MediaGuardian: Independent editor to rule on Johann Hari plagiarism claims

The Independent’s internal investigation into plagiarism accusations levelled at columnist Johann Hari is now finished and a decision is expected from editor Chris Blackhurst, the Guardian reports.

The investigation was conducted by Andreas Whittam Smith, one of the founders of the newspaper.

Those close to the newspaper say that Whittam Smith, the founding editor of the Independent, was inclined to be lenient as he completed his deliberations, but it is unclear whether Blackhurst will reach the same conclusion. A decision from the newspaper’s new editor is expected shortly.

Read the full MediaGuardian report at this link.

More from Journalism.co.uk on the Johann Hari plagiarism accusations:

Blogs

Mea culpa? Johann Hari apologises for ‘error of judgement’

‘Is there a better way of doing this?’: Johann Hari responds to plagiarism accusations

News

Orwell Prize delays ‘unanimous’ Johann Hari decision

Johann Hari suspended pending investigation

Orwell Prize Council begins investigation into Johann Hari

Media Standards Trust calls for inquiry into Johann Hari’s Orwell Prize

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Tool of the week for journalists – Batchgeo, for mapping data

Tool of the week: Batchgeo

What is it? A free mapping tool. Simply paste data from a spreadsheet and see it plotted on a map.

How is it of use to journalists? Journalists who cannot code and have no technical knowledge have a wide range of tools available to them for plotting data and creating maps.

You can have a go yourself by copying and pasting data into Batchgeo. Here is a list of the most populous countries in 2100, based on United Nations predictions. (You can see the data displayed as a heat map and find out how to use Google Fusion Tables for mapping.)

Here is a regularly updated spreadsheet on Nato attacks in Libya.

Here is a list of Bristol City Council wifi hotspots.

Hattip: Andy Hume

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Twenty-one 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.

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10,000 Words: news site screenshots from 9/11, ten years on

The 10,000 Words blog has created a slideshow of screenshots showing the homepages of 45 newspaper, broadcaster, blog and other online news outlet websites on Sunday, the ten year anniversary of 9/11, showing their coverage between 10am and 11am Pacific Standard Time.

There is also an original gallery of shots which were captured between 12.30am and 1.30am PST (8.30am to 9.30am GMT) here.

Read more on 10,000 Words.

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Regional newspaper editor asks for job applications via Twitter

Could you sell your skills as a journalist to a potential employer in just 140 characters? Because that is exactly what one editor is asking of potential new recruits.

Alan Geere, editor-in-chief of the Essex Chronicle Media Group and editorial director of Northcliffe Media South East, says he is “fed up of wading through turgid ‘letters of application’ and monstrous CVs”, so instead he is inviting applications for the latest journalism role at the title via Twitter.

In a blog post, Geere vents his frustration at receiving CVs from people he considers to be “would-be journalists who were obviously asleep during the class on intro writing”.

So in a bid to change this he is insisting anyone interested in the latest roles available at the publisher to respond via Twitter to his account @alangeere, giving them just 140 characters to explain what they can do and why they should be considered.

I keep getting told there is an over-supply of qualified people wanting to do journalism. Well, maybe there is but there’s definitely not an over-supply of people who are any good.

It’s an interesting tactic and should hopefully spark some creativity from some entrants, but I do wonder how much you can learn about a person in 140 characters? The other question is about those who wish to keep their application a secret, especially from their current employer/colleagues. I would assume direct messages are the answer here, but will of course require Geere to follow any of those recruits before they can demonstrate their abilities.

See his full blog post here and feel free to leave your thoughts below.

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Guardian Student Media Awards 2011: shortlist announced

The shortlist has been announced for this year’s Guardian Student Media Awards. The list of 45 individuals or publications, which were whittled from 648 entries by a panel of judges including Guardian editor-in-chief Alan Rusbridger and freedom of information campaigner and journalist Heather Brooke, will compete in nine categories. The awards will be presented on 23 November.

See the full list of nominees below:

Publication of the Year

York Vision, University of York

Mouth, Kingston University

Cherwell, Oxford University

River, Kingston University (won 2010)

