Community website teams up with Archant to launch monthly print title

Posted by Heloise Wood on 14 February 2012 at 09:53
Tags: Journalism, New Media, Newspapers, Online, Regional Newspapers

The hyperlocal community website Everything Epping Forest has teamed up with publisher Archant London to produce a new monthly print magazine.

Everything Epping Forest launched three years ago and now says it receives more than 200,000 hits per month. It has a sister site, Everything Harlow, which was launched in February 2010.

The sites are run by David Jackman, a former local newspaper journalist with over 21 years of experience in the industry.

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Entries open for Regional Press Awards

Posted by Press Gazette on 13 February 2012 at 10:35
Tags: Journalism, Newspapers, Regional Newspapers, awards

Entries have opened for the 2011 Regional Press Awards.

Entries must be made online at www.theregionalpressawards.org.uk, which has full details of categories and guidance on how to register, and close on 7 March, with shortlists published on 17 April.

The awards, run by the Society of Editors in conjunction with the Newspaper Society, will be held at Savoy Place, London, on 25 May. (more…)

Express & Star publisher appoints first comms manager

Posted by Press Gazette on 10 February 2012 at 15:21
Tags: Journalism, Newspapers, Regional Newspapers

The Midland News Association, publisher of Britain’s best selling regional newspaper the Express & Star, has appointed its first communications manager.

Chris Leggett, MNA’s electronic editor in charge of online content since 2006, takes up the newly-created brand and communications manager on 5 March.

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Newbury Weekly News launches Hungerford edition

Posted by Press Gazette on 9 February 2012 at 14:48
Tags: Journalism, Newspapers, Regional Newspapers

Family-owned title the Newbury Weekly news has launched a new Hungerford edition.

The new edition will be available from each Thursday throughout the Hungerford, Kintbury and Lambourn area.

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Campaigning journalism from Coventry Telegraph secures potentially life-saving operations

Posted by Dominic Ponsford on 9 February 2012 at 14:21
Tags: Newspapers, Regional Newspapers

Campaigning journalism by the Coventry Telegraph has helped ensure that a 72-year-old woman and another OAP can have potentially life-saving operations. (more…)

New editor for Bucks Herald, Bucks Advertiser and Thame Gazette

Posted by Press Gazette on 8 February 2012 at 11:19
Tags: Newspapers, Regional Newspapers

Roger Hawes has been appointed the news editor of the Bucks Herald, Bucks Advertiser and Thame Gazette newspapers. (more…)

Dorset Echo’s Toby Granville named Newsquest editor of the year

Posted by Press Gazette on 8 February 2012 at 11:18
Tags: Journalism, Newspapers, Regional Newspapers

Dorset Echo and Bournemouth Daily Echo editor Toby Granville has been named Newsquest’s Editor of the Year. (more…)

Surrey Comet’s Most Wanted campaign helps police make eight arrests

Posted by Press Gazette on 7 February 2012 at 11:37
Tags: Journalism, Newspapers, Regional Newspapers

The Surrey Comet’s “Most Wanted” campaign has been praised by police after information from readers helped police make eight arrests.

The campaign was launched in October 2011 in conjunction with Kingston Police, and after the first edition  two people came forward, followed by another three after the second round of appeals.

After last month’s appeal a further three people came forward including someone wanted on suspicion of defrauding a pensioner for roofing works.

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Dickens birthday promoted from birth notices to front page 200 years on for The News, Portsmouth

Posted by Dominic Ponsford on 7 February 2012 at 09:03
Tags: Regional Newspapers

The News in Portsmouth has a nice front page today - even if the story is 200 years old.

Some 200 years agoo today, Charles Dickens was born in the heart of Portsmouth - and the Johnston Press-owned daily has tracked down his original birth notice. (more…)

Burnley Express brews up celebration of 125 years as a bi-weekly

Posted by William Turvill on 3 February 2012 at 11:46
Tags: Regional Newspapers

The Burnley Express has teamed up with two local businesses to commemorate 125 years since the newspaper became a bi-weekly.

In addition to the newspaper running 12 special souvenir supplements and a dedicated 125 section of the website, a local brewery and butcher have agreed to name new products in honour of the Express.

Reporter Hannah Ramsden won an in-company competition to name a Moorhouse’s cask ale ‘Brewer’s Scoop’, which is now available across the town.

Meanwhile, butcher George Heys has named a new peppery sausage ‘Hot off the Press’ in honour of the local publication.

Editor Chris Daggett said: “We wanted to come up with something just a little bit different to mark this milestone year and having our own beer and sausages fitted the bill.”

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Johnston Press to move printing of Yorkshire Post from Leeds after 258 years

Posted by Press Gazette on 1 February 2012 at 14:25
Tags: Journalism, Newspapers, Regional Newspapers

Johnston Press plans to stop printing the Yorkshire Post in Leeds for the first time in its 258-year history with the loss of 25 jobs.

The BBC reports that that printing of the Yorkshire Post and its sister-title the Evening Post will be transferred to Dinnington, near Sheffield, and Sunderland.

