private eye documents

Posted by Dominic Ponsford on 4 February 2010 at 12:48
Tags: Law, National Newspapers, Newspapers

Publicist Max Clifford has won a High Court ruling which will give him access to documents held by the Information Commissioner about the News of the World, The Guardian reports.

The News of the World was seeking to stop Clifford obtaining documents relating to Operation Motorman.

Clifford was one of those bugged by jailed former News of the World reporter Clive Goodman and private investigator Glenn Mulcaire in 2007.

In 2002 the Information Commissioner carried out Operation Motorman, which revealed that 305 journalists representing nearly every national newspaper had been involved in buying information from private investigator Steve Whittamore, much of which may have been illegally obtained by Whittamore.

In 2006, the Information Commissioner revealed that the NoW was one of the most prolific users of this private invesgator - with 19 journalists buying 182 pieces of information from him.

Now Clifford has apparently won the right see the paperwork which was seized by the Information Commissioner in the Whittamore case.

It will be interesting to see whether the Information Commissioner makes all the Motorman documents public.

It is not know how much of the data purchased from Whittamore by the NoW and others was in breach of data protection or other laws and how much was lawful. Even in the case of unlawful information, journalists would have a defence if they could show they were acting in the public interest - ie. to detect or prevent crime.

Update: Hull Daily Mail claims four-fold increase in business ad revenue

Posted by Press Gazette on 4 February 2010 at 12:07
Tags: Newspapers, Regional Newspapers

Updates: In Bold

The Hull Daily Mail is boasting a four-fold increase in advertising revenue from its weekly business section as a result of it revamping it coverage. (more…)

12 new journalism jobs found today

Posted by Press Gazette on 4 February 2010 at 11:54
Tags: Journalism Jobs

Press Gazette has found 12 new jobs for journalists today. To view the daily archive of our journalism jobs search click on Journalism Jobs. (more…)

Manchester Evening News live blogging local council meetings

Posted by Press Gazette on 4 February 2010 at 10:38
Tags: Mobile, New Media, Newspapers, Online, Regional Newspapers

The Manchester Evening News has been using a range of multimedia tools to live blog council meetings from across the Greater Manchester area. (more…)

Eight new journalism jobs found today

Posted by Press Gazette on 3 February 2010 at 12:20
Tags: Journalism Jobs

Press Gazette has found eight new jobs for journalists today. To view the daily archive of our journalism jobs search click on Journalism Jobs. (more…)

The London Weekly starting to look like a mirage

Posted by Dominic Ponsford on 3 February 2010 at 12:16
Tags: Free Newspapers, Journalism, Newspapers, People

Media journalists have spent a lot of time investigating a new London newspaper launch which is beginning to look like a mirage - The London Weekly.

Press Gazette too has been searching in vain for evidence that this project is for real. Frankly we’re reluctant to spend much more of our precious time investigating it, but here’s a quick update on where we are two days before it is due to hit the streets with a circulation of 250,000 copies.

There is still no sign of an office where its claimed 50-strong editorial staff are based, and no editorial telephone numbers.

The advertising telephone number now has a recorded message stating that this number is “currently inactive”.

No-one has returned the messages we left when the number was taking messages.

And no-one has answered Press Gazette’s questions, sent via email to marketing person Paul Morris, which included: How many journalists are you employing? Do you have a dummy edition we could see? Where will you be distributed? What’s your business plan?

Rival publishers would have expected to have heard whispers about circulation, distribution and printing plans by now but have heard nothing. They are not taking The London Weekly seriously at all.

The Guardian has tracked down one of the many “staff” listed on the paper’s website: Simon Glazin, who says he submitted some work but hasn’t been paid and was surprised to have been listed on the staff.

Journalism.co.uk has found out that there is a new editor, Alan Mills, and has spoken to a human being on the telephone who is involved in the project - so well done them! Head of display Angus Auden assures them it is not a “wind up” and says: “There are a lot of people in offices all over the place.”

It would take the KGB investigative skills of Alexander Lebedev to get to the bottom of this one. Something tells me he isn’t too concerned about it.