David Fordham, chief executive of Iliffe News and Media, has been appointed as president of the Newspaper Society.
Georgina Harvey, Trinity Mirror Regionals managing director, has been named as vice president.
“The fast-shrinking newspaper business set a new standard for job insecurity in the last couple of weeks. Winning your profession’s highest honor does not mean you get to keep your job, and neither does taking a bullet while at work,” writes Richard Perez-Pena.
While Perez-Pena focuses on the US industry – citing the example of Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Paul Giblin who had been made redundant in January – the same story is seen in the UK: Northcliffe Media made the Newspaper Society’s digital team of the year redundant earlier this year.
UK newspaper industry groups, the Society of Editors and the Newspaper Society, have sent a list of points of action to culture secretary Andy Burnham.
The points include looking at ways to prevent Google profiting from third-party news content and investment of public funds in media training.
The Newspaper Society has cancelled its three annual awards programmes citing market conditions and a need to improve the format of the awards, which include the Weekly Newspaper and Advertising and Digital Media Awards.
In its public service broadcasting (PSB) blueprint, UK industry regulator Ofcom made a series of recommendations for Channel 4, the BBC and ITV – there’s a video explaining the report on Ofcom’s YouTube channel, but for those of you wanting something more textual here’s our round-up:
Key points:
Recommendations were given for each of the UK’s broadcasters in turn, but given news this week of potential mergers with Five or the BBC and yesterday’s pledge to invest £500 million in regional production and programming, here’s a synopsis of the points directed at Channel 4:
Following the regulator’s market impact assessment late last year, which formed part of the BBC Trust’s decision to reject local online video plans, the report also reviewed PSB in the nations and regions:
The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) has expressed concerns over Ofcom’s recommendations for ITV Local – suggesting a deal had already been agreed between the channel and regulator rendering a consultation on cuts to its local news provision meaningless.
“Ofcom has presented its proposals as a framework for saving public service broadcasting, but the reality is that this report has given ITV the go-ahead to cut its local output. Looking for where to play Starburst slot at Mostbet online casino , go to the official website of the Starburst Mostbet game https://starburst-game.com/en/play-starburst-mostbet It means fewer local news programmes and fewer local stories. As hundreds of editorial staff walk out of the door, they’ll be taking the links between ITV and local communities with them. That’s hardly in the interests of citizens and viewers,” said a statement by the union.
Ed Richards, Ofcom chief executive, gives his thoughts on the review in this Comment is Free article and on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
At the Annual Newspaper Conference Lunch on Tuesday David Cameron, leader of the Conservative party was quick to criticise the ‘crushing’ power of the BBC.
The comments were made at the annual Newspaper Conference lunch, reported on the Newspaper Society’s website.
Addressing members of the Newspaper Conference, a body administrated by the Newspaper Society, made up of 20 regional press journalists and based in Westminster, Cameron insisted further restraints should be put on the BBC’s commercial operations.
“They [the BBC] have got to bear in mind that when they enter new markets, they are often in danger of crushing with the great big foot of the BBC enterprise, entrepreneurship and risk and capital that other organisations have put into those areas,” he said.
“Things like what they have been doing in education, some of the things they’ve been doing [sic] online, their plans for video on demand, and some of what they’ve been doing in competition with local newspapers, those are the things where they should be restrained,” said the Conservative leader
The BBC’s regulatory body, the BBC Trust also came under fire:
“I’d also like to see them [the BBC] regulated more in the way of other commercial television companies. I know the BBC Trust is an improvement on the old form of government but to me independent regulation has got to be independent.
“I still don’t really understand how you can partly be regulated by the BBC Trust, which is you, and partly by Ofcom. It doesn’t make sense.”
Speaking to the Newspaper Conference members, Cameron praised regional newspapers referring to them as being ‘valuable in terms of the health of a combative democracy’.
While it’s all very nice that regional digital contributions are being celebrated at the Newspaper Society (NS) Advertising and Digital Media Awards 2008 (it was the first time for blog and digital team catgeories), Journalism.co.uk did raise its eyebrows slightly at the winners of Blogs of the Year…
Gold: Trinity Mirror Midlands – The Geek Files (nice looking but not exactly interactive)
Silver: scotsman.com – Luke Donald (still searching for its whereabouts – any ideas?)
