Number of libel claims last year highest in a decade, claims law firm

More defamation claims were issued in the high court last year than in any year since 1998, according to London law firm Reynolds Porter Chamberlain.

Figures released yesterday by the firm reveal that 298 claims were issued in 2009, a 15 per cent rise on the 259 in 2008.

The figure for 2009 is also the highest since the introduction of civil prodedure rules in 1999, known as the Woolf reforms, which were designed to reduce the risk of costly disputes and aid pre-court settlements.

Jaron Lewis, media partner at RPC says: “This is the third year in a row where the number of claims has increased, firmly putting to bed the notion that libel law is not a serious challenge for the media. There are now nearly 50 per cent more libel claims each year than there were three years ago.

“Despite efforts to reduce the likelihood of expensive defamation litigation, the number of claims has been creeping up consistently as claimants continue to rely on favourable laws to bring expensive and often unnecessary litigation through the courts.”

RPC points to the increasing number of defamation cases being brought by new law firms, amount of material published on a daily basis, particularly online, and a rise in the number of claims brought relating to allegations of involvement with extremist groups and terrorism.

According to Lewis, the number of claims reaching trial has remained constant, suggesting that more claims are being settled or withdrawn before trial.

Libel reform coverage on Journalism.co.uk Editors’ Blog

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New figures suggest continued growth for US magazine advertising

Advertising revenue for US magazines continued to increase for the second quarter in a row according to figures released yesterday from the Publishers Information Bureau and posted on the Association of Magazine Media website.

The results for the third quarter of 2010 suggest that rate-card revenue and the number of magazine advertising pages both increased overall compared to the same period in 2009.

The number of ad pages rose by 3.6 per cent following a 0.8 per cent growth in the previous quarter, with a total of 136 magazines reporting a rise in ad pages, compared to 25 magazines in the same period last year. PIB also reported that 132 titles recorded revenue increases this quarter, while only 37 titles did in the same period last year. PIB rate-card revenues were reported to be up by 5.3 per cent.

Reporting on the results the Wall Street Journal said the statistics should give publishers “more hope that the declines that killed dozens of well-known titles in 2009 are behind them”.

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BBC Cojo: Andrew Marr is ‘spot on’

The BBC College of Journalism’s executive editor Kevin Marsh joins the quality of journalism debate this week following comments made by Andrew Marr about the blogosphere.

According to this Telegraph report Marr, speaking at Cheltenham Literature Festival, said that “citizen journalism strikes me as nothing to do with journalism at all”.

A lot of bloggers seem to be socially inadequate, pimpled, single, slightly seedy, bald, cauliflower-nosed, young men sitting in their mother’s basements and ranting. They are very angry people. OK – the country is full of very angry people. Many of us are angry people at times. Some of us are angry and drunk. But the so-called citizen journalism is the spewings and rantings of very drunk people late at night.

Responding to the outcry which followed Marr’s comments Marsh argues that the problem is that “he’s right”. But the issue is about the quality of the journalism, he added, not the platform used.

Spot on. About bloggers, cit journalists … and about journos. Take some the key phrases and substitute ‘the British press’ and there’s little many would quarrel with.  “(The British press is) inadequate” and “nothing to do with journalism at all.” True? Probably as true as it is of bloggers etc. “A lot of (the British press) seem to be socially inadequate, pimpled, single, slightly seedy, bald, cauliflower-nosed … and ranting. They are very angry people.” “Most of the (British press) is too angry and too abusive. Terrible things are said … things … they wouldn’t dream of saying in person.” True? As above.

All of what Andrew Marr says about blogging and bloggers etc is as true as it is – there are bloggers we all know who are as good as or better than anything you will see in more traditional paper or spectrum journalism. But there’s also the weird, paranoid, conspiratorial, self-affirming blogosphere that is all that Andrew Marr characterises and worse.

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BBC News: Media rivals join forces against Murdoch

The BBC reports this morning that rival media groups have come together and called on business secretary Vince Cable to consider blocking Murdoch’s planned bid for the remainder of BSkyB.

Signatories are said to include the heads of the BBC and Channel 4 and chief executives of newspapers including the Telegraph, the Guardian, the Mail and the Mirror. The letter argues that any such bid would “reduce diversity in the industry”.

In June, News Corp told the board of BSkyB that it was prepared to pay 700p a share to take full control of the leading satellite broadcaster. BSkyB’s directors said the offer was £1 per share too low, but agreed to resume negotiations after regulatory hurdles have been cleared.

News Corporation has been confident that it could demonstrate that the combination of BSkyB with News Corporations’ UK newspapers – the Sun, the Times, the News of the World and the Sunday Times – does not pose a serious threat to competition.

This follows news last month that similar calls on Vince Cable were being backed by the National Union of Journalists while founder of Enders Analysis Claire Enders wrote to Cable to voice her concerns over the future plurality of the media.

