#soe10: Society of Editors conference looks on the bright side of life

John Mair is a senior lecturer in broadcast journalism at Coventry University. He reports from the Society of Editors conference in Glasgow, which finished this morning.

Britain’s top newspaper editors were smiling, in public at least, as they met for the annual Society of Editors conference in Glasgow under the slogan ‘Have we got good news for you’. Circulations may be falling, print products hemorrhaging readers and advertising, but the local and national editors here were not going to be downcast and they heard from a succession of speakers inviting them to be positive.

Russian oligarch and Independent and Evening Standard owner Alexander Lebedev said in his opening lecture that he was proud of the two papers (and the new baby paper, i) that he owned in Britain and would continue to invest in exposing corruption. “Investigative journalism is something I want to invest in more.” he said in closing.

Jim Chisholm, CEO of the National Readership Survey, and Stewart Purvis, former partner responsible for content regulation and standards at Ofcom and now at City University, kept up the positive mood with their rosy views on readership data and the potential of youview to transform TV viewing and open the way to local television.

Media commentator Raymond Snoddy chaired a session called ’It ain’t dead and we’re fixing it’. Two young editors from the North East of England, Darren Thwaites of the Teesside Evening Gazette and Joy Yates of the Hartlepool Mail, continued in the same bright vein, showing how by campaigning and getting closer to their communities they were able to arrest some of the decline in sales of their papers.

It was left to veteran editor Derek Tucker of the Aberdeen Press and journal, who announced his retirement after 12 years in the editorial chair last week, to bring the first note of negativity with what he admitted were “Jurassic views” on the digital future and an astonishing attack on university journalism courses and the students who came out of them: “Very few possess the street cunning and inquisitiveness that is the hallmark of good journalists, and it often appears that English is a second language.”

That generated much comment from the journalism educators (“well meaning amateurs”, Tucker called them) in the audience.

It’s not known how long the Monty Python ‘Always look on the bright side’ theme can be kept up in view of the continuing crisis in the media industries.

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Beet.TV: Mapping platform Ushahidi shifting focus to revenue

Open source mapping platform Ushahidi is now offering a customising service to users of its platform, in an attempt to earn its own income from the technology.

The platform, which maps reports on an event or occurance geographically, will still be free to download and run.

Speaking in a video interview with Beet.TV, executive director of Ushahidi Ory Okolloh discussed the next stage of development for the site.

Our focus up to this point has been just on getting the code out there and refining the tool. We’re now starting to work on sustainability and ways we don’t have to rely so much on foundations, but generating our own income.

The tool will always be free but now we do customisations for a fee.

Ushahidi has also recently launched a tool to help with translations of reports, a video plugin for those unable to report in other ways and there is a “revamped” iPhone app coming out soon, she added.

The idea is to just keep going and to keep always being on the edge of innovation.

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Enders’ Douglas McCabe: Regional newspaper forecast was ‘unnecessarily pessimistic’

A media analyst from Enders Analysis has said the company’s prediction that half of the UK’s 1,300 regional newspapers would close in five years was “unnecessarily pessimistic”. Founder Claire Enders made the forecast in evidence to the House of Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee in June last year.

“You aren’t seeing closures on anything like that scale, and we haven’t seen the all-important dailies closing,” Douglas McCabe from Enders told the Society of Editors conference today.

Read the full report on Douglas McCabe’s comments on HoldtheFrontPage.co.uk.

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BBC: Take That star Howard Donald’s superinjunction lifted

A superinjunction preventing news organisations from naming Take That singer Howard Donald has been lifted, according to reports. The injunction had been granted earlier this year by Mr Justice Eady, but was lifted today by the court of appeal.

The lifting of the superinjunction means that the media can now report the claimant, Donald, in the case.

An order banning former girlfriend Adakini Ntuli from selling her story is still in place.

Read the BBC’s report here…

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paidContent: Briefing.com settles in Dow Jones hot news case

Market analysis news provider Briefing.com has settled a copyright and ‘hot news misappropriation’ lawsuit brought against it by Dow Jones & Company, according to a paidContent report.

‘Hot news’ describes a contentious legal doctrine designed to prevent news organisations from re-reporting or republishing time-sensitive news gathered by others within a certain period.

The sum, which is undisclosed, was reportedly paid following claims the site had published Dow Jones stories without consent.

With such clear evidence of cutting-and-pasting, Dow Jones could have won its suit with a copyright claim alone. But it’s telling that the wire service insisted on suing over—and forced Briefing.com to admit it had violated—the hot news claim as well. It suggests that the news service may be trying to put itself in a strong position to file more hot news lawsuits in the future.

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Cameron’s personal photographer taken off public payroll

David Cameron has performed something of a U-turn on the controversial employment of a personal photographer and videographer. It was announced today that Andrew Parsons and Nicky Woodhouse will now be paid from Conservative Party Funds and not from the public payroll.

Parsons was Cameron’s personal photographer during the election campaign, while Woodhouse produced the WebCameron videos for the party. Cameron defended Parsons appointment to the payroll, claiming he would work across departments.

