Tag Archives: the Evening Standard

thelondonpaper’s closure – tell the rivals or readers first?

Journalism.co.uk couldn’t help but part with 50p on the way back from London last night after seeing the Evening Standard seller’s newspaper boards at Victoria Station loudly declaring the death of newspaper rival thelondonpaper.

The front page was also dedicated to the story: “Free London paper to close”, “Murdoch axes loss-making title”, “Staff shocked at sudden decision”.

(This must be the new ‘positive’ direction for the paper Geordie Greig mentioned when he took over as editor in February)

Still the ES, as far as the print edition yesterday went, refrained from commenting further on the demise of a rival. And it must have been tempting given thelondonpaper’s full-page advert last January, which taunted the ES over its sale for ‘the price of a chocolate bar’.

As a collector’s edition – the last will be issued on September 18 – Journalism.co.uk also picked up yesterday’s thelondonpaper. No mention of the closure in print (perhaps news was released after it had gone to print – anyone who sees today’s edition is welcome to correct me) and it seems to be business as usual on the website. Journalism.co.uk towers received the release from News International around lunchtime yesterday, which begs the question: is it right to let your rivals and the rest of the industry know before your readers (and, indeed, staff – see yesterday’s NMA report about new launches for thelondonpaper website and the recent job ads for online staff)?

Express under fire for advertorials again

Only last week Journalism.co.uk reported how the Daily Express was criticised by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) for masking advertorials as features.

Yesterday, as reported by MediaGuardian and others, the Express again came under fire for a similar incident.

An advertisement for Goldshield’s Rozip took up the bottom half of a page, with an article on the qualities of the product sitting on top.

Previously the ASA investigated as to ‘whether the features had been controlled by the advertiser and also whether the claims made by the products were true or exaggerated’.

They came to the conclusion that ‘both publisher and advertiser were purposefully trying to get around elements of the advertising code by presenting the articles and adverts in this way’.

When criticised for unsubstantiated claims made by the Express journalist about the healing properties of the products, Goldshield’s Rozip responded that ‘they were not responsible’ for the contents of the article.

Monitoring staff at the ASA said that the advertisement and the article were clearly linked. As with the previous cases reported last week, Goldshield had booked the ad on the understanding that the editorial would also appear.

The ASA state that because of the ‘reciprocal arrangement’, Goldshield in fact had implicit control over the top half of the page and as such Goldshield was responsible for ensuring the contents of the entire page complied with the Code.

In the latest issue of Private Eye (August 21 – September 3) it was suggested that the Express might not be the only newspaper guilty of this tactic. On August 5, the Evening Standard printed a piece about a world cruise that the Eye described as an ‘unmarked advertorial’ – it fell opposite a full-page ad for the very same cruise. The Evening Standard article in question can be found at this link.

It seems no action has yet been taken against the Evening Standard; the Daily Express on the other hand has been told ‘the ad must not appear again in its current form’.

Newsnight: Paxman interviews Huffington on ‘curation’ and editing of reports from Iran

Jeremy Paxman interviews Huffington Post founder Ariana Huffington and the Evening Standard’s Anne McElvoy on the use of non-traditional media/amateur reports from Iran and the concept of ‘curating’ this information as opposed to traditional editing.

McElvoy usefully describes the intersection of as a complex mosaic with each piece contributing subjective information – but information that requires an overview/comparison that can be added by an editor or professional journalist.


BBC NEWS | Programmes | Newsnight | Has internet journalism come of age?.

Northcliffe’s operating profits drop 81 per cent

Regional newspaper publisher Northcliffe posted an 81 per cent drop in operating profits in the six months up to March 29 2009, according to figures released today.

Operating profits for the group, which publishes the Bristol Evening Post and Hull Daily Mail, fell by £33 million to £3.2 million over the period. Advertising revenues also fell by 31 per cent to £103 million.

The publisher has reduced operating costs, however, by 11 per cent compared to the last period – including a reduction of its headcount by 500.

On the digital front, revenues were reportedly in line with the same period last year. Unique ‘visitors’ to the network of ‘thisis’ sites rose by 42 per cent year-on-year to 4.2 million.

Daily Mail and General Trust (DMGT)

According to the figures, DMGT’s revenue fell by 7 per cent year-on-year – from £1,168 million to £1,085 million.

The group’s outlook:

“Within our UK local media operations, revenues continue to be stable which is encouraging, when combined with increasing cost reductions. Within our national consumer media operations, the positive impact will be felt of the cost reductions made to date and of the sale of the Evening Standard at the end of February. As a consequence, DMGT’s operating profits will be weighted more than last year towards the second half of the year.”

MediaGuardian: Russian oligarch Alexander Lebedev to buy London Evening Standard

In an exclusive report the Guardian reveals that the oligarch Alexander Lebedev will buy the Evening Standard newspaper – ‘in a dramatic move that would see him become the first Russian oligarch to own a major British newspaper,’ the Guardian says. … Full story…

It’s for charidee: Carol concert (December 11) and Evening Standard’s eBay auction

It’s the season of good will, so here’s a plug for two worthy events:

In aid of Leonard Cheshire Disability, newsreaders Nicholas Owen, Emily Maitliss and Katie Derham will take part in a fundraising Christmas concert.

