Tag Archives: leveson

Journalisted Weekly: Queen’s Speech, Manchester City and Leveson

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Journalisted is an independent, not-for-profit website built to make it easier for you, the public, to find out more about journalists and what they write about. It is run by the Media Standards Trust, a registered charity set up to foster high standards in news on behalf of the public, and funded by donations from charitable foundations. Each week Journalisted produces a summary of the most covered news stories, most active journalists and those topics falling off the news agenda, using its database of UK journalists and news sources.

 

Queen’s Speech, Manchester City and Leveson

For the week ending Sunday 13 May.

  • The Queen’s speech the top story of the week
  • Manchester City win the Premier League, Rebekah Brooks’ and Andy Coulson’s appearances at Leveson, Greece in political turmoil covered lots
  • Mutilated bodies found in Mexico, Russian jet crashes and Algerian elections covered little

Covered Lots

Covered Little

Political ups and downs (top ten by number of articles)

Celebrity vs Serious

Eurozone leaders (top ten by number of articles)

No other Eurozone leaders were mentioned in UK press coverage. Who wrote a lot about…the Greek election

Long form journalism

Hacked Off is reporting live from the Leveson Inquiry again this week via twitter @hackinginquiry and hackinginquiry.orgThe Orwell Prize awards ceremony is on May 23rd. All welcome, email katriona.lewis@mediastandardstrust.org to reserve your free placeFor the latest instalment of Tobias Grubbe, journalisted’s 18th century jobbing journalist, go to journalisted.com/tobias-grubbe

Guardian: Biography claims David Cameron texted Rebekah Brooks before she quit NI

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Copyright Lewis Whyld/PA

The Guardian has reported today that an updated biography of the prime minister claims David Cameron texted Rebekah Brooks before she quit as News International’s chief executive.

An article on the Guardian‘s website reports that Cameron allegedly texted Brooks “to tell her to keep her head up” days before she resigned from News International.

It has also emerged that he agreed to meet her at a point-to-point horse race so long as they were not seen together, and that he also pressed the Metropolitan police to review the Madeleine McCann case in May last year following pressure from Brooks.

The prime minister then sent an intermediary to Brooks to explain why contacts had to be brought to an abrupt halt after she resigned. The authors say the gist of that message was: “Sorry I couldn’t have been as loyal to you as you have been to me, but Ed Miliband had me on the run.”

The revelations were made in the updated version of Cameron: Practically a Conservative by Francis Elliot and James Hanning. Brooks is due to appear before the Leveson inquiry on Friday.

Journalisted Weekly: Redknapp and Capello, Syria and Homs, and Leveson

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Journalisted is an independent, not-for-profit website built to make it easier for you, the public, to find out more about journalists and what they write about. It is run by the Media Standards Trust, a registered charity set up to foster high standards in news on behalf of the public, and funded by donations from charitable foundations. Each week Journalisted produces a summary of the most covered news stories, most active journalists and those topics falling off the news agenda, using its database of UK journalists and news sources.

Redknapp and Capello, Syria and Homs, and Leveson

for the week ending Sunday 12 February

  • Harry Redknapp, his acquittal and England management rumours lead the news
  • Luis Suarez, Leveson Inquiry and Abu Qatada covered lots
  • Romanian PM resignation, Russian protests and Turkmenistan elections covered little

Covered Lots

  • Harry Redknapp walks free from court, acquitted of cheating the public revenue, and into speculation about managing the England football team, 464 articles – succeeding Fabio Capello, 462 articles
  • The death toll rises as Syrian government forces bombard the city of Homs, 233 articles
  • The Leveson Inquiry continues, hearing from witnesses including Mail editor Paul Dacre and recalled editors James Harding and Dominic Mohan, 190 articles
  • Luis Suarez avoids shaking Patrice Evra’s hand, reigniting racism row, before apologising, 187 articles
  • An immigration commission rules that radical cleric Abu Qatada can be released on bail, 143 articles

Covered Little

  • Emil Boc resigns as Prime Minister of Romania following protests against austerity measures, 17 articles
  • Mikhail Gorbachev criticises Vladimir Putin following protests and ahead of March presidential election, 6 articles
  • Elections in Turkmenistan, with opposition candidates all praising the incumbent, 2 articles
  • Brazilian journalist Mario Randolfo Marques Lopes and his girlfriend are kidnapped and killed, 1 article

Political ups and downs (top ten by number of articles)

Celebrity vs Serious

Eurozone leaders (top ten by number of articles)

Who wrote a lot about… Fabio Capello

Long form journalism

The Media Standards Trust, which runs journalisted, won the ‘One to Watch’ category at the Prospect Think Tank Awards
Read the Hacked Off live blog on the Leveson inquiry and follow our Twitter feed @hackinginquiry.

Visit the Media Standards Trust’s Churnalism.com – a public service for distinguishing journalism from churnalism

Read the MST’s submission to parliament’s Joint Committee on Privacy and Injunctions and the House of Lords Communications Select Committee on investigative journalism

For the latest instalment of Tobias Grubbe, journalisted’s 18th century jobbing journalist, go to journalisted.com/tobias-grubbe

Press v politicians: can tabloids still take on the over-mighty?

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Image by DanBrady on Flickr. Some rights reserved

Imagine a top tabloid newspaper supported a leading ‘non-Westminster’ politician through his difficult divorce. Instead of printing hard-hitting stories about the moral duplicity of this very Christian politician, it publishes soft-focus, upbeat articles about his lovely new wife and their joyous life together. The politician goes on to become a leading national figure, but then the tabloid discovers a story of his corruption when he was back in the regions. The politician rings up the tabloid editor to threaten ‘unpleasant and public consequences’ if they publish. What happens next?

