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March 26, 2013updated 28 Mar 2013 3:57pm

Axegrinder: Trevor Kavanagh’s double standards?; Thanks, Private Frazer; Priceless Daily Mail apology; Not work experience

By Axegrinder

Trevor Kavanagh's double standards?

When it comes to the criminal justice system do red-top journalists have one set of rules when it comes to speaking out about the arrest of Fleet Street colleagues and another set for everyone else?

This was the question put to former News of the World executive editor Neil Wallis at Press Gazette’s Journalism in the Dock discussion at City University.

A student said that The Sun’s Trevor Kavanagh (pictured) had been outspoken in his condemnation of heavy-handed police tactics against Sun and News of the World hacks but had once said that terrorism suspects held without trial were probably guilty.

Wallis said he would be amazed if Kavanagh said any such thing.

But this is what Kavanagh wrote in 2007 about five Britons held without charge or trial in Guantanamo Bay: “The overwhelming odds are that these guys were put inside for good reason – whatever sob stories their human rights lawyers are peddling on their behalf.”

Thanks, Private Frazer

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Blogger Private Frazer has notched up five years of sniping at the magazine industry with his Doomed Magazines blog.

While he admits the reach of the blog is small, influence zero and knowledge of its existence marginal, he does console himself with having “annoyed senior people at several publishing companies (hi, Stevie!) and at the PPA (here’s looking at you, Bazza!)”.

And he has marked his anniversary by offering the industry some “lessons” which include: “Calling your editors ‘content managers’ is not a digital strategy. Readers do notice that your magazine is getting thinner. Your circulation director is beyond caring. Your advertising director is running out of favours to call in. We are actually, doomed, doomed I tell ye.”

Thanks, Private Frazer.

Apologies. Right is not, in fact, not left

Another priceless Daily Mail correction which shows it is possible to get almost every fact wrong in a story:

“Articles of 7 and 14 May 2012 said that the Duke of York had demanded a private plane, travelled in a chauffeur-driven Rolls-Royce and snubbed free accommodation for his official Diamond Jubilee visit to India. We now accept that the Duke had no personal involvement in the decision to charter the plane, did not travel in a Rolls, and that the British High Commissioner’s residence was deemed too small for his party on this occasion. We apologise to the Duke of York for the misunderstanding.”

Not work experience

How desperate are young journalists to get editorial experience? Many are prepared to do it for free, but how many would pay for it?

Ferrari Press Agency seems fairly confident that its “reporting training” – not to be mistaken for work experience – will entice students and local newspaper journalists at a cost of £50 for two days.

It tweeted: “@ferraripress offered a week-long reporting training for £500 but lots of you told us that was too much or mistook it for us charging MFL for work experience.

“We have a new offer. For just £50 you get to spend two days with us, training and seeing a real-life newsroom MFL and we will provide an ongoing advice centre.

“This would suit students or journalists already on local papers interested in nationals.”

Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog

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