Posted by Axegrinder on 9 November 2010 at 07:39
Tags: Journalism
It’s early November, so the law states that everyone appearing in front of a UK TV camera must wear a poppy except Jon Snow.
On his blog he has again complained about the ‘poppy fascism’ which compels all TV presenters to wear their poppies whatever the circumstances.
Axegrinder is inclined to agree. Apparently the BBC has sent [...]
Posted by Axegrinder on 2 November 2010 at 12:30
Tags: Journalism
Experienced newspaper readers will know that when the headline ends in a question mark, the answer is always no.
So Axegrinder held on to his hat when he saw today’s ‘i’ front page headline stating: Has a cure been found for the common cold?
But then as ‘i’ claims to be targeting a new generation of time-poor [...]
Posted by Axegrinder on 27 October 2010 at 14:01
Tags: Journalism
The ‘revelation’ that Nick Clegg smokes the odd fag, in his appearance on Desert Island Discs, prompted a flurry of stories in the Sundays and further reports through this week.
Such as the Daily Mail - “Nick Clegg has talked for the first time about being a secret smoker” .
But was it really such a great [...]
Posted by Axegrinder on 6 October 2010 at 13:38
Tags: Journalism
The Iliffe News and Media-owned Cambridge News website opted for a curious choice of photo to illustrate a story about a woman who was subjected to verbal abuse on a train by thuggish Cardiff City football club fans.
The woman apparently became so fed up when the driver refused to intervene that she stood in front [...]
Posted by Axegrinder on 14 September 2010 at 09:58
Tags: Journalism
Nuts are off the menu at regional media group Archant following a “potentially severe incident” involving a member of staff.
One response might have been to suggest that the individual involved brings in their own lunch in future. Archant has instead decided to embark on a group-wide nuts fatwa.
Not content to ban nuts from catering outlets, [...]
Posted by Axegrinder on 9 August 2010 at 11:08
Tags: Journalism
A clear frontrunner has emerged in Axegrinder’s headline of the year competition.
It’s The Sun’s awesome headline from February this year about the news that Rap star P. Diddy had blown £220,000 on a luxury car for his teenage son - who did not even have his driving licence.
NEW CAR DIDDY KIDDY DUMB DADDY DOUGH
It has garnered [...]
Posted by Axegrinder on 6 August 2010 at 07:28
Tags: Journalism
It’s been a year since Press Gazette revived its Headline of the Month competition, thanks to some generous sponsorship from the nice people at Jura single malt whisky.
Now its time to pick our Headline of the Year winner.
Why? You may well ask. Because the skilful sub who wrote our winning headline will be sent away [...]
Posted by Axegrinder on 12 July 2010 at 15:40
Tags: Journalism
Here are the headline of the month finalists, as appearing in the July edition of Press Gazette:
Story: England scrape through to a 1-1 draw with the USA after a goal-keeping error from Rob Green gifts a goal to the Americans.
Headline (honours shared between the News of the World and the Sunday Mirror): HAND OF CLOD
Story: [...]
Continue ReadingPosted by Axegrinder on 8 July 2010 at 10:10
Tags: Journalism
More tales reach me of work experience exploitation. This time it is the magazine of supermarket giant Tesco which is seeking an editorial intern who can work for nothing for up to six months.
Their posting on a journalism forum states: “The role will include providing administrative and organisational support for the editorial desk, [...]
Posted by Axegrinder on 7 July 2010 at 15:00
Tags: Journalism
Axegrinder firmly believes that a story is not old until it’s told, so is happy to pass on the curious tale of a gun crime incident which mistakenly featured in a press release sent out by Joanna Burns PR to promote a film about, er, street violence.
The original press release was sent out on 18 [...]
Posted by Axegrinder on 5 July 2010 at 13:53
Tags: Journalism
Freelance journalist Tiffany Wright is advertising for an unpaid intern to work for her for at least six weeks with duties listed as:
Coming up with features ideas for women’s magazines scouring newspapers and online every day for great potential real life features and then chasing these stories;
Liaising with case studies and interviewing;
Contacting Prs/charities/television contacts in [...]
Posted by Axegrinder on 22 June 2010 at 15:05
Tags: Journalism
Here are the latest headline of the month finalists:
Story: Choristers from Magdalen College School gather at the top of the college tower to sing in the beginning of spring including female singers for the first time.
Headline (The Oxford Mail): Girl singers are May-king history
Story: The team that made Ali G a star is reunited after [...]
Continue ReadingPosted by Axegrinder on 15 June 2010 at 06:10
Tags: Journalism
First a stretched Johnston Press weekly publishes dummy copy on its front page, then dummy copy appears in a Financial Times leader column and now this from the Daily Mail sports section yesterday.
What is going on? Axegrinder can only surmise that the nation’s sub editors have begun a silent revolt. “Replace us with machines will [...]
Posted by Axegrinder on 14 June 2010 at 16:03
Tags: Journalism
Amid all the production gremlins which appear to be taking over our nation’s editorial production systems, the need to celebrate great headline writing by human beings, rather than computers, is more urgent then ever.
Here are the latest finalists for Press Gazette’s Headline of the Month:
The Bath Chronicle
Staff at a Bath car service centre plan to [...]
Posted by Axegrinder on 14 June 2010 at 12:44
Tags: Journalism
Staffing cutbacks and a new production system were blamed for a production error which saw dummy copy appear on the front page of the Bedford Times and Citizen.
But what possible excuse could the FT have for this headline in a leader in its European edition last week?
Posted by Axegrinder on 11 June 2010 at 08:18
Tags: Journalism
London mayor and Daily Telegraph columnist Boris Johnson likened Daily Mail editor Paul Dacre to the Boston Stangler when he delivered a typically tongue-in-cheek speech at the University of Westminster on Wednesday night.
Johnson, who Axegrinder suspects won’t be swapping his Telegraph column for a Daily Mail one any time soon, said: “They [the Press] [...]
Posted by Axegrinder on 29 April 2010 at 14:10
Tags: Journalism
A little later than usual (sorry) here are the latest headline of the month finalists:
Story: The boss of a car engine firm has been forced to take a backroom role after customers deserted him when he turned into a woman.
Headline (from The Sun): MECHANIC LOSES NUTS..AND CUSTOMERS BOLT
Story: Education secretary Ed Balls wades into the [...]
Continue ReadingPosted by Axegrinder on 27 April 2010 at 09:59
Tags: Journalism
Which esteemed national newspaper political journalists’ bottom is this?
Axegrinder will be answering this, and other pressing questions from “Election 2010″ in a special report from the campaign trail appearing in the May edition of Press Gazette magazine.
Click here for details on how to take out a subscription.
Posted by Axegrinder on 22 April 2010 at 09:57
Tags: Journalism
Local newspaper journalists have done a lot of soul-searching over the years about how to cover the BNP.
Some newspapers simply refuse to because they fear stoking up hatred along racial lines in the communities they serve.
This is not a stance taken by Northcliffe-owned Totalessex.co.uk, the website of the Essex Chronicle, which carries this curiously gung [...]
Posted by Axegrinder on 24 March 2010 at 11:28
Tags: Journalism
Extra marks this month go to blogger Jon Slattery who commended The Sun for coming up with an original take on the commander Ali Dizaei jailing story, when everyone else used the “criminal in uniform” quote.
He told Axegrinder: “If it doesn’t win someone should be arrested.”
Nice try, but not bottle of Jura single malt for [...]
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