Editors' Blog | Journalism.co.uk

The top 10 most-read stories on Journalism.co.uk, 4-10 February

Sarah Marshall — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 17:03:55 +0000

1. Sun editor: Page 3 ‘part of British society’

2. Page 3 campaign grows as Leveson recalls Sun editor

3. Telegraph hires Sky producer James Weeks for video role

4. Heather Mills records 65 hours of ‘harassment’

5. Briefing Media to buy UBM medical and farming titles

6. Police officer cleared over NoW Milly Dowler ‘leak’

7. Tool of the week for journalists – Pinterest

8. ProPublica-inspired global news site launches in Australia

9. EU privacy rulings: ‘huge consequences’ for UK press

10. Ian Edmondson: ‘Culture of bullying’ at News of the WorldSimilar Posts:

Google to help Tunisian journalists pick up new skills

Paul McNally — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:11:21 +0000

Google is to sponsor six Tunisian journalists to spend three months at a leading French newspaper, picking up digital news-gathering skills.

The internet giant has teamed up with liberal daily Le Monde, which will offer a newsroom placement to each of the journalists, covering daily news and the French presidential elections taking place in May.

Google’s William Echikson wrote on the company’s European public policy blog:

Our hope is that they then will return home with new skills that will serve to construct a new, free but responsible professional press in Tunisia.

At Google, we are aware of the need to work with publishers to smooth the transition not only from oppression to freedom, but from analogue to digital distribution. We are sponsoring a series of digital journalism prizes with Institut de Sciences Politiques, the International Press Institute in Vienna and the Global Editors Network in Paris.

Meanwhile, journalism academics at City University in London are heading to Tunisia next week to lead a series of workshops for Tunisian journalists on “reporting a democracy”.

The project is the first of its kind being organised by the Journalism Foundation, which was founded last December and is led by former Independent editor Simon Kelner.

City lecturer Roy Greenslade writes on his Guardian blog:

The courses are the first to be held in Tunisia since last January’s overthrow of Ben Ali’s authoritarian regime.

They will provide practical advice to journalists on coping with the realities of reporting in a free society. But the classes will be held amid an ongoing battle for media freedom.

Similar Posts:

#jpod: How journalists are embracing Facebook subscribe

Sarah Marshall — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 12:59:29 +0000

It is two months since Facebook launched Subscribe, a feature which allows people to add a subscribe button to their profile and encourage other users to follow their updates.

Subscribe replaces fan pages for journalists and as a result of switching from a page to subscribe, many have seen subscriber numbers soar.

New York Times journalist Nicholas Kristof has 350,000 subscribers; Benjamin Cohen, technology correspondent for Channel 4 News has 25,000, and Sky News’ digital editor Neal Mann, whose social media presence is fieldproducer, has more than 13,000.

In this podcast Journalism.co.uk technology correspondent Sarah Marshall speaks to Liz Heron, social media editor of the New York Times – who has more than 260,000 subscribers – about why she is encouraging all foreign correspondents at the title to add the subscribe button.

The #jpod also has reflections and advice for journalists from Neal Mann and Benjamin Cohen.

You can hear future podcasts by signing up to the Journalism.co.uk iTunes podcast feed.Similar Posts:

NUJ: More newspaper bosses should take pay cuts

Paul McNally — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 12:19:48 +0000

The National Union of Journalists has welcomed news that Guardian News and Media editor-in-chief Alan Rusbridger has offered to take a pay cut – and the union has called on other newspaper bosses to do the same.

The Guardian reported that Rusbridger would take a 10 per cent voluntary cut in the 2012-13 financial year, from £438,900 to £395,010. His pension contribution will also be reduced.

NUJ deputy general secretary Barry Fitzpatrick said in a release:

“I welcome Alan’s response to the NUJ’s suggestion that he should take a pay cut and show a lead to executives within the industry at a time when many journalists face redundancy and pay freezes. I hope that others including Sly Bailey, chief executive of Trinity Mirror, and Richard Desmond owner of the Express newspapers, will now be following suit.”

Trinity Mirror investors have expressed concern about Bailey’s pay package, almost £1.7 million in 2010. The company’s share price has fallen by 87 per cent in the past decade.Similar Posts:

Italian newspaper joins Times safer cycling campaign

Paul McNally — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 10:29:59 +0000

The Times’s widely praised safer cycling campaign has been picked up by an Italian newspaper.