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Thirty new media, editorial, communications and PR jobs this week on Journalism.co.uk

These are the latest editorial, PR and media job opportunities from this week on Journalism.co.uk’s jobs board

Editor at large – Procycling
You will be an ambassador for the brand, maximising the quality of its public and trade relations. Also you will work with the editor to ensure all commissions are clear and detailed enough so that contributors are fully briefed.
Salary: Competitive
Future Publishing Ltd
Bath, England
>>more

Production editor – Mini
Are you a production assistant looking to develop your career, or a talented sub-editor looking for a new challenge?
Salary: Competitive
Future Publishing Ltd
Bath, England
>>more

Correspondent
AFPTV corrrespondent in Beijing
Salary: DoE
AFPTV
Beijing, Rest of World
>>more

M&A reporter
Mergermarket has a vacancy for a financial reporter at its London head office. The role involves covering both M&A forward-looking intelligence and breaking news in Europe across several sectors.
Salary: DoE
Mergermarket
London, United Kingdom
>>more

Managing Editor
Mediaquest is currently hiring for a managing editor for an English-language business-to-business publication covering the Middle East insurance market.
Salary: AED 18k-20k per month
Mediaquestcorp
Dubai, Dubai
>>more

Managing Editor
Mediaquest, one of the leading and regional publishing companies based in Dubai , and with operations across the Middle East and North Africa is currently hiring for a Managing Editor in our Dubai office, for a monthly English-language business magazine.
Salary: AED 18k-20k Per Month
Mediaquestcorp
Dubai, Dubai
>>more

Editorial Assistant
We are a small online media agency that owns and runs three successful websites in the financial services industry, and we are looking for another great mind to join our team in the fast-paced day-to-day running of the business from our Maida Vale hub.
Salary: £15k
Bridging and Commercial Ltd
London, England
>>more

Travel editor
We are looking for a brilliant travel editor to come on board for twelve months initially for a maternity cover. This is a great opportunity to work with some leading industry professionals and develop great online content for a high traffic site.
Salary: DoE
AOL
London, England
>>more

Reporter – The Grocer
The Grocer, one of the UK’s top business magazines, is looking for a bright, inquisitive and resourceful reporter to break agenda-setting news stories ahead of the nationals.
Salary: DoE
William Reed Business Media
Crawley, England
>>more

Production assistant
Join the Official PlayStation Magazine team as a production assistant and have the chance to work at the cutting edge of new media development and high-definition video production, in a fun and creative environment.
Salary: Competitive + benefits
Future Publishing Ltd
Bath, England
>>more

Editorial production manager
Melcrum Publishing is looking for a talented editorial production manager. The successful candidate will be part of a collaborative team producing high quality research, print publications and online content for senior internal communicators.
Salary: DoE
Melcrum
London, England
>>more

Chief reporter – The Grocer
The Grocer are looking for a great business journalist who can scoop the competition (including the nationals) to land exclusive stories from this fascinating and fast-moving sector.
Salary: DoE
William Reed Business Media
Crawley, England
>>more

Editor
Editor – Air Traffic Management magazine and Airports International website
Salary: DoE
Key Publishing Ltd
Stamford, England
>>more

Editor
Air Forces Monthly, the number one military aviation consumer magazine in the world, is seeking a new editor.
Salary: DoE
Key Publishing Ltd
Stamford, England
>>more

Editor-in-chief, Secondary Care
Campden Media, a specialist business-to-business information provider in the Healthcare and Wealth Management markets, is seeking a full time Editor-in-Chief to manage its secondary healthcare portfolio in our Clerkenwell office in London.
Salary: DoE
Campden Media Ltd
London Clerkenwell, England
>>more

News and feature writer/PR executive
We want to recruit a writer, preferably with several year’s experience at a magazine, newspaper or in a similar work environment.
Salary: DoE
SE10
London, England
>>more

Senior news sub editor
Metro is Britain’s third largest national newspaper with a distribution of more than 1.33m copies every day.
Salary: DoE
Metro
Kensington, England
>>more

Lead content strategist
We are looking for a lead content strategist, someone who can mix genres and avoid clichês, a provocateur. Someone who can certainly hold their own when it comes to discussing digital content.
Salary: Competitve
LBi
London, England
>>more

News writer
We are looking for a news writer on TechRadar which is the number one UK technology news and reviews website, read by more than 1.3 million people in the UK every month and more than 3.5 million worldwide.
Salary: Competitive + excellent benefits
Future Publishing Ltd
London, England
>>more

Green Living Editor
The Ecologist, the world’s leading environmental affairs website, is seeking an ambitious and enthusiastic journalist/editor to manage and develop our unique ‘Green Living’ section at www.theecologist.org.
Salary: £26K DoE
The Ecologist
London, England
>>more