Music at the event, which will be held on Thursday December 11 at the Royal Festival Hall on London’s Southbank, will come from the London Chamber Orchestra, London Philharmonic Choir and stars of stage and screen.

Tickets are priced from £10-£50 and are available from the Southbank Centre on 0871 663 2500 or can be booked online.

Can’t make that? You can take part in the Evening Standard’s ebay auction from the comfort of your own desk (or lap, depending on what you use…):

To raise money for charity Greenhouse, the ES is auctioning off a host of meeja-related prizes from dinner with editor Veronica Wadley, lunch with Robert Peston to accompanying Sir David Frost to a screening of Frost/Nixon.

The auction closes at 12pm (GMT) on Monday 15 December, so get bidding: lunch with Andrew Gilligan is already up to £259.00 or you can get an audience with Brian Sewell for £101.00.

Twitter doesn’t work with short-term trials @Nickcurtis

“I can’t find any celebrities, or any breaking news, just endless prattle from people with too much time and too little imagination. After two hours, I log out, and I won’t be back.” The Evening Standard’s Nick Curtis describing his ‘trial’ of Twitter.

@paulcarr does a brilliant job over at Guardian.co.uk, complete with drunken Laguna Beach and toga-wearing anecdotes (not sure how he worked those in), so Journalism.co.uk won’t re-tell the whole story here.

In short: @nickcurtis, film critic at the Evening Standard tried out Twitter for all of two hours. Yes, two hours, before dismissing the whole entire thing. Nick, please listen to Paul. You need to try it out for a bit longer than that to see how it all works and bear with it. For a start, you might need to actually follow some people (at time of writing – followers: 0).

Journalism.co.uk and aficionado of Twitter (@journalismnews / @journalism_live / @lauraoliver / @jtownend) wonders if Curtis would review a film by just watching an equivalent fraction (about 1/8 of its trailer at most).

@Chrisgreen sums it up nicely: @nickcurtis – ‘Just read your article on Twitter. Your lack of research & sloppy conclusions are an embarrassment to journalism & the Standard’.

But then, it looks like Curtis won’t be logging back in to read the reactions.

We’re off to the investigative Oscars tonight: follow us live

Tonight is the pinnacle of the investigative and campaigning journalism year, when one (or three in last year’s case) journalists walk away with the prestigious Paul Foot Award, which rewards the best of campaigning journalism.

We’ll do our utmost (dongle/Wifi/mobile signal permitting) to Twitter the proceedings: follow us @journalism_live.

Nominations this year:

  • Richard Brooks of Private Eye – for his articles investigating the government’s involvement with fund management company Actis
  • Camilla Cavendish of The Times – for a series of pieces and a campaign against miscarriages of justice carried out under the Children’s Act 1989
  • Andrew Gilligan of the Evening Standard – for his investigation into financial irregularities at London’s City Hall and the London Development Agency
  • Warwick Mansell of The Times Educational Supplement – for his work on the SATS test marking scandal and educational opposition to the government’s league table system for schools
  • Dan McDougall of The Observer – for investigating child labour in South Asia, particularly that perpetrated by clothing retailers Esprit, Primark and Gap Inc
  • Jim Oldfield of Rossington Community Newsletter, South Yorkshire Newspapers – for coverage of opposition to the proposed construction of an ‘eco-town’ in Rossington

Reverend Peter Mullen’s apology: ‘Homosexual men and women among my dearest friends’

In the latest (and possibly last) of the Reverend Mullen updates, the vicar apologises again over at his, no doubt more popular than usual, column in the Northern Echo. Some extracts:

  • “I do believe The Evening Standard took my words out of context”
  • “I number many homosexual men and women among my dearest friends”
  • “What I do oppose – on the authority of the Christian faith – is the corrupting influence of the promotional parades of homosexuality by such as Gay Pride demonstrations.”
  • “I was delighted to be so warmly welcomed at church last Sunday by the many homosexual people in my congregation.”

He quotes Sandy Toksvig as making the London Stock Exchange / buggery quip on the Radio 4 News Quiz, which I yesterday attributed to Rod Liddle in the Sunday Times… Maybe Liddle thought of it at exactly the same time as she did.

Paul Foot award shortlist announced

The shortlist for this year’s Paul Foot award, which aims to celebrate the very best in campaigning journalism, are as follows:

  • Richard Brooks of Private Eye – for his articles investigating the government’s involvement with fund management company Actis
  • Camilla Cavendish of The Times – for a series of pieces and a campaign against miscarriages of justice carried out under the Children’s Act 1989
  • Andrew Gilligan of the Evening Standard – for his investigation into financial irregularities at London’s City Hall and the London Development Agency
  • Warwick Mansell of The Times Educational Supplement – for his work on the SATS test marking scandal and educational opposition to the government’s league table system for schools
  • Dan McDougall of The Observer – for investigating child labour in South Asia, particularly that perpetrated by clothing retailers Esprit, Primark and Gap Inc
  • Jim Oldfield of Rossington Community Newsletter, South Yorkshire Newspapers – for coverage of opposition to the proposed construction of an ‘eco-town’ in Rossington