Posted by
Sarah Lagan
on 22 February 2008 at 10:34
Tags: Uncategorized
The Daily Mirror has scooped a world exclusive interview with the former wife of Suffolk strangler convicted yesterday five prostitutes in Ipswich.
Diane Cole told the paper how he had beaten her and subjected her to mental torture.
She said: “I knew how bad he was when I was with him, but I did not think he was capable of doing anything so evil.”
Posted by
Sarah Lagan
on 21 February 2008 at 10:30
Tags: Journalism
Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government Hazel Blears will be guest speaker at the Newspaper Conference on 13 March.
Blears will answer questions from regional press political journalists based in Westminster.
These conferences run by the Newspaper Society are held throughout the year and are made up of London-based regional press political editors and lobby correspondents.
Yorkshire Evening Post political editor was last month appointed chairman of the conference.
Posted by
Sarah Lagan
on 20 February 2008 at 12:03
Tags: Journalism
The Newcastle Chronicle has launched a blog written in Polish and English.
ChronicleLive.co.uk will carry the blog called Poles to Newcastle which is aimed at the 5,000 Polish workers and their families living in the north east.
The blog follows the life of Polish interpreter Alexandra Jarocka who moved to the north east and provides advice and information in areas such as job hunting, making friends and language.
Chronicle editor Paul Robertson said: “Like many areas across the country the Polish population has exploded in the North East over the last couple of years. Hopefully Alex’s blog can help integrate the Polish community into life in the North East and provide a platform through the Chronicle where they can discuss issues or seek advice.”
Posted by
Sarah Lagan
on 4 February 2008 at 11:15
Tags: Journalism
The Press Complaints Commission is to hold an open day with a panel that includes PCC chairman, Christopher Meyer, PCC director Tim Toulmin, a lay Commission member and a representative of the newspaper industry.
Members of the public will be able to have private, informal discussions with senior members of the commission about making complaints to newspapers and magazines.
The open day will take place on Tuesday 19 February in the Albert Room at Leeds Town Hall.
A surgery will take place from 2.30pm until 3.45pm and a question and answer session will commence at 4pm.
For more information call Tonia Milton on 0207 831 0022.
Posted by
Sarah Lagan
on 30 January 2008 at 16:57
Tags: Online, Regional Newspapers
The Express and Star’s website has increased its unique users by 45 per cent from April following a strategy of greater newsroom integration.
Some 236,534 unique users visited the site compared to 162,820 in April.
The extra traffic follows a strategy by Midlands News Association and the company�s online arm MNA Digital of more in-house video content, the introduction of a fantasy football game and Google maps accompanying the main stories.
Online journalists Tim Walters and Stuart Pollitt have been working alongside MNA Digital electronic editor Chris Leggett, reporting to Express & Star editor Adrian Faber.
Every Saturday Pollitt hosts a web version of the MNA’s “pink” sports paper Sporting Star Live, including video updates and live match reports.
Video journalists Victoria Hoe and Wendy Lloyd produce daily news and sport video reports and users can comment on all the issues.
Users can also look for a new home or motor with the site�s property and cars sections.
Express & Star editor Adrian Faber said: “The impressive rise in visitor numbers and page impressions is a tribute to the efforts of the team and the quality of our journalism, both in print and online.
“While our print readership remains the primary focus of our newsgathering operation, with newer content such as our video we are leading the way in the digital age, while protecting the prestige of our newspaper, which remains Britain’s biggest regional title.
“The Express & Star brand is continuing to evolve by reaching new audiences across the world, outside of our solid core circulation area.”
Posted by
Sarah Lagan
on 30 January 2008 at 09:43
Tags: Journalism
Kent Messenger reporter Chris Hunter picked up the first interview with the cleared suspect of the world’s biggest cash heist, John Fowler.
Hunter, who has been covering the seven month Tonbridge robbery trial with colleague Helen Wagstaff, spotted Fowler in the Old Bailey canteen after five other men were convicted.
Hunter said: “I was thirsty and at a bit of a loose end. Helen was filing copy and I was bored with Suduko, so I thought I’d head upstairs to see if anyone was in the canteen. Luckily enough Fowler had had the same idea.
“It was the last place I expected to find him. If I’d just been cleared after two years of being shipped backwards and forwards from Belmarsh to the Old Bailey, I’d be out of the door and in a pub in two seconds flat.”
The Kent Messenger produced a 16-page background supplement on the robbery and trial.