The Gazzetta dello Sport is taking part after one of its journalists, Pier Luigi Todisco, died while he was cycling to work last October.

The title is urging professional sportspeople to join the roll call, and for ordinary readers to support the campaign as well. A Twitter hashtag, #salvaciclisti is being used to spread the word.

According to the paper, 2,556 cyclists have died on Italian roads in the past ten years – double the number of bike deaths in the UK (1,275).

The Times launched its campaign earlier this month, three months after Times journalist Mary Bowers was knocked down by a lorry while cycling to work. She is still not conscious and remains in a trauma unit.

Some 33 MPs have signed an early day motion in parliament praising the cycling campaign.Similar Posts:

Former BBC journalist Suzanne Franks joins City University

Paul McNally — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 10:24:40 +0000

Former BBC senior producer Suzanne Franks is to join the journalism department at City University in London as its new head of undergraduate journalism.

Professor Franks joins from the University of Kent, where she was director of research.

She previously had a long broadcast journalism career at the BBC, including work on Newsnight, Watchdog and Panorama. She went on to set up an independent production company specialising in political coverage.

Franks said in a release: “I was attracted to City University London because of its outstanding reputation in journalism. I’m looking forward to working closely with the next generation of journalists as they embark on their professional and academic careers.”Similar Posts:

#followjourn – @richjm Richard Moynihan/social media and community manager

Sarah Marshall — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 08:55:52 +0000

Who? Richard Moynihan

Where? Richard is social media and community manager at Metro

Twitter? @richjm

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 Sarah at journalism.co.uk; or to @journalismnews.Similar Posts:

#Tip of the day from Journalism.co.uk – advice on mobile reporting

Sarah Marshall — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 08:30:33 +0000

Sky News correspondent Nick Martin has some advice for journalists using a mobile phone to record video.

He shared his tips at last week’s news:rewired journalism conference.

According to this post on three pieces of advice for journalists reporting using a mobile phone, Martin advises:

1. Practise

2. Don’t panic!

3. Use mobile reporting only when it was appropriate, explaining “that it is not worth setting up a tripod and XLR cables for an iPhone when the cameraman is just five minutes away”.

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 – use Topsy to search the social web

Sarah Marshall — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 08:30:53 +0000

Topsy is a is search option recommended by Nicola Hughes, Knight-Mozilla Fellow at the Guardian during a workshop on searching social media at last week’s news:rewired conference.

It is also a previous Journalism.co.uk tool of the week.

Topsy is “one of the only Twitter search tools that has Tweets older than two weeks”, Hughes explained.

In order to research and verify images, Hughes advised putting images in to Topsy to see if they have been previously shared.

The full list of mentions of “Topsy” and #newsrw (the conference hashtag) are at this Topsy link.

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:

BBC Editors’ Blog: Guidance on breaking news and Twitter

Paul McNally — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 16:23:47 +0000

After Sky News’s crackdown on Twitter use – and specifically retweeting non-Sky journalists – was revealed last night, it’s the BBC’s turn to clarify its position.

In a post on the BBC editors’ blog today, social media editor Chris Hamilton says the corporation has distributed some revised breaking news guidance to correspondents, reporters and producers.

It says that, when they have some breaking news, an exclusive or any kind of urgent update on a story, they must get written copy into our newsroom system as quickly as possible, so that it can be seen and shared by everyone – both the news desks which deploy our staff and resources (like TV trucks) as well as television, radio and online production teams.

We’ve been clear that our first priority remains ensuring that important information reaches BBC colleagues, and thus all our audiences, as quickly as possible – and certainly not after it reaches Twitter.

Similar Posts:

Guido Fawkes: Lobby briefings should be televised

Paul McNally — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 15:59:44 +0000

Political blogger Paul Staines has called for parliamentary lobby briefings to be televised – and called the current system “a cartel”.

Giving evidence at the Leveson inquiry this afternoon, Staines, who runs the Guido Fawkes blog, said the current system of accreditation and access for parliamentary journalists was antiquated and “unhealthy” for transparency.

“It’s a cartel,” he told the inquiry.

