Friday 10 August 2012

Quotes of the Week: Margate, Mockridge, Murdoch and mockery from Private Eye


Essex Chronicle editor Alan Geere on leaving Northcliffe to run a journalism degree course at Uganda’s Victoria University, as reported by Press Gazette: “I've been lucky to work in quite a bit of the developing world – Afghanistan, Caribbean, eastern Europe...Margate! – and see this as a great opportunity to strengthen my international experience."

News International chief executive Tom Mockridge in an email to staff, as reported by the Guardian: "I'm sorry to have to tell you there has been another arrest of a Sun journalist in connection with Operation Elveden. The arrest took place earlier this morning. We have given our colleague from the Sun the same legal and practical support that we have offered others. We are of course all concerned that these arrests continue to take place. I am also disappointed that representations made on behalf of the MSC [News Corporation's management and standards committee] about how arrests take place have not been taken up."

Professor Sarah Niblock, quoted by HoldtheFrontPage, on a report on media coverage of last year's riots which she said had identified: "A cultural sea change that has occurred when new financial priorities made local journalism remote from its readers and which becomes a source of reactive rather than proactive reporting. Instead, the status and watchdog role of local journalism needs to be rejuvenated, as a distinct sector with its own values where journalists stay and prosper, living and breathing their patch.”

Rupert Murdoch on News Corporation's latest results, showing a $1.6 billion loss: "We find ourselves in the middle of great change, driven by shifts in technology, consumer behaviour, advertiser demands and economic uncertainty and change brings about great opportunity. News Corporation is in a strong operational, strategic and financial position, which should only be enhanced by the proposed separation of the media and entertainment and publishing businesses."

Chief NCE examiner Steve Nelson, quoted by HoldtheFrontPage: “It is apparent that many trainees are not getting sufficient help and guidance in their day-to-day work. In today’s busy, pressured newsrooms there is often little time for editors and senior staff to go through stories with trainees, check their understanding of a situation and give advice on structure.”

Private Eye on the damages awarded against Associated Newspapers to child AAA for invasion of privacy: "AAA was awarded £15,000 in damages, which buys a lot of toys."

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