Full story on the Evening Standard’s website at this link…

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Twenty-seven great new media, journalism and PR vacancies on Journalism.co.uk this week

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

German freelancers
This leading online news agency is looking for freelance writers who are fluent in German. .
Salary: £8 per hour
Adfero
Flexible, England
>>more

Freelance writers
Are you interested in extending your reach and showcasing your work? With over 28 million readers worldwide, Suite101 is the ideal platform to help build your portfolio and profile.
Salary: Lifetime royalties plus bonuses and incentives
Suite101.com
London, All
>>more

Market reporter/editor
We are currently seeking an experienced news and market reporter/editor to join the electricity team in our Power group in London. Responsibilities will include market and news coverage on both a real-time and daily basis.
Salary: DoE
Platts
London, England
>>more

Industry freelancer
Business Monitor International, the global leader in emerging markets analysis, is looking for freelance business writers to produce a portfolio of Company Profile Reports
Salary: £20 p/h
Business Monitor International
London, England
>>more

Freelance content providers
Freelance content writers required to produce basic web content. Work is available immediately for experienced online content writers with a clear understanding of plain English and basic knowledge of SEO.
Salary: DoE
PDB UK
Location based, Russia
>>more

Features writer – Professional Pensions
Professional Pensions is looking for a writer who can pen in-depth features, case studies and interviews as well as probing analysis and also some news stories.
Salary: DoE
Incisive Media
London, England
>>more

Film and theater critic
We seek an experienced, qualified critic capable of writing regular columns opining on film and live theater.
Salary: DoE
The Prague Post
Prague, Rest of Europe
>>more

Features editor
Insurance Times and Global Reinsurance are recruiting a features editor to form a key part of their expanded editorial team.
Salary: DoE
Insurance Times and Global Reinsurance
London, England
>>more

Deputy editor
We require a deputy editor to work with the editor to ensure that each issue of The Strad is produced to the magazine’s high standards, on schedule, and to assist in driving forward the brand’s strategy and continuous development.
Salary: DoE
The Strad
London, England
>>more

Reporter
Leading media outlet for the online gambling sector, eGaming Review, is looking for a full time energetic and tenacious reporter for daily news gathering.
Salary: DoE
Pageant Media
London, England
>>more

Technical editor
Combine your passion and knowledge of classic cars and excellent writing skills and be the technical editor on Classics Monthly, the UK’s most hands-on classic car magazine and website.
Salary: £competitive + excellent benefits
Future Publishing Ltd
Bath, England
>>more

Online editor
Plan and generate website content of news stories and articles and write a feature and ‘light bites’ for the monthly in-print magazine.
Salary: DoE
Executive Grapevine Int’l Ltd
Welwyn Garden City, England
>>more

Staff writer
Do you want to write for the most comprehensive cycling website in the world? Bikeradar.com is looking for a passionate staff writer to join the team and develop more online journalism skills.
Salary: £competitive + excellent benefits
Future Publishing Ltd
Bath, England
>>more

Online reporter
The Engineer, the UK’s leading magazine and website for technology and innovation is looking for a talented and ambitious online reporter to join its news team.
Salary: DoE
The Engineer
London, England
>>more

Editor – Record Collector magazine
Record Collector – the UK’s original music monthly is looking for an editor. Based in West London, the successful applicant will possess all of the necessary editing skills to guide this extremely successful title into it’s fifth decade.
Salary: DoE
Diamond Publishing
London, England
>>more

News sub-editor
Digital Spy is seeking a news sub-editor to sub-edit copy across the site.
Salary: DoE
Digital Spy
Home-based position, All
>>more

Account manager
New-style communications agency Journalista is seeking a health/beauty journalist who wants to develop their excellent writing skills, passion for social media and contacts book with us.
Salary: DoE
Journalista
London, England
>>more

Associate editor
Business Voice, the monthly magazine of the CBI – the UK’s leading business lobby group – is seeking an associate editor
Salary: DoE
Caspian Publishing
London, England
>>more

Senior features writer – Construction News
Construction News is looking for a brilliant senior features writer to join our award-winning team.
Salary: DoE
Emap Inform
London, England
>>more

Media liaison executive
Graduate wanted to join busy media PR team.
Salary: DoE
Markettiers4DC
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

Sub-editor
Business-to-business publisher Incisive Media requires an experienced sub editor to work on some of its leading publications and websites.
Salary: DoE
Incisive Media
London, England
>>more

Sales manager
ITP Technology Division (part of the ITP Publishing Group based in Dubai) is looking to recruit a sales manager responsible for selling advertising into its portfolio of magazines.
Salary: DoE
ITP Publishing Group
Dubai Media City, Dubai
>>more

Freelance sub-editor
Experienced freelance sub-editor needed.
Salary: DoE
Touchline
London, England
>>more

Visiting lecturers in journalism
The university has vibrant and growing provision across journalism. From time to time opportunities for guest lectures and occasional unit teaching occur.
Salary: DoE
University of Bedfordshire
Beford, England
>>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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#Tip of the day from Journalism.co.uk – photo tagging

Mark Luckie has some interesting thoughts and advice over on the 10,000 Words blog on how news organisations can be making use of photo tagging technologies to build engagement with readers. Tipster: Rachel McAthy.

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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AFP: WikiLeaks registers business in Iceland

WikiLeaks has reportedly registered a business – “its first known legal entity” – in Iceland. Sunshine Press Productions does not yet have an office, but is part of the site’s plans to build a global presence.

The whisteblowing site has strong links with the country already: WikiLeaks and Icelandic MPs have been working on the Icelandic Modern Media Initiative (IMMI). The IMMI calls for better laws in the country to protect journalists and their sources, which has the potential to create a haven for investigative journalists in Iceland.

Full story from the AFP via the Australian at this link…

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#iweu: The web data revolution – a new future for journalism?

David McCandless, excited about data

Rounding off Internet Week Europe on Friday afternoon, the Guardian put on a panel discussion in its Scott Room on journalism and data: ‘The web data revolution – a new future for journalism’.

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