The authorities in parliament won’t give you access to the parliamentary estate unless you’re on the lobby list. I have to go into parliament as a visitor. It makes it difficult for me to get access to the main players.

I don’t think it’s a very healthy system. Former chairmen of the lobby have said its antiquated.

Staines said the Westminster “lobby terms” – where journalists are briefed anonymously – meant reporters became “complicit in politicians’ lies”.

He added:

Downing Street sources normally means the journalist is in a briefing room, being fed the line. Just put it on TV.

The lobby functions like an obedience school for journalists – play the game and we’ll reward you. If you rock the boat you won’t get access.

During his appearance at at the Leveson inquiry, Staines also repeated a claim he made on his blog that Tina Weaver, editor of the Sunday Mirror, knew about and authorised phone hacking and blagging.Similar Posts:

Riots and phone hacking coverage shortlisted for RTS awards

Paul McNally — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 15:53:48 +0000

Al Jazeera English, the BBC News Channel and Sky News will do battle for the title of news channel of the year at this year’s RTS journalism awards later this month.

BBC News at Ten, Newsnight and Channel 4 News are shortlisted for news programme of the year at the awards, which celebrate excellence in UK television news and current affairs.

Two rival channels’ coverage of last summer’s riots are nominated for home news story of the year – Sky and Channel 4 – alongside Newsnight’s reporting of the phone hacking story.

The nominees for TV journalist of the year are Sky’s Alex Crawford, Channel 4′s Alex Thomson and Newsnight’s Richard Watson.

The full shortlist is not yet on the RTS website, but can be found below. The awards ceremony will be hosted by ITV newsreader Mark Austin, in London on 22 February.

Camera Operator of the Year
- Darren ‘DC’ Conway, BBC News
- Raul Gallego Abellan, AP Television News, APTN Global Video Wire
- Stuart Webb, Channel 4 News, ITN for Channel 4 News

Current Affairs – Home
- Dispatches: Lessons in Hate and Violence, Hardcash Productions for Channel 4
- Panorama: Undercover Care, BBC Current Affairs for BBC One
- Dispatches: How to Buy a Football Club, Vera Productions for Channel 4

Current Affairs – International
- Sri Lanka’s Killing Fields, ITN for Channel 4
- Bahrain: Shouting in the Dark, Al Jazeera English
- This World: Spain’s Stolen Babies, BBC Current Affairs for BBC Two

Innovative News
- Confronting The Looters, Sky News
- Sky News for iPad, Sky News
- The Stream: Bahrain, Al Jazeera English

Nations and Regions Current Affairs and News Event
- Inside Out South West: Multiple Sclerosis – CCSVI, BBC South West
- Week In Week Out: Cash for Qualifications, BBC Wales
- Insight: The Resurrection of Brendan Smyth, UTV Insight

Nations and Regions News Programme
- Calendar, ITV Yorkshire
- ITV London Tonight, ITN for ITV London
- Granada Reports, ITV Granada

News Channel of the Year
- Al Jazeera English
- BBC News Channel
- Sky News

News Coverage – Home
- UK Riots, Sky News
- Phone Hacking, Newsnight BBC Two
- The Summer Riots, ITN for Channel 4 News

News Coverage – International
- Disaster in Japan, ITN for Channel 4 News
- Libya, Sky News
- Misrata, ITN for ITV News

News Programme of the Year
- BBC News at Ten, BBC News for BBC One
- Channel 4 News, ITN for Channel 4 News
- Newsnight, BBC Two

Presenter of the Year
- Mark Austin, ITV News, ITN for ITV News
- Anna Botting, Sky News
- Jon Snow, Channel 4 News, ITN for Channel 4 News

Scoop of the Year
- Panorama: FIFA’s Dirty Secrets, BBC Current Affairs for BBC One
- The Fall of Tripoli, Sky News
- Panorama: Undercover Care, BBC Current Affairs for BBC One

Specialist Journalist of the Year
- Jeremy Bowen, Middle East Editor, BBC News
- Faisal Islam, Channel 4 News, ITN for Channel 4 News
- Paul Mason, Newsnight, BBC Two

Television Journalist of the Year
- Alex Crawford, Sky News
- Alex Thomson, Channel 4 News, ITN for Channel 4 News
- Richard Watson, Newsnight, BBC Two