Bronze: Hull Daily Mail – Lucy Clark for Hullvibe (last updated two days ago)
Perhaps they could take some tips on blogging from the winner of the AOP online community of the year, Farmers Weekly Interactive: its blogs are easy navigated and found from the main site.
And we can’t help but wonder why regional digital is judged in a competition for advertising – why is there not one single category for digital in the regular weekly newspaper awards?
Who/or what would you nominate for your favourite regional blogger/blogs?
So Associated Northcliffe Digital/Northcliffe Media came out smiling, after digital awards aplenty at last night’s Newspaper Society’s Advertising and Digital Media Awards – the group won golds for Niche Website of the Year, Digital Innovation of the year and Digital Team of the Year. On top of that the winner for ad of the year, the Hull Daily Mail, is one of Northcliffe’s too.
Speaking in a release issued last night, the Newspaper Society (NS) communications director Lynne Anderson praised online entries: “The digital element of the awards was particularly impressive this year with clear evidence that local media publishers are becoming increasingly effective at communicating with their audiences online.”
Here’s a selection of the winners from yesterday’s Advertising and Digital Media Awards, online and off:
PRINT ADs:
Advertisement of the Year
Gold: Hull Daily Mail for Modus Interiors – Howz
Silver: Evening Express for Choices 08
Bronze: Evening Express for Ritchie Travel / The Lytham St Annes for Express Leonard Dews – Diamonds
Series of Advertisements for the Year
Gold: The Irish News for John Mulholland Motors Ltd
Silver: Hull Daily Mail for Modus
Bronze: Herald Express for Animal Crackerz Series
Classified Section of the Year
Gold: Express & Star for My Classifieds
Silver: Evening Express for Drive
Bronze: The Press and Journal for Your Ads
ONLINE:
Newspaper Website of the Year
Gold: Nottingham Evening Post – thisisnottingham.co.uk
Silver: Belfast Telegraph – belfasttelegraph.co.uk
Bronze: Cornwall and Devon Media – thisiscornwall.co.uk
Niche Website of the Year
Gold: Associated Northcliffe Digital Lasting Tribute
Silver: Hull Daily Mail – Your Mail
Bronze: Eastern Daily Press – Jobs24
Integrated Campaign of the Year
Gold: Manchester Evening News for NHS ‘I Love Me’ Campaign
Silver: Manchester Evening News for Natwest ‘MoneySense’
Bronze: Hull Daily Mail for ASDA
Digital Innovation of the Year
Gold: Associated Northcliffe Digital for Lasting Tribute
Silver: Lancashire Evening Post for LEPlive
Bronze: Herald Express Mod My Motor
Blog of the Year
Gold: Trinity Mirror Midlands – The Geek Files
Silver: scotsman.com – Luke Donald
Bronze: Hull Daily Mail – Lucy Clark for Hullvibe
Community Website of the Year
Gold: MK News – mkweb.co.uk
Silver: Lancashire Evening Post – lep.co.uk
Bronze: Hull Daily Mail – Your Mail
Digital Team of the Year
Gold: Associated Northcliffe Digital New Product Development Division
Silver: Hull Daily Mail Digital Advertising Team
Bronze: Clyde and Forth Press Digital Media Department
Cross-Platform or Portfolio Sell of the Year
Gold : MEN Media Sales for NHS ‘I Love Me’ Campaign
Silver: MEN Media Sales for Natwest ‘MoneySense’
Bronze: Mediaforce for Scottish Government
The Belfast Telegraph recorded a 29 per cent week-on-week growth in traffic to its website following a relaunch of the site on July 14.
As part of the redesign the Telegraph is now using a tri-site platform: it will feature content from sister titles the Independent and the Irish Independent.
New comment functions on articles have also been added to increase interactivity with users.
The organisation representing the regional newspaper industry has hit out against the BBC’s plans to increase local video online. The Newspaper Society said the proposals, which would see up to £23 million spent across 60 local BBC websites, “will compete direct with our members’ operations in a harmful fashion”.