Journalism.co.uk Editors' Blog » Newspapers

FT.com: Journalism could be sold ‘direct to customers’ in new market, says Murdoch

Laura Oliver — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:38:09 +0000

Addressing a conference in Barcelona, James Murdoch suggested a shift in the business model of the industry [what gives him that idea? - Ed] but perhaps more interestingly the emergence of a new market where journalism could be sold direct to customers at wholesale prices, particularly for digital journalism, the FT reports.

Paid-for content and copyright protection, echoing his father’s sentiments, would be crucial parts of this, he added.

Full post at this link…

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Why the Guardian is killing technology print supplement

Judith Townend — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:33:46 +0000

As confirmed by Alan Rusbridger last week, the Guardian’s technology supplement is to cease print publication in December (its closure was first reported by paidContent:UK in June 2009).

Today, Guardian Technology editor Charles Arthur reflects on the supplement’s 26 years in print, and outlines part of the economic reason for going online-only:

“In part it has been the internet that has hastened the end of the physical version of this section, as more classified job adverts have migrated to online job sites such as Guardian Jobs (jobs.guardian.co.uk, in case you’re looking); there have also been the arctic winds of the recession, which seems to be hitting the UK harder than many other countries around the world.”

Arthur’s article at this link…

Are other Guardian supplements at risk?

Journalism.co.uk recently reported comments by the Guardian sports columnist Martin Kelner that the paper could make its Monday media section online-only, a suggestion flatly denied by the paper’s press office:

“Monday’s Media Guardian is a must read for everyone in the industry. It is highly valued editorially and commercially – we have no plans to transfer it to online only.”

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Independent.ie: Irish-language paper relaunches and expands circulation

Laura Oliver — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 08:48:48 +0000

Foinse, the Irish-language paper that ceased publication in June, is to relaunch and expand its circulation by being distributed for free every Wednesday.

The ‘refreshed’ Foinse will take on five full-time staff and use a network of freelancers.

Full post at this link…

(via Roy Greenslade’s blog)

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MediaGuardian: Alan Rusbridger resigns from PCC code committee

Judith Townend — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 14:53:50 +0000

Guardian editor, Alan Rusbridger, has resigned from the Press Complaint Commission’s code committee, MediaGuardian reports.

His decision follows the PCC’s criticism of the way the Guardian had handled new allegations about past phone hacking at News of the World.

The PCC last week said it had found no new evidence further to its 2007 enquiry, a report which the Guardian, reporter Nick Davies and the Media Standards Trust strongly challenged.

On Sunday, the self-regulatory body’s chair Lady Peta Buscombe, cited police lawyers’ claims that a Metropolitan Police detective inspector had been ‘wrongly quoted’ in phone hacking evidence given to the House of Commons.

In response, the lawyer who gave the oral evidence, Mark Lewis, called for Buscombe’s resignation.

Full story at this link…

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#soe09: Google doesn’t need newspapers – but do newspapers need it?

Laura Oliver — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 12:32:10 +0000

Google doesn’t need newspapers – it’s official; but its users do, Matt Brittin, UK director of Google, told the Society of Editors conference today.

Some key points from Brittin:

“Taking content out of Google news is a political statement (…) but experimentation is good.”
“One of the reasons we’re working with a lot of publishers is because we passionately believe that the internet needs to have quality content on it.”
“Does Google need news content to survive in this year? No (…) Economically it’s not a big part of how we generate revenue, but the value of the internet to consumers is all about finding great content online.”
“We’re a technology company and we’ll try and contribute technology that helps [e.g. Fast Flip, micropayment system] (…) We’re absolutely not [a newspaper company].”

The audio below features Times editor James Harding (first), Evening Standard editor Geordie Greig, and The National editorial director Martin Newland with their opinions on removing content from Google News:

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PCC chair should resign over phone hacking evidence denial, says lawyer

Judith Townend — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 12:05:45 +0000

Mark Lewis, the lawyer whose phone hacking evidence has been challenged by the Press Complaints Commission chair, Baroness Peta Buscombe, has called for her resignation.

A Metropolitan Police detective inspector had been wrongly quoted in phone hacking evidence given to the House of Commons, Buscombe yesterday told delegates at the Society of Editors’ annual conference.

A letter to the PCC from police lawyers claimed that only ‘a handful’ of people were targeted by News of the World, Buscombe cited, contradicting evidence given by lawyer Mark Lewis to the Commons select committee investigating media law and press regulation, in September.

