The top 10 most-read stories on Journalism.co.uk, 21-27 January

1. How to: prepare for a journalism job interview

2. Johann Hari declines invitation to return to Independent

3. News International to launch Sunday version of the Sun on 29 April, sources say

4. A guide to mastering 100wpm shorthand

5. Women’s groups condemn ‘harmful’ stereotypes in media

6. Is your blog in this PR database of 1.3 million blogs?

7. PA editor: Name mistake ‘catastrophic example of human error’

8. Mail Online publisher: ‘If you don’t listen to your users then you’re dead’

9. App of the week for journalists – Flipboard

10. Tool of the week for journalists – Formulists (use it before it disappears)

Similar posts:

• Tool of the week for journalists – Formulists (use it before it disappears)
• App of the week for journalists – Flipboard
• paidContent UK: Mail Online on iPad next week
• Flipboard adds Telegraph and Guardian ahead of royal wedding
• Tool of the week for journalists – Error Level Analysis, to test if a photo is a hoax

#followjourn – @viewmagazine David Dunkley Gyimah/videojournalist

Who? David Dunkley Gyimah

Where? Knight Batten and international award-winning videojournalist. He also produces online magazine viewmagazine.tv.

Twitter? @viewmagazine

David will be speaking about online video journalism at news:rewired – media in motion, Journalism.co.uk’s conference on the latest trends in digital journalism.

Just as we like to supply you with fresh and innovative tips, we are recommending journalists to follow online too. Recommended journalists can be from any sector of the industry: please send suggestions (you can nominate yourself) to Rachel at journalism.co.uk; or to @journalismnews.

Similar posts:

• #followjourn – @david_rae David Rae/editorial director
• #followjourn – @tomstandage Tom Standage/digital editor
• #followjourn – @NateLanxon Nate Lanxon/Editor
• #followjourn – @AlanFisher Alan Fisher/journalist
• #followjourn – @duncanhooper Duncan Hooper/managing editor

AFP photographer wins political photography award

The AFP has issued a release to say its photographer John MacDougall won the Rueckblende (flashback) award in Germany for 2011.

The agency says this is the first time the award, which is for political photography and cartoons, has gone to one of its photographers.

The winning picture of a German female soldier embracing a relative of one of three victims at a military funeral brought home the human aspect of the tragedy of Afghanistan, judges of the Rueckblende award for political photography said.

MacDougall first started work at AFP in 1989 as a photo editor.

According to the AFP release “his photo was chosen from among 247 entries for the Rueckblende, which was created in 1995 and carries a 7,000-euro ($9,200) prize, and which also awards a prize for political cartoonists.”

Similar posts:

• Bevins Prize now open for entries
• War correspondents’ awards adds online journalism prize
• Fifth International Photography Award open for entries
• Media Release: Winner of World Press Photo Contest announced
• Heather Brooke and Telegraph named in PSA Awards

#jpod: A guide to using numbers in journalism

The vast majority of journalists are tasked with reporting statistics from time to time. From hospital waiting times to crime reports, company results, government figures and the annual budget, all have scope for inaccuracies and reporters can get the story wrong.

This podcast looks at how numbers can lead to errors and embarrassment for journalists.

Journalism.co.uk technology correspondent Sarah Marshall hears advice from Michael Blastland, author and creator of the BBC Radio 4 programme More or Less; James Ball, data reporter at the Guardian; Professor Steve Schifferes, course leader in financial journalism at City University and Andy Trotter, chief constable of the British Transport Police.

Podcast: Download

You can hear all our podcasts by signing up to the Journalism.co.uk iTunes podcast feed.

Similar posts:

• #jpod: How journalists can best use Facebook pages
• #jpod: Why the Guardian is taking a laid-back approach to news on the iPad
• MeejaLaw: Outgoing PCC chair takes a swipe at the Guardian
• Steve Hewlett to front Radio 4 media show
• #Tip of the day from Journalism.co.uk – how to break into radio industry

#Tip of the day from Journalism.co.uk – using digital tools to report elections

Mashable has a very useful post which looks at how news outlets are using online tools to cover elections in the US, which offers some great ideas for journalists to take note of.

These range from hosting debates on social media platforms to produce interactive maps and “delegate trackers”.

Last year we also collected together five tools journalists might like to try when reporting election results, from visualisation tools to social publishing platforms.

Tipster: Rachel McAthy

If you have a tip you would like to submit to us at Journalism.co.uk email us using this link – we will pay a fiver for the best ones published.

Similar posts:

• #Tip of the day from Journalism.co.uk – how to use forums effectively
• #Tip of the day from Journalism.co.uk – tools for beginner data journalists
• #Tip of the day from Journalism.co.uk – social media filtering
• #Tip of the day from Journalism.co.uk – visualisation tools
• #Tip of the day from Journalism.co.uk – social media kitbag

News International to launch Sunday version of the Sun on 29 April, sources say

Sean Dempsey/PA

News International is planning to launch a Sunday version of its popular UK tabloid newspaper the Sun on 29 April, sources have told Journalism.co.uk.

