Reuters names its 2008 journalists of the year

Posted by Tom Gillespie on 9 March 2009 at 09:42
Tags: Journalism

The worldwide press agency Reuters has announced the winners of the 2008 Journalist of the Year Awards in a ceremony at its Times Square headquarters in New York.

The awards celebrated exceptional work by Reuters journalists, with 10 awards open to all of the agency’s 2,500-plus editorial staff.

The Editor’s Choice award, picked by the editor-in-chief, was handed to Mike Stepanovich, senior vice president and head of global business development.

David Schlesinger, editor-in-chief of Reuters, said: “Reuters needs to focus on innovation if we’re going to win in this competitive and crowded marketplace for news and information.

“Stepanovich has shown how to bring actionable and incisive financial information ot life in a compelling way.”

Full list of winners

BBC Southern Counties Radio changes name

Posted by Tom Gillespie on 6 March 2009 at 11:57
Tags: Radio

BBC Southern Counties Radio is being rebranded as BBC Surrey and BBC Sussex.

The BBC said the decision to use two different names in the two counties served by the station is part of its efforts to reflect the different needs of the counties, and is also in keeping with the rebranding of the whole of BBC Local Radio.

Southern Counties Radio managing editor Nicci Holliday said: “Anyone familiar with the station’s history will know that BBC Sussex and BBC Surrey are not new names.

“However, unlike previous arrangements, the name change announced today acknowledges that both should be equal while recognising the counties’ individual personalities.”

BBC slip-up predicts freezing temperatures for Kent

Posted by Tom Gillespie on 6 March 2009 at 11:16
Tags: Journalism

A slip-up on BBC weather last night predicted that Kent will be facing arctic temperatures of -99C.

Daniel Corbett, who presented the forecast, was meant to say the weather would reach 7 or 8C in the county.

The lapse echoes a forecast from the BBC last year that predicted Windsor would experience a heat wave of 232C.

ABC to review use of bulks in circulation data

Posted by Tom Gillespie on 5 March 2009 at 12:59
Tags: Journalism

National newspapers including the Daily Mail and the Telegraph face an investigation by ABC into the use of free ‘bulk’ copies.

The Audit Bureau of Circulations will conduct the inquiry following concerns that free papers handed out at airports, train stations and hotels are skewing the circulation figures.

The inquiry will focus solely on the supplier Dawson Media Direct, an industry spokesman told the Guardian.

“The supplier is not being accused of doing anything untoward. The problem involves complex paper trails. It’s purely an administrative thing,” he said.

The ABC figures for February will be released at noon tomorrow.

Technology news site eWeek Europe launches in UK

Posted by Tom Gillespie on 5 March 2009 at 12:48
Tags: Journalism

A technology news site has been launched today that will cover the latest developments in wireless, security, networking and storage.

eWeek Europe UK aims to phelp IT professionals who are facing the downturn and adapting to changes in the corporate climate.

The site’s editor Peter Judge said: “eWeek Europe UK is a trusted and in-depth knowledge-base for IT professionals in changing times, which will help companies turn sustainability into a broad and credible business objective.”

Sri Lankan news editor arrested at funeral

Posted by Tom Gillespie on 27 February 2009 at 16:59
Tags: Newspapers

A Tamil newspaper editor in Sri Lanka was arrested yesterday while attending a relative’s funeral, which has sparked further concerns about press freedom in the country.

Nadesapillai Vidyatharan, the editor of the Sudar Oli and Uthayan newspapers, has been a strong critic of the Government’s efforts to end their 25-year civil war with the Tamil Tigers, and it is believed the arrest is linked to Friday’s air attack on Colombo by two Tiger aircraft. (more…)

Liam Byrne: Daily Mail no longer sets the agenda

Posted by Tom Gillespie on 27 February 2009 at 16:58
Tags: National Newspapers

“The idea that the Daily Mail sets the agenda for governmentis is in the past” according to the Cabinet Office minister Liam Byrne.

The minister made his remarks in response to Paul Flynn, the Labour MP for Newport West, who accused the government of letting tabloids set the agenda.

Before the Commons public administration committee, Byrne said: “Tabloid newspapers sell 22m fewer copies than in 1997, while viewers on TV news channels have collapsed. The growth is in the new media, with 100 million people on Facebook, Youtube and freesheets, it is these people the government has to reach.”

Flynn also said that people believed that crime was rising because of what they’d read in the Mail.

