Media Quotes of the Week: From ex-Guardian and Sun editors slam press over Harry and Meghan coverage to cameras in Crown Courts at last

Alan Rusbridger in the Observer: "All three of the major newspaper groups most obsessed with Harry and Meghan are themselves being sued by the couple for assorted breaches of privacy and copyright. There is, to any reasonable eyes, a glaring conflict of interest that, for the most part, goes undeclared."

• David Yelland on Twitter: "Serious issues raised in this piece by @arusbridger; it is the absence of kindness, honesty and compassion, as I've said many times, which appalls."

Rebecca Long-Bailey on Twitter: 'The toxic combination of sexism and racism that runs rife through the right-wing press must be stopped. As leader of the Labour Party, I will do everything I can to fight it.'

Michael Moore in The Times [£]: "The BBC will announce significant cuts to its news operation as painful reforms are pushed through before the next director-general is appointed. Popular news programmes, which could include BBC Two’s Victoria Derbyshire and Radio 4’s World At One, are likely to bear the brunt in a push for more centralised commissioning. Producers and reporters will increasingly be expected to produce packages that can be reworked for multiple BBC news outlets, across TV, radio and online. Resources will be focused on digital news, a controversial move given complaints from commercial publishers that its ever-expanding website undermines their business models."

• Victoria Derbyshire on Twitter: "Absolutely devastated at the plan to end our programme (which I first learned about in yesterday’s Times). I’m unbelievably proud of what our team and our show have achieved in under 5 years....breaking tonnes of original stories (which we were asked to do); attracting a working class, young, diverse audience that BBC radio & TV news progs just don’t reach (which we were asked to do); & smashing the digital figures (which we were asked to do) ... "

Robert Peston on Twitter: "Decision on who replaces Lord Hall as bbc DG is probably as important as who becomes next Labour leader. Because given size of @BorisJohnson’s majority, the task of holding the government to account will probably fall more on media than on parliamentary opposition."

Yorkshire Post editor James Mitchinson on Twitter: "Dear university (in Yorkshire) contemplating dropping shorthand from your syllabus as students ‘don’t like it’ nor feel it’s ‘relevant’. Here’s a thing: it is, and those who show the minerals to pass it are the ones that get jobs. End of."

• Ex-Guardian investigations editor David Leigh on Twitter: "I managed a 45-year journalist career without having shorthand. Students, don't listen to this dinosaur. Learn Chinese or something."

The Guardian reports: "A man has been found guilty of aggravated assault against the Guardian columnist Owen Jones because of hostility to his leftwing political views and homophobia, following a two-day trial at Snaresbrook crown court. Anne Studd QC, the presiding judge, concluded at the end of the hearing that Jones was the victim of a “wholly unprovoked assault” outside a central London pub last August because of “his LGBT and his leftwing beliefs."

The Telegraph in a statement on pulling out of the Audit Bureau of Circulations monthly audit: "The ABC (Audit Bureau of Circulations) results published, today, January 16th, are the final set of ABC results Telegraph Media Group will take part in. Whilst they do show that the Telegraph remains the highest selling quality newspaper, by circa 8,000 copies a day, the ABC metric is not the key metric behind our subscription strategy and not how we measure our success. We will be transparent with our core subscriber numbers which are omni-channel and we will communicate these numbers each month. We will share both volumes and average revenue per subscription."

Ian Murray, executive director of the Society of Editors, in a statement welcoming news that television cameras are to be allowed into some Crown Courts across England and Wales: “The cause of open justice can only be served by this development which will open up the court proceedings to a public that is now used to receiving news and information in this video age. The proposals, while retaining the dignity of the courts, will be a huge step forward in ensuring transparency in the justice system, enabling the media to allow the public better access to judicial proceedings which in turn can only assure communities that justice is being seen to be carried out correctly."