As reported by Press Gazette, Buscombe said: “This letter says that [Detective Inspector] – Mr Maberly has in fact been wrongly quoted on the 6,000 figure. The reliable evidence, we were told in an email confirming the contents of the letter, is that given by assistant commissioner John Yates to the select committee, who referred to only a ‘handful’ of people being potential victims.”

Following Buscombe’s claims at the conference, Mark Lewis from Stripe Solicitors has today issued a fierce letter to the PCC, copied to the chair of the Commons Select Committee and the Press Association. Addressing Buscombe, Lewis wrote: “I am sure that upon mature reflection you will appreciate that in doing so you have betrayed any semblance of impartiality and regrettably ought to find yourself in a position where the honourable action would be for you to resign.”

Lewis maintains the accuracy of his evidence: ‘the conversation that I had with DS Maberly was witnessed by at least two other people, including the barrister for [Professional Footballers' Association chief executive] Gordon Taylor.’

His letter is reproduced in full below:

Dear Baroness

I am deeply concerned that you have thought it proper to criticise my evidence to the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee without either having the courtesy or the propriety to put the allegations to me first. I regret that your failure to act properly has compromised any veneer of impartiality that you sought to create.

The different versions of events that appear to have been given do not even amount to a conflict of evidence. It seems that you have chosen to accept the contents of a hearsay letter constructed on behalf of the Metropolitan Police rather than the first hand evidence that was given by me to the Select Committee. I am sure that upon mature reflection you will appreciate that in doing so you have betrayed any semblance of impartiality and regrettably ought to find yourself in a position where the honourable action would be for you to resign.

If it assists, the conversation that I had with DS Maberly was witnessed by at least two other people, including the barrister for Gordon Taylor. The context of the conversation was the resolution of the application for Third Party Disclosure against the Metropolitan Police. You will be aware that the Metropolitan Police had not told victims of phone hacking that they were victims. It is a matter of great concern that you have still not sought to examine the underlying documentation that would disprove the contents of the letter sent by the Metropolitan Police. I was sceptical of the “whitewash” report that the PCC had issued but had satisfied myself that the report was carefully constructed to record that you had investigated nothing and consequently found nothing. My concern now is that you have magnified those findings in such a way as to suggest that there were a mere handful of victims.

My evidence was clear. DS Maberly had told me the 6000 figure but that he would not give me everything, just enough “to hang the News of the World”.

If you had checked the underlying documents you would have realised that the Police evidence was no more than “spin”. I find myself incredulous at the crassness of your statement. Even on the Gordon Taylor case, there were more examples of phone hacking than the “handful” that was mentioned within your report or by the Metropolitan Police. Of course, it suits the Metropolitan Police to try and downplay their woeful failures to notify all the victims of unlawfulness. In the Taylor case there were numerous individuals whose phone messages were hacked, and whose numbers were therefore acquired by the enquiry agent Glenn Mulcaire.

The dishonesty of the News of the World position was demonstrated by the News of the World’s initial denial of the use of information that had been obtained by unlawful phone hacking. It was only after the disclosure of the “transcript for Neville” document that the News of the World were forced to concede that the evidence that they had given was false. It is astonishing that you are not more concerned that a “Statement of Truth” was put forward by the News of the World that was incorrect. Evidence was given to the Court that was untrue. That evidence was given on behalf of a national newspaper that enjoys a very substantial readership. Why has the PCC not taken action against the News of the World? Why did you not mention that aspect within your speech to the Society of Editors?

The settlement of the Taylor case followed a Court Order that the News of the World must identify the individual known as ‘Ryle’ . The News of the World did not do so and has not done so. Have they given that information to the PCC? Have you listened to the recording?

Rather the News of the World chose to settle the case rather than identify their own employee who had been engaged in that unlawful activity. It is noteworthy that your report chose not to investigate that aspect. The PCC can be nothing unless it is a beacon of truth prepared to expose and criticise its own members where it is proper to do so.

Whilst I am as strong an advocate as there can be for a free press as a balance to Parliament and the Judiciary, I do so by balancing the absolute standard of honesty and the need to protect privacy. The unlawful access of phone messages in order to find tittle-tattle is wholly unacceptable by any decent standard. I should not have to remind you that it is your job to enforce those proper standards so that we can have an honest and free press not just a free press.