Felix, Imperial College London

Website of the Year

www.redbrickpaper.co.uk, University of Birmingham

www.thestudentjournals.co.uk, University of Warwick

www.susu.tv, University of Southampton

www.liverpoolstudentmedia.com, University of Liverpool

http://toglobalist.org/ , Oxford University

Reporter of the Year

Simon Murphy, Newcastle University

Lizzie Porter, Oxford University

Tom Farmery, University of Lincoln

James Burton, University of Cambridge

Michael Smith, University of Sheffield

Feature Writer of the Year

Jamie Ross, St Andrews University

Alex Dymoke, Oxford University

Thomas Hocking, University of Sheffield

Minas Panayi, Cass Business School, University London

Camilla Apkar, University of York

Columnist of the Year

Rhiannon Williams, University College London

Charlotte Hogarth Jones, University of York

Mehreen Khan, Oxford University

Samuel Gilonis, University of Southampton

Helen Robb, St Annes College, Oxford

Critic of the Year

Rachel Aroesti, Durham University

Daniel Barrow, Warwick University

Alex Gruzenberg, Darwin College, Cambridge

Toby Parker Rees, Homerton College, Cambridge

Thomas Killingbeck, University of York

Photographer of the Year

Rajan Zaveri, SAE Institute London

Ibolya Feher, University of the West of England

James Marsh, University of Wolverhampton

Bernat Millet, Middlesex University

Rosangela Borgese, University of West London

Digital Journalist of the Year

Joseph Stashko, University of Central Lancashire

Helen Stead, University of Salford

Jake Lea-Wilson, Imperial College

Dylan Lowe, Imperial College

Nick Eardley, Edinburgh Napier

Broadcast Journalist of the Year

Claire Freeman, Nottingham Trent

Clare Davis and Michael Greenfield, City University

Munawar Shaikh, University of Leeds

Elaine Ly, Nottingham Trent

Joanna Beaufoy, Emmanuel Cambridge

Image by Michael Brunton-Spall on Flickr. Some rights reserved.

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Radio Times: Vote for the greatest broadcast interview of all time

Inspired by the BBC College of Journalism’s Art of the Interview season, the Radio Times is calling for people to vote for the greatest broadcast interview of all time.

Contenders include Robin Day’s 1959 ITN interview with the Japanese Foreign Minister, in which Day was accused of “treachery”; drunken antics from both sides when Bill Grundy interviewed the Sex Pistols on ITV in 1976; more drunken antics from both sides when Francis Bacon took Melvyn Bragg out for lunch in 1985; David Frost’s “When the President does it, that means it is not illegal” interview with Richard Nixon; Sarah Palin’s excruciating inability to name a newspaper she reads when asked by Katie Couric on the 2008 campaign trail; and Adam Boulton’s lively spat with Alastair Campbell during the tense 2010 general election negotiations.

You can see the full shortlist at this link and cast your vote here.

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MediaGuardian: Les Hinton stands by past phone hacking evidence

The Guardian reports today that Les Hinton, former executive chairman of News International, has written a letter to MPs to say he stands by evidence given to the culture, media and sport select committee in 2007 and 2009, “when he said he believed Clive Goodman was ‘the only person’ involved in phone hacking”.

According to the Guardian Hinton also “dismissed allegations Goodman was offered his job back” after being convicted of conspiracy to intercept telephone calls.

“I answered all questions truthfully and to the best of my knowledge,” said Hinton. It is his remarks about Goodman’s claims that are most significant and indicate the legal line News International is likely to take in relation to the former royal editor’s sensational claims.

Read more here… The committee had not published the letter at the time of writing.

Hinton resigned from News Corporation in July, at which point he was chief executive officer of Dow Jones and publisher of the Wall Street Journal.

In a statement Hinton said he had watched the events at the News of the World unfold “with sorrow” from New York.

That I was ignorant of what apparently happened is irrelevant and in the circumstances I feel it is proper for me to resign from News Corporation and apologise to those hurt by the actions of News of the World.

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The top 10 most-read stories on Journalism.co.uk, 3-9 September

1. Newspapers remove Middleton images from websites

2. Australia: no plans to prosecute Assange over cables

3. The LA Times on the role of its SEO chief – ‘the key is feedback’

4. #Tip of the day from Journalism.co.uk – eight tips on establishing yourself as a freelancer

5. Ellis Watson appointed chief of DC Thomson newspapers

6. Grant launched in memory of Tim Hetherington

7. Tablets replace websites as focus for paid content

8. Phone hacking: Times sports journalist arrested

9. App of the week for journalists: PressReader

10. News International to cut 110 jobs

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#jpod in depth – ‘It just sent shockwaves through you’: journalists reflect on 9/11

In this week’s podcast we speak to two journalists with remarkable stories to tell of their experiences of 9/11, one of them having been in the World Trade Centre when the first plane hit and the other being the only journalist in Afghanistan with a video phone to report live at the time.

In interviews with Journalism.co.uk Stephen Evans, who was the BBC’s North American business correspondent at the time (now Berlin correspondent for the broadcaster) and Nic Robertson, senior international correspondent at CNN, describe their experiences of 9/11 and reflections ten years on.

Podcast: Download

Stephen Evans was on camera when the first tower began to collapse:

CNN will be broadcasting live from New York, Washington, Shanksville, Afghanistan and Pakistan on Sunday. More details on its live programming is available here.

Meanwhile on the BBC on Sunday Stephen Evans will be interviewed on Radio Wales for ‘Ten Years On: The Welsh Journalist at 9/11′.

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