JASPAN ON THE MOVE
Andrew Jaspan, who has just been made editor of The Age, Melbourne, was also on the move 10 years ago. He was replacing Magnus Linklater as editor of The Scotsman and had shifted across from sister-title, Scotland on Sunday.
HASTINGS READS RIOT ACT
Daily Telegraph editor Max Hastings reprimanded a senior executive and sub-editor after a picture mix-up saw a shot of the Marquess of Blandford appear in the paper with a caption referring to IRA bomber Sean McNulty who had been jailed for 25 years. The caption under Blanford’s picture read: “McNulty: helped bomb oil terminal and gas depot.” Hastings told Press Gazette the error was “disgraceful and deplorable”.
PCC REJECTS EXPOSED MP’S COMPLAINT
The Press Complaints Commission ruled that it was right for The Sunday Times to use subterfuge in its MPs “cash for questions” exposé. The PCC rejected a complaint from MP Graham Riddick that he had been entrapped. The paper went undercover to show that several MPs were willing to accept £1,000 each to ask questions in the House of Commons. Also on the front page, Richard Barber had been drafted in to boost sales of OK! magazine, which was struggling with sales of just over 100,000. OK! today sells nearly 600,000
HITCHEN RESCUES SUNDAY
It was revealed that Brian Hitchen was to take over as editor of the Sunday Express, following the departure of Eve Pollard. Hitchen had been editor of the Daily Star for seven years, coming in after its disastrous link-up with Sunday Sport. Hitchen said of the Star: “The child was dying until I got my hands on it.”
WOMEN IN JOURNALISM LAUNCHED
Women in Journalism was launched by 20 women journalists who signed cheques to get the new organisation off the ground.
Its aim was to support and encourage women working in newspapers and magazines. WIJ also wanted to monitor the way women were treated in the industry – and the way women were portrayed in the press. Among the founding members were Eve Pollard, Amanda Platell, LindaChristmas, Mary Ann Seighart and Ginny Dougary.
MORGAN URGES INQUIRY
Piers Morgan’s News of the World had a belting scoop about claims that Princess Diana was sending nuisance calls to married art dealer Oliver Hoare, who had called in the police. MPs demanded an inquiry into how the NoW got the story, but Morgan rapped back: “I would urge an inquiry into why the police investigation was dropped.”
MIRROR DROPS INVESTIGATION UNIT
The Daily Mirror had closed its investigations unit, run for 13 years by Paul Foot who had left the paper after clashing with chief executive David Montgomery. The last man to head the unit was Peter Hounam who was recently thrown out of Israel because of links with nuclear whistleblower Mordechai Vanunu. Mirror editor Colin Myler said the paper wanted to do investigations as and when they were appropriate, rather than have a special unit.
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