Associate Editor
Leading US news and data firm SNL Financial is expanding its service in Europe and is seeking a London-based Associate Editor to assist in its coverage of the European financial markets.
Salary: DoE
SNL Financial
London, England
>>more

Part time writers
Adfero, one of the UK’s fastest growing news agencies, is looking for talented and creative part-time home based writers to help establish a new editorial team.
Salary: £9 per hour
Adfero
Home based, England
>>more

Production assistant
You’ll be responsible for sub-editing copy and rewriting where necessary, proofing and fitting magazine pages in InDesign, and sub-editing material for websites. You’ll receive hands-on training from experienced sub-editors.
Salary: Competitive
Future Publishing Ltd
Bath, England
>>more

Press freedom advisor
Vienna-based International Press Institute seeks press freedom advisor.
Salary: DoE
International Press Institute
Vienna, Rest of Europe
>>more

Corporate finance reporter
Bloomberg News seeks an experienced corporate bond market reporter in its London office.
Salary: Competitive + benefits
Bloomberg
London, England
>>more

Publisher
Incisive’s technology division, publisher of brands including Computing, V3 and IThound plans to grow its business significantly in 2011 by focusing on the development of 2 of its products, BusinessGreen and the INQUIRER.
Salary: DoE
Incisive Media
London, England
>>more

News editor – Investment Adviser
A news editor is needed to manage a news desk of three reporters on a fast-paced, weekly trade magazine and its website for the UK retail investment management sector.
Salary: DoE
FT
London, United Kingdom
>>more

Deal reporter – mergers and acquisitions
Mergermarket’s research division is looking to hire an entry level deal reporter with strong foreign language skills to be based in London.
Salary: £18K
Mergermarket Ltd
London, England
>>more

Online business editor
We are seeking a highly motivated, energetic and ambitious business editor who will play an active role in developing further our flagship brand, Feedinfo News Service.
Salary: DoE
Global Data Systems
Toulouse, France
>>more

Editor
Time Out GCC is looking for a talented editor to head up the weekly Time Out Abu Dhabi magazine and related brand extensions.
Salary: DoE
ITP Publishing Group
Abu Dhabi, Dubai
>>more

To sign up for free as a jobseeker, please go to http://www.journalism.co.uk/113/

To sign up as an advertiser, please go to http://www.journalism.co.uk/75/

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• Twenty-eight new media, PR, communications and editorial vacancies this week on Journalism.co.uk
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Media Release: BBC axes deputy director general post and Mark Byford

The BBC has announced it will cut the role of deputy director general, making current incumbent Mark Byford redundant. Byford took up the post in 2004 and has been at the BBC for 32 years.

Speaking in a release, BBC director general Mark Thompson says:

We have concluded – and Mark fully accepts – that the work he has done to develop our journalism and editorial standards across the BBC has achieved the goals we set to such an extent that the role of deputy director-general can now end, that the post should close at the end of the current financial year, and that Mark himself should be made redundant.

Byford will step down from the corporation’s executive board at the end of March and depart from the BBC in early summer. Helen Boaden. director, BBC News, will join the executive board to represent BBC Journalism in April.

Full BBC press release at this link…

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Al Jazeera English: Two arrested in Iran after inteviewing stoning woman’s son

Al Jazeera English reports on threats to foreign press freedom in Iran: two suspected German nationals have been arrested after entering on tourist visas and allegedly interviewing the son of a woman sentenced to execution by stoning; meanwhile an El Pais reporter has had her press accreditation denied.

Full story on Al Jazeera English at this link…

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Talk About Local: Personal v professional, the hyperlocal balancing act

Nicky Getgood, who runs hyperlocal site Digbeth is Good, discusses the balancing act between personal passion behind a site and readers’ expectations of a professional service:

[W]hen a person creates a community resource through a personal passion, which then becomes something many people rely upon and have expectations of but is still down to one person to sustain voluntarily. What happens if that person finds they can no longer maintain the website?

Discussions about this at the recent HyperLocal GovCamp West Midlands raised the idea for hyperlocal sites to charge local businesses who want notices or listings put up more quickly or to a deadline – part of a premium model for hyperlocal websites?

Full post on Talk About Local at this link…

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#followjourn: @amolrajan – Amol Rajan/news reporter

Who? Amol Rajan, deputy comment editor and columnist, the Independent. Also a youth worker for Prospex and author of Twirlymen, the Unlikely History of Cricket’s Greatest Spin Bowlers.

Where? Eagle Eye: Breaking views from Independent commentators

Twitter? @amolrajan

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

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• #followjourn: @willcooper – Will Cooper/news editor
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#Tip of the day from Journalism.co.uk – free multimedia training tutorials

Multimedia: Great range of free training tutorials, focusing on video and audio editing, from Creative Cow. Tipster: Laura Oliver.

To submit a tip to Journalism.co.uk, use this link – we will pay a fiver for the best ones published.

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• #Tip of the day from Journalism.co.uk – creating slideshows