Staff have been secretly working on the new publication since January and it is believed some former News of the World employees (casual and/or full-time) are involved.

News International has declined to comment. After Journalism.co.uk tweeted about the planned launch date last night, the Telegraph’s home news reporter Matthew Holehouse also tweeted that News International would neither “confirm or deny”.

News Int won’t confirm or deny @journalismnews claim that a ‘Sunday Sun’ will launch April 29.

— Matthew Holehouse (@mattholehouse) January 26, 2012

On Monday MP Tom Watson tweeted that a source had told him a “Sunday Sun” was due for launch in April:

A News Corp source tells me Rupert Murdoch has seen the draft designs of the Sunday Sun with a launch in April at a discounted price.

— tom_watson (@tom_watson) January 23, 2012

Update: Journalism.co.uk heard late on Friday (27 January) that the launch date is to be brought forward.

Similar posts:

• Independent.co.uk: Solicitor general to look into phone hacking concerns
• Guardian: James Murdoch calls daily/Sunday integrations ‘cost-cutting exercises’
• Independent: January launch ‘highly probable’ for Sun on Sunday
• Twitters continued
• Carter Ruck release: Mail on Sunday apologises to MP over Dale story

Unions jointly submit pay claim for BBC staff

The National Union of Journalists, Bectu and Unite have jointly issued a pay claim for BBC staff for 2012 to 2013, which according to union statements, asks for a rise “of RPI plus two per cent, with a minimum increase of £1,000″.

The NUJ says this would apply to BBC staff in bands two to 11. In a statement the NUJ’s broadcasting organiser Sue Harris said they consider it “a fair claim”.

According to the unions the claim “also seeks the reinstatement of a previous right for staff to lodge pay appeals” and “encourages BBC management to agree to the inclusion of elected staff representatives on the Executive Remuneration Committee”.

Read more on the pay claim on the NUJ and Bectu websites.

Similar posts:

• BECTU members apply to NUJ in order to join BBC strikes
• Union seeks ‘substantial’ above-inflation pay rise for BBC staff
• BBC staff unions to hold meetings on scheduled strike dates
• BBC unions prepare staff for strike action
• BECTU members at the BBC accept 2% pay offer

Journalisted Weekly: Costa Concordia, Newt Gingrich and cuts controversy

Journalisted is an independent, not-for-profit website built to make it easier for you, the public, to find out more about journalists and what they write about. It is run by the Media Standards Trust, a registered charity set up to foster high standards in news on behalf of the public, and funded by donations from charitable foundations. Each week Journalisted produces a summary of the most covered news stories, most active journalists and those topics falling off the news agenda, using its database of UK journalists and news sources.

Costa Concordia, Newt Gingrich and cuts controversy

for the week ending Sunday 22 January

• The Costa Concordia crash dominated the week’s papers
• Newt Gingrich, Labour cuts controversy and Leveson covered lots
• Chinese growth, Egyptian election and Croatian referendum covered little

Covered lots

• Cruise ship Costa Concordia runs aground off Italian coast, 413 articles
• Newt Gingrich wins the Republican primary in South Carolina, 210 articles
• Labour faces union criticism of its stance on cuts, 202 articles
• The Leveson Inquiry continues, 169 articles
• Michael Gove calls for a new royal yacht to celebrate the Jubilee, 111 articles

Covered little

• China faces an economic growth slowdown, 19 articles
• Croatia votes to join the EU, 13 articles
• Arab League calls for Syrian reform, 10 articles
• Final results in Egyptian parliamentary elections show victory for Islamist parties, 5 articles
• China sees ‘dragon baby’ boom, 4 articles
• Jon Huntsman withdraws from the GOP presidential nomination race, 3 articles

Political ups and downs (top ten by number of articles)

• David Cameron: 696 (-5% on last week)
• Ed Miliband: 262 (+2% on last week)
• George Osborne: 247 (+4% on last week)
• Nick Clegg: 204 (+22% on last week)
• Boris Johnson: 127 (+61% on last week)
• Michael Gove: 119 (+9% on last week)
• Tony Blair: 114 (-3% on last week)
• Gordon Brown: 111 (+28% on last week)
• Alex Salmond: 106 (-59% on last week)
• Ed Balls: 103 (+30% on last week)

Celebrity vs. serious

• Celebrity Big Brother continues, 92 articles vs. Wikipedia shuts down amid concerns over anti-piracy legislation, 88 articles
• Ricky Gervais hosts the Golden Globes again, 72 articles vs. News International pays out to 37 victims of phone-hacking, and the Times and Sunday Times editors appear before the Leveson Inquiry, 80 articles
• Simon Cowell experiences problems with his talent show empire, 56 articles vs. Argentina and the UK up the pressure over the Falklands, 76 articles
• David Beckham signs deal to stay with LA Galaxy, 37 articles vs. Nick Clegg calls for a ‘John Lewis’ economy, 40 articles
• A pregnant Amanda Holden wears heels, 8 articles vs. the downfall of Tom Harris, Labour’s social media guru, 8 articles

Eurozone leaders (top ten by number of articles)