Posted by
Sarah Lagan
on 24 January 2008 at 12:49
Tags: New Media, Regional Newspapers
Senior lecturer in online journalism at Birmingham City University Paul Bradshaw has interviewed Lancashire Evening Post deputy editor Mike Hill about life in a converged newsroom.
In January 2006 the Johnston Press-owned Post claimed to become the first newsrooms to become fully converged with every journalist working across print and online. The site has seen unique users grow from 40,000 to 300,000 in the last two years while its Preston patch has a residency of 150,000.
Hill discusses the growing use of studio-based online news in 2008, the site’s daily and monthly online surveys that are attracting up to 1,000 responses a week, the problems arising from geo-tagging and mobile phone content.
In his own words “It’s created a new buzz in the room.”
The interview can be heard here.
Posted by
Sarah Lagan
on 24 January 2008 at 11:42
Tags: Journalism
The Press in York has led a party of campaigners and politicians to 10 Downing Street to deliver a dossier of readers’ demands to save post offices in North and East Yorkshire.
In November the paper, which was last year named campaigning newspaper of the year at the Newspaper Society’s awards, launched its Cut the Closures campaign after revealing that 50 branches were threatened with closure in its patch.
The cuts are part of the Post Office’s national network review.
In eight weeks 5,500 people signed a petition calling for plans to close their local branches to be axed.
Reporter Gerran Grimshaw led the delegation to hand over the dossier to Prime Minister Gordon Brown. They also handed a copy of the petition to post office bosses at their Old Street headquarters in Old Street, London.
Press editor Kevin Booth said: “Like our readers, we believe the post office provides a vital community service - especially in rural areas - over and above its role as a commercial concern.
“Post offices offer a focal point, as well as a valuable service to the most vulnerable members of our society.
“We also believe many of these proposed closures fail on the Government’s own terms; many branches facing the axe are thriving businesses.”
Posted by
Sarah Lagan
on 24 January 2008 at 10:37
Tags: National Newspapers, Regional Newspapers
The World Newspaper Congress and World Editors Forum & Info Services Expo 2008 are to take place in Goteborg, Sweden, from 1 to 4 June.
President of the Swedish Newspaper Publishers Association Par Fagerstrom will open the congress along with His Majesty, King Carl XV1 Gustaf of Sweden and president of the World Association of Newspapers Gavin O’Reilly.
Key issues such as newsroom integration will be discussed over the four days.
Posted by
Sarah Lagan
on 23 January 2008 at 12:56
Tags: Journalism, National Newspapers, Online
The Independent has taken on six members of staff to upload breaking news stories throughout the day for its newly-relaunched website.
Independent.co.uk previously carried only news stories that had been repurposed from the newspaper.
The relaunch, unveiled this morning, aims to give users access to more blogs, forums, user generated polls, video and audio.
Netherlands-based company Getronics, which has worked on a number of European newspaper websites, has been developing the site. (more…)
Posted by
Sarah Lagan
on 21 January 2008 at 11:19
Tags: Law, Regional Newspapers
The Irish News is this week appealing a libel writ brought against the paper by Goodfellas restaurant after it published a negative review of its food and service.
Businessman Ciaran Convery won £25,000 in damages over the review by food critic Caroline Workman published in August 2000.
The paper argued that the unanimous verdict flew in the face of freedom of the press and vowed to appeal the decision.
If the paper loses the case at the Court of Appeal the landmark judgment will have massive implications for book, film and restaurants reviewers and arts critics alike
Leading human rights lawyer Lord Lester QC will lead the appeal.
Posted by
Sarah Lagan
on 18 January 2008 at 16:32
Tags: National Newspapers
The Sun reporter Alex West, the son of Admiral Lord West, was arrested for alleged drugs offences according Daily Telegraph sources.
West was said to have been approached by a drug dealer who offered him cocaine outside a night club in east London on 6 January.
He was later released without charge on police bail.
The editor of the Sun Rebekah Wade has suspended West who joined the paper last year.
Posted by
Sarah Lagan
on 17 January 2008 at 13:40
Tags: Journalism, Online, Regional Newspapers
As news broke of Kevin Keegan’s sensational return to Newcastle United the city’s Evening Chronicle sprang into action to produce a special late edition and online updates.
News of the football legend’s return was announced at 4.15pm; three hours after the paper’s final edition deadline.
It announced the news instantly as a snap on the Chronicle Live website and followed up with a story, picture gallery, fans’ video vox-pops and a backgrounder on his previous reign at St. James Park.
Football writer Lee Ryder updated his Blog on the Tyne and the site was flooded with readers’ messages within minutes.
An extra 15,000 copies of the paper were printed.