I will debate this issue with you in any forum. A free and open debate is called for after the findings of the Select Committee. If DS Maberly wishes to expose himself to cross-examination by the Select Committee than he should offer himself up to give evidence and disclose all the underlying documentation that will show exactly how many individuals had their phones hacked and how many individuals were listened to.

Yours truly

Mark Lewis

Letter to John Whittingdale MP

Dear Mr Whittingdale

I enclose a copy of a letter that I have sent to Baroness Buscombe as a result of her suggestion that I misled your Committee. I have not misled it at all and standby the evidence that I gave.

If the Committee wishes to recall me then I will gladly attend. I invite the Metropolitan Police to volunteer the disclosure that they gave in the Taylor case as well as the wider disclosure that they refused to give in order that I can demonstrate the falsity of their position.

Yours sincerely

Mark Lewis

Copy of letter to Press Association

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Sir Christopher Meyer’s reading habits

Judith Townend — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 10:11:59 +0000

What does the Press Complaints Commission (PCC) former chair (with a new book to plug) like to read? MediaGuardian today features Sir Christopher Meyer’s top selections. His favoured newspapers, for example:

“Coming through the letterbox each morning are the Times and the Daily Mail. On Sundays it’s the Sunday Times and the Mail on Sunday. The Times is a good all-round newspaper, they are going through a good patch, with an excellent website. And I always want to know what the Mail is campaigning for, because the politicians pick up on it. I especially like the Mail’s football coverage too.”

And he reads News of the World, a hangover from the PCC job:

“[I] read the News of the World online. When I was chairman of the Press Complaints Commission, I got hooked on it for professional reasons: so often we would receive complaints on a Monday, so I liked to get ahead of the curve by reading it on the Sunday.”

Full story at this link…

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PCC calls for submissions to governance review

Laura Oliver — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 13:17:03 +0000

The Press Complaints Commission (PCC) has opened the doors to its governance review, announced in August.

The review, which will be conducted by an independent panel, will look at the commission’s:

Board structure
Appointments commission
Accountability
Transparency
Constitution

The closing date for submissions, which can be made in writing to governancereview [at] pcc.org.uk, is 25 January 2010.

The PCC has been heavily criticised this week for its conclusions in its inquiry into phone hacking allegations at News Group Newspapers. Guardian editor Alan Rusbridger said the commission after its report, which said there was no evidence to support allegations of ongoing phone hacking at the News of the World despite last summer’s Guardian reports, was ‘worse than pointless’; while Geoffrey Robertson QC suggested that editors ‘with any integrity’ would withdraw from the code committee.

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Guardian Letters: GMG, Coventry Telegraph and Cumberland news respond to Monbiot on local press

Laura Oliver — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 10:39:36 +0000

Les Reid, political correspondent for the Coventry Evening Telegraph; Mark Dodson, CEO of Guardian Media Group’s regional media division; and Neil Hodgkinson, Cumberland News and News & Star editor, have responded passionately to George Monbiot’s criticism of the UK’s local press earlier this week.

In his Comment is Free piece entitled ‘I, too, mourn good local newspapers. But this lot just aren’t worth saving‘, Monbiot said:

“For many years the local press has been one of Britain’s most potent threats to democracy, championing the overdog, misrepresenting democratic choices, defending business, the police and local elites from those who seek to challenge them. Media commentators lament the death of what might have been. It bears no relationship to what is.”

“They [local newspapers] continually uncover stories that need to be told. They campaign for and champion the underdog with a tenacity that would shame many in the national press. Their community relevance is what keeps local titles alive,” writes Dodson in response.

“In Greater Manchester our journalists stand up in court at least three times a week attempting to have reporting restrictions lifted so that stories can be told in full. I know that other regional press publishers share our commitment to real local reporting.”

Full letters at this link…

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Josh Halliday: David Banks on thinking beyond the pay wall

Laura Oliver — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 10:28:15 +0000

Josh Halliday digests former Daily Mirror editor David Banks’ thoughts on bloggers, pay walls and ‘aggregationists’, given in a guest lecture to Sunderland University students.

Weighing in on the pay wall debate, Banks had some strong views – the choicest quote being:

“Everybody talks about paying to break through the paywall, I don’t know anyone who quite knows how Rupert plans to do this. Nobody talks about it, they just say ‘Oh yeah, well if Rupert says it then it’ll work’.”

Full post at this link…

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