• Nicolas Sarkozy (France): 88 (-32% on last week)
• Mario Monti (Italy): 61 (+65% on last week)
• Angela Merkel (Germany): 46 (-54% on last week)
• Lucas Papademos (Greece): 25 (-7% on last week
• Mariano Rajoy (Spain): 9 (+50% on last week)
• Enda Kenny (Ireland): 5 (-77% on last week)
• Pedro Passos Coelho (Portugal): 2 (+100% on last week)
• Werner Faymann (Austria): 1 (-50% on last week)
• Mark Rutte (The Netherlands): 1 (-94% on last week)

Who wrote a lot about… the Australian Open

• Kevin Mitchell – 24 articles (The Guardian)
• Neil McLeman – 19 articles (Mirror)
• Simon Briggs – 12 articles (Daily Telegraph)
• Neil Harman – 10 articles (The Times)
• Mike Dickson – 10 articles (MailOnline)

Long form journalism

• 4,502 words: ‘Peter Tatchell – activist, irritant, national treasure’ by Ginny Dougary, The Times, 21st January 2012
• 4,239 words: ‘Anne Rice: interview with the vampire writer’ by Mick Brown, Daily Telegraph, 21st January 2012
• 3,250 words: ‘Belfast, divided in the name of peace’ by Sean O’Hagan, The Observer, 22nd January 2012

The Media Standards Trust, which runs journalisted, won the ‘One to Watch’ category at the Prospect Think Tank Awards

Read the Hacked Off live blog on the Leveson inquiry and follow our Twitter feed @hackinginquiry.

Visit the Media Standards Trust’s Churnalism.com – a public service for distinguishing journalism from churnalism

Read the MST’s submission to parliament’s Joint Committee on Privacy and Injunctions and the House of Lords Communications Select Committee on investigative journalism

For the latest instalment of Tobias Grubbe, journalisted’s 18th century jobbing journalist, go to journalisted.com/tobias-grubbe

Similar posts:

• Journalisted Weekly: FA Cup, UK flu, and Australian floods
• Journalisted Weekly: Football, phone hacking, and Egyptian uprising
• Journalisted Weekly: Brisbane floods, Arizona shootings, and Tunisia protests
• Journalisted Weekly: Resignations, Tunisian fever, and Blair returns
• Journalisted Weekly: Chilean Miners, Liverpool FC and defence cuts

InPublishing: New chief executive’s plans for Johnston Press

InPublishing has a revealing interview with Johnston Press’ new chief executive, a former technology boss with no newspaper experience.

Ray Snoddy interviews Ashley Highfield, who was former head of technology at the BBC and later in charge of Microsoft’s online and consumer operations, on his plans for the newspaper group.

It is worth reading the whole interview to find out why Highfield took up the challenge of joining the company, which seen its share price fall from 480p to 5p.

Here are a couple of extracts:

The new Johnston chief executive also points out that while not a newspaperman, he has run two of the largest online news portals in the UK, MSN and BBC online, where he was editor-in-chief responsible for several hundred online journalists.

Then of course there is the money, which included a welcome package of £500,000 worth of seriously deflated Johnston Press shares.

If the new chief executive can conjure up a little alchemy, find a better model for linking the print and digital world and get the share price on the move then he could become seriously rich.

Those however who expected Highfield to come in to Johnston Press and wave a magic digital wand on his first day at the beginning of November have already expressed disappointment.

Highfield insists he has a digital strategy but says it would be “premature” to say in any detail how he is going to implement it.

Highfield discusses content dissemination via iPads and other devices (incidentally, JP title the Scotsman launched a £7.99-a-month iPad edition earlier this week), but was less forthcoming about paywall plans (JP dismantled its trial walls in April 2010).

And what about paywalls and charging for online content?

“Watch this space”, is all Highfield will say but, clearly, increasing digital revenues is a central part of the emerging strategy.

The full InPublishing interview is at this link.

Similar posts:

• Johnston Press chief: BBC should be limited to three stories per city per day
• FT.com: Archant boss John Fry finalising contract with Johnston Press
• Johnston Press at centre of bid speculation but denies ‘any disposal process underway’ for the Scotsman
• Tracking UK newspaper share prices with Twitter
• Johnston Press joins AOP

#Tip of the day from Journalism.co.uk: online security for journalists

Online security is of growing importance to all, and for journalists in countries that clamp down on free expression it can be vital.

The Knight Center for Journalism in the America’s Natalia Mazotte has a list of simple tips to help journalists avoid being hacked and intimidated online.

Read the list at this link.

Tipster: Joel Gunter

If you have a tip you would like to submit to us at Journalism.co.uk email us using this link – we will pay a fiver for the best ones published.

Similar posts:

• #Tip of the day from Journalism.co.uk – 10 lessons in community strategies
• #Tip of the day from Journalism.co.uk – serving local communities online
• #Tip of the day from Journalism.co.uk: live tweeting
• #Tip of the day from Journalism.co.uk – Five steps to building a more engaged audience
• #Tip of the day from Journalism.co.uk – covering the occupy protests as a digital journalist