The company’s chief operating officer Danny Cammiade said the new arrangement would “follow the pattern across the newspaper industry of printing being centralised into fewer but bigger and more modern plants”.

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Kent Media Awards: full list of winners

Posted by William Turvill on 31 January 2012 at 10:15
Tags: BBC, Broadcast, People, Radio, Regional Newspapers, awards

BBC Radio Kent presenter Julia George received a double honour at this year’s Kent Media Awards.

As well as being named Journalist of the Year, George also won the Kent Broadcast Journalist of the Year award. (more…)

Vince Cable praises regional press support for local business

Posted by William Turvill on 30 January 2012 at 08:54
Tags: Newspapers, People, Regional Newspapers

The business secretary Vince Cable has praised regional newspapers for boosting local business development through the Regional Growth Fund (RGF).

Speaking at a Newspaper Conference lunch, the Liberal Democrat politician said that the scheme was allowing small businesses to access funds that would otherwise be unavailable. (more…)

Is it time to end the online comments free-for-all on news websites?

Posted by Cleland Thom on 30 January 2012 at 08:50
Tags: Journalism, Journalism Technology, Law, National Newspapers, New Media, Newspapers, Online, Regional Newspapers

A relaxation in the rules on handling user-generated content on media websites is proving to be a mixed blessing.

It is just over two years since the High Court ruled that newspaper and magazine websites qualified as internet service providers (ISPs) and were NOT responsible for readers’ posts on talk boards. (more…)

Johnston Press chief Ashley Highfield: All our papers have healthy profit of over 20 per cent

Posted by Andrew Pugh on 27 January 2012 at 09:23
Tags: Journalism, New Media, Newspapers, Regional Newspapers

Johnston Press chief executive Ashley Highfield has revealed that every newspaper in the group has a “healthy” profit margin of more than 20 per cent – and that he sees the company’s future “beyond print”.

In an interview with In Publishing, Highfield said:

Yes I have absolutely no previous newspaper experience but the board had already made the decision that the future of Johnston Press lay in moving the organisation beyond print and that was explained to me in the first sentence.

Not closing down print but moving beyond an almost entirely solus print operation.

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Archant awards: full list of winners

Posted by William Turvill on 24 January 2012 at 10:30
Tags: Journalism, Magazines, People, Regional Newspapers, awards

Archant’s group design editor Steve Bodycomb was named Editorial Person of the Year at the company’s annual internal awards ceremeony on Friday.

Other award winners included group digital development manager James Parfitt, who was named  New Media Person of the Year, and Devon Life staff writer Anna Turns, who won Green Person of the Year.

Business and Professional Life magazine and the Royal Ascot Magazine were also honoured.

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Scotsman editor tells Leveson of ethical dilemma that ended in suicide

Posted by Press Gazette on 18 January 2012 at 14:52
Tags: Journalism, Newspapers, Regional Newspapers

Scotsman editor John McLellan recalled an interesting anecdote in his written witness statement to the Leveson Inquiry that’s certain to cause debate among journalists.

Asked for his thoughts on ethics within the newspaper industry, McLellan noted that while journalists were duty bound to consider how individuals will be affected by their stories this “should not necessarily come before the need to publish”. (more…)

Photographer booked for obstruction makes police assault complaint

Posted by Cleland Thom on 18 January 2012 at 09:43
Tags: Journalism, Law, National Newspapers, Newspapers, Photography, Regional Newspapers, press freedom

A magazine photographer claims he has been threatened and prevented from doing his job by Greater Manchester Police officers in Oldham - for the third time.

Stuart Littleford, editor of the Government and Public Sector Journal, says an officer pushed his camera away and intimidated and abused him for over ten minutes.

The officer then booked his car for obstruction and started checking his tyres and tax disc.

The incident happened on the afternoon of Monday, 16 January, in Oldham. (more…)

Independent publisher launches free weekly in wake of Trinity mergers

Posted by Press Gazette on 17 January 2012 at 09:12
Tags: Journalism, Newspapers, Regional Newspapers

Southport-based Independent publisher Champion Media Group has launched a new title as it looks to take advantage of Trinity Mirror’s decisions to merge the Bootle Times, Maghull & Aintree Star and Anfield & Walton Star into a single title called The Star.

CMG’s  Bootle Champion will come out on Wednesdays, a day after the The Star is distributed in Tuesday’s Liverpool Echo. (more…)

Journalists work from Welsh council building after closure of district office

Posted by Press Gazette on 10 January 2012 at 10:58
Tags: Journalism, Newspapers, Regional Newspapers

A council is providing Newsquest weekly The Free Press with free office space in Pontypool - three months after the company closed its office in the town.

According to a BBC Wales report the paper had been based in Pontypool for 150 years until Newsquest shut the office last November and moved staff to the South East Wales headquarters in Newport.

The closure, along with that of the Cwmbran office, resulted in five redundancies at the company, which also publishes the South Wales Argus.

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