• John Battle, head of cmpliance at ITN, added: “This is a landmark moment and an important day for open justice and transparency of our legal system. For the first time the public will see images of proceedings in the Crown Court on television news. This change will help a wider audience to see and understand the criminal justice process for themselves."

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Media Quotes of the Week: From journalists facing biggest lay-offs in years in hollowed out industry to vulture capitalist swoops on Newsquest's US owner

From the Reuters Institute Journalism, Media and Technology Trends and Predictions 2019 report by Nic Newman: "Journalism will continue to be hollowed out by structural shifts that have already led to significant falls in advertising revenue. Publishers are looking to subscriptions to make up the difference but the limits of this are likely to become apparent in 2019. Taken together these trends are likely to lead to the biggest wave of journalistic lay-offs in years – weakening further the ability of publishers to hold populist politicians and powerful business leaders to account."

Owen Jones @OwenJones84 on Twitter: "When one of us on the left is hurt or killed, which will happen, the entire right wing press and their so called “journalists”, who could have chosen to take a job which actually helps people, are all partly responsible and let’s put that on record now."

Hannah Al-Othman @HannahAlOthman on Twitter on Owen Jones: "The ignorance & privilege of this is astounding. Some people have to take jobs that pay the bills - not everyone gets handed a column in the guardian. Junior reporters trying to make a career aren’t guilty of anything."

Emily Bell in The Atlantic: "The real damage that Trump has rendered to press access is in his general attitude of undermining journalists’ credibility, particularly those he sees as investigating his affairs, or those who are more generally considered to be adversarial. Trump’s lack of respect toward women reporters and reporters of color has widespread effects, too. Online harassment of reporters is flourishing, and women and nonwhite reporters are particularly vulnerable to it."

Mark Di Stefano of BuzzFeedNews revealing BBC journalists have been told top stop stating "the BBC understands" in news reports because it sounds pompous: "It also happens to be a running joke among those in the British media. Journalists often accuse the corporation of using the phrase "BBC understands" in relation to stories reported by other outlets, which the BBC has then confirmed with its sources."

Verified account@Joelcpj

Jeremy Hunt Retweeted Reuters Top News

Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt @JeremyHunt on Twitter on after an appeal by Reuters journalists Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo in Myanmar against their imprisonment was turned down: "The thin red line between open and closed societies is whether journalists are able to do their job. Due process at best questionable in this case so please Aung San Suu Kyi take a personal interest in the future of these two brave journalists."

Joel Simon @Joelcpj on Twitter: "This has been a complete miscarriage of justice, from start to finish. It has done grave damage to Myanmar's standing in the world, and sullied the reputation of Aung San Suu Kyi. It's time for a pardon. #JournalismIsNotACrime #PressFreedom"

Federica Bedendo, NUJ Newsquest group chapel MoC, in a statement: "We are really concerned about the news of a potential acquisition by MNG Enterprises Inc. to acquire Gannett. Journalists within Newsquest already think this company has hit rock bottom and the prospect of being acquired by an organisation that's renowned for cost cutting and job slashing isn't going to do anything to benefit our titles or indeed our working conditions.

Chris Morley, Newsquest NUJ national coordinator, in a statement: "The proprietorship of Gannett over Newsquest as its UK operation has been a sorry tale of shameless cost-cutting that has threatened to bring low once mighty titles through the pursuit of unsustainable profits and starvation of investment. But the reports coming out of the US from those who should know, is that Gannett itself is being pursued by the most predatory of vulture capitalist corporate raiders who are far distant from the needs and responsibilities of a modern media company."

MPs call for lobbyists register after Bureau of Investigative Journalism's undercover reports

MPs will be urged to back calls for a statutory register of commercial lobbyists with access to Parliament following the undercover reporting by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, BBC News says today.

It comes after Bureau reporters taped political lobbyists boasting about their connections with the Government and showed their willingness to work for notorious regimes. (See post below).

Labour MP John Cryer will introduce a Ten Minute Rule Bill demanding change.