The Independent Award
- Somali Olympic Dreams, Jamal Osman for ITN/Channel 4 News
- People and Power: Seeds of Change, Elizabeth C Jones and Caroline Pare for Al Jazeera English
- FIFA’s Dirty Secrets, Andrew Jennings for BBC One

Young Journalist of the Year
- Joe Casey, BBC Panorama, BBC Current Affairs for BBC One
- Rohit Kachroo, ITV News, ITN for ITV News
- Tim Lawton, Channel 4 News/True Vision, ITN/True Vision for Channel 4 NewsSimilar Posts:

Students relaunch the Cardiffian to fill gap left by Guardian Cardiff closure

Tom Rouse — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 15:39:50 +0000

Trainee newspaper journalists from Cardiff School of Journalism have relaunched the Cardiffian, a hyperlocal.

One of those involved, Tom Rouse, explains how it is run.

The news site is staffed by trainee newspaper journalists at Cardiff School of Journalism. With 29 reporters, each assigned their own patch, we are able to cover a large part of Cardiff at a ward level and cover a depth and breadth of stories which engage with communities on their own level.

The site was originally set up for last year’s students, so our focus this year has been reviving a site which has lain dormant since April and rebuilding ties with local community groups. This background means we have not had to build a readership from scratch, but has presented a different challenge in ensuring we offer something different from what is already out there.

Fundamentally, the Cardiffian is a news site and a chance for us to put our work in a real world setting. The majority of our second term is dominated by our first efforts as journalists in sourcing stories and producing a paper. As this paper is produced as a training exercise it allows us to make mistakes in a safe environment. Putting our work up on the Cardiffian builds upon this by giving us an invaluable opportunity to gain feedback from readers about the stories we’re writing and understand what works when presented to an audience and what doesn’t.

But, we are hoping to make the site far more than just another source of news in Cardiff. We want to fill the niche in the local online community which was left vacant by the demise of Guardian Cardiff and act as a hub for a variety of content, not just our own.

This means a large part of our strategy revolves around making ourselves useful to communities and encouraging them to engage with the site, whether that means submitting their events to our listings page or writing a guest blog on an issue they feel passionately about. We are hoping to build a genuine two-way relationship with our readers,

Glyn Mottershead, lecturer in digital journalism at Cardiff University, said:

The key point of the site is to help our students learn about the ways in which the industry is changing, to understand content and community strategies and build a living portfolio of work.

It is also an opportunity for them to engage with groups in Cardiff and try and help them get their message out.

The first year was very much a news site, which worked well in its run and received good feedback. This year is more about involving members of the community in the site and trying to understand and support an online community that is interested in what is happening in the city around them.

The site is also a bit more of a lab than other parts of the course and gives the students the opportunity to explore ideas that may be of interest to the community and suggest changes to platforms and strategies based on genuine feedback from them.

Similar Posts:

#Tip of the day from Journalism.co.uk – post to Facebook at 9am, 1pm, 3pm and 5pm

Sarah Marshall — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 14:19:53 +0000

When is the best time to post a news story to Facebook? That was a question answered by Nate Lanxon, editor of Wired.co.uk, at Friday’s news:rewired journalism conference.

According to Lanxon, these times to post on the Wired.co.uk Facebook page – which he considers a “behind-the-scenes fan club” for Wired readers – are best:

First thing in the morning when you get into the office;
Lunch time;
3pm;
Between 5 and 5.30p.m.

There are more tips from the session on social media optimisation at this link.

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:

Mirror.co.uk unveils new ‘cleaner’ look

Paul McNally — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 10:46:36 +0000

The Daily Mirror today unveils a new-look website, at mirror.co.uk

Before: how the site looked last week

Mirror Online publisher Matt Kelly says in an introductory post that the “cleaner and less cluttered” design will make better use of photography and video.

Content is organised into seven sections: News, Sport, 3am, Lifestyle, Money, Play and Opinion. Comments are encouraged on stories, and sharing articles has been made easier.

Kelly said:

We constantly improve our website and as much as we believe the new look Mirror Online is a big step forward, we know there’ll be things we haven’t got completely right.

PaidContent has a video interview with Matt Kelly and Mirror managing director Chris Ellis:

Similar Posts: