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November 29, 2012updated 30 Nov 2012 5:22pm

This week in Press Gazette – Journalism Weekly: Hunt-Black rethink of regulation plan

By Andrew Pugh

In this week’s Press Gazette – Journalism Weekly (CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE):

1Hunt-Black rethink of regulation plan. Lords Black and Hunt offered a conciliatory response to Lord Justice Leveson as he yesterday called for a new independent press regulator backed up by statute.

“Any form of statutory press control in a free society is fraught with danger, totally impractical and would take far too long to implement.”

3Britain’s youngest football reporter? Louth Town are currently top of the Northern Counties East Division – and they also have the distinction of being covered by Britain’s youngest football writer.

“I like the idea of writing part-time including writing books but I don’t have plans to work full-time for newspapers.

“I have other ideas for a fulltime career like physiotherapy or working with horses.”

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4Harding leads editors' criticism of Black. The Hunt-Black plan for a beefed-up version of press self-regulation looks increasingly unlikely to survive in its current form with the editors of The Times, FT, Guardian and Independent all distancing themselves from it.

”The Lord Chief Justice should appoint someone, probably an experienced lawyer, and a panel of two others to oversee this regulator. This is to prevent backsliding, to stop the regulator falling into the clutches of the industry, to ensure no return to the ‘smoke-filled rooms’ of the past.”

6Leveson report calls for ‘conscience’ clause in employment contracts.  Lord Justice Leveson has called for a new whistleblowing hotline for journalists and the creation of a “conscience” clause in employment contracts.

“The industry generally and a regulator in particular should consider requiring its members to include in the employment or service contracts with journalists a clause to the effect that no disciplinary action would be taken against a journalist as a result of a refusal to act in a manner which is contrary to the code of practice.”

8TBIJ: We’re not responsible for Newsnight ‘mistake’. The Bureau of Investigative Journalism says it wasn’t to blame for the Newsnight child abuse report of 2 November but it has expressed regret for seconding Angus Stickler to the programme without retaining editorial control.

“It is clear that there was a failure within the Bureau of editorial and managerial controls and the surveillance thereof by the trustees. For this the trustees accept responsibility and add their regrets for these failings.”

9Slated Eastenders actress demands £50k libel payout. Eastenders actress Jessie Wallace has issued libel proceedings against the publisher of celebrity magazine Reveal over a story about her relationship with co-star Letitia Dean.

Wallace, who plays Kat Moon (formerly Slater) in the BBC one soap, is seeking damages of up to £50,000 over a story published on 18 August headlined  Jessie and Letitia at war”.

10 Leveson offers low-cost libel deals as part of statute-backed regulator. Lord Justice Leveson today rejected the press industry’s Hunt-Black plan for a new press regulator, instead urging the industry to create of a new independent regulator, which he said would be underpinned by statute.

“It is essential that there should be legislation to underpin the independent self-regulatory system and facilitate its recognition in legal processes.”

12Reaction to Leveson: Lords Hunt and Black, Mosley & Hacked Off. Lord Justice Leveson’s recommendations for reform of press regulation yesterday sparked a massive reaction among journalists, politicians, campaigners and victims of press intrusion.

“We all agree that we must regain the trust and  confidence of the British people to make sure that unacceptable, outrageous and illegal behaviour can never be allowed to happen again.”

13 Grey Cardigan: The PRs who try to buy off journalists with trinkets. Has Christmas come early for someone in your office? Does your editor or features editor have a nice, new, shiny leather cover on their iPad? Then perhaps you should call the police, just to be on the safe side.

I mention this because last week a PR company emailed me, and therefore presumably every other vaguely senior media bod in the country, offering to send me a nice, new, shiny leather cover for my iPad completely free of charge.

14Michelle Stanistreet: Leveson proposals give journalists the security to stand up for their principles. From the outset of the Leveson Inquiry, we demanded a conscience clause to safeguard journalists who object to being made to act unethically in the pursuit of a story.

The NUJ has been campaigning for years for a conscience clause in contracts of employment and we are delighted that Lord Justice Leveson has listened to the voice of journalists.

16 How to get a trainee job at… The Sun: ‘Coming up with a decent story is the best way to get noticed by a newsdesk’.

In general terms, what we look for in a candidate is: bags of enthusiasm and willingness to learn; a solid grasp of current affairs across news, politics,

showbiz, TV and sport; an ability to write accurately and with flair; a sound knowledge of The Sun’s history, famous scoops and campaigns; good knowledge of social media; the ability to present in front of a group and to work as part of a team; professionalism; likeability; and common sense.

18 Peter Preston leads Turkey mission to free jailed journalists. Former Guardian editor Peter Preston is leading an International Press Institute (IPI) mission to help imprisoned journalists in Turkey this Sunday.

“Of course we understand the security threats and internal tensions Turkey faces, so there’ll be no foolish lecturing or hectoring here.

"But we also understand the critical importance of a free press to Turkey’s democratic standing in Europe and America, and I hope we’ll be able to make Ankara think hard about the damage that locking up its reporters and editors inflicts.”

19 Six of the best with Geoffrey Goodman: My story that helped bring an end to the Vietnam war Best journalist?

On James Cameron: "No reporter – for that is essentially what James was, a great reporter – had Cameron’s quality of brilliant and sympathetic irreverence; nor his capacity, especially as a foreign correspondent and war reporter to capture reality and project human tragedy, paradox and heroism, in everything his pen, and typewriter, touched."

24Axegrinder: Shocking spoof of FSN campaigning, Space constraints not an issue for Priv, Struggling to be ethical? Use a #

 

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