The government has said it plans to launch a consultation on statutory regulation of lobbying "shortly", with legislation introduced next year, in the second session of Parliament.

Labour is calling for the government to make an urgent Commons statement on the issue of lobbying.

The BBC News Channel's chief political correspondent Norman Smith said they were also expected to write to Cabinet Secretary Sir Gus O'Donnell to ask him to investigate.

Shadow Cabinet Office minister Jon Trickett said the investigation had raised "very serious allegations".

Lord Bell, chairman of Bell Pottinger's parent company Chime Communications, told the Independent, which published the Bureau's investigation this morning: "The conduct of the Bureau of Investigative Journalism does not remotely constitute responsible journalism. It is an attempt by unethical, underhand deception to manufacture a story where none exists."

Lord Bell told the Press Association the firm would be making a formal complaint to the Press Complaints Commission on the grounds that there was "no public interest in this story".

The Independent is planning run more of the Bureau's revelations tomorrow, including: "The Lib Dem connection and how lobbyists infiltrated Britain's top think tank."

• The Bureau of Investigative Journalism is a not for profit organisation based at City University, London.

BBC Northern Ireland: 'And in otter news...'

Everyone likes an animal story. BBC Northern Ireland goes hyperlocal with a tale about an otter that caused chaos in Tulla, County Clare.

The saga involves the otter becoming aggressive and attacking people, getting its head stuck in a Tayto crisp packet, being captured, escaping through a broken window of a Jeep, being recaptured in a traffic cone and eventually released into a local lake. Complete with dramatic pictures (top).

"A dramatic day indeed. The residents of Tulla may never see an otter one like it," says the story on BBC News online.

BBC reports NoW head of news has been sacked

BBC News is reporting that the News of the World has sacked former head of news Ian Edmondson following an internal inquiry.

The news comes as police have launched a fresh investigation into phone hacking after receiving "significant new information".

The BBC says the information relates to hacking at the News of the World in 2005, which led to its royal editor being jailed.

On the Edmondson sacking, the BBC says a source said a trawl of his e-mails had found "highly damaging evidence" that had been passed to the police.

Edmondson was suspended in December after he was identified in court documents as having instructed private investigator Glenn Mulcaire to access phone messages.

The new inquiry will be moved from the Met Police's counter terrorism command to the specialist crime directorate.

• BBC business editor Robert Peston says on his blog:
  

  "At 1000 yesterday investigators from News International found e-mails that allegedly show that Mr Edmondson had knowledge of attempts to hack into the mobile phones of prominent individuals by the private investigator Glen Mulcaire.

  "News International confronted Mr Edmondson with the e-mails and dismissed him at 1600.

  "The UK arm of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation then sent the new evidence to the police. And it is this information which is the basis of the fresh police enquiry announced today.

  "There can now be no doubt that News International has abandoned its previous position that it had uncovered everything there was to find about possible malpractice in the way the News of the World tried to uncover information about the private lives of celebrities and public figures.

  "It now appears to be aggressively investigating the involvement of its employees in a way it didn't do hitherto"

• In a remarkable run of media stories the BBC News at five 0'clock lead on phone hacking, sacking of Edmondson, followed by the sexism row at Sky Sports and the 650 job cuts at BBC World Service.
  

BBC says Telegraph 'chose not to publish' explosive comments by Cable on Murdoch

Sensational BBC story that Vince Cable told undercover reporters he had "declared war on Rupert Murdoch" and planned to block his efforts to take full control of BSkyB, according to the BBC's Robert Peston.

The business secretary's admission came in conversation with Daily Telegraph reporters posing as constituents. What isn't fully explained is why the Telegraph didn't publish it this morning in its main story about Cable's remarks to its undercover reporters ( although it is now running the 'I have declared war on Murdoch' comments on its website).

Peston said the Telegraph "chose not to publish the most explosive" part of its investigation. But a transcript was passed to him by a whistleblower.

Peston says on his blog Peston's Picks: "I have been passed a full copy of the interview by a whistleblower who is upset that the Telegraph chose to omit these remarks.

"They are not included in a transcript that was published on the Telegraph's site this morning under the heading 'the full transcript'."

The implication is that the Telegraph, published by one of the media groups opposing the Murdoch deal, was not intending to publish Cable's remarks about Murdoch as it may have threatened his position as Business Secretary.

Peston said on BBC Radio 4 News that the whistleblower claimed the Telegraph was not running the Cable remarks about Murdoch for "commercial reasons".

The Telegraph's online story states: "Telegraph Media Group, the owner of The Daily Telegraph, is among many rival media companies objecting to Mr Murdoch’s plans.

However, Mr Cable indicates in the secret recording that he may seek to block the deal on political grounds – which he boasts is one of the benefits of being in Government.

“I didn’t politicise it, because it is a legal question, but he [Mr Murdoch] is trying to take over BSkyB, you probably know that,” the Business Secretary said. “He has minority shares … And he wants a majority. And a majority-control would give him a massive stake.

“I have blocked it, using the powers that I have got. And they are legal powers that I have got. I can’t politicise it, but for the people who know what is happening, this is a big thing. His whole empire is now under attack. So there are things like that, that being in Government … All we can do in opposition is protest.”

The Telegraph adds: "The comments are likely to infuriate Mr Murdoch whose newspapers were among the staunchest supporters of the Conservative Party in the run-up to the general election."

A Telegraph spokesman told the Guardian: "It is utter nonsense to suggest that the Daily Telegraph did not publish the comments from Vince Cable on the Rupert Murdoch takeover of BSkyB for commercial reasons. It was an editorial decision to focus this morning on Cable's comments on the coalition because they were of wider interest to our readers.

"We have made it clear, in the paper, online and in broadcast interviews today, that we would be publishing further comments in the forthcoming days. In the event, the story was put on the Telegraph website shortly after 3pm this afternoon."

• Against most pundits' predictions, Cable is to stay in the Cabinet as Business Secretary but Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt will rule on Murdoch's bid to take full control of BSkyB.
  
  

Broadcasters protest over Iran jamming

Three  international broadcasters have strongly condemned Iran for its "deliberate electronic interference" in their broadcasts.

The BBC, Deutsche Welle and Voice of America said the jamming began on Thursday as Iran marked the 31st anniversary of the Islamic Revolution.

They said Iran was broadcasting freely around the world while denying its own people programmes coming from outside.

The BBC, Deutsche Welle and Voice of America said the Iranian authorities' jamming was affecting services on the Hotbird satellite, which covers audiences across Europe and the Middle East.

These include BBC Persian Television, the Voice of America Television Channel in Persian and Radio Farda; and Deutsche Welle's Television and Radio services. BBC World News - the English-language channel - was also jammed.

"We condemn any jamming of these channels. It contravenes international agreements and is interfering with the free and open flow of international transmissions that are protected by international treaties," the broadcasters said in a joint statement.

"The Iranian authorities are using the same satellite services to broadcast freely around the world including broadcasts in English and Arabic; at the same time they are denying their own people programmes coming from the same satellites from the rest of the world," they added.
See also post below

BBC defies call for Afghan news blackout

The BBC is ignoring the call by the Afghanistan Government for the media to impose a blackout on news of any violent incidents during today's presidential elections.
It reported this morning that the Taliban had attacked a number of polling stations and that militants had been shot in Kabul.
The International Federation of Journalists yesterday described the call for a news blackout as "illogical and objectionable." The Pajhwok Afghan News agency said it would defy the call which was condemned by the Afghan Independent Journalists' Association.
Siamak Herawi, a spokesman for President Karzai, said the blackout would prevent the media from having a "negative impact" and stop people voting because of fears of violence.