Roger Parry: Papers must evolve or become extinct

Posted by Tom Gillespie on 27 February 2009 at 16:54
Tags: Newspapers

Roger Parry, the current chairman of Johnston Press, has said journalists are often busy doing things the audience no longer want.

In a comment piece for the Financial Times, he said: “Local newspapers are nearing the end of their Cretaceous era. The asteroids - recession and the internet- have landed and the K-T extinction horizon is imminent.”

He argues that journalists are often carrying out work that could be done by the public, who could write about issues and events they are truly concerned about.

He says there will always be a need for trained journalists, but that we will need fewer of them, and they will need new skills in managing user generated content.

Parry, who will step down as chairman in April, says only visionary modernisers will prosper during the radical changes ahead, and said:

“Evolution or extinction is the stark choice ahead for the industry.”

Dasha Zhukova named editor-in-chief of Pop

Posted by Tom Gillespie on 27 February 2009 at 12:59
Tags: Journalism

Dasha Zhukova, the girlfriend of Roman Ambramovich, has been named as the new editor-in-chief of Pop magazine.

Katie Grand, the founding editor of Pop, left the title to launch the rival style magazine Love, which went on sale last week.

Zhukova will edit Pop with the editorial director Ashley Heath, and said: “We are working hard on a complete revamp of the magazine in order to provide a broader point of view focusing also on art, contemporary culture and the globalisation of all things pop-related.”

European journalism students to meet in Lincoln

Posted by Tom Gillespie on 27 February 2009 at 11:12
Tags: Journalism, Student Journalism

The Forum for European Journalism Students will be held at the University of Lincoln from April 2-7, and will be attended by more than 100 students from over 27 European countries.

Representatives from the Press Association and the BBC will hold debates on the roles of blogging, social-networking and video journalism in the future of the industry, and guest speakers will include the Hull Daily Mail editor John Meehan.

The event, which has been running since 1986, has never been held in England before.

The organiser, third year journalism student Gina Davies said: “It will make the city (Lincoln) the capital for European journalism in the UK, which should be great for tourism and the economy.”

Colourful Radio launches on DAB digital radio in London

Posted by Tom Gillespie on 20 February 2009 at 12:58
Tags: Radio

Multicultural news and talk station Colourful Radio is set to launch on DAB digital radio in London on 2 March.

The station, targeting an ethnically diverse audience, is being revamped by broadcaster Henry Bonsu and ex-pirate radio broadcaster Gordon Mac.

Mac said: “I think it’s time for another broadcasting revolution. DAB gives radio operators a chance to build independent stations that are not bogged down by big company mentality and bureaucracy.”

BBC apologises as news website crashes

Posted by Tom Gillespie on 20 February 2009 at 12:56
Tags: Online

Steve Herrmann from the BBC has apologised in an editor’s blog for technical problems on the BBC news website yesterday afternoon.

In his blog, Hermann said: “We’re sorry for this, the site is accessible again now and we are looking into exactly what happened and why as urgently as we can.”

The problem occured at one of the site’s busiest times of day, and was a result of “”a faulty code on a new deployment by the technical team” that meant users were unable to access the site for 20 minutes.

Bridgestone journalism competition now open for entries

Posted by Tom Gillespie on 19 February 2009 at 14:23
Tags: Journalism, Student Journalism

Bridgestone has announced that the 2009 ‘e-reporter’ competition for young aspiring journalists is now open for entries.

The competition aims to provide students with ‘invaluable experience’, and will help them to establish careers within the media.

The competition is open to European students aged 18-30, and is for those with a passion for motorsport, or who are simply keen journalists. (more…)

BBC financial journalists take to the road

Posted by Tom Gillespie on 19 February 2009 at 13:22
Tags: Broadcast, Radio, Television

Financial experts such as Paul Lewis from Radio 4’s Money Box, and Naga Munchetty and Declan Curry from Working Lunch offer advice on tax, pensions and mortgages at the BBC’s first ever money roadshow yesterday.

The event, which was held at the Trafford Centre in Manchester, was organised to inform the public of ways they can better take control of their finances in light of the current economic downturn.

Jeremy Hillman, editor of the Economics and Business Centre in BBC News said: “The public are asking hard questions about their finances and the decisions they need to make in what are very difficult economic conditions.

“Our first money roadshow is a great way of meeting large numbers of our viewers and listeners and reacting to their concerns and questions at a time of great uncertainty.”

The BBC said that it could be the ‘first in a series of similar events across the UK.’