When Wilmington announced yesterday that it was closing Press Gazette permanently, quite a few of my colleagues blogged about how sad they felt at its demise. Dave Lee, Alison Gow, Kristine Lowe and even Roy Greenslade all wrote at length about what PG had meant to them and why it would be missed. I’m going [...]
Local news, local action
Published in March 28th, 2009
Anyone who pays any attention to the news cannot have failed to hear of the swingeing cuts in staff being made at newspapers and magazines up and down the UK. Thousands of journalists jobs have disappeared over the last year. Some papers and magazines have been closed down. Over the last couple of weeks, people [...]
Aid Zimbabwean journalists
Published in December 2nd, 2008
Press Gazette and the NUJ have started a very worthy appeal. To help journalists get the news out of Zimbabwe, they are asking for hacks here to donate any kit such as laptops and cameras to their counterparts. If you can donate anything – an old mobile phone, an outmoded (for the UK) laptop – [...]
Dacre – out of touch, out of order
Published in November 10th, 2008
Early this morning I read the transcript of Daily Mail editor Paul Dacre’s speech to the annual conference of the Society of Editors. What has captured my attention is his views on privacy. On his own admission, Dacre knows that “sensation sells papers”. That has clearly been the basis for his particular brand of journalism [...]
When hacks get sacked for blogging
Published in September 25th, 2008
Freelance journalist Nick Clayton got the boot last week for blogging. His firing has attracted a lot of media attention and he’s written up his experience on his own blog. Read and learn what a storm in a teacup it is – not for him but for The Scotsman. No doubt Nick will be keeping [...]
MEN behaving radically
Published in September 18th, 2008
It’s not often bloggers are offered the opportunity to have a look round a modern newsroom at a major regional paper, so when the Manchester Evening News announced it would host the latest meeting for Manchester’s blogging community it didn’t take long for the limited number of spaces available to be filled. The MEN recently [...]
Tomorrow's hacks right here, right now
Published in August 18th, 2008
My favourite student journalist (although, strictly speaking, he’s now graduated with top marks) is Dave Lee. Dave has wasted no time in setting up a blog ring for young journalists – TNTJ. This has all the makings of a great venture, knowing Dave. So here’s a quick toast to their future success. Chin chin! Bookmark [...]
How reporting can endanger the disabled
Published in August 2nd, 2008
Following Barry George’s acquittal for the murder of Jill Dando, today’s papers are awash with lengthy analysis of the case and profiles of George himself. My own opinion is that I think it highly unlikely that George “did it”, based on reports of his low IQ and other mental and physical problems. Why on earth [...]
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