The Leveson inquiry has not really got to grips with this aspect of media practice. Never mind the law or the codes, feel the power. In the past, commentators like John Lloyd felt the press had become too mighty and could make or break politicians and even determine elections. Then during the Blair/Campbell years it was felt the pendulum had swung the opposite way. Perhaps some people could imagine Peter Mandelson making a similar threat to a journalist at the height of his career?

In fact the scenario outlined above is playing out in the real world. In Germany, the President, Christian Wulff, was silly enough to try to intimidate his old chums on Bild. The tabloid ignored the threats and published the story of how Wulff had taken a very large secret loan from the wife of a local businessman. He then lied about it. The scandal now threatens to end the career of the man who is, in effect, Germany’s head of state. In the midst of the Eurozone crisis, this is not good news for Angela Merkel.

But the point is that – without subterfuge or phone-hacking – this German tabloid has turned on its former political ally. As the chief executive of Bild’s publisher, the Springer group, Mathias Döpfner said “whoever takes the elevator up with Bild will also take the elevator down with it”.

It is always difficult to make international comparisons. Is Axel Springer comparable to Rupert Murdoch? As I have written elsewhere, British tabloids are pretty unusual. But the question does spring to mind – could it, or perhaps rather, how would it happen here?

This is a cross-post from the Polis blog.

Journalisted Weekly: Leveson Inquiry, Tahrir Square and England RFU

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Journalisted is an independent, not-for-profit website built to make it easier for you, the public, to find out more about journalists and what they write about. It is run by the Media Standards Trust, a registered charity set up to foster high standards in news on behalf of the public, and funded by donations from charitable foundations. Each week Journalisted produces a summary of the most covered news stories, most active journalists and those topics falling off the news agenda, using its database of UK journalists and news sources.

Journalisted Weekly: Leveson Inquiry, Tahrir Square and England RFU

for the week ending Sunday 27 November

  • The first wave of witnesses to give evidence to the Leveson Inquiry dominated this week’s news
  • Violent protests in Tahrir Square, and the England rugby team scandal, covered lots
  • Carina Trimingham lobbying row, Basra bombs and Welsh budget resolution covered little

Covered lots

Covered little

Political ups and downs (top ten by number of articles)

Celebrity vs. serious

Arab spring (countries & current leaders)

Who wrote a lot about… clashes between the Government and Unions over planned public sector pensions strikes

Long form journalism

Journalists who have updated their profile

  • Jack Oughton is a photographer at KKVA Fine Art Photography and Portraiture and works freelance for The Independent, the International Astronomical Union, FHM and Empire magazines, along with a number of companies. He was previously a writer intern for Catch 22 Magazine after completing a Higher National Diploma in Astronomy and Science at the University of Glamorgan. He has written several books: ‘Glamorgan University Observational Diary’, ‘A Layman’s Guide To Nuclear Fusion’ and ‘The Speech Of The Chimera’, all in 2010. Follow Jack on Twitter @koukouvaya
  • Jane Symons is a freelance health writer, media consultant and facilitator whose work has been published in publications including the Daily Express, Daily Mail, The Sun, The Times, the Telegraph and Sunday Express, as well as various women’s magazines. She has previously been editor of Sun Health at The Sun, health editor of Woman’s Own, and chief sub editor for the Telegraph Magazine. In addition, she has written two books: ‘Pregnancy: The Best for You and Your Baby’ in 1999 and ‘How to Have a Baby and Still Live in the Real World’ in 2003. Follow Jane on Twitter @janesymons1

The Media Standards Trust, which runs journalisted, won the ‘One to Watch’ category at this year’s Prospect Think Tank Awards

Read about our campaign for the full exposure of phone hacking and other illegal forms of intrusion at the Hacked Off website

Visit the Media Standards Trust’s Churnalism.com – a public service for distinguishing journalism from churnalism

Read the MST’s submission to parliament’s Joint Committee on Privacy and Injunctions and the House of Lords Communications Select Committee on investigative journalism

The Orwell Prize 2012 is now open for entries following a launch debate on ‘Writing the Riots’

For the latest instalment of Tobias Grubbe, journalisted’s 18th century jobbing journalist, go to journalisted.com/tobias-grubbe

Leveson inquiry releases witness statements

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Written witness statements submitted as part of the Leveson inquiry have been released.

Submissions from those who gave evidence to the hearing yesterday (Monday 21 November) are now on the Leveson inquiry website.

Journalism.co.uk is providing full coverage of the Leveson inquiry. News and reaction from the last 24 hours:

Dowler family ‘afraid to open front door’

Sally and Bob Dowler also tell the inquiry of their anger after being photographed retracing daughter Milly’s steps after she went missing

Glenn Mulcaire denies deleting Milly Dowler’s messages

Private investigator at the centre of the hacking scandal denies that he was responsible for deleting voicemail messages on the teenager’s phone while she was missing

Columnist ‘amazed by detail’ in Mulcaire’s notes

Joan Smith tells inquiry that investigator Glenn Mulcaire was an ‘obsessive notetaker’ who recorded information about her whereabouts and private phone conversations

Hugh Grant claims evidence links Mail to hacking

Actor tells Leveson inquiry that story published by Mail on Sunday could only have been obtained by phone hacking, a claim disputed by counsel QC Robert Jay

Mail titles hit back at Grant over ‘mendacious smears’

Mail on Sunday denies claims by actor Hugh Grant that it hacked his phone in 2007, calling his allegations ‘mendacious smears driven by a hatred of the media’

Hacking victims suspected ‘continuous’ intrusion, says lawyer

Graham Shear told the inquiry clients would change their mobile telephone numbers ‘two or three times a year’ to try and keep information private